Coventry City boss Mark Robins is ‘furious’ following a post-match incident in the game v Sheffield Wednesday yesterday.
Sheffield Wednesday headed to Coventry City for a Boxing Day clash yesterday.
But for the Owls, it was another disappointing defeat with the Sky Blues eventually winning the game 2-0 courtesy of a Tatsuhiro Sakamoto brace.
Danny Rohl‘s side have now lost their last two in the Championship and end their 2023 with a trip to Preston North End on Friday night.
And Sheffield Wednesday now look set to be without centre-back Bambo Diaby for this one, and for the Championship games vs Hull City and Southampton after that, with Diaby being shown a straight red card after full-time yesterday.
Mark Robins ‘furious’ at Liam Kitching sending off
After the full-time whistle there was a scuffle between Diaby and Coventry City’s Liam Kitching.
Both players were shown a straight red card which automatically results in a three-game ban, but Robins says he’ll be appealing Kitching’s red card.
The Coventry City boss said of the incident:
“I didn’t see what happened at the time but I have seen it back now and I am appealing that because there’s no way he can be sent off for that. No way! The kid has come from behind him and it’s assault. He’s pushed him in the face, so where does he go? He can’t go anywhere because he has come into his space.
“So he’s pushed him and then stuck his head on his head. Kitch hasn’t reacted. Whether he put his hands up to stop it, I don’t know but it’s an attack. It’s ridiculous and then he’s come back for seconds, so I am 100 percent appealing it. I am furious, absolutely furious!
“The referee hasn’t seen it and he’s sent him off. So I have been to see the referee and told him to have a look at it again. He’s made that decision but, for me, that has to be overturned and I have got to be careful because I am furious. That really needs looking at.
“And if that doesn’t get overturned it’s a three game ban for what? For what, please tell me? And it shouldn’t take the edge off what was a really decent performance and a really good win.”
Diaby has so far made 20 Championship outings for Sheffield Wednesday this season, starting all 13 of Rohl’s games in charge.
A blow for Sheffield Wednesday and Danny Rohl
Robins seems adamant that his player was not in the wrong yesterday; whether or not Rohl sees it different remains to be seen, though it seems probable that Diaby will miss the next three games through suspension.
He’ll learn from it and put it down to a boiling over of anger following what was a tough game at Coventry City, on the back of that disappointing result vs Cardiff City.
For Rohl now, he’ll have to find a way of dealing without one of his mainstay players for three tough Championship games coming up.
Expect Akin Famewo to drop into the middle alongside Di’Shon Bernard, with Marvin Johnson or Reece James starting at left-back.
Rohl has made a few small changes to the defence over the last few games and it’s seemingly unsettled the defence and the momentum slightly.
Fans though will continue to show faith in Rohl’s tactical decisions as he’s clearly a good tactician and a good coach, so he’ll find the best way to deal with Diaby’s absence over the next couple of weeks.
The next game vs Preston is another tough one for Sheffield Wednesday, especially after Preston got a much-needed win over Leeds United on Boxing Day.
