A famous former Derby County manager is in line for the vacant role at Coventry City, but he has been slammed as a ‘terrible’ coach after a poor record in his previous roles.
It’s fair to say Derby County have been through some tough times in recent years. Long gone are the glory days of their spell in the top flight, but the club has now clawed their way back to the second tier.
So far this season, the Rams have performed fairly well, too. A draw against Plymouth Argyle at the weekend leaves Paul Warne’s side in 12th place in the Championship table.
But, while Derby fans enjoy a period of relative calm under the current regime, a name from the past has emerged as someone they may have to think about a lot more often, with an out-of-work former manager potentially preparing for his next role.
Frank Lampard closes in on Coventry manager job
Coventry City made the controversial decision to part ways with their manager, Mark Robins, in the week. While many have questioned the logic behind that call, attention has now turned to who could replace him.
It now seems Frank Lampard is favourite for the role, but for the folks behind the Second Tier podcast, the former Derby boss has not done enough in his managerial career to deserve an opportunity like this.
Co-host Justin Peach said: “I have zero positives for Frank Lampard as a manager, much to the point that his manager exploits have completely diminished his legendary status as a footballer.
“His Derby job was a poor one, he essentially kick-started the run into administration with some reckless spending. £5million on Jack Marriott, for example, who’s now a League One footballer. They scraped the playoffs that season.”
Lampard, of course, would go on to manage in the Premier League after leaving Derby. But, Peach was heavily critical of the 46-year-old’s time coaching with Chelsea and Everton.
“He went to Chelsea and he got in the Champions League but they should have with the squad they had. The second spell was terrible,” Peach added. “The Everton spell was even worse. If Frank Lampard gets appointed I will lose all faith in Coventry knowing what they’re doing.”
Coventry City could be Frank Lampard’s last chance
If Lampard does bag the Coventry job, you would have to imagine it would be has last real chance to coach at this level.
Funnily enough, Lampard has also been linked with the AS Roma job recently, thanks to his experience with Chelsea and Everton.
| Team | Total games | Matches won | Matches drawn | Matches lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea (caretaker) | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9.1 |
| Everton | 44 | 12 | 8 | 24 | 27.2 |
| Chelsea | 84 | 44 | 15 | 25 | 52.3 |
| Derby County | 57 | 26 | 15 | 16 | 45.6 |
Whether his record with either of those clubs, or indeed Derby, actually makes him a suitable candidate for the Roma or the Coventry job is a different matter.
His time with Everton and that disastrous spell as caretaker manager of Chelsea paint a picture of a manager out of his depth, and you only have to look to Peach’s comments to understand the extend of the damage Lampard left behind at Pride Park.