Coventry City may face huge Ipswich Town transfer envy as fresh claim dropped | OneFootball

Coventry City may rue not making a move for Dan Neil in the January window, as the midfielder joined promotion rivals Ipswich Town from Sunderland.

Coventry City continued to stutter as they were beaten 2-1 by Norwich City on Monday night, which means they have picked up seven points from their previous six games.

The Sky Blues have been brilliant for the majority of the campaign, and they still hold an eight-point advantage over third-placed Ipswich Town, even though the Tractor Boys have a game in hand.

However, there is some cause for concern for Frank Lampard, as whilst a loss to Norwich is understandable in isolation given their recent form, Coventry repeated the same mistakes that cost them in defeats to Birmingham and Ipswich at Carrow Road and simply are not enjoying the same form of dominance they did earlier on in the campaign.

Coventry City’s midfield has struggled in recent weeks

Norwich were a constant threat on the break, and the lack of mobility and control in the middle of the park created a chaotic game, which is not what Coventry wanted.

At their best, Lampard’s side would dominate their opponent, with constant pressure and an intensity which allowed their attacking players to flourish.

Right now, it feels like something is missing, and whilst Coventry are still a constant threat due to their attacking talent, there are big gaps all over the pitch that have left them vulnerable going the other way.

There will be a variety of reasons for that, but there is a feeling that the influential Matt Grimes’ levels have dropped somewhat, and Victor Torp struggles at times out of possession.

With Jamie Allen, Josh Eccles and Jack Rudoni in his squad, Lampard has options, but FLW were told by Coventry fan pundit Chris that a defensive midfielder should be a priority, amid interest in Brentford's Frank Onyeka.

Dan Neil could’ve been a shrewd signing for Coventry City - They face Ipswich Town envy

It remains to be seen whether the Nigerian joins, but most would agree that Coventry should be doing all they can to sign a midfielder who can play in front of the back four.

With that in mind, it might baffle those who follow the Midlands outfit why Lampard didn’t push to sign Dan Neil, who has joined promotion rivals Ipswich from Sunderland.

Obviously, there’s no guarantee he would’ve joined the Sky Blues over Kieran McKenna’s side, but Neil fits the profile of what Coventry need right now.

There are risks associated with any January signing, as you are asking players to hit the ground running, but Neil is about as safe an addition as you could possibly make at this level.

The 24-year-old has clocked up over 100 appearances in the Championship, and he captained Sunderland to promotion last season. So, he knows exactly what is required to be successful in the second tier, and his ability on the ball, combined with his work-rate and positional play, means he is ideally suited to what Lampard wants.

Furthermore, the fact he has won promotion is another factor that could’ve helped the Sky Blues.

There is pressure building on Lampard’s side, and he will need big characters to step up, and the reality is that the majority of his squad haven’t been in this position before, but Neil has been there and done it.

Those leadership qualities could’ve been invaluable to the dressing room, as Coventry are going to have to navigate through some high-pressure moments over the coming months, when calm heads will be required.

The January transfer window is always pivotal in the promotion battle, and it’s no different this season.

Romain Esse is already proving his worth for Coventry, and Yang Min-hyeok offers more depth in attack, but there are still some areas to address before the deadline.

It remains to be seen whether a new midfielder does arrive, but many Coventry fans will feel Neil could’ve been the perfect signing, so it’s a real blow that he has gone to Ipswich - and we will see in May just how decisive that was.