Coventry City Owner Confirms Frank Lampard as Head Coach Candidate

Doug King, owner of Coventry City, has verified that Frank Lampard, who bookmakers currently favor and who has been absent from management since departing Chelsea at the close of the 2022-23 season, is being considered for the Sky Blues’ head coach position. This confirmation comes after the dismissal of manager Mark Robins last week. During a one-hour Fans Forum held at the Coventry Building Society Arena, Mr. King addressed challenging inquiries from enthusiastic fans and indicated that the club had received numerous applications, emphasizing that the upcoming appointment is “very important.” In a distinct interview conducted by Sky Sports, King disclosed that Lampard, a former prominent player for Chelsea and England, had submitted an application for the role. “We’ve received a huge amount of CVs from high quality people, of which Frank is one,” King stated. He added, “We’ve done nothing on that process. Clearly we’re in the international break. We’ll be assessing everything.” King concluded, “We’ll work out who’s going to make the shortlist and we’ll go from there.” Lampard’s period away from management began after his temporary tenure as caretaker manager at Stamford Bridge concluded following the 2022-23 season. His prior experience in the Championship includes guiding Derby County to the play-off final in 2019, preceding his roles at Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League. Bookmakers currently list Lampard as the odds-on favorite, whereas Robbie Keane, a former Sky Blues striker, is also mentioned as a possible candidate, having recently concluded his engagements in the Indian Super League and with Maccabi Tel Aviv in June. Lee Carsley, a former Coventry midfielder and the current England Under-21 coach, whose interim position with the senior England men’s team is set to conclude next week, has also been associated with the vacancy, as has Matt Bloomfield, manager of League One frontrunners Wycombe Wanderers. Bloomfield informed BBC Three Counties Radio on Saturday, “I’ve not heard anything from my club. It’s just speculation as far as I’m concerned. But it’s lovely to be linked with jobs higher up the food chain because it shows that the job you’re doing is the right one.” Upon advertising the open position, subsequent to the decision to separate from Robins last Thursday morning, the club indicated its intention to “take its time to appoint a successor to Mark, although the position will be that of head coach working within the new structure set up by the club over the last two years.” For Saturday’s away match against Sunderland, King appointed joint first-team coach Rhys Carr as the caretaker boss. Following a comeback from a 2-0 deficit to secure a draw against the league leaders, King confirmed on Monday night that Carr, a former Wolves development coach, will continue in the role until a permanent replacement is identified. The club’s subsequent fixture is a home game at lunchtime against second-placed Sheffield United, scheduled for Saturday, November 23.