Doug King had to deal with serious Coventry City fan fury - but he's the one laughing now | OneFootball

The decision to sack Mark Robins was seen as a controversial one, but Frank Lampard has arguably taken Coventry to the next level

Mark Robins is, to many, a Coventry City legend.

The manager took over for a second time with the club staring down an imminent relegation to League Two, and managed to take them to heights Sky Blues fans wouldn't have dreamed of.

In his near seven-year spell, Robins got Coventry promoted back to the Championship despite ongoing club and stadium issues, established them in the second tier and turned them into one of the better sides in the division, taking them to a play-off final in the 2022/23 campaign, which they eventually lost on penalties.

He'd have likely done the same the following campaign, too, but Coventry were distracted by an incredible FA Cup run which saw them knocked out on penalties in the semi-finals against the eventual winners, Manchester United.

Therefore, despite a poor start to the 2024/25 campaign, with four wins in 14 Championship games, sacking him seemed a strange call to make from Doug King, as many felt that Robins had earned the right to call it quits on his own terms.

However, not even a year on from such a polarising decision, everyone at Coventry is once again singing from the same hymn sheet and are arguably in a better position now under Frank Lampard than they ever have been.

Frank Lampard has transformed Coventry City in under a year

Not only was axing Mark Robins an unpopular decision, but replacing him with Frank Lampard created even more questions for Doug King among the Coventry fans. Despite the former Chelsea legend's last three jobs coming in the Premier League, not many inside the CBS Arena saw this as an upgrade.

Lampard won just two of his opening five Championship games following his hiring on November 28th last year, but starting with their Boxing Day demolition of Plymouth Argyle, the Sky Blues picked up the third-most points in the division, more than title-challenging Sheffield United.

A run of nine wins in ten league games at the start of 2025, and that one loss came against eventual champions Leeds United, shot them up the table, and all of a sudden, Coventry once again had their eyes on play-off football.

Form dipped after that incredible 10-game spell, winning just four of their final 10 Championship games, but it was enough for Frank Lampard to secure a fifth-placed finish, after coming in with the club in 17th, 12 points off fifth.

In the end, many argue that Coventry deserved to see Wembley once more for the third successive season, having dominated in large parts across their two-legged semi-final against Sunderland. However, a last-second Dan Ballard header earned Regis Le Bris' side a place in the play-off final, which they went on to win.

Some Coventry fans may still have felt this could have been achieved with Robins at the helm, as the Sky Blues had made slow starts in the previous two seasons before making strong late runs, and some argue that Lampard's early success came from Mark Robins' foundations.

What couldn't be argued is the job that the new boss did, and it's set Coventry up for what could be a truly memorable 2025/26 campaign.

Coventry City have a good chance at automatic promotion under Frank Lampard

It's safe to say that the current mood around the CBS Arena is nothing short of positive, following a strong start to the current season off the back of a summer transfer window where the Sky Blues didn't lose any of their Premier League-level players and secured a deal to own their stadium.

Doug King is all of a sudden the most popular man in Coventry, currently due to the deal which sees the CBS Arena owned by the football club. Or at least he would be, if Frank Lampard wasn't putting smiles on fans' faces with his sensational style of football.

The Sky Blues have been ruthless going forward, with loads of goals flying in from all positions on the pitch. Now more than ever, there's a belief inside the club that this year may finally be the year that Coventry taste the Premier League for the first time since the 2000/01 campaign.

It'd be a real joy if Coventry did secure promotion alongside Mark Robins' Stoke City side, and Sky Blues fans will be happy that their legendary manager is performing well in his new dugout.

But ultimately, their happiness currently stems from Frank Lampard's football.