Mark Robins’ press conference notes as Coventry City boss quick to put record straight on Victor Torp

Coventry City news and views fom CoventryLive as we take a look at what Sky Blues boss Mark Robins said in his pre-match press conference, including the man whose ‘head is on the block’ when it comes to recruitment

When Mark Robins fronted the media for his weekly pre-game news conference in front of Coventry City’s local derby against Leicester, he was cheerful and talkative.

The Sky Blues manager was encouraged by his January acquisition of Victor Torp, who comes from Norwegian elite team Sarpsborg for an estimated £2.1 million. When City struggled to gain momentum in the first few games of the season, Robins was eager to point out that he had not strengthened his midfield after star player Gustavo Hamer left in August.

However, there will be little acceptance of any hints that Torp, a 24-year-old dynamic central operator who can switch between boxes or play the holding role, has been brought in replace Hamer. “He is not Gustavo’s replacement on our team. When questioned about the function and style of the player, he responded, “He’s irreplaceable,” in a preemptive strike.

Finding players who fit with our goals is what we attempt to accomplish. He can play as a six or an eight, but he can’t be exactly like what we have because that would be ridiculous. Victor is a graceful player who can choose passes and has strong technique and clean feet. He has good athleticism and can run, and he plans to get even better.

“He can improve physically but he’s technically sound, strikes the ball really well and can pass long and short distances with a good weight of pass. He’s got good awareness and understanding of creating space – got all those things. He’s going to be someone the supporters are going to like watching and someone who the players will like playing with. But he isn’t a direct replacement for Gus, he’s totally different to that.

“He has some good characteristics and was in the profile when the recruitment department were looking. He’s a really good lad and speaks really good English, as you’d expect from a Dane, and we’re confident that over time he’ll do really well.”

Whether or not he will be included in the matchday squad against the Foxes is the main question on the minds of the supporters. It seems improbable, since he’s only had five weeks off owing to the Norwegian winter vacation.

“He’s going to need time to get used to the speed of the game,” stated the boss, who’s clearly looking forward to working with the former Denmark youth international, who took part in his first training session with his new teammates on Friday morning.

“It will take him a while but I don’t know how long it will be. It depends how quickly we can get him ready because he needs a bit of work yet. But he will train today (Fri) and we will work a programme out for him and get him integrated as quickly as possible.”

He added: “He’s 24 and we felt his age was a good one, and it’s a good stage to come into our squad. He’s been off for a few weeks so he’s got to do a little bit of work to get up to speed in the first instance, but he’s a good player.”

Despite playing down his ability to do much business in the current window, Robins admitted that City’s recruitment department have clearly been tracking Torp for months, and done a lot of homework on the player.

Robins stated, “He’s been on the radar for a while,” without ruling out the possibility of another “surprise” in the timeframe. “I am involved at the conclusion of the process when the recruitment department brings them to me. They have examined a significant number of his games, traveled to Norway to finalize the agreement, and on Thursday, they arrived and finished the physical. That happened pretty quickly, and he’s here and prepared to get to work.

“This young man is genuinely kind and driven to succeed. He is thrilled to be here and eager to perform for the audience.”

In recent years, City has had some success in international markets. Notable players who have done well abroad include Milan van Ewijk in the Netherlands, Haji Wright in Turkey, and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, who was found in Belgium, not to mention Hamer before.

The club used to have a European scout who resided overseas and frequently traveled to watch players back in the Premier League days. But these days, the Ryton office is where a lot of the preliminary work gets done.

“A lot of data collection and video analysis is involved,” Robins said. “While data is valuable, it is not a driving force. While some people find it motivating, we rely on data analysts to provide us with specific criteria for what we want to find. The recruitment boys have put everything together, and while they do occasionally go out and see people, they also occasionally work on video and film analysis, which is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

The business is overseen by Dean Austin, Head of Recruitment, and he is under evident pressure to get things right, especially when a large fee and lengthy contract are at stake.

Every time Dean brings a player in, he has to risk everything, the player remarked. However, he has his crew working in a pretty good manner and they both exhibit extreme diligence. And with time, that will only get better and better.