"With two-thirds of the Championship season gone, the division has been dominated by two sides - Coventry City and Middlesbrough. Since matchday four at the end of August, one of these two have occupied top spot as they aim to end lengthy absences from the Premier League. But this is not a tale of one-way traffic to glory, but exciting twists and turns characterised by winning runs, lots of goals, managerial upheaval and poor runs."
"When you examine the cold facts, the answer might seem obvious, with Middlesbrough on fire after six consecutive wins and Coventry having only picked up four victories in their past 13 league games, including a frustrating goalless draw at home to 10-man relegation-threatened Oxford United in their last one. But a psychological crisis for one team might be another's moment of clarity, and how the two sides respond under the shifting pressure of swapping roles will be fascinating."
Coventry City and Middlesbrough have dominated the Championship since early season, frequently occupying the top two positions. Coventry won the earlier meeting 4-2 in November to open a 10-point lead, but Middlesbrough have since surged to take a two-point advantage. Middlesbrough have six consecutive wins, while Coventry have only four victories in 13 league games, including a goalless home draw with 10-man Oxford United. The promotion race has featured high-scoring games, managerial changes and fluctuating momentum. Performance psychologist Peter Dutton attributes Coventry's dip to psychological factors as players shift from playing freely to playing not to lose.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]