Doug King has claimed that he and Coventry City manager Frank Lampard agreed that not much was required to bolster the squad in the January transfer market.
The Sky Blues are one of the in-form sides in the division at the moment, with the Midlands outfit flying up to fifth in the Championship table with their recent winning form.
Matt Grimes was the club’s only major signing during the winter market, with the midfielder arriving from divisional rivals Swansea City for a fee in excess of £3.5 million.
The 29-year-old has played five times so far in the Championship for his new club, with Lampard’s side winning each of the four games Grimes has started.
| Coventry City’s last five league results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent (Home or Away) | Result | ||
| Oxford United (A) | 3-2 win | ||
| Preston North End (H) | 2-1 win | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday (A) | 2-1 win | ||
| QPR (H) | 1-0 win | ||
| Leeds United (H) | 2-0 loss | ||
Doug King makes Coventry City transfer claim following quiet January window
King has claimed that Lampard was happy with the squad as it was when he arrived as manager before the January window opened.
The Coventry owner believes promotion is unrealistic at this stage, but that being in play-off contention still gives them a chance.
When asked if any particular targets were set when he arrived, King responded, via Talksport: “No, I didn’t. They’re just words, aren’t they?
“He’s got to get an assessment of the situation. He knew who was in our squad, of course he did.
“We also didn’t discuss anything in January, actually we just felt that there was enough there to work with and to get us motoring in the right direction.
“We made a real positive transfer with Matt Grimes coming in January, who’s obviously a quality player at this level and I feel like we’re in a good position.
“But there were no expectations, we just need to do everything well and we need to move up the league.
“I don’t think [the Premier League] is realistic because you’ve got to stay in the top six and then you’ve got to get through a very difficult play-off and we’ve been there and failed there before.
“But I’ve been consistent that you can’t get to the Premier League unless you get yourself in the play-off contention. So that’s our goal.”
Frank Lampard is clearly getting the best out of a Coventry City squad Mark Robins built
Coventry were under-performing in Mark Robins’ final couple of months in charge, and Lampard has done well to get them back on track – which is a squad that Robins built for the most part.
A play-off push was what many considered the goal for this season, given how hard Cov pushed Man United in the FA Cup semi-final last season, but they were someway short of that goal before the managerial change.
Given the upturn in form though after Lampard arrived, King didn’t need to invest in a particularly busy January, and Coventry have been rewarded for their patience in the transfer market.
Promotion will be difficult due to the competition they face, but this form suggests they will be tough to beat if they secure a play-off place.
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