Frank Lampard is on the verge of making a comeback to management with Coventry, 18 months after his departure from Chelsea. Lampard is set to replace Mark Robins, who was dismissed after nearly eight years at the helm, with the club currently 17th in the Championship, just two points clear of the relegation zone.
Lampard has been without a coaching role since his interim stint at Chelsea concluded at the end of the 2022-23 season. However, the 46-year-old former England midfielder is now ready to return to the sidelines in a division he is familiar with, having managed Derby, whom he led to the playoff final in 2019.
If Coventry finalizes an agreement with Lampard, his first match in charge could be against Cardiff at home on Saturday. Coventry suffered a 2-0 defeat at Burnley on Tuesday, marking interim head coach Rhys Carr’s third game in charge.
Coventry’s chairman, Doug King, has emphasized the significance of making the right next move. “I cannot afford the risk of relegation,” he stated at a fans’ forum earlier this month. “No one expected Birmingham to be relegated – and they were. The next appointment is crucial.”
King has been leading the search for the club’s next manager, with assistance from head of recruitment Dean Austin and performance director Dr. Claire-Marie Roberts. The ambitious owner highlighted the club’s inability to move past the split between Robins and his long-time assistant, Adi Viveash, whose departure in the summer led to a restructuring, as a factor in Robins’ dismissal. Carr and former midfielder George Boateng joined as first-team coaches in July.
“I had to take action,” King said, who took over the club at the start of last year. “Sometimes a difficult decision must be made. I have a lot of respect for Mark Robins and we had some great times together – but this decision was necessary.”
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