The Coventrian Candidates- A look at possible successor’s to Robins

Carsley could further press his claims with a big win on Wednesday

I traipsed up to Bury on Saturday and for another away day in this season, enjoyed it. Decent performance and Carsley got the team and timing of the substitute’s right. A good sign, I’d say.

But now is the oncoming task of overturning a 3-0 deficit on Wednesday night and finding the next incumbent in the City manager’s office.

Robins left under a cloud but five months after he came, is there such an ‘overhaul appointment’ needed? For me, no; Saturday showed that. We have quality in this side now and despite the week from hell, the players still seem to be as confident as before Steve Phillips had the game of his life.

A look at the betting for the next manager job is obviously no indication for a ownership who are very quiet in this process, as shown with the Robins appointment when he wasn’t even listed until SISU listed their ‘3 man shortlist’ two days before he got the job.

Anyway, some of the people at the top of the list give me mixed feelings. From intrigue over Pemberton to a case of trepidation with the possibility of Phil Brown giving off a Ken Dulieu-esque glow from the dugout.

But they are worth a look at as the job is a more appealing one than it was after Andy Thorn had left and has a squad capable of gaining promotion either this season or next.

Pemberton is highly regrarded and current bookies favourite

First up is John Pemberton the former Crystal Palace player who has been a highly-rated youth coach at Palace, Forest and Sheffield United.

Pemberton, from what I have read on him is someone with a decent track record of producing young players and a well liked coach with a burgeoning reputation. He was axed by Forest last week in the latest of dismissals in the Kuwait-ran regime on the bank’s of the River Trent.

A ‘tracksuit’ coach who doesn’t have a troublesome ego on the surface is what I’d expect SISU to look for and whilst the place as job favourite seems a bit left-field, there is likely something in it. SISU were burnt by Robins, a manager with an ambition which our club, apparently, couldn’t match. Pemberton is a man on the way up, available and good at working with young players. All facets for why he is the favourite. City fans will question why we are looking outside for a hire like this, if it happens, when we have Greg Rioch, who has done a very good job with the Academy, but a fresh voice could push on and would be no slight on Rioch for me.

Phil Brown is one of many touted candidates for the job. Photo from telegraph.co.uk

Phil Brown has had a good 9 months at Hull and going off recent history at this club, that is as long as he will last.

Unlike Pemberton, SISU have good reason to be cautious. They gave the job to an out of work manager looking for a step up and he left quickly at a ‘higher’ offer. For every reason Pemberton makes sense, Brown, for me, wouldn’t.

Nothing against the man but could his ego work with SISU’s random budgeting and could he work with Tim Fisher and Steve Waggott, both who will be king makers in this process again.

But all of this could well be mute come 5pm on Saturday.

Two wins against Steve Davis’ Crewe could see the Wembley double-header back on the horizon and could give Lee Carsley the job for the near future if not longer. His familiarity with the club, the players and the bosses have obviously not warned him off as he hasn’t dismissed, openly anyway, an interest in the manager’s job.

Like Pemberton, Carsley is someone looking for his first step on the managerial ladder and like Graeme Alexander and Gary Rowett in League 2, it’s a path which can breed some success. Carsley would be a favourable appointment to most City fans even with the predictable accusations of SISU being ‘cheap’, he could well prove over the next five days he is suited to the job.

Overall, whatever decision they make after Saturday my perception of it’s importance has changed a bit. We need a strong manager but we need to make a lasting appointment. SISU will take their time, that is acceptable as they did last time and had seemingly came out with desired results.

Outside of the top of the betting, there are some names I’d happily see take the reigns of a team, which on the field at least, seems to be on the up.

Steve Davis is a intriguing name to watch and someone who gained admirers leading his Crewe side to promotion last season.

Steve Davis at Crewe being one of them; I mentioned Davis as someone I’d like to see pre-Robins, but in hindsight the job needed to be done was more dramatic than I possibly realised. Now though, it’s, for me ready made for him. He is comfortable at Crewe and has managed the seemingly unenviable task of emerging from the shadow of club legend, Dario Gradi. As well as forming a decent reputation for himself which has seen his side achieve a swift promotion and then consolidated with ease in a higher division, he seems to go about his job in a unassuming manner. He is adept at working with young players, you only need a quick glance at the ages of his current crop of players at Gresty Road to see that and he is someone City have fallen foul to twice this season.

He isn’t free or available but Crewe won’t dictate a big pay packet for him if the situation arose and for me, he is someone who will manage at a higher level someday.

Also on the list, is Nick Barmby; he walked out after a disagreement with club owners last year at Hull despite them being in a healthy position. So he might be put off by the randomised settings of our ownership at times and the furore which seems a weekly occurrence around the club, but you ask most Hull fans and they will respond with mainly positive comments.

Barmby had a good start as manager at Hull. Could be well suited to City.

Barmby, from the outside looking in at least, made Hull hard to beat, something we haven’t been too often this season. His style could work well and working on a tight budget isn’t alien to him and he would command respect from the side and would be a eye-opening appointment for SISU.

But as mentioned above, Lee Carsley has the chance to deem this even more meaningless than it possibly is. I just wanted to put my two cents into the mix.

Looking forward to Wednesday (An early goal and who knows. I was unable to get a ticket, but something is telling me it could well be a special night for those City fans at Gresty Road. If it is, you can’t begrudge welcoming Lee Carsley to the most unstable job in League One.

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