PHIL Parkinson has an ally when it comes to adapting his team’s playing approach to deal with a poor pitch.

New Coventry boss Tony Mowbray has a similar issue with the Ricoh Arena surface, which they share with stadium owners Wasps.

Mowbray, whose first game in charge ended in a 3-2 home defeat to Port Vale on Saturday, said: "It is what it is. Bradford's pitch isn't the greatest so they won't have any concerns about ours.

“Historically my teams try to get the ball down and play. But in the situation we find ourselves we have to adjust a bit and find a way to win rather than developing philosophies of play and find a way of keeping clean sheets and scoring goals.

"I would always encourage my players to get the ball down and play and pass it, although they need to be mindful of the pitch and the area they are playing in.”

Mowbray was appointed a week ago to replace Steven Pressley, who got City’s backs up last season with his “dark-age football” crack.

The former West Brom and Middlesbrough chief plans a major summer revamp to the squad – but first has to steer the Sky Blues away from trouble. Coventry, who have not been in the fourth tier since 1959, currently sit only one point above the drop zone.

Mowbray added: “I’ll have seen virtually every player at the club by Wednesday so I’ll have a good idea what we’ve got.

“We have another opportunity tonight. It’s about finding the balance of keeping it tight at the back and taking opportunities at the other end.

“Experienced teams with the mentality of ‘been there, done it’ can help. We know they are a physical side and they come here after a tough cup game.

“Bradford have got players who are used to a Saturday-Tuesday schedule. We’ll get our boys ready and give them a game-plan.”