Coventry City have sacked their manager, Mark Robins, who until his dismissal on the 7th of November, 2024 had been the longest-serving manager in the EFL. He had been with the Sky Blues since March 2017 and the fact that just over seven and a half years in the job made him such an old hand is highly indicative of the short patience that exists in football.
Former Manchester United and – briefly on a two-game loan – Man City striker, Robins, was in his second stint as Coventry boss too, having initially managed them between September 2012 and February 2013. Back then the decision to leave the Midlands was made by Robins, but this time round, it was the club that ended the relationship after a poor start to the 2024/25 season.
Slow Start Too Much for Owners
The day before being sacked Robins’s side lost 2-1 at home to Derby County, the Rams having started the day beneath them in the table. The loss saw Coventry drop to 17th in the table, with just four wins from their opening 14 fixtures. Whilst 17th might not seem that bad, things are remarkably tight at the bottom of the Championship table.
With not far off a third of the season gone, Portsmouth (nine points) and QPR (10) are starting to get cut adrift. However, above those two the third relegation spot could be taken by any number of teams. Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth currently occupy 22nd place in the table but only goal difference separates them and Coventry, with six sides level on 15 points.
There is, in fact, a gap of just four points separating the teams from 22nd to ninth in the table, but we digress. The Coventry owners decided that enough was enough and so relieved Robins of his duties. One may argue the decision was a little harsh, as, given the compact nature of the table, any side other than the bottom two that was able to put three wins together would find themselves battling for a play-off spot.
What’s more, the Sky Blues had been showing signs of improvement and had won two games in a row prior to the loss to Derby. Just a few days earlier they had, in fact, won 3-0 away at Middlesbrough and before that earned a 3-2 win over Luton who, of course, were in the Premier League last term. Robins had guided his side to seven points from three games before losing to Derby and given the Rams had just one shot on target in the game (one of their two goals was an own goal), and Coventry had 70% of the ball, he is sure to feel at least a little aggrieved.
Decision Made
Coventry City has made the difficult decision to terminate the contract of Mark Robins as manager.
We thank Mark for all his achievements with us and wish him the best for the future. #PUSB
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) November 7, 2024
One can only assume the decision was already made and the board released a statement saying that it was a “difficult moment after over seven very successful years”. They added, “The performance of the team over an extended period, however, has just not been good enough and as such the board of the club has decided to make an immediate change in leadership.”
Quite what the owners had in mind is hard to ascertain but most observers would argue that Robins has done a sensational job under the circumstances. In his time at the club, they have faced so much uncertainty off the pitch, with changes in ownership and a spell without a home. It is true that Robins had received some backing in the transfer market in 2024/25, with the club spending around £16m.
However, the season before that the deals Robins made brought in a profit of around £4m for the club. A profit of more than £1m was made on player trading in 2022/23 and in the majority of the seasons he was in charge, Robins improved the club’s finances through the transfers that were made.
Success Raised Expectations
Unfortunately, we feel that the England Under 21 striker (seven goals in six games, no less) was a victim of his own success. In his first full season at the club, he got them promoted from League 2 to the third tier. In 2019/20 he guided them to the League 1 title and back into the Championship, where they had last played in 2011/12.
Achieving this amidst a backdrop of financial uncertainty and countless off-pitch issues was nothing short of remarkable and promotion to the Premier League would not have been viewed by many as a realistic aim at this time. However, the excellence of Robins made the owners start to expect the impossible.
The club’s first campaign back in the Championship was steady enough as they finished 16th. They then improved to 12th in 2021/22 before making it all the way to the play-off final in 2022/23. They were pipped to glory by Luton, who won on penalties. Last season they were not out of the play-off race until very late on, although they eventually finished ninth but even that was a real accomplishment given the resources the manager was allowed.
What’s more, in that 2023/24 campaign they made it to the FA Cup semis, where they more than played their part in one of the greatest games the competition has seen. 3-0 down with 19 minutes to go against Manchester United, they fought back to take the game to extra time. They then thought they had found a winner right at the end of the extra period, only to be denied by the cruellest of all VAR decisions. They lost the shootout but that fine run showed what they were capable of and also boosted the club’s finances, in part funding the summer spending that followed.
Longest-Serving Boss No More
Mark Robins has been sacked by @Coventry_City 🚨
The Sky Blues manager has achieved just 4⃣ wins in 1⃣4⃣ this #EFLChampionship season 👀#ITVFootball | @EFL pic.twitter.com/DNWFDlJLqT
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) November 7, 2024
In our opinion, Robins can count himself very unfortunate to lose his job and we strongly expect him to find a new one quickly. Having managed the Sky Blues for over 400 games in total, only two men have managed more games for the club. He also ranks fifth overall in terms of win percentage, so can walk away with his head held high.
In addition to being the longest-serving boss in the EFL, only Pep Guardiola had been in charge longer in the top four divisions – excluding League 2 Harrogate’s Simon Weaver, who is the owner’s son and, more importantly, managed most of his 15 years at the club outside the top four tiers).
Robins’ dismissal means that Ian Evatt of Bolton Wanderers is the manager with the longest continuous tenure at a club in the EFL (obviously excluding Weaver). That Evatt has been at the helm for less than four and a half years is, we feel, a rather damning indictment on English football. As for Robins, we wish him well, and we’re sure that plenty of owners in the second tier, and perhaps even the Premier League, will be bearing him in mind for any vacancies that are sure to come up before too long.