Lampard steers Coventry City to the top of the Championship in push for Premier League

Frank Lampard says taking Coventry City back to the Premier League would be the best moment of his career, even more than winning the Champions League. The remark recalls Coventry's pain in May, when Dan Ballard headed Sunderland's 123rd-minute winner in the Championship play-off semi-final and denied promotion at Wembley. "It was a really tough moment," Lampard told Daily Mail Sport seven months later, with Coventry now atop the Championship. "There wasn't much to say afterwards because the dressing room was very despondent. I could see the pain on everyone's face. I let them be and we had a good break."

Since taking over in November 2024, Lampard has guided Coventry from 17th to the top of the standings. After 21 league games this season, Coventry have 14 wins and 47 points, with only two defeats and 52 goals, 16 more than Hull City, the league's next-best scorers. They also hold the most clean sheets with eight and sit 12 points clear of third-placed Preston. "The start has been very positive," Lampard said. "The Championship is notoriously difficult to find consistency in, so to win a lot of games for two months on the bounce is great. We’re in a really good position – and we would have taken this at the start of the season – but there's a lot of work to do."

Coventry's improvement reflects a rigorous pre-season focused on fitness and versatility. Lampard has pushed for more powerful and dynamic players and emphasized the development of the squad he inherited. The team has used a mix of formations, with 4-2-3-1 the most common. Captain Matt Grimes leads by example in midfield, and Brighton loanee Carl Rushworth has become a regular starter. In terms of new personnel, Coventry's January signings amounted to two additions in the winter window and four in the summer, but the core uplift has come through player development. Ellis Simms won the Championship Player of the Month award in November after Brandon Thomas-Asante claimed October's gong. Thomas-Asante had scored 10 goals in 15 starts this season, well on track to surpass his previous best of 11 in 2023-24. Lampard has always valued Thomas-Asante as a prime example of the changes his tenure has brought. He has shown the capacity to deliver goals in a demanding division, having previously scored 22 times across three seasons at West Brom and Coventry prior to this campaign.

"Brandon had a few injury problems last year, but we could see there was a player there," Lampard said. "He came back with a great attitude and flew out the traps. We've worked a lot with him and he's very engaged. A lot of the players are the ones who were here before, so it shows we've grown together." Lampard's calm demeanour and hands-on approach to training—leaning on lieutenants Joe Edwards and Chris Jones—have been credited with detailed sessions and extensive pre-match briefings that fuel Coventry's consistency.

The Sky Blues were last in the Premier League in 2001, and many players lack top-flight experience. But Lampard, who won 11 major trophies as a player, is viewed as well suited to translating his own experience into a blueprint for success. "There’s a different form of pressure in a promotion battle, and the biggest challenge is that we can't relax. If we do that, we've got a good chance," he said. He has periodically reflected on the broader arc of his career, including stints at Derby, Chelsea and Everton, and his belief that this Coventry project could define his managerial legacy.

Off the field, Coventry's stability has improved under chairman Doug King and head of recruitment Dean Austin. King has taken a hands-on approach, improving training facilities and bringing the CBS Arena under club control in August. The move matters for a side that had to play home games at other venues in three different seasons since 2013. King is involved in transfer and contract negotiations and helped Coventry retain key players such as Jack Rudoni and Milan van Ewijk in the summer. Lampard has lauded the club’s ability to maintain momentum while expanding its ambitions.

But promotion carries its own pressure. Lampard acknowledged that many squad members have not faced this level of expectancy before and warned that the team must stay focused. "In our squad there aren’t many players who have been in this position before and it’s a different form of pressure in a promotion battle. The biggest challenge is that we can't relax. If we do that, we've got a good chance." The coach has spent brief periods reflecting on how far Coventry have come since their descent to League Two, noting that the club’s story is unique and that returning to the top flight would rank among his greatest achievements.

As January approaches, attention also turns to potential transfers. Daily Mail Sport reports that Evan Eghosa Aisowieren, a 20-year-old Austrian attacking midfielder, has drawn interest from clubs in England’s second tier as well as from the Austrian and German leagues. Aisowieren has seven goals and two assists in 16 appearances for Floridsdorfer AC this season and earned Austria Under-21 call-ups last month. Coventry—still chasing a sustained promotion push—will weigh options carefully to avoid disrupting momentum.