Coventry City’s manager Gordon Strachan pulled no punches after watching his side’s toothless display at Everton yesterday.

He had gone to Goodison Park hoping his side would collect the three points necessary to keep them in the Premier League. Instead they folded almost without a whimper for the second time in two months against the Merseysiders and Strachan was not pleased.

"It was a waste of time," he fumed after the 2-0 defeat. "There was no point turning up to play like that. We came up here in the FA Cup two months ago and played much the same.

"Now we go into another pressure cooker game against Middlesbrough at the weekend. We are down among the teams under pressure, when we had the opportunity to get above everyone."

The Sky Blues reckon they need 40 points to stay in the top flight. They are three short of that and victory at Goodison would have been a release valve which would have allowed them to enjoy their football in the remaining five matches.

Everton finished on forty points last season and stayed up on goal difference. The cut off point might be fewer this time because so many of the bottom clubs play each other.