Steve Ogrizovic: Frank Lampard’s Coventry City Appointment Signals Ambition

Steve Ogrizovic, a former goalkeeper for Coventry City, views the selection of Frank Lampard as the club’s new head coach by owner Doug King as an indication of the team’s aspirations. Ogrizovic also considers Lampard to be tactically astute. Lampard, a former midfielder for Chelsea and England, has taken over from Mark Robins, who was dismissed from his position earlier in the current month. Speaking to BBC CWR, Ogrizovic stated, “It’s quite an ambitious appointment and I think there’ll be substantial funds available to strengthen the squad.” He further added that “For Doug King’s credibility, he wants to get somewhere near the Premier League, and he sees Frank Lampard as part of that.” Lampard assumes control of a squad currently positioned 17th in the Championship, holding a two-point advantage over the relegation zone. Despite considerable fan skepticism regarding his capabilities, Ogrizovic contends that he merits sufficient time to achieve success. Ogrizovic emphasized, “People have to respect the job he has done in football as a player and a manager as well.” He elaborated, “He did really well at Derby in his first job. His first stint at Chelsea was pretty decent, but his Everton experience has tarnished him a bit and the few games he had back at Chelsea.” Frank Lampard is set to manage his inaugural match for Coventry in their home fixture against Cardiff this Saturday. Ogrizovic expresses confidence in Lampard’s capacity to effectively convey his strategies to the team members. “We’ve got a good, bright young manager who I’m impressed with when I hear him summarising on the TV. He’s astute, knows the modern game, and will link well with the players,” Ogrizovic remarked. He continued, “He’s got a good way of being able to explain things and I’m surprised that hasn’t translated into better results, but he hasn’t been a disaster. He’s had some success, but people tend to look at Everton and the last six or seven games at Chelsea, which is a bit unfair.”