Frank Lampard has urged his Coventry players to impose themselves on the Premier League, calling on his side to ensure they have no regrets after Friday’s curtain-raiser against Arsenal.
Coventry play their first top-flight game in 25 years at the home of the champions, four months after celebrating the Championship title. Lampard, who last managed in the Premier League with Chelsea three years ago, acknowledges there is a step up in class to navigate, but wants his players to embrace the challenge in front of them.
“The last thing I would like to have after a game against Arsenal – or any team like this – is a regret of our approach and that we didn’t give it everything,” said Coventry’s manager, who signed a new three-year contract at the end of June. “If we can do that as a team, then we will compete in this league and show teams what we are. If we don’t do that, we’ll be disappointed. I’ll remind the players of that [before the game].
“I want to show in our performance and in how we approach the game that we haven’t come into it with any kind of fear. I, and we, respect Arsenal greatly, but it doesn’t mean you play with too much respect and you’re passive. I want us to go there with the right mentality and approach the game in the right way.”
Coventry have spent about £130m on furnishing their squad this summer and have deliberately targeted players of a profile they believe can handle the league. Six of their eight signings are at least 6ft, including the £26m club-record signing Caleb Yirenkyi and the 6ft 6in Switzerland centre-back Aurèle Amenda. Coventry’s latest arrival, the 19-year-old striker Sidiki Cherif, joined from Fenerbahce on Wednesday and they are thought to be targeting a left-back before the close of the window.
“Physicality is a big part of what you need to compete in this league,” Lampard said. “There is a difference between the Premier League and the Championship in those terms, especially [to be] the type of team we feel we may have to be.
“You have to be able to compete at a physical level to be successful in this league and have the pure capacity to do so, whether that is in terms of running, physicality, size. The nature of set pieces is something we have taken very seriously in our recruitment.
“I’ve played at a high level, in teams that were really, really physically strong. I’d look left and look right and see 6ft 2in and 6ft 2in [teammates] – and high quality ones, which is helpful and always will be.”
Lampard believes he has learned lessons since he was last in the Premier League, while in temporary charge at Stamford Bridge. “I try to get my work-life balance to be as good as it can be,” the 48-year-old said. “We can all pretend we are robots, but in the modern day it is hard to be that robot and not see or hear anything.
“Having been through the challenges, for good and for bad in my managerial career, I think it puts me in a better spot: don’t get too high, don’t get too low, continue to focus on your job. I’m better at that now than I was previously.”
