'Difficult decision' - Wednesday night defeat proves final straw for manager as Leeds United's rivals make change

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Leeds United's Championship rivals Coventry City have released a statement confirming the 'difficult decision' to sack manager Mark Robins.

The Sky Blues sit 17th in the Championship table with four wins and seven defeats from their opening 14 matches this season. Robins' side were beaten 2-1 by Derby County at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Wednesday night, which proved to be the long-serving coach's final game in charge.

Robins had been in the Coventry dugout for almost eight years, taking over the side when the club were still in League Two. He subsequently won back-to-back promotions and missed out on a Premier League return by the virtue of a penalty shootout defeat to Luton Town in the 2022/23 Championship play-off final.

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"Mark masterminded and built several team over that time that outperformed their budget, outperformed their infrastructure and brought back a playing style, credibility and belief to our City that had been lost and eroded over many years.

"These achievements will never be forgotten by those who witnessed such deeds and the broader community that once again began to rekindle their affection for our Club," a statement on the Coventry City club website read, before going on to insist that a decision to part company with the manager has not been taken lightly.

Coventry have also chosen to announce that the vacant position will now be termed 'head coach', 'within the new structure set up by the Club over the last two years.'

"The performance of the team over an extended period however have just not been good enough and as such the board of the Club has decided to make an immediate change in leadership," the Sky Blues' statement continued.

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In the aftermath of Robins' sacking, there has been disbelief and surprise at Coventry's decision from the wider Football League community. Only last season did the club reach the FA Cup semi-final and were within a hair's breadth of the competition's finale if not for a late Manchester United comeback at Wembley Stadium.

A successor to Robins is yet to be appointed but is expected in due course. Leeds next visit the CBS Arena on February 8, 2025.

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