Points haul quintupled: PL legend's best managerial comeback ever? | OneFootball

His fists are clenched. His gaze is determined. 25,000 fans in the stands celebrate him frantically and roar from the depths of their lungs, “Super, super Frank!” More than that: even beyond his own club, he is now considered one of the hottest coaching prospects in England.

Just a year and a half ago, hardly anyone would have expected Frank Lampard to enjoy this level of popularity as a coach ever again. The negative headlines from his time at Everton and Chelsea were still too fresh. Above all, the numbers speaking against him were far too clear.

At Everton, Lampard averaged just 1.0 points per game between January 2022 and January 2023. During his second spell at Chelsea, that figure dropped to a sobering 0.45 points per match. Across all clubs, he at one point suffered a staggering ten straight defeats. England’s top flight had not seen such a negative run since 1988!

Accordingly, the criticism of Lampard was fierce. In the media, he was at times mocked as the worst manager in Premier League history. Former teammate Cesc Fabregas sneered that his team looked “as if eleven olives from a disposable jar had been poured out onto the table.” The fall from celebrated world-class player to ridiculed coach seemed complete—and all of England appeared to be enjoying it.

Lampard turns things around at Coventry

But then came Coventry City. When the second-division club dismissed club icon Mark Robins in November 2024, the outrage among the fans was huge. For almost eight years, Robins had shaped the club, leading it from fourth-tier obscurity back to the brink of the Premier League.

That Lampard, of all people, was chosen to take over his enormous legacy was met with disbelief in many places. Could a coach who had been out of work for 18 months and had no real success to show for it really be the solution?

Lampard understood the skepticism. “Not everyone can love me,” he said openly at the time. “My only answer to that criticism is: give me a chance to work.” Looking back now, that line feels almost like a declaration of intent. Because he took that chance—and how!

In his very first season, Lampard guided Coventry to fifth place in the Championship and into the promotion playoffs. The dream only ended in extra time of the semifinal against eventual promoted side AFC Sunderland. 

The motto: unconditional attacking football!

But instead of collapsing, the team kept developing and has truly taken off this season. 

With seven matchdays left, Coventry sit comfortably at the top of the table with 80 points. The lead over their nearest challenger stands at a hefty nine points. With 81 goals, the Sky Blues also boast by far the league’s best attack.

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Lampard’s imprint is unmistakable. He stands for high tempo, aggressive pressing, and brave attacking football. “That hunger and drive they have is why they’re up there,” Preston coach Paul Heckingbottom said a few weeks ago after his side’s 3-0 defeat. 

What is particularly remarkable is how stable Coventry have become. Even a dry spell around the turn of the year, when results briefly stopped coming, did not knock the team off course. “Hopefully that phase made us stronger,” Lampard said at the time—and once again, he was right. Since the 3-1 win over second-placed Middlesbrough at the latest, Coventry have looked crystal clear on course for promotion.

Could it be Chelsea for a third time?

And then there is one number that probably sums up Lampard’s personal development better than any other: 2.05. That is how many points the former cult hero is currently averaging with Coventry. Compared with his second spell at Chelsea, where he managed a miserable 0.45, he has nearly quintupled that figure. 

The ever-present mockery has now turned into respect. The doubts of Coventry’s long-suffering fans have become something close to blind faith. And a supposedly failed coach has suddenly become a sought-after man again. There is a lot to suggest that Lampard will be working in the Premier League again next season—whether with Coventry or another club.

Initial rumors have already started circulating that the 47-year-old could return to Stamford Bridge for a third time this summer. After all, coaching talent Liam Rosenior has so far only been convincing there to a limited extent...

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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