Coventry City

Rob Gurney
Sports editor, BBC CWR

Image source, Rex Features

What do Coventry need?

It's been obvious since the early part of the season that the team is lacking experience and leadership. At 32, Ben Wilson isn't first choice, or at time of writing, a fit goalkeeper, and yet he's the oldest member of the squad.

Left-back Jake Bidwell is seven months younger, at 31, but due to injury and form, hasn't been an automatic selection either. They are crying out for at least one 30-something at the back and in central midfield.

Are they likely to do any business?

See above, plus the need to utilise Frank Lampard's contacts book to shoehorn one or two hungry loan players into his squad, which head of recruitment Dean Austin was reluctant to facilitate under Mark Robins.

The squad does need a refresh, and there's no way Lampard would have taken the job if owner/chairman Doug King hadn't agreed that he could put his own stamp on things.

How successful have they been in recent January windows?

It was largely regarded as club policy that strengthening in January was to be resisted, due to a perceived lack of value, although signing Danish midfielder Victor Torp for £2m last January was an exception to that stance.

He started with a fabulous flourish, but injury blunted his effectiveness, and is only now starting to get proper, regular football again.

Arguably, a bigger loss last January was iconic centre-back Kyle McFadzean, whose influence around the players, rather than actual game minutes, certainly hasn't been effectively replaced.

Are there likely to be any notable departures?

There will certainly need to be a degree of churn to regulate the wage bill, offsetting any arrivals with the odd departure or two.

Glancing down the squad list, the likes of Fabio Tavares and Liam Kitching seem surplus to requirements, while fans have been suggesting trying to offload centre-forward Ellis Simms, and even possibly Ben Sheaf, to generate some spending money.

The club captain has 18 months left on his contract, but hasn't scaled the heights of previous seasons.

How key is the window?

Under Robins in recent years, the Sky Blues were slow starters, but saved their best form for the second half of the season. They made the play-off final in 2023, despite a poor start, and for all that the run to the FA Cup semi-final last season was memorable, physically and mentally it took its toll on the players, which ultimately cost them.

It's still very early days for Lampard, but he'll be targeting at least a top-half finish, to give everyone some fresh impetus to take into next season.

Coventry City host Millwall in a mid-table Championship clash on Sunday.

The Sky Blues are 15th in the division but have picked up three wins in their past five fixtures, while the Lions are two places higher but have just a single victory from their past eight.

In their last head-to-head, Frank Lampard picked up his first win as Coventry boss courtesy of a 1-0 away day triumph.

• Coventry City have won their last four league games against Millwall, their best ever winning run against the Lions.

• Millwall have lost their last league visits to Coventry since a 1-0 win in December 2021 under manager Gary Rowett.

• Coventry City have not ended their calendar year with a win in any of the last four years (D2 L2) since a 4-1 win over Wycombe in 2019.

• Millwall are unbeaten in their final league game of the year in each of the last nine years (W7 D2) since losing 2-0 to Bournemouth in 2014.

• Coventry's Frank Lampard won against Millwall earlier this month at the Den but his only previous home league game against the Lions resulted in a 1-0 defeat in February 2019 when he was at Derby County.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves 2-3 Coventry

This is the kind of game that brings football writers doing match reports out in a cold sweat. Late goals are an occupational hazard.

These days, some newspapers demand reports anything up to 20 minutes before the final whistle for evening games. But this match at Molineux was something else.

Firstly, it was a cracking atmosphere between local rivals who had reached the FA Cup sixth round and were therefore one game away from Wembley. Coventry were the better side and deservedly in front going into the final 10 minutes, so I was confidently putting together my report on the basis of a shock taking place. Wolves equalised with seven minutes left.

It was a shame for Coventry but no dramas as a draw takes the tie into extra-time. Wolves take the lead after 88 minutes. Damn. The context of what I was writing has to change and the story stripped out. Now the report is 'Wolves' late double breaks Coventry hearts' – and getting over by the final whistle is going to be tight.

