Frank Lampard's whirlwind six months at Coventry from fan backlash to play-off heartbreak

Frank Lampard faced an uphill task as soon as he arrived at – and not just because of their lowly league position. The Sky Blues sat 17th in the Championship when , yet this was no normal appointment.

In similar circumstances, many fanbases would be calling for the sacking of their manager, but Lampard’s predecessor was no ordinary boss. has a saint-like status in Coventry, having been absolutely instrumental in the club’s resurgence from the doldrums.

Robins stuck with the club through thick and thin, guiding them from League Two to the Championship, while playing at a variety of different grounds amid the backdrop of the despised ownership reign of Sisu. He had come close to adding even more prestigious achievements to his CV by reaching the play-off final and semi-final in the past two years.

But City owner Doug King took the hugely on November 7 and, three weeks later, announced the arrival of Lampard as his successor. To say that supporters weren’t convinced would be an understatement. Robins had been all they had known since March 2017 and, to some, the choice of Lampard hinted at prioritising PR over pragmatism.

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The legendary former midfielder had been out of work since leaving his interim position at at the end of the 2022/23 season. His efforts in getting Derby to the Championship play-off final in 2019 felt a lifetime ago.

And yet, as Coventry reflect on another season , they can do so in the knowledge that King made the right decision. Lampard has galvanised a club that had grown stale under Robins and defied expectations to reach the play-offs once more.

Much like in two years ago, the Sky Blues have fallen short, but there should be real positivity about the future at the CBS Arena. Much of that is down to Lampard.

An immediate backlash

In some ways, Lampard had to overcome a double whammy of distrust upon his arrival. As a hugely famous ex-player, he has been accused of getting management roles based on his profile, rather than track record. And the fact he was succeeding a much-loved club legend meant he had to tread carefully.

King attended a fans’ forum event just days after sacking Robins, where he felt the full force of feeling around his decision. The local businessman had a good standing with supporters, having finally banished previous owners Sisu Capital Limited in January 2023, but he knew axing Robins was a risk.

“I know the history of Coventry City with its owners,” King told . “It’s littered with disaster. Here’s another owner doing another thing so I understand the situation [with fan concerns].”

“I expected the backlash,” he added. “Mark has been there seven years and we’ve only gone in . I’ve only been here for two years, Mark has been there a lot longer, he’s got a proven track record.”

Coventry were 17th, two points above the drop zone, when Lampard took over, bringing with him Joe Edwards and Chris Jones as his assistants. They immediately began to gather momentum, slowly climbing the table before really finding their feet over January and February.

Turning things around

The last time fans had seen Lampard it was during his second stint in charge of his beloved Chelsea. He was called in in April 2023 to nurse the team until the end of the season and won just one of his 11 matches in charge.

It is fair to say that his reputation needed a boost and his first six months at Coventry have certainly done that. – the attacking midfielder has been the stand-out player under his management, reaching 10 goals and 13 assists for the season.

"He came in, brought a real structure to the team and we stopped conceding silly goals,” Rudoni told . "He gives us clarity every game we go into so we know exactly the game plan, exactly what we're doing and we just have to carry it out. We practise it on the training pitch and he gives us forward players licence to go and create and win games."

The signing of Matt Grimes from Swansea for £4million in the has made a huge difference at Coventry, providing a top quality ball-player at the base of midfield. His presence has allowed Rudoni even greater freedom to get forward, while there has been a real emphasis on getting wide and getting balls into the box.

That game plan was extremely obvious against as they constantly worked the ball to the ring wing, where Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Milan van Ewijk bombarded the box. Both of Coventry’s goals over the two legs came from Van Ewijk crosses, but the Sky Blues were undone by the Dutchman’s sloppy backpass for Eliezer Mayenda’s goal in Coventry and a lack of concentration for Dan Ballard’s dramatic last-gasp header.

While Ballard’s goal was a sickener for the away fans, they can take some solace from what is likely to come. Coventry have been forced to deal with the exits of star players over the past few years, with Viktor Gyokeres, Callum O’Hare and Gustavo Hamer moving on, but they appear to be in a much more stable position this time around.

With Lampard getting a full summer transfer window and pre-season to shape the squad in his own image, they will be confident of returning in 2025/26 for another push at returning to the for the first time since 2004.

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