Doug King likes to refer to Coventry’s squad as ‘the deck’ and by replacing Mark Robins with Frank Lampard, the Sky Blues owner is like a blackjack player who has a hand worth 17 and still calls ‘twist’.
From start to finish, this has been King’s show. After leading Coventry from League Two to within a penalty shootout of the Premier League, Robins was one of the most popular managers in the club’s history. Fans were furious at his sacking three weeks ago and have been lukewarm at the prospect of Lampard’s appointment.
Mail Sport understands King was even questioned by senior figures about the wisdom of hiring Lampard, and encouraged to look elsewhere. He conducted an exhaustive search, settling on a final three-man shortlist after two rounds of interviews.
In the end, King, who is worth more than £300million, has invested a sizeable chunk of his personal fortune into the club and is the sort of bloke who makes big calls and stands by them. He has led negotiations with Lampard, with even top club officials kept out of the loop as the final details were discussed.
There is plenty in Lampard’s favour. As a rookie manager, he led Derby County to within 90 minutes of promotion in the 2018-19 season, eventually losing to Aston Villa in the Championship play-off final. His arrival would undoubtedly excite the Coventry players.
Lampard also made enough money as a player that he need never work another day in his life. For that matter, nor would the next generations of Lampards. Though he is likely to be the highest-paid boss in the Championship, Lampard is returning to management because he wants to crack the code. This is no vanity project.
He is widely respected and was also seen by some influential figures, including Gary Lineker, as a future England boss. Lampard has retained strong links with Chelsea – a club already on good terms with Coventry – and Manchester City, which should put Coventry in prime position to sign their young fringe players on loan.
These contacts are so strong that when Michael Beale was sacked, many at Rangers thought Lampard should have been given the job on that basis alone. Lampard also impressed Ibrox chiefs with his presentation during interview, though the role ultimately went to Philippe Clement last October.
Though his year at Everton is viewed from the outside as a failure, insiders tell a different story. Players spoke well of Lampard’s man-management skills and of his knowledge and understanding of the game. Though seen as a pleasant character externally, Lampard was not afraid to read the riot act when required.
He was also tactically flexible – switching between a back three and a back four and different midfield configurations – and wanted to implement a progressive style. Yet the background noise of a club in chaos drowned out everything else. Perhaps a case of right place, wrong time.
‘He had to deal with a bin fire at Everton,’ said one source. ‘Hopefully he gets the time he deserves.’
Coventry are one of the few clubs in the Championship to have spent heavily on transfers in recent times and they have a strong squad. They are only 10 points adrift of the play-offs and with 87 to play for, can still reach the top six. If Lampard gains early momentum they may be hard to stop.
This is a risk, though. Like many of England’s so-called ‘Golden Generation’, Lampard is not a day-to-day coach, allowing his staff to plan and lead most sessions. That might have been OK a couple of decades ago but this is the era of the ‘career coach’, even in the second tier.
Enzo Maresca and Kieran McKenna led Leicester and Ipswich respectively to promotion last season by implementing a clear method and preparing for every match in painstaking detail.
In the Championship, it is the age of Johannes Hoff Thorup, Carlos Corberan and Danny Rohl. Does Lampard have the wit to outsmart these football obsessives in a tactical duel?
Highly rated coach Anthony Barry linked up with Chelsea under Lampard in 2020 but stayed on under Thomas Tuchel and will play a key role in Tuchel’s England setup. How Lampard could have done with Barry, both at Everton and now.
When King took sole control of Coventry in January 2023, Robins was set a target of promotion in three seasons. This is season three. There have been suggestions that if Coventry do not make it to the Premier League in May, several key players may be sold.
Presumably such matters were raised in talks with Lampard, though football executives have an unfortunate habit of failing to reveal the full financial picture to potential new managers. Let us hope that was not the case this time.
This project will stand or fall on the relationship between King and Lampard. Nearly eight years after retiring as a player, Lampard retains a huge public profile. Ask the average person to name a footballer and a good number would come up with Lampard, who is still recognised in the street wherever he goes. Sky Blues supporters should get used to their club’s new name – not ‘Coventry City’ but ‘Frank Lampard’s Coventry City’.
The problem is, King wants to be front and centre, too. He likes to be involved in player trading and enjoys haggling with clubs and agents over contracts and transfers. A big, brash personality with an ego to match, it will be interesting to see how King handles working with a man far more recognisable than he is.
If this move works, all the credit will go to Lampard and the players, with King in the background. If it does not, King will again be in the firing line. That may be unfair but it is simply how the world turns in football.
Lampard is hardly short of ego himself and he and King may butt heads from time to time. If such cracks widen, this project could turn sour very quickly. For Coventry to succeed under King and Lampard, they need all hands on deck.
