Forest GreenForest Green Roversvs.CoventryCoventry City

Both clubs suffered heartache last season at differing ends of the EFL and will hope for better fortunes in 2023-24.

Match preview

Forest Green have been in the headlines during pre-season due to making one of the most eye-catching managerial changes of the summer.

After former Everton caretaker Duncan Ferguson failed to turn Rovers' season around, the Scot was sacked and replaced by academy manager Hannah Dingley.

The appointment makes Dingley the first woman to take charge of a professional men's club in England.

Her role is only as caretaker at the moment though, so her immediate future is not certain, while she continues her academy duties too.

Ferguson was sacked as manager after an uninspiring final few months of the season, which saw Forest Green go down with a whimper.

Just 12 months after being crowned champions of League Two, Rovers lost 21 of their final 26 games to finish rock bottom, with only one win coming in that time - a shock success over Sheffield Wednesday, who eventually won promotion.

Finishing 17 points adrift of 23rd made Forest Green one of the worst performing sides in the EFL last season, and they are not as fancied to win promotion from League Two as they were before the 2021-22 season.

Their start to pre-season has not been ideal either, only managing a draw with eighth-tier Melksham Town last week.

Forest Green begin their League Two campaign with a clash against Salford City at the start of August.

For Coventry, their season was much more successful, but ultimately ended with heartbreak at Wembley.

After Mark Robins's men lost just one of their final 17 matches of the Championship regular season, a playoff place was confirmed.

A win away at Middlesbrough in the semi-final then set up an intriguing encounter in the final against Luton Town - a battle between two sides who had spent a long time away from the top flight.

Coventry lost the final in the most unfortunate of circumstances though via penalties, as they must start over again in the Championship this upcoming season.

However, they must do without key man Viktor Gyokeres, who has completed a move to Sporting Lisbon this week after months upon months of transfer speculation.

This is the first of four friendlies Coventry will play before opening their Championship campaign against recently-relegated Leicester City.

Forest Green Rovers friendly form:

Team News

Callum Jones made his first appearance in a Forest Green shirt in the friendly against Melksham after arriving from Hull City, and he got on the scoresheet in that 1-1 draw.

Goalkeeper Ross Doohan has moved on though, moving to Aberdeen, while Charlie Savage has returned to Manchester United after the expiry of his loan deal.

With Gyokeres moving on, Coventry already had his replacement signed up before Sporting had finalised the deal.

Ellis Simms has arrived from Everton on a permanent deal, and he has shown he can score goals in the second tier, having had a productive spell at Sunderland last season.

Simms joins Jay Dasilva through the door after his signing from Bristol City, while Tatsuhiro Sakamoto has also come in from Oostende in Belgium.

Luke McNally, Callum Doyle and Brooke Norton-Cuffy all featured in the playoff final but have since returned to their parent clubs after their loan deals ended.

Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:

Thomas; Bernard, Godwin-Malife, Taylor-Moore, Robson; O'Brien, Jones, McGeouch, Garrick; Brown, Omotoye

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Wilson; Eccles, McFadzean, Dasilva, Bidwell; Sakamoto, Kelly, Sheaf, Hamer, Allen; Simms

We say: Forest Green Rovers 0-2 Coventry City

The Coventry faithful will hope to see some of their new men in action, while Forest Green will welcome the challenge of a side so close to reaching the Premier League last season.

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