Frank Lampard – the man widely tipped to replace Mark Robins – has been warned that he can’t afford to fail at Coventry City.
The 46-year-old has been out of work for 18 months since leaving Chelsea for a second time, having previously managed Everton and Derby County. It was with the Rams where he cut his managerial teeth, helping the East Midlands club to the Championship play-off finals before returning to Stamford Bridge to take charge for the first time.
And former Arsenal striker Alan Smith reckons Lampard has to get it right with the Sky Blues for the sake of his coaching career. “He’s had some challenges, some tough times, you could say he’s had some failures,” he told Sky Sports News.
“That second spell at Chelsea, he might think: ‘why did I take that?’ I guess it’s difficult to turn down your old club.
“For managers, as well as players, so much is about joining places at the right time, being able to say yes and no. Frank is desperate to become a manager, a successful one.
“It’s a big call by Coventry, so many fans were unhappy at Mark Robins getting sacked. They will be on the fence with Lampard, they know about his past efforts at management. He really needs to get off to a good start, if he’s appointed. But I wish him well.
“You have some England greats, Wayne Rooney trying to make his mark in management after a few difficult appointments, now he’s at Plymouth. Steven Gerrard is struggling to make a mark over in Saudi Arabia, will he be able to bounce back if he leaves there?
“Lampard has to make this a success now. If he were to fail at Coventry, it might be a fair while before he gets another opportunity.”
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