Gary McAllister is banking on experience to guide his Sky Blues babes through next season.
Despite the prospect of operating on a shoestring budget, the City manager has targeted some canny old professionals to bring on the younger players.
A reunion with Blackburn's Craig Hignett, who was a hit on loan at Highfield Road before breaking his leg, will be high on his summer-wish list and he may chose to renew his interest in Fulham’s John Collins, with whom he was linked earlier in the season before turning his attention to Vicente Engonga.
“We need role models here, older players who will set the right sort of example,” McAllister told the club’s official website.
The player-manager’s top priority will be a prolific marksman. His shot-shy attack has failed to score in the last four league outings. Only one side has scored fewer goals in the division this season, since the turn of the year they have managed to hit the back of the net only 12 times.
None of the current squad has managed to get into double figures in this disappointing campaign. Jay Bothroyd tops the scoring charts with eight league goals followed by the player-manager himself on seven.
As if to underline the problem, Mo Konjic has found himself thrust into emergency action as a makeshift centre-forward.
Along with Richard Shaw the big Bosnian will form the experienced core of players remaining for next season. Both typify the type of player the manager is on the look-out for.
“We’ve got them tied up on contracts -Mo for another two years and Richard for another year. Those players set the right tone. You get the right vibe from them on match days as well as the way they conduct themselves at the training ground.”