Steve Coppell’s side are in the bottom three of the Premier League table on goal difference, despite recording their first win since December 22nd last weekend against Middlesbrough, although the City boss thinks they are better than their position suggests.
“They are a good team,” says Sven. “They fight and defend well and get plenty of players behind the ball when they lose it. They are hard to break down and good on the counter attack with two good strikers, I expect another difficult game.
“I think they have been a little bit unlucky, they have had a few injuries and all the reports I have had on them say they have done well at times. I know the table is not the best for them, but that’s why they are dangerous.”
Meanwhile, Sven’s opposite number has been explaining his decision to allow Leroy Lita to go on loan to Charlton. The England Under 21 striker’s brace condemned City to defeat at the City of Manchester Stadium last season, but now he will spend the next month at The Valley, as Steve Coppell explains:
Coppell said: “It is a calculated risk. I have four strikers and in an ideal world all four of them would have been happy to stay and fight for their places.
“But they get frustrated and down and strikers do so more than any other position. This was just a short-term solution. Whether it turns into a long-term one I doubt. We will wait and see what happens after 28 days.
“Four into two never fits. We have chatted about things and as a manager you ask them to be patient knowing that they won’t be. I was fully aware of the way he was feeling and thought this was the best solution.
“People have been saying “you must have had an argument” but we haven’t. It is just a disagreement over my selection policy but I have got to be true to myself and do what I think is right.
“He will have a future back here if he scores goals. I won’t have one if we don’t win games so that’s an obvious answer.”
