Coventry vs Southend Predictions

Not for the first time, Coventry have been forced away from their own city, though optimism remains. The Sky Blues performed solidly at this level last term and are now looking to kick forward by laying down a serious top-six challenge. Southend fans will be hoping to avoid seeing their team fight for survival, which is what they had to endure last time around.

Coventry’s first season back in the third tier of English football was a very pleasing one. The Sky Blues failed to make the top six, but they weren’t far away at all. They often play an attractive brand of football, which culminated in a respectable 8^th place finish. After laying the foundations last term, Mark Robins’ men will be focused on pushing for promotion this time around.

Robins had already started to build a useful-looking squad, but he’s added further quality over the summer by bringing in Kyle McFadzean and Jamie Allen from Burton, while Marko Marosi, who has joined from Doncaster, is also a decent addition.

Unlike Coventry, who were very steady last term, Southend had a turbulent season that ended with them scoring a late winner to avoid the drop on the final day. Kevin Bond, whose post-playing career has consisted largely of coaching roles, became the manager in April and he remains in charge.

In truth, had they not been hit by an awful lot of injuries, Southend would’ve done better last term, as they’ve got plenty of quality, though they do lack depth, so it’s worrying that they’ve brought very little in over the summer. Mark Milligan, who has joined from Hibernian, will add some solidity in the middle, while Nathan Ralph, who arrives at Roots Hall from Dundee, bolsters the full-back options. Bond will be hoping that Brandon Goodship, who scored an impressive 75 goals in 81 National League South games for Weymouth FC, takes some of the goal-scoring pressure off veteran striker Simon Cox, who once again proved his quality when scoring 15 goals last term.

If last season is anything to go by, Coventry are a good deal stronger than Southend, though given that this is their first competitive fixture at their adopted home, the Sky Blues look a little short. Furthermore, it’s probably unfair to judge Southend on last season, as they were hampered by a ridiculous amount of injuries. If the problems in that area are less severe this time around, then Kevin Bond’s men will be much more competitive.

As far as betting is concerned, this is one of the less appealing fixtures on the opening weekend. That said, for those who are keen to get involved, ‘Under 2.5 Goals’ is worth a try. For all they were useful last season, Coventry didn’t make a habit of being involved in high-scoring games. Only 43% of the Sky Blues’ matches saw three or more goals go in. Moreover, less than three goals were scored in 61% of Southend’s travelling matches during the previous campaign, with they both scored and conceded in only 43% of their games away from the comforts of home.