Why Frank Lampard got the Coventry job and why England’s best young talents could now follow him there

Doug King likes to call the Coventry team ‘the deck’ and by replacing Mark Robins with Frank Lampard, the Sky Blues owner is like a blackjack player who has a hand of 17 and still shouts ‘twist’.

This was King’s show from start to finish. 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 lukewarm at the prospect of Lampard’s appointment.

Mail Sport understands that King was even questioned by senior figures about the wisdom of hiring Lampard, and was encouraged to look elsewhere. He conducted an extensive search and, after two rounds of interviews, arrived at a final shortlist of three people.

Ultimately, King, who is worth more than £300 million, has invested a significant portion of his personal fortune in the club and is the kind of guy who makes big decisions and gets behind them. He has led negotiations with Lampard, with even top club officials left out as the final details were discussed.

There is plenty in Lampard’s favour. As a rookie manager, he led Derby County 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 earned enough money as a player that he never had to work a day in his life. This also applies to the next generations of Lampards. Although he will likely be the highest paid boss in the Championship, Lampard is returning to management because he wants to crack the code. This is not a vanity project.

Coventry owner Doug King opted for Lampard despite being questioned by leading figures

Coventry fans were furious over the sacking of Mark Robins, one of the club’s most popular bosses

He is widely respected and has also been seen as a future England boss by some influential figures, including Gary Lineker. Lampard has maintained strong ties with Chelsea – a club already on good terms with Coventry – and Manchester City, which should put Coventry in a great position to loan their young fringe players.

These connections are so strong that when Michael Beale was sacked, many at Rangers felt Lampard should have been given the job on that basis alone. Lampard also impressed the Ibrox chiefs with his presentation during the interview, although the role eventually went to Philippe Clement last October.

Although his year at Everton is seen from the outside as a failure, insiders tell a different story. Players spoke highly of Lampard’s man management skills and his knowledge and understanding of the game. Although Lampard was externally seen as a pleasant character, he was not afraid to read the riot act when necessary.

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 suffered a box fire at Everton,” said a source. “Hopefully he gets the time he deserves.”

Coventry are one of the few clubs in the Championship to have spent a lot on transfers in recent times and they have a strong squad. They are only ten points behind the play-offs and can still reach the top six with 87 points to play for. If Lampard gains momentum early, it could be difficult to stop them.

This is a risk. Like many of England’s so-called ‘Golden Generation’, Lampard is not a day-to-day coach, allowing his staff to plan and run most sessions. That might have been OK a few decades ago, but this is the era of the “career coach,” even at the second level.

As rookie boss, Lampard led Derby County within 90 minutes of promotion to the top flight

Lampard’s arrival as head coach will undoubtedly excite Coventry City’s current squad

He has maintained strong links with Chelsea and Man City, which could lead to new loan deals

Enzo Maresca and Kieran McKenna respectively led Leicester and Ipswich to promotion last season by using a clear working method and preparing every match down to the smallest detail.

In the championship it is the age of Johannes Hoff Thorup, Carlos Corberan and Danny Rohl. Does Lampard have the sense to outsmart these football obsessives in a tactical duel?

Highly rated coach Anthony Barry joined Chelsea under Lampard in 2020 but stayed on under Thomas Tuchel and will play a key role in Tuchel’s England set-up. How Lampard could have done with Barry, both at Everton and now.

When King took full control of Coventry in January 2023, Robins was given the target of promotion within three seasons. This is season three. There are suggestions that if Coventry fail to reach the Premier League in May, several key players could be sold.

Presumably such matters were raised during discussions with Lampard, although football administrators have an unfortunate habit of not revealing the full financial picture to potential new managers. Let’s hope that wasn’t the case this time.

This project stands or falls on the relationship between King and Lampard. Nearly eight years after retiring as a player, Lampard still has a high public profile. Ask the average person to name a footballer and quite a few will come up with Lampard, who is still recognized everywhere on the streets. Sky Blues supporters are having to get used to their club’s new name – not ‘Coventry City’ but ‘Frank Lampard’s Coventry City’.

Lampard wanted to implement a progressive style at Everton, but struggled with the chaos of the club

Everton’s players spoke highly of Lampard’s man management and his knowledge of the game

Lampard wants to crack management, but must outsmart football-obsessive players in the Championship

The problem is that King also wants to be at the forefront. He enjoys being involved in the player trade and enjoys negotiating contracts and transfers with clubs and agents. As a big, brash personality with an ego to match, it will be interesting to see how King handles working with a man much more relatable than him.

If this move works, all credit goes to Lampard and the players, with King in the background. If not, King will be in the line of fire again. That may be unfair, but it’s just the way the world turns in football.

Lampard himself is hardly short on ego and he and King can clash from time to time. If such cracks widen, this project could fail very quickly. For Coventry to succeed under King and Lampard, they need all hands on deck.