Frank Lampard has ‘special’ Coventry City chance as Wayne Rooney assistant role raised
Frank Lampard has the opportunity to salvage his management career and achieve ‘something special’ at Coventry City.
That’s according to pundit Stephen Warnock who has been assessing Lampard’s start to life at the CBS Arena, a run of nine games that has seen him win three, lose three and draw three.
Indeed since succeeding long-term manager Mark Robins in November, the former Chelsea and Everton boss has helped the Sky Blues’ chances of avoiding relegation, while they were 17th when he took over and are 16th now, the gap on the bottom three has increased from two points to six.
READ MORE: Coventry City 'hold talks' over defender transfer with Championship rivals
READ MORE: Predicted Coventry City FA Cup XI as Frank Lampard awaits Doug King instructions
All of which means Warnock thinks Lampard has done OK so far. “It’s not been a bad start,” Warnock told SpinBet.
“Sometimes it’s difficult when you’ve been involved in the Premier League for so long which he has and then you drop down into the Championship. I know he had a spell at Derby County, but it was five or six years ago and now he returns to the Championship.
“Getting used to the players again, understanding the squad, knowing the Coventry players, and knowing what the best fit is for them, so you are learning on the job straight away.
“He has had a two or three-week period where he might be getting the Coventry job, so he has been watching the games to see what the problems are. It’s such a difficult league to get out of the Championship, it’s so tough to find a way out of it as the games come thick and fast.
“He’s had a few injuries as well and has been without some attacking players. It’s huge having fresh players. It’s been a decent start for them, and it is good to see Frank back in the dugout and taking a Championship job and not just thinking you’re a Premier League manager. He is just obsessed with the game and wants to get back to it in some way.”
Warnock, who played for Liverpool, Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers among others in his career, believes of the three England greats – Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, it’s the latter who has done most to prove himself as a manager.
“Steven Gerrard might not manage again after Saudi because he doesn’t need to money-wise or may stay there for a long time and stay out that way. I’d say Gerrard at the moment on what he has done so far and what he won at Rangers.
“But if you look at what Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney are doing, they are putting themselves in tougher leagues and trying to find solutions to make themselves better.
“There’s a long way to go in their managerial careers, especially for Frank who is still in the game now. If he can keep Coventry up this season and have a positive end to the season and then does something special and gets promoted with Coventry then who knows, maybe he can rebuild his career.
“He definitely can rebuild his career, but they have taken different paths. Wayne struggled recently so it’s where he turns now. Is it right for him to be a number 2 for a while and learn from someone or would somebody want to bring him in as number 2 or will they feel threatened by him coming in as a number 2? It’s going to be an interesting time for all three.”
