Envious eyes cast at Coventry

MANAGERIAL success stories don’t go unnoticed within Athletic’s division.

First to be poached by a club higher up the food chain this season was Walsall’s canny boss Dean Smith, who moved from the Saddlers to Brentford last month. Then Burton Albion’s Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink went from his successes there to QPR.

The latest Sky Bet League One leader to be linked with a move to the Championship is Coventry City manager Tony Mowbray, said to have attracted the attentions of Fulham as a replacement for Kit Symons.

Mowbray has succeeded in transforming the Sky Blues – Athletic’s opponents at the Ricoh Stadium on Saturday – into a favourite to win the League One title this season. The former West Brom, Celtic and Middlesbrough manager arrived on a rescue mission, taking over from Steven Pressley in March.

He inherited a side 20th in the division and only a point clear of the bottom four. Nineteen points in 13 matches followed, guiding the club to 17th and safety.

Mowbray has since overseen a remarkable upturn in fortunes, driven by a raft of high-profile and successful loan signings.

With borrowed Newcastle striker Adam Armstrong firing in the goals and former England star Joe Cole on loan from Aston Villa to provide his ammunition, Coventry are the only side in the division still unbeaten at home - and look good for handing sought-after Mowbray a Championship brief for 2016-17 at the latest.