Football League World
·1 novembre 2024
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·1 novembre 2024
The Sky Blues will be loking to build on their fightback against Luton Town
Coventry City should start Jack Rudoni at left wing-back when they travel to The Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon.
That's according to Football League World's fan pundit for the Sky Blues, Ryan Murphy, who believes that alteration changed the game in his side's 3-2 win over Luton Town last weekend.
Victory over the Hatters was much-needed for Mark Robins' side, who had won just once in nine games in all competitions prior to that clash at the CBS Arena.
Coventry will look to build on that away at Middlesbrough this weekend, and Murphy believes one substitution from that win should be repeated in the starting line-up for this game.
What made that win over Luton all the more remarkable for the Sky Blues, is that they had been trailing 2-0 at half-time in that game.
A need to change things at the break in that game saw Robins bring on Jack Rudoni in place of Liam Kitching at left wing-back.
From there, second-half goals from Ellis Simms, substitute Victor Torp and Haji Wright saw Coventry complete a turnaround to pick up a big three points as they look to pull clear of the bottom three.
Rudoni played a big part in that by delivering the corner for his side's first, and the cross that was eventually turned in by Wright to win it in stoppage time.
While the 23-year-old had not previously played left wing-back for the Sky Blues, Murphy believes he should now take that position from the start on Saturday, after what he did there against Luton.
When asked what one change he would like to see to his side's starting lineup for Saturday's trip to Middlesbrough, the Coventry City fan told Football League World: "For me, it would be the exact same switch that Mark Robins chose to go with at half-time against Luton which I think completely changed the game, and that was Jack Rudoni coming on at left wing-back instead of Liam Kitching.
"Jack Rudoni's never played there for us and there were a few raised eyebrows when he came on in that position, and he just had his best game in a City shirt by a million miles.
"He was just a pure attacking threat and Luton couldn't handle it at all, and that's what we struggle for at left wing-back.
"Because on the right side we've got Milan van Elwijk and Hiro Sakamoto, two players that are going to run at you but on the left side we haven't got that ever, and for Luton to have that to deal with on both sides, left and right, they were struggling and the result spoke for itself, they caved in.
"So my change 100% would be to start the team that started the second-half against Luton, same formation and just go for it, and that's Jack Rudoni at left wing-back.
"Others could say Torp, because he came on and scored a goal, in place of Sakamoto, but my opinion and my change if there were to be one, is Jack Rudoni at left wing-back."
Following that win at Luton, Robins' side will go into the weekend 18th in the Championship, with 12 points from 12 matches, meaning they are still just one point clear of the relegation zone.
For their part, Middlesbrough start this round of fixtures ninth in the second-tier standings, having so far picked up 18 points from their 12 league games.
It does feel as though giving Rudoni a start at left wing-back is well worth considering for Robins going into Saturday afternoon's game.
For much of this season the Sky Blues have searched for a winning formula, and having seemingly found that in the second-half at Luton last weekend, it makes sense to try and stick with it.
That of course, would mean sticking with Rudoni in that new left wing-back role, even if it may have seemed unconventional before that win over Luton.
Indeed, Saturday's game had been the first time that the summer signing from Huddersfield had dropped out of the starting lineup in the Championship for Coventry this season.
As a result, he may be more than happy to take on a left wing-back role again this weekend, if it gives him a chance of reclaiming his place in the side.
It could also make life difficult for Middlesbrough, given they do not have much evidence to work with when it comes to preparing for dealing with Rudoni in that position.