Coventry equaliser, 90+7. Whaaattt. This is ridiculous – but at least we are back in the extra-time scenario and I have another 30 minutes to sort through the mess my report has become. Coventry winner 90+10. Effectively I have to write a whole new match report, from scratch, 10 minutes after I was supposed to finish to reflect Coventry first thinking their FA Cup dream had been wrecked to winning in the most dramatic fashion.

Coventry's humbling defeat by Portsmouth at the weekend was their third defeat in six Championship games.

That defeat left them 17th in the table and six points off the drop zone.

Meanwhile, Plymouth are rock bottom of the pile and without a win since beating Portsmouth on 5 November.

• Coventry City have won eight of their last 11 home league matches against Plymouth Argyle (D1 L2) and have won each of their last two.

• Plymouth have won just one of their last six league meetings with Coventry City (D2 L3), beating them 2-1 in League One in January 2019.

• Coventry have won six of their last seven home league games on Boxing Day (D1), last losing on home soil on December 26 in 2007 against Crystal Palace.

• Plymouth Argyle have lost just two of their last 25 league games on Boxing Day (W14 D9), going down 2-0 to Newport in 2014 and 2-1 to AFC Wimbledon in 2018.

• Plymouth manager Wayne Rooney has lost both of his Championship games on Boxing Day, losing with Derby in 2020 and Birmingham last year.

Image source, Rex Features

Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard speaking to BBC CWR following Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Portsmouth:

"It is the first one I've had here where I've felt like that, our performances generally have been really good.

"It was a clear show of what football, especially in the Championship, is all about. When you find a hard moment and you don't compete, then the result will look after itself.

"I'm not going to harp on about individual errors because they happen, but they do lose you games.

"Heads were dropping in the second half and they now have to realise that can't be the way. We can lose a game of football but you can't lose the confidence, you can't lose the desire to do something about it.

"They were too aggressive for us in the second half and we weren't aggressive enough, and when you get that wrong in the Championship then you lose games like this."

You can listen to the full post-match interview on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard is looking forward to making his first visit as a manager to "old fashioned" Fratton Park - after so many enjoyable past trips as a player.

"It's a great football stadium," Lampard told BBC CWR, ahead of Saturday's lunchtime kick-off between Portsmouth and the Sky Blues.

"One of the old ones that has that bit of character about it. I played there a few times. And you always felt the atmosphere of the stadium.

"It's an old-fashioned stadium - but it's nice to have a few of those still around.

"That's part of the game when you go to these stadiums. The players understanding that, if you give their fans what they want, they'll be active and affect the game.

"I felt that as a player and that's on us to try to take that away from them."

It is something Lampard did very successfully in his Chelsea days.

In six separate visits, he was on the winning side each time - and scored three goals.

Chelsea did not concede a goal in any of them. And, for three of those six wins, Frank's Uncle Harry Redknapp was the home manager.

No such family ties exist this time round. But, after two victories in his first four games as Sky Blues boss, he'd clearly love to keep up that winning Fratton Park record.

Image source, Tom Leach - Coventry City FC

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard will take his team to face Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday greatly encouraged by the Sky Blues' growing attacking threat.

City have only scored five times in his four games in charge - but in the last three matches alone they have created 49 efforts on goal.

"It says something about the way we play," Lampard told BBC CWR. "The next step is to be more clinical about the way we take them. That's not easy because it's an easy thing to say.

"We can practise through the week but, when you have some developing players as we do, you have to understand you might not take all your chances.

"Players need to find confidence, they need repetitive work and feeling, to be confident at that end of the pitch. But it's a nice sign for the team that we are creating."

City have not been helped by being without US international striker Haji Wright for six games with an ankle injury - but Ephron Mason-Clark has stepped up with three of those five goals under Lampard.

As to who might play at Fratton Park, Lampard says goalkeeper Ben Wilson, out for 12 games with a knee problem, is closer to a return than seven-goal top scorer Wright.

"Ben's been training the last day or two with us, fully training which is good news," the Sky Blues head coach said.

"He won't be available this weekend but he won't be far.

"Haji is not on the pitch with us yet. We'll miss him for a few games more because they come thick and fast so we're looking at the early part of the New Year."

