Former Chelsea manager linked to intriguing Championship job following shock sacking

Recent reports have linked Frank Lampard with the Coventry City job after the sacking of Mark Robins last week, ending his seven-year spell with the Sky Blues.

Lampard has been out of management for over a year, with his last role being on an interim basis with Chelsea following the sacking of former Brighton manager Graham Potter in 2023. Potter has since been linked to the Crystal Palace job, amid growing pressure on Oliver Glasner.

The ex-Chelsea midfielder has had mixed results as a manager with a successful spell at Derby County where he nearly helped the Rams to Premier League promotion, however since then, he has had less success both at Chelsea and Everton - the latter of which was his last full manager role, which ended in January 2023.

According to the Mirror, however, the 46-year-old is close to landing his next job in management, with Championship side Coventry City said to be closing in on hiring Lampard to replace Robins, who many believe was unfairly sacked by the Sky Blues.

Robins was close to getting Coventry back into the Premier League, but they fell just short in the 2023 Championship play-off final, losing to Luton Town on penalties. They also suffered more Wembley heartbreak last season when they nearly made it to the FA Cup final, losing on penalties to Manchester United in the semi-final. This result helped to keep Erik Ten Hag his job at Old Trafford, as the Red Devils went on to beat Manchester City in the final.

The decision makers at Coventry decided that Robins’ time at the club was up following a defeat to Derby County last week. As things stand, the Sky Blues sit 17th in the Championship - a disappointing start considering they had ambitions of promotion this season.

In a statement, the club said: “Mark masterminded and built several teams over that time that outperformed their budget, outperformed their infrastructure and brought back a playing style, credibility and belief to our City that had been lost and eroded over many years.

“These achievements will never be forgotten by those who witnessed such deeds and the broader community that once again began to rekindle their affection for our Club. There is no doubt that Coventry City today would not be where it is today without the inspired actions of Mark and his team.”

Frank Lampard’s chance to recover managerial career

The last two jobs at Chelsea and Everton haven’t worked out for the former England international, who will no doubt consider taking the Coventry job in the hope he can improve his managerial reputation in the Championship again before trying to land a bigger job in the future.

Lampard’s first job in management came at Derby County in the Championship where he led the Rams to a sixth-place finish beating out Middlesbrough by just one point to make the play-offs. His side then beat Leeds United in the semi-final after a remarkable comeback which set up a final against Aston Villa.

The Rams lost 2-1 at Wembley, but Lampard had established himself as one of the most exciting young managers in English football, which led to him getting offered the Chelsea job after just one year in management.

In his first season at Chelsea, Lampard led the Blues to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League which was a decent season in all despite the fact that they were 33 points off league winners Liverpool. That said, Lampard achieved the top four finish despite the club being subject to transfer ban.

The following season, he was sacked in January after a run of two wins in eight games with his Chelsea side sat ninth in the league.

His third job came in January 2022 - after a year out of work as he joined Everton, following the dismissal of Rafael Benitez. He was tasked with keeping the Toffees up, which he did on the final day of the season and he described as “one of the greatest nights of my career”

However, after one win in their opening 11 games, Lampard was sacked the following season. He then re-joined Chelsea at the end of the 2023 season following Graham Potter’s sacking as interim boss, leading the Blues to their first bottom-half finish in the Premier League since 1996.

The owners at Coventry have ambitions of promotion and will likely back Lampard with the hopes that he can deliver Premier League football. However, it won’t be an easy task should Lampard take over, as the Sky Blues have won just four of 15 games so far this season and sit just one point above the relegation zone.