Carl Baker wants the 'honour' and talks about Robins' personal touch...
Coventry City midfielder Carl Baker is aiming to make the captain’s armband his own ahead of the trip to Leyton Orient.
The Sky Blues are aiming to get back to winning ways at Brisbane Road after two consecutive defeats against Notts County and Brentford.
Robins had given the City midfielder the armband when he joined the club but Richard Wood had the honour of being captain in the midweek match against the Bees.
The Sky Blues boss issued a challenge to the potential captain to step up, and Baker is ready to respond and make his claim to be the permanent Coventry captain.
Baker said: “I felt a lot more responsibility when I had the armband. The demands are high because this is a big club and we expect to win, no matter who we play.
“I would definitely want to have the armband. I would be delighted to be the full time captain. I really appreciated it when he (Mark Robins) gave the role to me in the first place.
“It was a really proud moment for me with this being such a huge club and for me to be permanent captain would be a huge thing for me.
“I have got a good relationship with everyone here, I wear my heart on my sleeve and give everything I have got. It is the gaffer’s decision though and I’m sure he will make the right choice.”
Baker was left on the bench on Tuesday night at Griffin Park as Robins looked at Chris Hussey in the left midfield berth.
Even though the former Stockport man was disappointed to be left out of the side, he valued Robins’ communication on why he was left out.
He added: “I didn’t have my best of games against Notts County and I was a bit tired if I’m honest as I have played a lot of minutes this season.
“But I appreciated the gaffer pulling me in before the Brentford game to have a chat with me and let me know what he was thinking.
“He said to me that he would never pull anyone out if it wasn’t going to benefit them in the long run. Even just giving me that little bit of rest has got me hungry to play and get back out there to prove what I can do.
“I want to play in every game and every minute possible. But the gaffer gave me a DVD of the (Notts County) game and explained to me why I wasn’t starting which is the best way.
“I went away and had a look at the DVD to see where I went wrong. I think that is only going to benefit me in the long run.
“You are never too old or never too late to learn. It is only going to make me a better player if I am still learning and that is important.”