Lampard has taken charge of Championship side Coventry on a two-and-a-half year contract after his long-serving predecessor Mark Robins was surprisingly sacked on November 7. The 46-year-old, who was hired by the Sky Blues on Thursday, is back in management for the first time since his second spell as Chelsea boss ended in May 2023. Lampard is hoping to rehabilitate his managerial reputation after his first stint with Chelsea concluded with the sack in January 2021.

The former Chelsea midfielder - the club's record scorer - returned to the Premier League a year later as Everton manager. He saved Everton from relegation in 2022, but was axed after less than 12 months in charge following a troubled run the following season. Lampard then returned to Chelsea as interim boss but won only once in 11 games and was allowed to leave at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Back in the Championship after starting his managerial career with a season in charge of Derby in 2018-19, Lampard watched as Coventry made a nightmare start when Yakou Meite headed a fourth-minute opener for Cardiff. Both teams were looking to end a run of four games without a win and Ephron Mason-Clark hit a quick equaliser for Coventry. Alex Robertson's superb strike just after the break looked set to seal the three points for Cardiff until Torp converted from the spot in the 89th minute. Coventry edged three points clear of the relegation zone, with Cardiff remaining only one point further back.

"There are some basics in football that have to be there, particularly in this Championship and the nature of it, which is first balls, second balls, fight, sprints and reactions," Lampard said. "I think being tougher is something as a group we can be. In terms of our performance at the minute it's slightly off, I felt today, so there's lots to take on and work on. But I don't want to be bordering on the side of negative because I'm pleased that we've got our point. I know what this league's like."

Lampard's ex-England team-mate Wayne Rooney is under mounting press at Plymouth after their poor run hit a new low with a 4-0 defeat at Bristol City. Leeds squandered the chance to return to the top of the table as they crashed to a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn. Todd Cantwell's 22nd-minute penalty proved enough to seal Blackburn's third successive win as a determined defensive effort frustrated Daniel Farke's visitors.

Burnley moved above Leeds into second place as the Clarets beat Stoke 2-0 at the Bet365 Stadium to make it four wins in a row thanks to Jay Rodriguez's opener and a 78th-minute penalty from Josh Brownhill. Managerless Hull are stuck in the relegation zone after their first game since sacking Tim Walter in midweek ended in a 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough. Late goals from Emiliano Marcondes and Borja Sainz saw Norwich build on their midweek thrashing of Plymouth with a 4-2 win over Luton at Carrow Road.

November 30, 2024

E. Mason-Clark

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