Can anyone stop Coventry City?
Well, Wrexham did a few weeks ago. But since then, Frank Lampard’s side have bounced back to win their next three.
They trailed against Sheffield United, but won 3-1. They needed a late stunner from Ephron Mason-Clark to see off Stoke 1-0 after that.
And then, perhaps the most dramatic and impressive of the lot. Two down at home to West Brom, they wrestled their way back to win 3-2. Helped in part by a Jayson Molumby red card at 2-1 down, but once they got one back it felt inevitable. Every hurdle in their way is currently being vaulted.
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Frank Lampard reflects on his time in charge of Coventry City as he approaches the one-year anniversary of his appointment
And now?
Coventry are seven points clear at the top. No leader in Championship history has ever been so far ahead of second place after 16 games. Two sides had been six points clear, although there may be some warning in that only one of those went on to seal promotion.
Wolves in 2008/09 cantered to the title. Watford the season before fell to sixth and lost in the play-offs. Opta, however, believes Coventry currently have a near-90 per cent chance of promotion.
More importantly, the gap to third is 10 points for Coventry. And it is one they will be hoping to extend when they visit Middlesbrough on Tuesday night – live on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports app.
Boro are their nearest challengers. But they have been destabilised by the departure of Rob Edwards. Waiting in the wings at the Riverside Stadium will be new boss Kim Hellberg, who formally takes charge after their clash with Coventry.
Adding a layer of intrigue to proceedings is the fact that Adi Viveash will be in caretaker charge for the final time. Edwards’ former assistant was also at Coventry under Mark Robins – but left before the start of last season under a cloud of acrimony.
Many felt that Viveash was key to Robins’ success, and if he had remained then the pair may both still be there. He was also part of the Coventry setup when they beat Middlesbrough in the play-off semi-finals in 2023. Boro were favourites to go up that year under Michael Carrick, before the Sky Blues got in their way. They may want to return the favour here.
This is, undoubtedly, Coventry’s biggest test of the season so far. Middlesbrough are yet to be beaten at home and have won five of their seven games.
“Coventry, at the moment, are the best team in the Championship, which is why they’re where they are,” Viveash said ahead of Tuesday night’s game.
“They’re scoring a lot of goals and winning a lot of football matches. That’s where it’s at. It’s first vs second at the moment, and when you play the best team in the Championship, it’s always a mouth-watering game.
“It’s at the Riverside, where we’re unbeaten which is always a big thing. It’s a big challenge and certainly we’ll need as good a performance as we’ve produced in three of the home games against quality opposition this season. It will be a difficult challenge for them as well though.”
If not Boro… then could a lack of depth derail Coventry in crucial period?
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Highlights from the Sky Bet Championship game between Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion
Potentially just themselves at this point. Even if they were to lose at Middlesbrough they would remain in an incredibly healthy position.
But one thing that Lampard has flagged as a concern is a lack of depth in his squad. It is perhaps not a coincidence that while three first-choice defenders were missing at Wrexham they were beaten, and striker Wright is now absent for the next couple of games.
“Since the window shut in the summer we knew we lacked backup in some areas,” Lampard told Sky Sports. “We aren’t always in a position to make changes that other teams can make.
“But it is what it is. We will always do the prep and the recovery, and manage training to try and get the best out of the group as a whole. If we have to rotate, we rotate.”
Coventry now have 10 Championship games in just 40 days before they can realistically consider entering the market in January. It is a long time to cope and a few more injuries here and there could really derail things.
“So far we’ve been good but this will be a challenging period,” he added. “But we’ll do our best to manage it all through to Christmas and beyond, and hopefully we can keep up our level of performance.”
The three parts of Coventry’s season so far
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Frank Lampard reflects on his pride at how Coventry City have begun their Championship campaign after a third of the season
Sky Sports’ EFL Editor Simeon Gholam:
“We are just 16 games in but you can already define Coventry’s campaign into three clear parts.
“There was part one where they were held back by draws. Four came in their first six. Then there was part two where they were blowing everyone away. Six wins on the bounce, 19 goals scored and just two conceded.
“And then part three. Since the defeat at Wrexham, scrappy wins, comebacks and finding their way through. Coventry have done it all, and quality, goalscoring prowess and resolve is why they find themselves so far clear.
“The win at West Brom was impressive because they managed it entirely without Haji Wright – their striker with eight goals this season. And mostly without Brandon Thomas-Asante, the Championship’s top scorer with 10 goals already. He didn’t enter the fray until they were already 3-2 up.”
“Even if they win on Tuesday and go 10 clear at the top, Lampard will not get carried away. He told me in an interview last week: ‘My nature has never been to get too high. I always look ahead to the next challenge and try to guard against complacency. I want to stay demanding while keeping things steady.’
“His calm nature will ensure that performance levels do not dip even if there is a setback on Tuesday night.”
