Coventry City have 'really strong' options to fire Frank Lampard dream as transfer window shuts
Coventry City added just one player in the transfer window, albeit a significant quality signing, and let one first teamer go the other way. But the recall of loans Jack Burroughs and Ryan Howley from Scotland means the Sky Blues concluded their business two players better off than when the mid-term trading period started.
Midfield Matt Grimes arrived last week as the club's big statement signing, costing between £3.5m-£4m from Championship rivals Swansea City on the same day as striker Fabio Tavares went on loan to League One Burton Albion.
The one remaining unknown is the prospect of signing exciting forward Jamie Paterson, who has been training with the club for the last few weeks and earned rave reviews from head coach Frank Lampard who says he’s looking fit, sharp and been “brilliant” in the dressing room. Available on a free after leaving MLS side Charlotte FC in North Carolina, the 33-year-old appears to be a ‘no-brainer’ given the fact that he can play in several positions – on either wing, attacking midfield and as a second striker. That versatility, experience and quality could be invaluable if City continue their upward curve and push for the play-offs.
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Here we take a look at the club’s squad depth for the remainder of the season.
Goalkeepers: Oliver Dovin, Ben Wilson, Brad Collins.
Three goalkeepers is more than enough cover. Dovin is bang in form and in possession of the gloves right now and Wilson is back to full fitness after three months out with a knee injury, meaning Lampard has two senior stoppers as back-up.
Centre-backs: Joel Latibeaudiere, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching, Luis Binks.
If Lampard continues with a back three system then his options would look a bit thin if the team was hit by injury or suspension, although Jake Bidwell could slot in if there was an emergency, as could Ryan Howley. However, although the current 3-5-2 formation is working really well, Lampard historically prefers a back four, and in the event of injury he could always revert to the alternative back line. The likelihood is that when Haji Wright and Ephron Mason-Clark return to fitness then City will probably switch back to 4-2-3-1, in which case four centre-backs is more than enough cover.
Full-backs/wing-backs: Milan van Ewijk, Jack Burroughs, Jake Bidwell, Jay Dasilva.
The one position where City have lacked depth all season is at right-back/ right wing-back where van Ewijk has been relied upon with no recognised cover or competition. The recall of Burroughs from his loan spell in Scotland provides cover, while Josh Eccles is no stranger to the wing-back role.
Midfield: Jamie Allen, Victor Torp, Ben Sheaf, Matt Grimes, Josh Eccles, Jack Rudoni, Ryan Howley.
Now one of City’s strongest areas of the team, especially when Sheaf comes back to fitness following his calf strain, Lampard has real quality and options at his disposal. The likes of Jamie Allen and Victor Torp have come to the fore since Lampard has come in, and Eccles inspired to add more goals to his game. Now having added one of the widely held best midfielders in the division in Matt Grimes to the mix, with Sheaf due back from injury by the end of the month, City’s midfield options look really strong.
Wingers: Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Raphael Borges Rodrigues, Ephron Mason-Clark, Haji Wright.
Lampard likes his wide men and clearly wants to make more use of Sakamoto. He also can’t wait to Mason-Clark back after sparking his season to life when the head coach first arrived. He’s yet to see Wright in action, having been injured since Lampard took charge, and now has the option to sign Jamie Paterson as a free transfer.
Strikers: Ellis Simms, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Norman Bassette, Haji Wright.
Four strikers clearly provides plenty of options and variety with pace and physicality. Lampard is getting a lot of joy from the growing partnership between Simms and Thomas-Asante and his biggest problem moving forward will be keeping everyone happy if he reverts to just one up front.