Frank Lampard was talking to BBC CWR's Clive Eakin

Portsmouth will seek to climb out of the bottom three and haul Coventry closer to danger when the Sky Blues visit Fratton Park on Saturday lunchtime.

Seven places separate the sides before kick-off but a win for Pompey would take them within four points of Frank Lampard's side, having played two fewer games.

• Portsmouth have lost just one of their past six league games against Coventry City (W3 D2), though their sole defeat did come in their last meeting in February 2020 (1-0).

• Coventry City have failed to win any of their past four away league games against Portsmouth (W3 D1), conceding 2+ goals in each of those matches.

• Portsmouth have won just two of their nine home league games this season (D4 L3), scoring just nine goals in total across those matches – only West Brom have netted fewer (8).

• Coventry have won just two of their past 14 away league games (D5 L7), failing to score in seven of those matches.

• Ephron Mason-Clark has scored three goals in his past four Championship games, also registering an assist – in his first 14 games this season, he had failed to score and only assisted one goal.

Fancasters Andy Scates & Matt Cattell join BBC CWR's Rob Gurney & Clive Eakin on the latest episode of the Sky Blues Fancast.

They discuss Andy's Christmas dinner competition which has become bigger every year on social media and the start to the Frank Lampard era.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Rex Features

Frank Lampard has urged his side to be more clinical in front of goal after confirming top scorer Haji Wright will not return before Christmas

The Sky Blues manager takes charge of his fourth game when Coventry host Hull City at the CBS Arena on Saturday (12:30 GMT) with his side in 16th place, four points clear of the Championship drop zone.

USA international Wright has been out since 9 November with an ankle injury having scored seven of Coventry's 20 league goals prior to his absence.

The Sky Blues have the joint seventh-best attack in the division, in terms of goals scored, and Lampard believes the Sky Blues can still deliver the goals without their leading striker as they head into the busy festive period.

"Do we expect Haji Wright in the next two or three games? No, because he's not on the training pitch yet," Lampard said. "I am obviously very keen to get him back as I understand his importance for the squad. He is a big player for us.

"But I just have to work on what we've got now. We have got talent and we've got options. Let's try and get results and then Haji will be there.

"Against West Brom, in terms of chances created, we were strongly the better team but we have try to be more clinical in the box.

"In terms of confidence in front of goal sometimes you just have to keep working and it will come."

Coventry welcome Hull City on Saturday as two new head coaches face off in an important clash in the bottom half of the Championship.

Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard tasted defeat for the first time in a 2-0 loss at West Brom on Wednesday night, while the Tigers drew 1-1 with Watford in Ruben Selles' first game in charge.

Hull are rooted to the foot of the table but are just one point from safety and Coventry are four points above the drop zone.

• Coventry City have failed to win any of their past five league games against Hull City (D2 L3), with those matches seeing 16 goals scored between the two sides combined.

• Hull City have won on four of their past five league trips to Coventry (D1), one more win than in their prior 12 such visits (D4 L5).

• Coventry have conceded two goals in each of their past five home league games (W1 D2 L2), only in November 1967 (6) have the Sky Blues conceded 2+ goals at home in a longer run of league matches.

• Hull are winless in their past five away league games (D1 L4), conceding 10 goals during that run (2 per game).

• Coventry have conceded 32 home league goals in 2024, their most since 2015 (also 32), last conceding more in 2013 (38). Their average goals conceded per game on home soil in 2024 is their worst (1.68) since their first ever year in the English Football League in 1919 (1.73 per game).

Image source, Rex Features

Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard says he's already got to know a lot about his new team in the short space of time he has been in charge.

Wednesday night's 2-0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion was the Sky Blues' first defeat since the former England international was appointed at the end of last month.

Lampard had previously overseen a draw with Cardiff City and a win at Millwall.

"We've learned a lot in a really short time and it's normal that a night like this (against West Brom) can come along especially in this Championship," Lampard told BBC CWR.

"I like the players, they want to do better, they want to do well for this club."

Coventry are four points clear of the Championship's relegation zone and face three games against struggling Hull City, Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle in the next fortnight.

"The finer details and the clinical nature at both ends of the pitch are important for us but the only way I know is to keep working towards that," Lampard said.