Coventry City’s players didn’t get the chance to speak to Mark Robins before he left the club on Thursday morning. The Sky Blues squad were assembled in the gym at Ryton and informed by club owner Doug King that the manager had been relieved of his duties, leaving many to contact Robins directly by phone.

Jake Bidwell, who, as one of City's most senior players, asked to face the media today and was one of the first to ring Robins after the “surprise” news that he insists no-one saw coming.

“I spoke to him on the phone yesterday,” said the defender, who is injured at the minute.

“I just thanked him. I said I have had the chance to play for a massive football club and without him that wouldn’t have happened. And I just thanked him because I have had some of the best days of my career.

"I think back to the Birmingham game at home when we were chasing the play-offs and went and won. Then the game up at Middlesbrough to get to the final and the Wolves game in the FA Cup, games like that stand out and are some of the best memories of my career that I will cherish forever.

“So yeah, I just thanked him for the opportunity to play for a massive football club and without him, it wouldn’t have been possible for me and all the lads in the dressing room as well.”

City have lost a lot of experience and leaders in the dressing room over the last ten months, from Kyle McFadzean last January to Liam Kelly and Matty Godden in the summer. Asked if he feels that was a contributing factor to the team’s inconsistency so far this season, Bidwell said: “Possibly, yeah. You get that with any young group of players. And we have a lot of them so I think that’s probably a fair observation.

"I don’t think there has been a lack of effort, it’s just an understanding that when you are feeling 50-60 percent coming to the end of the three game week, you have to find something else to get yourself through the game, and that only comes from going through things personally as a player, and the more you do that the more you get used to getting the best out of yourself when you’re not 100 percent.”

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