With things taking a turn for the worse on the field for Coventry City with recent results, attention has quickly turned to the January transfer window and the opportunity for Mark Robins to strengthen his flagging side.

Some fans have questioned the club's summer recruitment while others know the Sky Blues have to get things right come the mid-term trading point when there's a huge opportunity to add the necessary quality to help set the team back in the right direction and pushing at the right end of the table.

That prospect is a few weeks away yet. In the meantime, City face Stoke at the CBS Arena this weekend when they'll be hoping for a quick and much-needed pick-me-up from a positive result and performance heading into the next international break. Here, Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner answers some of your big questions of the week.

The recruitment was done too late as we sat on our hands until the sale of Vik was complete. This new recruitment team has to take most of the blame. Kitching was not needed.

AT: The one thing I'd say about Kitching is that if a manager is going to play with three at the back he needs at least five centre-halves for cover and competition. The recruitment department had players lined up and the club were trying to get signings in early but it doesn't always work out that way for a host of factors. I certainly don't think it was a case of City not being proactive. They knew early on in the summer that Vik was going and would have planned for that.

Seen the rumour that Villarreal are willing to let Ben Brereton Diaz go out on loan with several Championship clubs interested. I am of the belief that at least one of Wright and Simms will come good but surely a proven Championship striker would be worth a look at? Even if on loan.

AT: It's an exciting prospect. He certainly knows the division and has an excellent track record of scoring goals at this level, and a loan might just be an ideal arrangement. However, he would not be short of options and with Leicester City, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion having already been linked with interest, it's likely he will seek to join a promotion pushing side rather than a team in transition. But good shout.

AT: I agree that in an ideal world City would have gone back for Doyle and McNally. However, Doyle was always going to go elsewhere to further his development, just as Maatsen did the season before when he went to Burnley, while the Sky Blues did try to buy McNally but the Clarets were reluctant to sell. Mark Robins was keen to have more permanent signings than loans this season and when Bobby Thomas became available the club made the decision to switch their attention to him. Thomas impressed at the start of the season and will hopefully recapture that form on a consistent basis to prove to be a very good signing.

Do you have any sense of how confident the club is of being able to significantly strengthen our midfield, in terms of quality rather than quantity, in January? For once we have the money but do we have the targets in place, and will they want to join a team struggling near the bottom?

AT: Very confident, I would say. Mark Robins has spoken about addressing the situation so we can assume that he has the green light from Doug King. I'm sure the target/targets will have been identified and that the club will be working hard to get them over the line come January. It's an interesting point you raise about the league position but City remain a very ambitious club that has spent money and seemingly has more funds to strengthen in forthcoming transfer windows. That will be a big selling point, along with the style of play, size of club/stadium/fanbase and recent track record for coaching and development etc.

Can't see any improvement in the short term, but Wright is beginning to fire so I'm sure the team will improve.

AT: Things can change quickly. Stoke have just taken ten points from their last four games and lifted up from fourth bottom to 12th. Fingers crossed eh!