A TRIP to Coventry should normally be a daunting prospect for a side struggling for form, as Bury are right now.

But it could actually be the right match at the right time for the Shakers.

The Sky Blues have also hit a bit of a sticky patch and a number of visiting teams have picked up points at the Ricoh of late.

Tom Pope has the right idea when he says they should be prepared to win ugly. Bury have to go back to basics to grind out matches. Victories rather than silky displays breed confidence, and that is really all the Shakers are lacking at the moment.

We know they have the players to beat teams at the top end of the table, as they showed early in the season. But for one reason or another it isn’t happening for them at the moment.

What you need at times like this is for your experienced players to stand up and take charge of the situation.

Pope certainly fits that bill, as does Peter Clarke.

You need your flair players on the park to maybe turn a game with a piece of skill, but it is the workers, like Pope and Clarke, who give you the platform for victory.

Clarke has been through some tough times in his career, he knows what is needed and if he is fit then he would be the first name on my team sheet.

The central defender is a natural leader and I think he can carry the rest of the Bury players with him.

Another important thing David Flitcroft has to get right is fielding players who know their roles.

Reece Brown has been a stand-out player in recent weeks at centre-back. But he was moved to right-back at Barnsley to allow Tom Soares, who had been filling in that role, to move back to the centre of midfield. All the while, Joe Riley, a specialist right-back, is sitting on the bench.

Joe started the season well but has tailed off and for whatever reason he is no longer the flavour of the month.

The manager will have had his reasons for not playing him.

We don’t know what has happened behind the scenes and sometimes the boss has to take a stance.

But if Bury are to go back to basics then this could be the time to throw Joe back in and ask him to prove he is the right man for the job.

Don’t miss Jamie Hoyland’s Marvellous People show on Radio Lancashire between 1-2pm on Saturday.