Coventry City: Frank Lampard reveals what replacing Mark Robins was actually like | OneFootball

Frank Lampard has opened up on how he felt when he replaced Mark Robins at Coventry City.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard has steered the Sky Blues back to the Premier League, but his appointment to the role was initially controversial.

Sky Blues supporters were left disgruntled when owner Doug King sacked Mark Robins in November 2024, which opened the door for Lampard to move to the CBS Arena.

Robins established himself as a Sky Blues legend by steering the West Midlands club from League Two all the way to a Championship play-off final and an FA Cup semi-final.

But while the former Coventry boss took the CBS Arena side to within a whisker of the Premier League, Lampard has etched himself into their history books by taking them back to the top flight after a 25-year wait.

Frank Lampard opens up on replacing Mark Robins at Coventry City

Sky Blues supporters will always be thankful for the chapters overseen by both Robins and Lampard, and are now looking forward to seeing their club test themselves against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League.

Coventry have endured more than their fair share of bad luck in modern times, including periods spent playing their home games away from their city, in both Northampton and Birmingham.

Despite such hardship, Robins was able to guide the Sky Blues to the Championship, adding to the emotional ties between fans and the former boss.

Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast on Thursday, Lampard revealed what replacing the 56-year-old was like: "The Mark Robins factor is always there, and you feel it.

"I did think about it respectfully, and I think I’ve just tried to go about the job respecting that part of the story and the good work that Mark did, and got to work quickly on the job that was in hand.

"I understood it, and I know that some people didn't want Mark to leave, or some people on the outside would have questioned my thought process of taking that job.

"When you normally take a job, not everything is perfection. You’re coming into something, and when I look back on it now, I’m just happy that I took it.

"I took on the opportunity. We managed to work. When you manage to achieve this, you look back and say the lot of work that Mark’s done from League Two to League One and play-off finals, and FA Cup semi-finals, that’s all part of the story."

Doug King has been an exceptional Coventry City owner - but the biggest test is yet to come

As acknowledged by Lampard, Robins oversaw a significant chapter in Coventry's story, which played a key role in their eventual Premier League return.

Robins' largely exemplary management at the Sky Blues meant that owner King was an extremely brave man to dismiss the eventual Stoke City boss in November 2024, even though his side sat 17th in the Championship after earning just four wins in 14 league attempts.

The former Manchester United and Leicester City striker was also the longest-serving manager in the EFL before being sacked by King.

Despite the controversy surrounding the Robins dismissal, the Coventry owner has been proven right by his decision, as Lampard has guided the West Midlands outfit back to the Premier League.

The Sky Blues faithful will also always be grateful for the fact that King purchased their stadium in August 2025, healing the wounds of the times they had to spend away from the CBS Arena.

Fittingly, on the same day that Coventry purchased their stadium, they thrashed Queens Park Rangers 7-1, which is one of the most memorable results in their promotion-winning campaign.

King has been a fantastic owner so far, but he is now set to face his biggest test as he vies to help Lampard build a squad that is capable of obtaining Premier League survival.