Deadpan Frank Lampard fills press room with laughter as Swansea in disarray over Matt Grimes departure
Coventry City edged to within three points of the play-off places with a hugely gratifying victory and clean sheet at Swansea to extend the team’s sequence to four Championship wins on the run.
An impressive opening goal from Ellis Simms was topped by a ‘goal of the season’ contender from Brandon Thomas-Asante as the Sky Blues took control over the Swans for the first time in their last eleven visits, dating back to 1950. The 2-0 success, meanwhile, heaped more misery on the home side who slipped to their fourth consecutive league defeat.
Here we take a look at some of the big talking points from the game which resulted in City moving up a place in the table to 11th.
READ MORE: Frank Lampard gives 'special' verdict as Coventry City secure first win in Swansea for 75 years
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Lamps wipes first unwanted City record
Frank Lampard knew all about City’s record of not winning at Swansea for 75 years when it was put to him in Friday’s pre-match press conference. He even admitted he knew about the club’s even worse stat of having never won at Preston North End.
But he insisted that while he understood that such runs can happen, for whatever reason, regardless of changes in personnel and managers over the years, records are there to be broken. And so it was hugely satisfying that the current incarnation representing the shirt went to South Wales and blew away the bogey team tag with as complete a performance on the road as you are likely to see. Bring on next season’s trip to Deepdale, I say!
Huge Matt Grimes factor
There is no doubt that the Sky Blues got a huge helping hand from the fact that Swansea were without their most influential player, Matt Grimes, who officially switched his allegiance to Coventry the day before. Swans’ boss Luke Williams changed formation to three at the back in an attempt to find a way to cope without his skipper with an extra man in midfield.
But when there was a mix-up and mis-placed pass presented to Brandon Thomas-Asante on a plate for his wonder goal just before the break, the common consensus in the half-time press room was that it would never have happened had Grimes been in the team.
Grimes was held in such high esteem at Swansea who, Williams conceded, looked nothing like the possession-based outfit they have become in recent years with him there to make them tick. That should further excite City fans about just how good a signing the club have made this week.
Fitting the new man in
Exactly where and when Grimes will fit into the team remains to be seen. The Sky Blues entertain league leaders Leeds United on Wednesday night – a perfect game for the midfielder to make his debut, one would think. But at whose expense, is the big question?
Will Lampard want to disrupt a winning team and leave out the likes of Victor Torp or Jamie Allen, both of whom are enjoying terrific form and certainly don’t deserve to be dropped. But given that Grimes is match ready, having been ever-present for the Swans all season, and such a quality addition to the squad, it would surely be hard to leave him out.
The fact that he won’t be able to play against Ipswich next weekend due to being cup-tied is another reason why it would make sense to rest one of the starters against Swansea to help manage the three games in the space of eight days.
Grimes has been deployed in a more holding role this term and it would be logical for him to continue to do that in the short-term, particularly against such top opposition.
Credit to Frank as partnership causes “massive” problem
The Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante partnership continues to blossom with the two strikers gaining a greater understanding and connection with every game that goes by. Both have benefitted from a run in the side – something they arguably hadn’t earned or battled hard enough for earlier in the season, and all credit to Lampard for bringing the best out of them.
He wasn’t happy with their contribution/demeanour on the pitch when he first arrived but he and his staff have got to work on them, instilled confidence and made demands in a terrific example of man management. They look different players, night and day from just six to eight weeks ago, and that point was proved when Luke Williams admitted afterwards: “Their front two caused a massive, massive problem for us today.”
Instinctively brilliant
The two goals were of the highest quality. The first was really pleasing for the fact that Simms started and finished the move by out-muscling Sky Blues Academy graduate Cyrus Christie before laying it out to Thomas-Asante and then making a run into the box to get on the end and clinically convert the return ball.
The second saw Thomas-Asante’s instinctive and brilliant bit of improvised play to spot the keeper off his line and hit the ball first time from 40-odd yards was a goal of the season contender – the sort of audacious piece of play that only a few players are capable of, the likes of Gus Hamer or, going further back, Adam Armstrong would almost routinely attempt when the opportunity arose. That’s three goals in four games for the summer signing from West Brom now, and if that doesn’t further boost his confidence then nothing will.
Deadpan Frank brings the house down
Lampard filled the press room with laughter with one of his answers to a question in his post-match conference. Having described Thomas-Asante’s wonder strike as “special,” he was asked if he’d ever scored one like it himself during his own illustrious career.
As quick as a flash and with a deadpan face, he quipped, “Yeah! One or two,” before bursting into a chuckle amid all-round laughter. It’s easy to forget what an exceptional player the City boss was during his playing days, and he said it not in an arrogant, boasting way, but more as a matter of fact admission about the sort of quality that oozed out of his boots in his pomp.
Realising how it might have sounded or be taken out of context, he joked: “Don’t write that down because that will sound terrible,” before adding, “I didn’t score one exactly like that, but I scored some different ones and I know the feeling of a goal like that because it’s instinct that can be taken on in the last millisecond decision and then the technique follows. So no, I didn’t score one exactly like that, so fair play to him.”
