Doug King has done 'very good things' at Coventry City - but clear Frank Lampard warning sent | OneFootball

FLW's Coventry City fan pundit has rated how happy they are with the club's current ownership on a scale from 1-10

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Coventry City are looking like the outright favourites for the EFL Championship title this season, with their previous ownership troubles now seemingly a thing of the past.

It has been a dream first half of the season for Coventry City.

Now led by former Chelsea and England head coach Frank Lampard after the sacking of current Stoke City boss Mark Robins, the Sky Blues have been on an incredible journey for much of the past decade.

When Robins took charge of the club in March 2017 for his second spell at the club, Coventry were owned by the hedge fund Sisu Capital Limited, with numerous legal disputes marring the club for years, whilst their stadium was owned by Premiership rugby club London Wasps, with the Sky Blues merely a tenant at their own ground.

Fast-forward over eight years, and the new owner, Doug King, has since bought out the full ownership of the club, which was confirmed in January 2023, whilst he also completed the purchase of the Coventry Building Society Arena in late August 2025, ending an over-25-year saga.

With the club flying high in the second tier and the reality of Premier League football edging closer, there is little for fans to complain about, especially in comparison to the predicament they found themselves in less than a decade ago.

Coventry City owner Doug King rated as an 8/10 despite concerns over transfer policy amid Frank Lampard warning

Football League World's Coventry fan pundit, Chris, has shared his thoughts on the club's current ownership and provided a rating on a scale from 1-10.

Chris said, "I think I'm going to go for an 8 here.

"If you had asked me a couple of months ago, I would have said a 10 when Doug King brought the Coventry Building Society Arena and made it the first time that we'd owned our home ground in 20-ish years, 20 plus years.

"If you'd have asked me at the time when he stacked Mark Robins, I would have said probably a 5, but now that decision has turned out to be a 10.

"He has done a lot of very good things, he's done a lot of very bad things, a lot of confusing things. But I am increasingly worried about his transfer policy and what our January window is going to look like.

"In the summer, Frank Lampard was very clear and open and communicated what he wanted. He told the media, he said that we needed a new winger.

"What happened was we let our, really our only backup winger, go out on loan to Wigan. We are then on the verge of signing Patrick Bamford on a free agent, free transfer. Lampard wants him, Lampard talks to him, they come to some sort of agreement, and then it's been fairly well covered and documented that the King blocked the move from happening.

"Bamford has looked alright for Sheffield United so far; he's scored a goal for them in the league. I just worry what that's going to mean for January, because we obviously need to strengthen.

"We've had an incredible season, but we have very, very poor depth and poor squad depth, depth in quality. We don't really have any cover up top, which we've seen at the minute because Haji is injured, and Thomas Asante is injured.

"So it's left with just Ellis Simms, who has been fantastic, don't get me wrong, but I don't think he's got a full season in him playing as our number one striker.

"I'm worried that Lampard is going to set out what he wants and what he needs for the squad, and Doug King, if he doesn't like it, is going to keep blocking it, which could then quite easily push Frank Lampard out the door."

Despite Coventry thriving on the pitch, there are still concerns remaining off it, particularly when it comes to transfer business.

King's decision to block the club's move for former Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford, despite Lampard clearly being a fan, was met with some criticism among the fanbase, who they believed would have proven to be a good backup option in the case of injuries.

As it happened, both Haji Wright and Brandon Thomas-Asante picked up injuries, meaning Ellis Simms was left as the club's only natural striker.

The decision to sack long-serving head coach Mark Robins in the latter stages of 2024 was a contentious one, to say the least, but the appointment of Lampard has proven to be a masterstroke.

If and when Coventry are promoted to the Premier League, how much of their transfer business will be dictated by Lampard remains to be seen, as should King interfere with his dealings too much, the former midfielder may choose to walk.

Though as it stands, the Sky Blues couldn't be much better off, now under a full ownership who is invested in the club, who also owns the stadium and is overseeing them flying high in the Championship.