Coventry City: Frank Lampard talks detailed amid pursuit of Mark Robins successor | OneFootball

Coventry City: Frank Lampard talks detailed amid pursuit of Mark Robins successor | OneFootball

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·9 November 2024

Coventry City: Frank Lampard talks detailed amid pursuit of Mark Robins successor

Article image:Coventry City: Frank Lampard talks detailed amid pursuit of Mark Robins successor

Coventry City have opened talks to make former Derby manager Frank Lampard their new boss

Coventry City are making progress in their hunt for a new manager, with the Midlands club set for talks with Frank Lampard.


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Mark Robins was sacked this week, with Coventry 17th in the Championship table despite a summer of decent investment.

Coventry to hold Frank Lampard talks

Football Insider report that Coventry are ramping up their search for a Mark Robins replacement after they called time on his lengthy tenure in midweek following a 2-1 home defeat to Derby County.

It's believed that Lampard isn't the only man in the frame for the job, with Blackburn Rovers' John Eustance and Swansea City assistant manager Alan Sheehan also under consideration.

The report suggests that Lampard is the leading candidate for the job, but he has also held talks with numerous Championship clubs of late without getting the job, includingBurnley as recently as the summer.

Rhys Carr will take charge of the Sky Blues in the meantime while they take their time to appoint the right man, and with the international break to follow this weekend's games, Coventry have the perfect chance to get this appointment right.

Lampard's managerial career has come with mixed success

Article image:Coventry City: Frank Lampard talks detailed amid pursuit of Mark Robins successor

Lampard was given his first big break in the managerial world with Coventry's Midlands rivals Derby County, and it would be fair to assume he enjoyed some moderate success.

A Championship play-off final still probably stands as the pinnacle on his managerial CV, although that did ultimately end in failure as Derby were beaten 2-1 at Wembley by Aston Villa.

Results aside, probably the most attractive thing Lampard did with the Rams was bring in young Chelsea loanees Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori, both of whom were key in Derby's promotion push, and his Chelsea connections could certainly come in handy for Coventry.

His time with Derby earned him a crack and the job he was always touted for with Chelsea, but it was here where Lampard's career started to unravel a little.

He lasted a mere 18 months at Stamford Bridge and left Chelsea ninth in the Premier League, and although he argued he wasn't given the time he'd have hoped, there's no denying that Chelsea sitting ninth in the top-flight simply isn't good enough.

Lampard had a year out of the game before returning as Everton boss, and misery followed him on Merseyside too, as, although he kept the Toffees up in 2021/22, he couldn't help Everton avoid being in another relegation battle the season after.

He was dismissed halfway through the 2022/23 season and left the Toffees 19th in the table, with that just yet another damning indictment of how good players don't necessarily make good managers, while the fact he's had no permanent job since would suggest clubs are far more skeptical of him.

Coventry need to get this appointment right

Article image:Coventry City: Frank Lampard talks detailed amid pursuit of Mark Robins successor

The sacking of Robins was greeted with dismay by most fans, so getting this appointment right is crucial for Coventry or else they could be left with egg on their face.

History would suggest that Lampard won't be the man to take them forward given his substandard record in his last two jobs, but after taking almost two years out of permanent work, he could have a fresh approach.

But if he does get the job, and things don't work out, then it's hard to imagine how Coventry fans will feel, as they're already feeling some resentment that Robins has been dismissed in the first place.

The most concerning thing is for Coventry, that given their perilous league position, a downturn in form could see them dragged even deeper in the relegation battle.

Lampard has form for taking over sides in relegation battles, but that's not where Coventry fans will feel their side belongs, particularly after making recent tilts at promotion.

Chairman Doug King now has a huge job on his hands to source a Robins replacement, and Coventry fans will be holding their breath that he picks the right one.

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