James Atama
Coventry City goalkeeper Oliver Dovin described the sacking of Mark Robins as “understandable.” Dovin, who was signed by Robins from Hammarby in the summer, expressed his surprise at Robins’ dismissal during an interview with Fotbollskanalen, as reported by Sport Witness. He remarked, “I was shocked and surprised, I guess. It’s difficult in this business. He had taken them up from League 2 to the Championship and was here for seven years. It didn’t go so well – we were a point above the relegation places – so it’s more the owner (Doug King) who makes the decision.”
Dovin acknowledged that many were taken aback by Robins’ firing, stating, “I think a lot of people were shocked because he’s kind of an icon at the club, but if you look at where we were in the table and how things had gone in terms of expectations, maybe you could say it was understandable.”
Initially installed as Robins’ first-choice goalkeeper, Dovin was eventually dropped as the Sky Blues struggled in the Championship. He reflected, “We had four points from five matches and the coach thought that something needed to change. I was new and young, and perhaps I was not as vocal as our other goalkeeper. So I had to look at myself and think what steps I could make to get a chance to play again. I had time to work on that, and I think it has become much better.”
Notably, it was after Robins was dismissed and Frank Lampard took over that Dovin’s career at Coventry began to flourish once more. He commented on Lampard, saying, “I was happy because he is such a big icon in the world and in England. Everyone knows who he is, which means that Coventry as a club gets more attention. To be close to him every day and learn from what he can give out with his experience is just good.”
Dovin has become a key figure in the squad since Boxing Day, starting 11 consecutive matches that have resulted in 11 points, with only one loss – at Norwich City on January 4. This form has given Coventry an outside chance of reaching the Championship play-offs, sitting just seven points outside the top six after their recent victory at Blackburn. He praised Lampard’s coaching style, saying, “I think he’s a good coach. He’s not so much a manager who sits back and lets his assistants do everything, but he’s very involved with the whole team and with individuals. He’s also a good guy. A good person.”
