Football League World
·15 November 2024
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsFootball League World
·15 November 2024
Ian Wright has shared his admiration for former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard's decision to apply for the Coventry City managerial vacancy
Ian Wright has admitted that he admires Frank Lampard's decision to apply for the Coventry City job after the Sky Blues sacked long-standing boss Mark Robins last week.
Sky Blues owner Doug King's decision to relieve Robins of his duties was a largely unpopular one after the 54-year-old guided the club from League Two to the Championship since being re-appointed as Coventry manager for a second spell in 2017.
Robins also led the West Midlands side to last season's FA Cup semi-final, where they were denied what would have been a remarkable 4-3 win, after being 3-0 down to Manchester United, courtesy of a marginal offside decision which went down to VAR.
But following a 2-1 defeat to Derby County last week, King chose to sack the former Scunthorpe boss, and is now searching for his replacement.
The Sky Blues owner has confirmed that former Derby, Chelsea and Everton boss Lampard has applied to become Robins' successor, and has not been involved in management since an interim spell at Stamford Bridge in 2023.
On the latest episode of the Sky Sports podcast, Stick to Football, Gary Neville asked: "Is Coventry City the right move for Frank Lampard?"
"You look at that calibre of player, you look at Wayne (Rooney), he's at Plymouth."
To which Roy Keane asked: "Tough on Robins though, wasn't it?"
Wright said: "Very tough on him, and that's the pressure of it for Frank as well, going to Coventry after Mark Robins, but they've got no choice.
"He wants to manage, they (Lampard and Rooney) both want to manage."
Keane added: "Do you know what you need quickly?
"A couple of wins."
Keane responded: "But Coventry, over the last few years, they have been slow starters."
The former Arsenal striker agreed: "Yeah, they do kick on, they look like they've got a half decent team.
"But of course you see it, and you think to yourself, hopefully this one works out for him.
"You say right move for him or not, I think it's a move for him that, if you want to manage, then you take that job.
"You have to take it."
Should the Sky Blues appoint Lampard, it could be a risky decision, given the former England midfielder's mixed record when it comes to management.
The last time the 46-year-old stood in a Championship dugout came back in 2019, when he did well to guide Derby to the play-off final, following an impressive 2018/19 campaign, but the Rams ultimately fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa.
The Englishman then did well to guide Chelsea to a fourth place finish at the end of the 2019/20 season, despite the fact that the Blues were then subject to a transfer embargo.
However, by January 2021, Lampard was sacked by the west London giants, who sat ninth in the Premier League table, and was replaced by Thomas Tuchel, who guided the Stamford Bridge outfit to the Champions League trophy just months later.
Lampard's next managerial appointment came with Everton, where he took the managerial reins in January 2022, and managed to keep the Merseyside outfit in the top-flight, following a tricky 2021/22 campaign.
However, just shy of a year on from hiring the ex-Chelsea boss, the Toffees sacked him, as they sat second bottom of the Premier League table, following a defeat to then fellow strugglers West Ham.
Perhaps Lampard's exploits with Derby are the best barometer as to how he may perform at Championship level with the Sky Blues, but as alluded to by former Manchester United captain Keane, he must hit the ground running following the controversial sacking of Robins.