Frank Lampard told it'd be a 'disaster' if Coventry don't earn automatic Premier League promotion as Sky Blues favourite praises 'big, big decision' to appoint Chelsea legend

Coventry were mainstays in the Premier League from the division’s inception in 1992 through to the end of the 2000-01 campaign. A tumble into the second tier was taken at that point, with the Sky Blues eventually bottoming out when hitting League Two in 2017.

Two promotions across a three-season spell got Coventry back to within touching distance of the big time, with two play-off berths being secured since then. Lampard is now the man charged with the task of delivering on lofty expectations.

He had Coventry 10 points clear at one stage, as his coaching stock continued to soar, only to see that lead trimmed to two as nerves began to jangle. The Sky Blues have moved through the gears again to pull eight points clear of third place, with a title bid very much back in collective thoughts.

McAllister, who made well over 100 appearances for Coventry before heading to Liverpool in 2000, hopes that his former club can get over the promotion-winning line. Speaking in association with Grosvenor Casino, the Scot told GOAL when asked to deliver his assessment of the club’s class of 2025-26 and ex-Chelsea boss Lampard: “They're a very proud club, Coventry. I had a fantastic four years. I really enjoyed my time at Coventry. It was such a proud record of staying in the top division for all those years. When I left, just watching it was pretty heartbreaking. Watching them lose their ground and all this stuff and having to go and play at other grounds. They ended up playing at Northampton, they played at Birmingham. 

“To see it so close to getting back, they've got a nice little gap there. Obviously, they had a massive gap and then they started stumbling a wee bit. I've not seen them live for a bit, watched a couple of games on the TV and they've got some good players. I think they're now looking like automatic, barring disaster. I think it becomes a wee bit interesting. Middlesbrough are a good side. Boro are one of the best teams in the division, just visually watching them. They play some really good football but they're getting hunted down by Ipswich, Millwall, Hull. Obviously Wrexham, their momentum is unbelievable. The fact that they play a million games in that league as well, there's still 10 or 11 games to go. For me, seeing Coventry back up in the top division would be fantastic. 

“I thought it was a big, brave decision with Frank. Mark Robins did an amazing job at the club. Wherever he goes, he does a good job. He's obviously a very, very good manager in all sorts of difficult situations. The chairman, [Doug] King, made a big, big decision to bring Frank in and I just hope they reap the rewards. They're sitting in a great position. They’d love to win the league but they just need to go up automatically because they don't want to be in the play-offs.”

With Lampard rebuilding his managerial reputation on the back of testing stints at Chelsea and Everton, one of the biggest challenges facing Coventry could be retaining the 47-year-old’s services.

Former Sky Blues striker Clinton Morrison told GOAL recently when asked if the ex-England international is destined to fill another big job in the not too distant future: “Maybe. First and foremost I think he would love to get Coventry City promoted. I think they have got a good chance, and then try to stay in the Premier League and do well at Coventry. I don’t think that is something for now with Frank Lampard. Maybe three or four years down the line, maybe he wants to go and get one of the big jobs. At the moment, Coventry City are very good for Frank Lampard.

“I don’t think Frank is the kind of person that will jump ship because Coventry gave him a good opportunity. If he gets them promoted and in the Premier League, I think he will stick with the club and do well there. I think he is a fantastic manager with really good ideas. The sky is the limit for him.”

Coventry have 11 games left on their schedule this season. They will want to wrap up automatic qualification as quickly as possible, with their next step towards hitting that target set to be taken when making a trip to Bristol City on Saturday.