Frank Lampard has finally landed his first role since the end of his chastening second spell at Chelsea, but the backlash to him landing the Coventry job is harsh
COVENTRY, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 28: Frank Lampard poses for a photo on the pitch following a press conference announcing him as the new manager of Coventry City at The Coventry Building Society Arena on November 28, 2024 in Coventry, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
COVENTRY, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 28: Frank Lampard poses for a photo on the pitch following a press conference announcing him as the new manager of Coventry City at The Coventry Building Society Arena on November 28, 2024 in Coventry, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
Frank Lampard has become Coventry's new manager (
Image: Getty Images)
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For England's 'Golden Generation', the transition to management has largely been a disappointing one.
Few have enjoyed anything like the success they had on the pitch and, on the whole, they have generally failed to discredit accusations of them landing big jobs based solely on their reputations as big-time players.
But Frank Lampard landing the Coventry City job is far from the disastrous appointment some would have you believe.
Yes, he endured a pretty torrid time at Everton. But he wasn't the first to fall short in a job which has almost become the Premier League's unofficial poisoned chalice. And it would hardly be fair to write him off based on his interim stint at Chelsea given the club were unravelling at the seams long before he dusted off his old Blues tracksuit.
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Let's not forget, he was very unfortunate to lose his job at Stamford Bridge the first time around back in 2021. He had, after all, guided the Blues to a top-four finish and an FA Cup final whilst navigating a transfer ban for the club's previous misdemeanours in the market and boasted a win percentage of more than 50 per cent.
The decision certainly wasn't universally popular with a fanbase who had - until quite recently - become pretty accustomed to success, so Lampard was clearly doing something right.
Why, then, the backlash to him landing at Coventry? Lampard has pedigree in the division having led Derby County to the Championship play-off final during his maiden season in management. And, as outlined above, he hardly disgraced himself at one of the Premier League's 'big guns' off the back of cutting his teeth at Derby.
Before we did any further into Lampard's credentials, let's address the elephant in the room: if we're assessing things logically, then there shouldn't even be a vacancy to fill.
Mark Robins
Coventry's decision to part company with Mark Robins earlier this month raised eyebrows
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Image:
Ryan Browne/REX/Shutterstock)
Doug King's decision to pull the trigger on Mark Robins earlier this month was not only premature but also lacked the sort of class Robins showed during his near eight year tenure as he steered the club through the choppiest of waters.
But whether it was the right call or the wrong one, it's been made and Lampard is now at the wheel.
His CV alone is evidence that he is not the basket case candidate some are painting him out to be. But the positives of his first two jobs have largely been overshadowed by his most recent roles.
In hindsight, even though he did a decent job, he probably answered Chelsea's call the first time around too soon. And he should have sent them straight to voicemail when they fired out an SOS last year.
Coventry and a return to the Championship feels like a good fit, though after the way his interim spell at Chelsea panned out. And they could definitely do a lot worse after shooting themselves in the foot over Robins.
Nobody is suggesting that he's an upgrade on the former Coventry chief at this point. And the jury is still out on whether or not Lampard has the hallmarks of a top, top coach in the long run.
But who knows where he would be now had he been a bit more conservative with some of his decision-making over previous jobs?
We should, at least, get a better idea of that in the next few months.
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