Coventry City news from CoventryLive as Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner looks at the overwhelming reasons why Frank Lampard's men are heading for the Premier League
Frank Lampard
'We've got Franky Lampard' - just one of the big pluses as Coventry City drive to get over the promotion line
The excitement is building as Coventry City prepare for their final assault for the Premier League.
Having sat top of the league for most of the season, since early October aside from seven days in February when they were briefly leap-frogged by Middlesbrough, the Sky Blues have restored their healthy cushion ahead of the play-off places.
Sitting 11 points off third and fourth placed Ipswich and Millwall, and nine ahead of second placed Boro, Frank Lampard’s men now enter the final stretch with just seven Championship games to go. First up is Derby County at home on Good Friday before a long trip to Hull on Bank Holiday Monday completes the Easter programme.
Here we look at the pros and cons of the final run-in as City push for a glorious return to top flight football after a 25 year absence.
The pros
Momentum
The Sky Blues have won seven out of their last eight league games to get them to within touching distance of automatic promotion. Having emerged from a mid-season wobble, the players stepped back up through the gears and re-asserted their authority in the division. Starting their latest sequence with a huge statement victory over Middlesbrough, the run included gutsy back-to-back away wins at West Brom and Sheffield United before concluding with a determined 3-0 win at Swansea going into the international break.
Mentality
The victory in South Wales epitomised the mentality of the group with every single player, whether starting or going on as a sub, looking determined to get the job done at a difficult venue. They may have ridden their luck at times against a good Swans’ side but they were ruthless in putting them to the sword in 11 devastating minutes before the break to take the game away from the hosts.
There was an air of confidence on display, of a team that knows how close they are to achieving their goal this season and resolute in their belief that no-one is going to get in their way.
Fortress CBS
Four of City’s final seven matches are at the CBS Arena where they have only lost two games and dropped points in draws on three occasions in the league all season. They’ve scored 40 goals on home soil – the highest in the division – and made the stadium a fortress, and foundation for this season’s success with consistently noisy and enthusiastic atmospheres backing the players to win.
Incredible support
The home support has hit new heights this season with 11 games attracting a crowd of over 30,000 and the fans often raising the roof at the CBS, sparked on a matchday by the club’s rousing pre kick-off anthem, We’ll Live And Die In These Towns, and continued throughout the 90 minutes with the supporters’ full repertoire of songs for the manager and each player. Even owner Doug King has his own song.
One the road, meanwhile, City have arguably the best travelling fans in the division with the Sky Blue Army excelling themselves at Swansea where they got right behind under-fire Matt Grimes on his first return to his former club where he was targeted by the Swans’ boo-boys.
If anyone thought the noise there was impressive, just imagine what it’s going to be like at Ewood Park later this month when a sold out allocation of 7,195 City fans are making the trip which, if results go the club’s way between now and February 17, could see the Sky Blues clinch promotion.
Squad togetherness
Frank Lampard has an impressive squad of players who are so tight and together, both on and off the pitch – a bond that can’t be underestimated as one of the many reasons for the club being where they are at this stage of the season.
Even players who have not had much game time, the likes of Jake Bidwell, Jamie Allen, Miguel Brau and, of course, effervescent understudy goalkeeper Ben Wilson have played their part. There have been stories of Luke Woolfenden and Joel Latibeaudiere “driving the training” when they’ve been out of the team, more focused on the bigger picture of getting promoted than their own individual situations.
Lampard has had the luxury of being able to call upon his wider squad in recent weeks when healthy leads have allowed several changes to be made, with players like Bidwell, Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Jahnoah Markelo and Romain Esse coming in and showing what they can do.
Others dropping points
As the final weekend before the international break showed, the teams directly below Coventry are dropping points on a regular basis. Second placed Middlesbrough have had a drop off in results, drawing two and losing one of their last three games, while winning just two of their last eight.
Boro also have to play direct rivals Millwall and Ipswich in the final run-in – those two having cancelled each other out with a 1-1 draw at Portman Road last time out. Town, meanwhile, may have a game in hand but that’s resulted in a bit of unwanted fixture congestion as the Tractor Boys face midweek games every week from now until the end of the season.
We’ve got Franky Lampard
Lampard is a serial winner and while he won’t admit it publicly just yet, he’ll want to win the Championship title. He has already inspired this special group of players to take their games to new levels this season with his man management and expert coaching and tactics, along with his impressive backroom staff, and there’s no way that he will allow things to tail off now. He’ll keep driving the players to get the job done and finish things in style.
Near fully fit squad
With star midfielder Jack Rudoni and leading scorer Haji Wright due back to fitness this weekend, coupled with Brandon Thomas-Asante who was held back from international duty as a precaution, Frank Lampard should have his strongest squad available for the last seven games. There may be question marks over the fitness/fatigue of long haul travellers Joel Latibeaudiere and Ephron Mason-Clark for Good Friday, but after that City should have a clean bill of health.
It's in their hands
One of the biggest pluses is the fact that promotion is in City's hands. Only a disastrous drop off in form and results would see the club not achieving their ambitions this season.
The Cons
Although City’s final run-in looks decent on paper, including three fixtures against teams currently in the bottom half of the table and no games against parachute sides, all but possibly two have something to play and fight for themselves.
As history has taught us, many a City team has come unstuck against a club battling for survival, and the last seven games see Coventry facing Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers who are currently just a point and four, respectively, away from the drop zone.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, Friday’s opponents Derby are just three points off the play-offs and Monday’s game at Hull (in 5th place going into the Easter programme) will see the Tigers looking to further consolidate their position in the top six. Wrexham, too, who are visitors to the CBS in the last home game of the season, currently sit just outside the play-offs.
Of the remaining fixtures, only relegated Sheffield Wednesday and mid-table Watford appear to have little to play for apart from pride.
Can you think of any more pros or cons? Click HERE to have your say.
Every day, the CoventryLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Coventry City content.
Our dedicated reporter Andy Turner - who you can follow on X - follows the Sky Blues home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.
So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur - that's why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. You can also get all your favourite content from CoventryLive's Sky Blues team on WhatsApp. Sign up f or breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.