Football League pundit Ali Maxwell believes it’s time to start questioning Coventry City as the Sky Blues struggle at the beginning of the season.

Mark Robins’ team lost 2-1 to Swansea City over the weekend, leaving them with just one win from their first six matches. Following a disappointing end to the previous season—where they earned only one point from the last 18 available—Coventry continues to face challenges, with their sole league victory this season coming against Oxford United in their opening home match.

Maxwell, who expected Coventry to contend for an automatic promotion spot at the start of the season, has expressed concern over their recent performances, noting that despite having numerous attacking players, the results have been disappointing. With only six goals in six games, Robins had anticipated a more robust offensive display, especially from players like Haji Wright and Ellis Simms, who have yet to find their form from the previous year.

First-half goals from Liam Cullen and Oli Cooper gave the Swans an early two-goal advantage over Coventry City at the weekend, before an own goal from Ronald reduced the deficit ten minutes before halftime.

The loss leaves Coventry with just five points from six matches, prompting Maxwell to express growing concerns about the struggling former Premier League side.

Speaking on the Not The Top 20 Podcast, he remarked: “This continues a frustrating start to the Championship season. There are mitigating circumstances and valid excuses, without a doubt.”

“They faced Spurs midweek and performed exceptionally well, only to lose late in the game. It’s easy to see how that would be exhausting, and playing at home against Swansea—where the atmosphere may not be as vibrant—could further affect their energy levels.

“I think the excuses are starting to wear thin, even for them. Since their victory over Leeds on April 6th, Coventry has won only one Championship game in 12 attempts, losing eight of those matches, spanning across two seasons.”

Coventry City must capitalize on the attacking players available to them.

There were high expectations for Coventry City this season, as the Sky Blues retained most of the squad that narrowly missed out on the Championship playoffs last year and reached the FA Cup semi-finals.

Despite the departure of playmaker Callum O’Hare to rivals Sheffield United, City still boasts a wealth of attacking options. However, they have struggled to maximize their potential in the final third so far.

With this in consideration, Maxwell remains optimistic that results will improve for Robins and his team, as they seek to find their scoring touch at the start of the campaign.

The presenter added, “What stands out to me is that they have so many attacking players now, which was one of the reasons we were so excited about them in pre-season. They’ve got Simms and Wright, along with [Norman] Bassette, who seems quite lively.

“They also have [Brandon] Thomas-Asante, [Ephron] Mason-Clarke, and [Tatsuhiro] Sakamoto—six intriguing attacking options for just three spots.

“Additionally, players like [Milan] van Ewijk and [Jack] Rudoni can also contribute to a strong attacking lineup, but things just aren’t clicking at the moment.

“I still believe they will be fine, and it’s important not to focus too much on league position right now. A six-point gap to the playoffs after only a few games is minimal, even if being 19th in the table sounds concerning.

“Expectations were raised this season, so I’m holding them to a higher standard. I’d like to see improved results for Coventry in the coming weeks.”