Coventry City: Latest Mark Robins, Man Utd claim does make you wonder - View | OneFootball

It has been another impressive season for Coventry City in the Championship.

The Sky Blues suffered heartbreak as they were beaten on penalties by Luton Town in the play-off final last season, and after losing star duo Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer in the summer, they made a slow start to the campaign.

Coventry sat as low as 20th in the table in late November, but a significant upturn in form over the second half of the season saw them emerge as play-off contenders once again.

Mark Robins' men can no longer reach the top six, but it has still been a strong season, and their outstanding FA Cup run will live long in the memory of supporters.

The Sky Blues were 3-0 down to Manchester United in the semi-final at Wembley earlier this month, but three goals in the final 20 minutes ensured the tie would go to extra time.

Coventry almost won the game in the last minute, but Victor Torp's goal was ruled out as Haji Wright was adjudged to be offside in the build up, and United went on to win on penalties.

The performance earned the Sky Blues plenty of plaudits, and it highlighted the progress that the club has made since Robins returned for a second spell in March 2017.

Alan Pardew urges Manchester United to appoint Mark Robins

While United did make it through to the final on penalties, their collapse against Coventry piled more pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.

After an underwhelming season in the Premier League, and an exit in the group stages of the Champions League, ten Hag's position is under threat.

It remains to be seen whether new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will make a change this summer, but former Newcastle United and Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew believes Robins should replace ten Hag at Old Trafford.

"He’s done brilliantly for four seasons, he almost beat you (Manchester United) in the semi-final – Mark Robins, there you go," Pardew said on talkSPORT.

"Get him in. He’ll do a job for you, I tell you. An ex-player who knows the club and knew the club before he went there.

"He did his apprenticeship before he went there – he’s done his duty, he’s done his homework and knows the levels. I’m not his agent, by the way, I’m just saying!"

Mark Robins deserves to be considered for Premier League jobs

Robins does have history with United having played for the club between 1988 and 1992, and he is widely credited with scoring the goal that saved the job of legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

It seems highly unlikely that Robins would be a contender for the United job if ten Hag is sacked this summer, but he does deserve to be considered for Premier League jobs.

Robins returned for a second spell at Coventry in March 2017 when the club were struggling towards the bottom of League One, and the job he has done since then has been remarkable.

The 54-year-old was unable to prevent the Sky Blues' relegation to League Two, but he led them to an immediate return to the third tier the following season via the play-offs.

Just two years later, Coventry were promoted to the Championship after winning the League One title, and only a penalty shoot-out defeat prevented them from reaching the Premier League last season.

Robins has achieved success with the Sky Blues despite operating on a limited budget for much of his tenure, and he has played a crucial role in the development of the likes of Gyokeres, Hamer and Callum O'Hare.

After losing some of his stars in the summer, Robins has proven his ability to rebuild the squad, recruiting players such as Bobby Thomas, Milan van Ewijk, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Ellis Simms and Haji Wright, and his side have been equally as competitive this season.

Robins demonstrated that he can tactically outsmart Premier League managers during this season's FA Cup run, with Coventry beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 at Molineux in the quarter-finals before their incredible comeback against United in the semi-finals.

Given the job Robins has done with the Sky Blues, it is surprising he has not been linked with more top flight vacancies, although his indifferent managerial spells with the likes of Barnsley, Scunthorpe United and Huddersfield Town earlier in his career may create doubts over how he would fare away from the CBS Arena.

Coventry owner Doug King will be delighted by the lack of speculation over Robins' future, and as he only signed a new four-year contract at the club last May, it seems unlikely that Robins will be leaving any time soon.

The United job may be a step too far for Robins, but he certainly deserves an opportunity to manage in the Premier League at some point in the future, and he will be hoping to guide the Sky Blues there next season.