“Most managers don’t last long!” - Coventry City owner Doug King defends Frank Lampard decision | OneFootball

The Sky Blues owner Doug King responded to appointing Frank Lampard on a two-and-a-half-year contract this week.

Coventry City owner Doug King has defended his decision to appoint ex-Chelsea legend Frank Lampard on a two-and-a-half-year deal, insisting nothing should be read into the length of his contract at the CBS Arena.

The Sky Blues parted company with Mark Robins after a seven-year second stint in the West Midlands, which involved being a penalty away from the Premier League in last season’s play-off final, while they were edged out from an FA Cup final appearance at Wembley after defeat to Manchester United in the Capital.

The 46-year-old Lampard has some big shoes to fill after the departure of the English Football League’s longest-serving manager, with Robins tasting EFL Trophy success just a month after returning to the club and securing the Sky Blues’ first promotion in more than half a century to League One back in 2018.

Back-to-back promotions were confirmed the following season as Coventry returned to the Championship, with 16th and 12th placed finishes occurring in the second tier before their two heartbreaking trips to Wembley last term.

The first task for Lampard is to address the slump the club currently finds itself in, with the West Midlands outfit currently sitting just two points above the relegation places heading into their home fixture against Cardiff City, but the new Head Coach will find optimism after points were picked up against both promotion-contending Sunderland and Sheffield United under caretaker boss Rhys Carr.

Doug King responds to Frank Lampard contract decision

In Frank Lampard’s first press conference since taking over the hotseat at the CBS Arena, Sky Blues owner King was questioned over the decision to give Lampard a two-and-a-half-year contract.

King stated during a fan’s forum earlier this month following the sacking of Mark Robins of his intention to make another long-term appointment, with Robins and Adi Viveash both given four-year deals at the club when King first took over.

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Two and a half years is a good stint, right? I mean, obviously contracts can be extended at any point can’t they? You start it off and it’s a logical period to come in half a season in and then have a full pre-season to get your teeth into it."

King added: “I wouldn’t read anything into that at all. I negotiated the deal and that’s what we did.”

Frank Lampard contract length seems a wise decision

On reflection, King appears to have made the correct decision by giving Lampard this length of time on his contract.

With sour endings happening at both Everton and in his second caretaker spell at Chelsea, Lampard needs to once again prove his capabilities as a manager by getting the Sky Blues to look up the second tier table rather than over their shoulders.

If Lampard proved to be unsuccessful in his time at the CBS Arena, then a longer contract would only result in an even higher pay out for the 46-year-old, which wouldn’t be in the interests of the club considering the strenuous profit and sustainability rules that are currently set in place by the EFL, as well as the threat of relegation back to League One looming if things go from bad to worse.

With the staggering amounts of money banded about in modern football, two and a half years seems to be a reasonable amount of time for Lampard to get settled into the club, recruit players and find a system which will deliver success on the pitch.