Frank Lampard interview: Cool, calm and collected Coventry boss won’t relax until the job is done | Football news

Coventry City’s biggest setback so far this season could have turned out to be their biggest positive.

Frank Lampard’s side suffered a scare at Wrexham on Halloween as their 12-game unbeaten run came to an end.

“That probably helped me more than anyone else because you often get asked about winning points,” Lampard said. Aerial sports.

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“When the results pile up, you start to think about the risks of overconfidence and complacency. Defeat reminds us that if you are not fully focused, especially away from home, matches become difficult.

“We all get it, but experiencing it reinforces the message. You take the positives and learn from them. Often you learn more in defeat.

“It’s normal in this league to lose matches. What was unusual was our strength at the start of the season. What matters is the reaction after a setback. We handled the situation well and moved on quickly.”

In the end, it was a small setback in an exemplary start to the season for Coventry. They won their next two matches and, with 15 games in hand, they are five points clear at the top of the championship.

Lampard was delighted with the response at the end of last season, when they lost to Sunderland in heartbreaking last-chance circumstances in the play-off semi-final.

“I’m so happy with how we started,” he says. “After the disappointment of last season, the group has come back with real determination. We are working with essentially the same team as last season, with just a few additions, and they have been excellent.

“A lot of people thought maybe we could aim for the play-offs, but to be where we are today is a credit to the players. The challenge is to keep improving. We can still improve, but I’m delighted with the effort so far.”

Lampard is now approaching a year in charge of Coventry City, having been appointed last November. At the time, this seemed controversial since he was replacing the legendary character Mark Robins.

But a year is a long time in this league, and this controversy is nothing more than a distant memory. Lampard’s work has been exemplary.

“I love working here,” he says. “I enjoy the players and the environment. There are still areas we want to improve on and off the pitch, such as training pitch details, recovery and preparation.

“I have experience from my playing and managerial career that helps me identify these things. I try to work hard every day and I learn all the time.

“You make decisions, some good and some you think about, and that’s part of the job. I feel calmer in this role with experience. If we work hard, we usually get what we deserve.”

Lampard, now 47, admits he is more relaxed now than he was as a player or when he started as Championship manager at Derby.

His reputation speaks for itself and he does a lot of work to help him earn respect wherever he goes, but the calmness in his approach has also helped him assert his authority.

“Experience and environment helps,” says Lampard. “I trust the players because they are autonomous and understand what we want to be as a team. This trust brings calm.”

“We also learn that sometimes we can work just as well without immediate reward, so we avoid getting carried away when things go well.

“My nature has never been to go too high. I always look forward to the next challenge and try to keep myself from complacency. I want to remain demanding while maintaining stability.”

This attitude is unlikely to change within Lampard until the job is done. There are still 31 games to play – starting with West Brom on Saturday, live on Sky Sports – but Coventry are about as well placed as they can be at the moment to start.

Key offensive output for Coventry

One of the most striking aspects of Coventry’s impressive season has been their goal output. There were 40 in their first 15 games of the season. No other team in the league has managed more than 26.

Lampard believes that the consistency within the squad, with very little upheaval this summer, has brought a major benefit to their performances.

“The continuity has been a major asset,” he says. “When we work with the same group and carry the same message, we progress faster. The players understand what we want and how we work. They are invested, on and off the pitch.

The club values ​​development and getting the best out of the team rather than constant change. This stability helps. We must stay focused, because momentum and good results mean nothing if complacency appears. We will continue to work in the right way. »

Brandon Thomas-Asante is the league’s top scorer with 10. He has never scored more than 11 in an entire league campaign.

“Our attacking game is the result of hard work on the training pitch and supporting the players,” Lampard explains. “We don’t have a huge number of attacking options so we have to rotate carefully. The loss of Jack Rudoni was significant as he was vital last season and we had to adapt.

“Several players stepped up. Brandon Thomas-Asante came back from preseason hungry and focused. We worked with Haji Wright on the central movement, which helped him. Our wingers have strong talent and we manage their minutes to keep them alert.

“Overall, we have improved the way we construct the game, the way we move the ball through the lines and the way we attack in transition. The players have taken on board the ideas and applied them well. We want to continue on this path and remain clinical when the chances present themselves.”