Former Coventry City defender Phil Babb has backed new manager Tony Mowbray to have an instant impact at the club.

Mowbray took charge of the League One strugglers yesterday following the sacking of Steven Pressley.

The Sky Blues are currently just one point above the relegation zone, but Babb believes that a new boss will help to get the best out of the players.

"I think Coventry have moved quickly in appointing Tony, who has got a good pedigree," he told Sky Sports News. "We always talk about a new manager having an impact straight away and hopefully Tony can have that.

"Hopefully, the players will give another 30 or 40% in their performance and he might get a couple of wins straight off the bat to help them climb up the table a little bit.

"Then it's about a long-term project to turn Coventry into a promotion-chasing side, but as long as the club is stable and alive that is the most important thing."

Mowbray will manage Coventry for the first time on Saturday when they host Port Vale in the league.