WOULD COVENTRY RUE SALE OF CEDRIC?

COVENTRY forward Cedric Roussel has launched a scathing attack on the Highfield Road hierarchy, after he was offered to First Division Wimbledon in part-exchange for John Hartson, and Opta decided to take a look at Roussel's recent performances and see whether The Sky Blues were right to try and offload him.

Roussel originally joined Coventry on loan from Gent last season and instantly impressed with his physical strength and close control. Indeed, many other Premiership clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, made the Belgian striker offers during that spell, but he decided to repay Gordon Strachan's faith in his abilities and sign for The Sky Blues in a £1.2 million deal.

Overall, Roussel scored six goals last season, while also setting up a further six for team-mates, and his partnership with Irish prodigy Robbie Keane began to look increasingly effective as the campaign went on.

Unfortunately, Keane was offloaded during the summer months and Roussel has since failed to live up to the expectations that he set last term. He has scored only two Premiership goals and has not managed a single assist to date.

However, the Belgian under-21 international is not the only forward to have suffered at Coventry this season. Other strikers Craig Bellamy, John Aloisi and Ysrael Zuniga have scored only eight league goals between them, and two of Bellamy's strikes have come from the penalty spot.

Indeed, Roussel's shooting accuracy of 58% begins to look positively outstanding against some of his team-mates. Aloisi has hit the target with just 45%, and Zuniga 38%, while attacking midfielders Moustapha Hadji (32%) and David Thompson (28%) have also struggled in front of goal.

Roussel has also been able to contribute to The Sky Blues' cause in other areas. He has used his aerial abilities to make 82 flick-ons - more than any other Coventry player - and offers a physical side to his game that Strachan's other attackers would struggle to match.

However, when considering the Belgian striker's low goal return, coupled with Hartson's good form for Wimbledon this term, it is easy to see why Coventry were keen on a swap move.

Perhaps significantly, the Welsh international has scored eight times to date in the 2000-01 campaign, and last season hit the target with 60% of his shots - a better rating than Roussel. Indeed, Hartson would arguably fill Coventry's "target man" role better than Roussel, and his strength and work-rate could make him an excellent acquisition, given The Sky Blues' current relegation worries.