Coventry City double act can inflict serious damage in 2024/25: View | OneFootball

Coventry City are in a good position to build on what was a mixed 2023/24 campaign.

They didn't enjoy the best finish to the season, but they have a lot of the ingredients needed to secure a place high up in the division next term, with Ephron Mason-Clark set to return from his loan at Peterborough United.

The Sky Blues still managed to secure a respectable finish last term despite losing Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer and that will give them hope that they can get points on the board without them again next season.

Recruiting fairly well in the past couple of windows, their business and the presence of 2021 arrival Ben Sheaf could allow them to achieve great things, if the ex-Arsenal man remains at the Coventry Building Society Arena beyond the end of the upcoming summer transfer window.

Sheaf, plus summer 2023 additions Ellis Simms and Haji Wright, could guide Coventry to glory during the 2024/25 season, with the latter two scoring plenty of goals last term.

Simms didn't always have things his way during 2023/24, but he turned out to be a deadly goalscorer in the end and played an important part in guiding the club to an FA Cup semi-final clash against Manchester United.

The ex-Everton striker and Wright could prove to be an effective partnership again next season.

A 4-2-3-1 system could still allow Ellis Simms and Haji Wright to thrive at Coventry City

Mark Robins has a big dilemma.

Selecting which formation to use is going to be a challenge, but some would argue that the arrival of Mason-Clark and the quality of Tatsuhiro Sakamoto means he will have little choice but to utilise wingers.

This could mean that Coventry end up going with a 4-2-3-1 formation next term, with Wright potentially starting ahead of Mason-Clark on the left and the latter potentially operating in the middle if Callum O'Hare leaves this summer.

In fairness to Wright, he has done a good job out wide despite possibly preferring to operate in a central role, and he has shown that he can be trusted on the left-hand side.

He can also be a real attacking threat out wide and could link up with Simms very well.

Having Wright and Sakamoto out wide, with Sheaf in midfield and Simms up front could be a winning formula for the Sky Blues, who have so many good options at their disposal.

Ellis Simms and Haji Wright could form a good partnership in a 5-3-2 formation

A back four could work, but so could a 5-3-2, or a 3-4-1-2 system to be more specific.

The likes of Milan van Ewijk and Jay Dasilva can be attacking threats from out wide and Robins knows how a back three could operate.

Simms and Wright up front together could be a real treat considering the number of goals they scored last season - but the main concern could be the attacking midfield area - with O'Hare potentially set to leave on the expiration of his contract this summer.

Mason-Clark could play there or a potential replacement for O'Hare could come in.

A 3-4-1-2 system could work very well if O'Hare stays or an excellent replacement arrives.

Or they could potentially switch to a 3-4-2-1, with the two behind Simms acting as inside forwards.

Wright, Sakamoto and Mason-Clark could be excellent inside forwards, so the possibilities are endless for the Sky Blues, who could richly benefit from having Simms and Wright together in the same lineup, regardless of which system is adopted.

Coventry's forward duo settled in the Championship and found their feet in 2023/24 but could inflict some serious damage next term.