Mark Robins sends Yasin Ayari warning but makes big Coventry City prediction about new signing
Coventry City news from CoventryLive as Mark Robins gives his verdict on new loan signing Yasin Ayari’s eye-catching debut from the bench
Mark Robins is convinced Coventry City fans are going to “love” latest signing Yasin Ayari but has already clipped the wings of the fledgling teenage talent from Brighton.
The 19-year-old made his Sky Blues debut from the bench against Sunderland on Saturday when he produced an eye-catching 20 minute cameo, setting up Haji Wright with a wonderfully weighted pass for City’s best chance of the game, while also attempting an audacious lob of the keeper from inside his own half.
But Robins and his coaching staff want more for the exciting attacking midfielder who slotted into the No.10 position in place of Kasey Palmer when he went on in the goalless draw at the CBS Arena.
“We saw bits of what he is and going to be,” said the City manager, “but I just said in the dressing room that he’s come on and got the energy but I don’t want to see him walking about. We can’t afford that.
“It’s Championship football and people are breaking at you and sprinting and those are just little bits that he’s got to learn, but he’s a young player with loads of ability. And I think the supporters are going to love him, so there’s a lot of quality there.”
Ayari certainly looks like the perfect impact sub while he finds his feet in the squad that is yet to welcome back the likes of Callum O’Hare, Jamie Allen and Fabio Tavares from injury. One player who didn’t get on at the weekend was summer signing Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
“There’s a lot of quality sat on the bench but I just couldn’t integrate them into this game today,” explained Robins, “but it’s an exciting squad that’s starting to take shape.”
The manager’s main concern was the threat from Sunderland’s Jack Clarke who was dealt with pretty well by Milan van Ewijk, with Robins clearly reluctant to make the change in case it gave the Black Cats’ forward more freedom to exploit his side.
He said: “We started to tire a little bit in the second half and it became a little bit stretched and open because both teams were trying to win. It was difficult to make changes at that time because we still had Jack Clarke going at Milan, and they were playing a full-back and a winger and if I made a change there it would have meant having to deal with Clarke. And we just about got away with that because Milan was really good.”
