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Frank Lampard, Jimmy Thelin and an Aston Villa favourite - Coventry City's next manager search
The shock-waves around Doug King’s decision to sack Mark Robins continue to be felt - not only across the city of Coventry, but throughout the Championship and even beyond into the wider footballing world.
Part of that is due to the loss of the EFL’s longest-serving manager, one who only six months ago had the Sky Blues at Wembley. It can also be explained by the fact that having kept his counsel in the immediate aftermath, club owner King has not ducked questions about the situation.
A forum with supporters on Monday night was followed 12 hours later by an appearance on national radio as King gave his insight into the decision. Noise has also been added by the fact that Frank Lampard’s name has been so closely associated with the post. Quickly installed as the bookmakers’ favourite, King admitted the Chelsea legend and former Derby, Chelsea and Everton manager was in the picture to replace Robins.
Here’s what our writers make of it – and who else should be considered.
READ MORE: Full-transcript: Doug King explains why he sacked Mark Robins
READ MORE: Doug King makes Frank Lampard admission
Andy Turner
It’s difficult to know what route Doug King is going down for Mark Robins’ successor, other than we know the club are now actively looking to replace the previous traditional manager structure with a head coach and sporting director.
The Sky Blues owner says the club have been inundated with 60/70/80 applications so far, having previously interviewed several “high calibre” candidates for Adi Viveash’s first team coaching post, only to be unable to get them over the line due to the fact they didn’t want to come in as a number two. Presumably, those candidates will now reignite their interest.
King let slip that despite press speculation claiming the club were closing in on Frank Lampard, in fact the two parties had not spoken as of Monday night. However, King did confirm that the former Derby manager and Chelsea head coach had applied by submitting his CV. Lampard, it seems, would be very much a ‘trophy’ appointment with a media circus sure to follow him wherever he goes and the club being known as Frank Lampard’s Coventry City.
I may be wrong, but I sensed that King’s response to questions about Lampard hinted that he wasn’t high on the club’s priority list. And if he was, the club would surely have spoken to him as soon as possible.
This is a really important appointment, and one in which King says he’s keen to find someone to come in to provide long-term stability rather than a revolving door of making a change every 18 months.
Foreign managers are very much in vogue at the minute, and talented Swedish coach Jimmy Thelin is causing a stir north of the border where he has led Aberdeen to an incredible 16 wins in 18 games so far this term after cutting his teeth at Elfsborg.
There are highly-rated young English coaches out there too, the likes of Matt Bloomfield at Wycombe, for example, but does he have enough experience – one of the requirements King has talked about as well as a track record of developing players and tactical nous. They’re basically looking for an Adi Viveash mark II. Hmmm, now there’s a thought, wonder what he’s up to these days?
READ MORE: The Adi Viveash interview cited by Doug King as the beginning of the end of with Mark Robins
READ MORE: Richard Keys takes X-rated swipe at Doug King amid brutal Frank Lampard to Coventry City verdict
Keith Wales
Frank Lampard is the hot favourite to replace Mark Robins as Coventry City boss, and club owner Doug King has even gone so far as to name the former Derby, Chelsea and Everton manager in connection with the post.
Of course, there is an issue - King is after a head coach, not a manager, so at face value Lampard does not appear to fulfil the job description.
Another problem is that Lampard arguably had the most successful spell as a manager while at Derby - where an awful lot of cash was invested in his squad. Is that the way King wants to go? After all, look where it got the Rams.
And then there’s arguably the biggest conundrum - if you have a head coach-type setup, surely you need a sporting director, and does that appointment not need to be in place before a head coach can be hired?
The owner would have us believe that results - or the lack of them this season - were not the primary driver behind the manager’s exit. If that is the case, and Doug King indeed has a plan, then the current situation at Coventry City should not be the shambles it appears to be from the outside.
What is clear is that King is playing a high stakes game, and has doubled the odds against getting it right by looking to hire not one, but two key appointments. We wish him well.
Brian Dick
I think I’m probably slightly higher on Lampard’s management credentials than many – but I’m not sure I can explain why. The former midfielder doesn’t seem to have ever had a typical management position – if such a thing exists in football.
His tenure at Derby was undoubtedly pretty good – but so it should have been given the finances and players at his disposal. A play-off final defeat was probably just about par.
Everton? That has been arguably the most difficult job in the Premier League for three seasons and he did well to galvanise them and keep them in the Premier League.
His second spell at Chelsea was disastrous, just one win out of 11, albeit against a tumultuous backdrop. His first spell, which lasted 18 months saw the Blues reach the top four in the Premier League and an FA Cup final and was largely creditable.
So what does he have? Intelligence, which I think is under-rated, experience of being close to the fire, good communication skills, a decent profile and contacts book. I have to say I’m not against it by any means.
As regards the other contenders, I don’t see the logic in replacing Robins with Matt Bloomfield or someone from League One. I’d definitely be trying to second guess what Luton are doing with Rob Edwards and I’d be testing Dean Smith’s resolve with Charlotte in the MLS.
