FOOTBALL – Former Coventry City player Colin Hendry believes Frank Lampard must manage the club’s expectations next season
FORMER Coventry City defender Colin Hendry believes Frank Lampard needs to manage the club’s expectations next season.
Hendry made 11 appearances for the Sky Blues in the Premier League across the 1999/00 and 2000/01 campaigns.
The former Scotland international believes Lampard has raised expectations at the club after guiding Coventry to the Championship play-off semi-finals last season.
And Hendry expects the Sky Blues to push for promotion again next term but admits managing expectations at the club could prove a challenge for Lampard.
Speaking to Coin Poker, Hendry said: “The problem that Frank has is that the expectations at Coventry are high now.
“The fans want to see the club take the next step, because Mark Robins before him, he didn’t really put a foot wrong in my opinion.
“Coventry are a team that consistently gets into those play-offs, now it’s about taking the next step.
“It’s not easy to keep competing, and sometimes, those expectations can kill a manager. It’s not going to be easy for Frank next season.
“But listen, Frank’s done a great job there. He’s done a phenomenal job. He really did.
“And the irony of when Sunderland scored the last goal, because I thought Coventry were better than them over the piece, it’s heartbreaking.
“That’s football though and Sunderland go and get promoted. The lines are so fine in terms of winning and losing at the top end of the Championship.
“I’m expecting another promotion push from Coventry. If they can start the season well, get some momentum behind them, who knows where that could take them.”
Hendry achieved promotion to the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers in the 2001/01 season after initially joining the club on loan from Coventry.
And the 59-year-old, a Premier League winner with Blackburn Rovers in 1994/95, believes the Championship is the most difficult league in the world.
Hendry added: “Honestly, in that league, anything can happen. It really, really can.
“I obviously followed Blackburn Rovers in the Championship throughout the season, and they were there and thereabouts and looked like the play-offs were in reach, but then they slipped.
“They also changed managers like Coventry, but unfortunately, they couldn’t get into that top-six.
“The Championship is the most difficult league in the world. There are so many massive teams competing in it, trying to fight their way out, and that is exactly what it’s like in that league.
“A fight. 46 gruelling games. You play, you rest, you prepare. The coaching side really gets taken during the preseason, it’s so difficult to change things.”
About The Author
