Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has been a revelation since his arrival at the Coventry Building Society Arena last year, and his efforts have piqued the interest of another former Premier League player who has had success as a manager in the Championship.
Lampard has done an excellent job since becoming Coventry’s head coach in November of last year, with the Sky Blues presently 10 points clear at the top of the Championship table, having scored an incredible 50 goals in 18 games.
All of the evidence shows that the former Chelsea and England player will be able to return Coventry to the Premier League for the first time since 2001, which would be an extraordinary feat, especially given the criticism surrounding his appointment little over a year ago.
In the most recent episode of The Overlap, Roy Keane discussed how pleased he has been with Lampard and Coventry, saying that it would be great to see the team back to the top flight.
Roy Keane is impressed with Coventry City and Frank Lampard
Gary Neville asked if anyone imagined Coventry would be Lampard’s final duty in football at the time of his employment, and Keane quickly dismissed the notion.
“Why would you think that, truthfully?” Keane asked.
“I believe they are now a professionally run club. You can hear some of the sounds going out of Coventry, and it’s not just because they’re flying, but they’ve been getting closer in recent years.
“You look at the stadium, and it’s evident that they were a pretty good team in the past.
“I believe they have become a legitimate club in terms of behind-the-scenes operations. It was a great fit.
“Are you aware of what he has done well? Obviously, after the big play-off last season, where they should have won — they were unquestionably the best team in the play-off game — they regrouped and went for it again.
“It would be nice to see Coventry back, wouldn’t it?”
Frank Lampard might replicate Roy Keane’s Sunderland achievement.
The fact that Keane appears to believe in Lampard’s ability to carry the job through and earn promotion to the Premier League is a positive indication for Coventry, as the ex-Manchester United manager understands what it takes to win the Championship crown.
The 54-year-old won the second-tier title with Sunderland in 2007, after taking over in August 2006 when the Black Cats were at the bottom of the table.
Coventry were 17th in the Championship when Lampard was appointed last season, and while he only managed to reach a play-off semi-final during his tenure, the turnaround that he has accomplished is undoubtedly comparable to Keane’s success at the Stadium of Light.
Lampard will be hoping to see his side extend their run of five consecutive victories as they embark on a busy December schedule, as if they can defeat fellow promotion hopefuls such as Ipswich Town, Preston North End, and Bristol City this month, they will be in a stronger position heading into the January transfer window.
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