sport news Coventry boss Mark Robins defends inconsistent Manchester United - but insists ... trends now
Mark Robins believes people are wrong to deride Manchester United for their current plight but insists his Coventry side have nothing to fear in the FA Cup semi-final.
Former United striker Robins, who famously scored the FA Cup goal against Nottingham Forest in 1990 that 'saved' Sir Alex Ferguson's job, leads Championship side Coventry out at Wembley on Sunday for only the second semi-final in the club's history.
They face a United side struggling under Erik ten Hag, in danger of their worst-ever Premier League finish and a team who have conceded more shots since the turn of the year than any team in England's top four divisions.
'It's a brilliant opportunity for everyone,' said Robins. 'There's a lot of excitement around the city. It's the first time we've been here since 1987. It's not a normal occasion for us, but it is a normal occasion for them.
'It's a really difficult challenge. I hear people talking about Manchester United, they're this or they're that, and the truth of it is they have got top players.
Mark Robins believes people are wrong to deride Manchester United for their current plight but insists his Coventry side have nothing to fear in the FA Cup semi-final
Former United striker Robins leads Championship side Coventry out at Wembley on Sunday for only the second semi-final in the club's history
His team will face a Manchester United side struggling under manager Erik ten Hag
'You have to go into this game understanding what the threats are, and they are significant. They have got top players. You have got to understand that.
'For people who are saying United are this or that, or that they concede a lot of shots, you're talking about a team that is full of top players, top international players, that are playing at that level every week. We know they are clearly favourites to win this game by a million miles.
'We know what we are likely to encounter but also we have to play a part in this game in as positive way as possible. It's a big occasion, one of the biggest games that most of our players have played in but there shouldn't be any fear.'
While it's Coventry's first FA Cup semi-final since the Sky Blues lifted the trophy in 1987, trips to Wembley have become recent commonplace. They lost the Championship play-off final there to Luton last year as well as victories in the EFL Trophy final in 2017 against
