IT MAY have come too late to save them from relegation, but Mark Robins believes he has seen good signs from Coventry City just in time for Wembley.

Even by their standards of a gradual decline since relegation from the Premier League in 2001, this has been a bleak season for the Sky Blues.

Never higher than 17th in the Sky Bet League One table, they have been adrift at the bottom and nailed on for the drop for weeks.

When the inevitable happens, they will tumble into the Football League’s basement division for only the second time – and the first since 1958/59.

The turmoil has led to four different men picking the team since September, with Robins the latest in the hot-seat.

But his second spell in charge has shown signs of life, with successes against Port Vale and Bristol Rovers in the two games before Wembley.

Robins said: “I’m focused on trying to improve the lads.

“It’s great that they have come through but the thing I take from that is that the supporters are desperate to get behind everybody.

“The players are now talking to each other in a way that’s good, tactically and trying to organise each other and do the right things.

“I still want more but what we have got is a group that are working for each other, but not before time.

“They are doing what they are capable of doing and while they may not realise it, they are capable of doing even more and playing better stuff, which we see in training.

“I’ve talked about the shackles that might have been on them and trying to release those and the fear takes time, but they are working and fighting their way through it.

“So we move to the next one and hopefully we can go and enjoy it on the back of a really good week.”

“We are starting to grow a little bit in terms of confidence, which is really good to see, and they are going into a showcase game on the back of two wins and they can go and enjoy next week now.”

Robins is under no illusions of the challenge which awaits his side against United, who are 27 points ahead of Coventry in the table.

He said: “We’ll go there and try to relax as much as possible while knowing it’s not a place to go and lose.

“We will be playing against a side who are another step on from (Bristol Rovers), in my opinion.

“They have got some really good players and we’ll work this week on what we’re going to do.”

Legendary goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic, who was part of Coventry’s 1987 FA Cup-winning side, will lead the side out alongside Robins. Pictures: Coventry Telegraph