"Silly season" - Neil Warnock takes aim at Coventry City over Mark Robins decision | OneFootball

EFL kingpin Neil Warnock is the latest figure to slam Coventry City for parting ways with Mark Robins

EFL kingpin Neil Warnock has emerged as the latest figure to aim criticism at Coventry City for their shock decision to part ways with Mark Robins.

The former Manchester United frontman had been the longest-serving manager across the entire EFL in an era where longevity is evidently more of a premium than ever before, spending over seven successful years in the Sky Blues hot-seat.

Coventry graced the hallowed Wembley turf on no less than four separate occasions under the tuition of Robins, who is widely regarded as a modern-day legend in the club's history for bringing such success against a backdrop of real continued struggle in the lower leagues of English football.

Robins masterminded Coventry's return to the Championship from the depths of League Two and took them to within one penalty kick of an unprecedented Premier League promotion by reaching the play-off final in 2023, while they also made it all the way to last season's FA Cup semi-finals and played out a thriller with Manchester United on Wembley Way.

However, the exponential progression brought on increased demand and expectation and Coventry started the season slowly for the third time running under Robins, who was strongly backed in the summer by owner Doug King.

Results had been typically inconsistent and Robins was sacked with Coventry sat 17th in the table, receiving his marching orders in the wake of Wednesday evening's beleaguered 2-1 home defeat to Derby County despite having won back-to-back beforehand against Luton Town and Middlesbrough.

That said, though, Coventry's decision to go in a different direction has been the subject of significant criticism from both club and neutral supporters, while some well-known figures have also weighed in on the matter.

Neil Warnock slams Coventry City for sacking Mark Robins

Warnock, who still boasts the vaunted record of eight promotions within the EFL to his name, is the latest high-profile figure to fire criticism towards the Sky Blues' key decision-makers for sacking Robins.

From ex-MP George Galloway brandishing the decision as "idiotic" to Simon Jordan calling it "strange", Coventry have been widely called out and Warnock has now joined in, sending a warning to the club to be careful what they wish for.

Speaking via his X account, Warnock wrote: "The silly season has well and truly arrived in Coventry!

"Baffled by the Mark Robins decision, he was a very dodgy VAR call away from a cup final a few months ago and has performed miracles since he got there, not sure what else he was supposed to do!?

Doug King, Coventry City must get Mark Robins replacement spot on

With the hostile reception in which Coventry's decision to sack Robins has received from all angles, there is undeniably scarce margin for error when it comes to appointing his successor.

The former Barnsley and Huddersfield Town boss left an indelible legacy at the CBS Arena which will perhaps never be replicated again, as he galvanised the club and supporters during their most trying period and brought the most unprecedented deliveries of success.

The reality, then, is that whoever comes in to replace him also has huge shoes to fill and, fairly or not, will largely be measured against their predecessor. Whether Coventry, following their poor start to the season, are capable of recruiting a new appointment with a similarly impressive track record or managerial expertise remains to be seen, but any appointment which doesn't immediately make heads turn and captivate at face value is hardly going to go down well with supporters.