The phoney war has finished and it is time for the real action to start this weekend. Coventry City have been touted as possible promotion candidates this summer after Micky Adams added a rash of new signings to his squad. One such player is Jay Tabb from Brentford. The talented young winger was being coveted by a host of clubs but plumped for Coventry and is hoping to make an impact in his first season at this level. The Sky Blues don't kick off their campaign until Sunday when Sunderland are the visitors to the Ricoh Arena. Followed by a trip to Southampton, it is a tough start for Adams' men and will provide a stern test of their credentials. Givemefootball's Ian Clarkson spoke to Tabb regarding his ambitions for the campaign ahead when they met at Coventry's Ryton Training base.
Q:WHAT PERSUADED YOU TO SIGN FOR COVENTRY?
A:Mainly the manager. Micky Adams was at Brentford before my time but a lot of the coaches and players there said he was a great manager to work for. That made the decision easy really and Coventry are just a huge club. As soon as I turned up at the ground I got lost it was so big! There were a few other clubs interested but Coventry felt like the right move.
Q:THIS IS YOUR FIRST SEASON AT THIS LEVEL ISN'T IT?
A:It is a massive step up for me and it is going to be a huge challenge over the next three years of my contract. I am looking forward to it. I stated in the local papers back in London that I wanted to play in the Championship and now I have got prove myself here and make sure all the talks wasn't just talk.
Q:WHAT CAN COVENTRY SUPPORTERS EXPECT FROM YOU?
A:I will be honest and hard working. The skill level is going to go up in the Championship so it might not be as easy as League One. I am quite direct and like to run at players so, hopefully, I can link up and score a few goals. Micky Adams said that if I want to be guaranteed first team football then I should stay in League One. By coming here then I have got to work for my place. Obviously I am coming in at the bottom of the ladder and have to work my way up. I am more than willing to do that and hopefully I can put in some good performances in pre-season. I am under no illusions and I will probably be a substitute at the start of the season but I am going to work really hard to try and get in the side.
Q:HOW DID YOU FIND WORKING UNDER MARTIN ALLEN AT BRENTFORD?
A:A lot of people at Brentford thought I didn't get on with Martin Allen for some reason. That wasn't true as I had a great relationship with him. I have had good relationships with all my managers, as it is important to get on with all your managers and respect them. Martin Allen's results just speak for themselves really. He came to a club with no money, not the biggest squad and not the biggest budget and got to the play-offs two seasons running. Each year he progressed one place, so if he had stayed we would probably have got automatic promotion next year but you can't wait around forever.
Q:I UNDERSTAND YOUR PRE-SEASON TOUR WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS SEASON COMPARED TO LAST?
A:It is a bit different to last year where we went paintballing in Bideford for two days! A trip to the USA for eight days was a great way for the new lads to integrate with the rest of the squad and we enjoyed fitness work at altitude. Last season at Brentford we played Bideford on the evening and stayed in a hotel. Then we all went out for a team bonding paintballing session. We were trying to shoot the gaffer at all times!
Q:THERE WAS BIG EXPECTATION ON YOUR SHOULDERS EVERY WEEK AT BRENTFORD – IS IT A RELIEF NOT TO HAVE THOSE SAME EXPECTATIONS HERE?
A:Every week at Brentford I had to do something, as there was a lot of expectation on me. However, that is good in a way, as every player has to achieve that at a club. If the fans expect you to do wonders at every match then it speaks wonders for yourself. At the start there won't be much expected of me from the fans as they don't know a lot about me. Eventually, I hope I can show them what I can do.
