Opposition Opinion: Coventry vs Newcastle - "I would bite your hand off for a 1-1 draw"

Coventry supporter Dominic believes Newcastle should be pushing for Europe under Matthias Jaissle, having initially feared the summer departures could leave us in a relegation fight.

For this week's Opposition Opinion, we spoke to the writer behind Sideways Sammy ahead of Monday night's trip. He discusses a tough return to the Premier League, how the Sky Blues might try to stop our pace in attack and why he'd welcome Jacob Murphy back with open arms.

How are you enjoying life back in the Premier League, and what are your expectations for Coventry this season?

It's been a tough start for various reasons, but a first win before the international break has provided hope that maybe we just had a difficult run of fixtures to start with rather than being completely out of our depth.

It has been enjoyable to watch Coventry compete against some of the better teams in the world, but the ambition is to stay up and prove what this club is about after so long away from the top flight.

The run to the next international break (with home games against Fulham and Sunderland coming up at the end of the month) feels like it'll provide a better indication of how likely we are to stay in the Premier League. After the initial excitement, the focus now is on getting results.

Who's been your standout player so far this season, and is there an unsung hero who deserves more credit?

In all honesty, it's hard to point out anyone who has really stood out over the first few games. With little Premier League experience in the squad, many have looked like they're having to adapt to a higher level of football.

I would say Bobby Thomas and Jay Dasilva in defence have surprised in taking the step up to the top flight in their stride.

I feel like there's more to come from Jack Rudoni and Ephron Mason-Clark in the attacking midfield spots, who've been managing their fitness having been injured for most of pre-season. If we are to start scoring more goals, it feels like those two are going to be heavily involved.

How do you see Coventry approaching this game? Where could you hurt Newcastle, and where do you think we could cause you problems?

After beating Nottingham Forest with a defensively solid counter-attacking performance, that's likely to be the template over the next few months.

The big question, however, is whether we can implement such a plan at home with a home crowd that's still used to, from the past few seasons, seeing this team win most weeks.

We've been caught out on several occasions already this season when pushing up to chase goals, and with Newcastle's pace in attacking areas, we could be severely punished if we try to force the issue too hard under the pressure of a home crowd wanting a win.

If we can avoid mistakes, sit deep and wait for opportunities, that seems a sensible plan to nullify Newcastle's pace and pressing threat.

What have you made of Newcastle's season so far?

After seeing so many key players leave over the summer, along with Eddie Howe, I was beginning to view Newcastle as a team that might be dragged into the relegation fight.

However, it looks like Matthias Jaissle and some really smart under-the-radar transfers could prove a smart combination. It's still early days but it seems to me Newcastle should push for Europe this year rather than be looking over their shoulders.

If you could bring one Newcastle player into this Coventry side, who would you choose and why?

Pretty much any Newcastle United player would walk into this Coventry City side so picking just one is a tall order.

I'm going to opt for sentiment and pick Jacob Murphy, who had an excellent loan spell here ten years ago when we were in League One. We had a team containing him, James Maddison, Adam Armstrong and Joe Cole under Tony Mowbray, and somehow didn't get promoted.

Murphy was then a very exciting winger/attacking midfielder who had an explosive turn of pace on top of his excellent delivery. I also feel like the current Jacob Murphy would fit in quite well to this Coventry side under Frank Lampard, who absolutely love getting crosses into the box.

Finally, what's your score prediction?

In full awareness that Coventry City are second-favourites in just about every game for the remainder of the season, I'd categorise this game as one we might hope to get something out of. I would bite your hand off for a 1-1 draw.

Dominic's concern about Newcastle's pace stands out, but Coventry will be hoping to keep the game tight and wait for mistakes. If they do sit deep, we'll need to find a way through without handing them the counter-attacking opportunities they're looking for.

Thanks to Dominic for his time and for giving us the Coventry view.