ANDY Townsend insists Frank Lampard will want to end the season as a champion with Coventry City.
The former Aston Villa and Chelsea midfielder turned commentator believes the Sky Blues would be worthy champions of the Championship this season should they achieve promotion.
And Townsend feels Lampard will want to come up as champions rather than simply achieving automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Speaking to Andy’s Bet Club, Townsend said: “Frank, winning the Championship is bloody difficult because it’s a slog. It’s a long slog. It’s Saturday, Tuesday, Sunday, Wednesday, every week the games are coming at you.
“At one point that massive lead dwindled away, and I think everybody started to fear for them. He didn’t panic, they didn’t panic, they beat Middlesbrough in that really tight game.
“They beat Middlesbrough, and that gave them a little kick up the backside that they needed at that point to get going again. And since then, they’ve now built up a lead.
“They were wobbling a bit, and they’ve now got to find a little bit more between now and the end of the season, but they’ll probably come up as champions now, and deservedly so.
“I think it’s very important for younger managers, and even though Frank is not a ‘baby’ in management terms, I still think it’s important for people like him to get over the line.
“He will want to finish as a champion now. His first thought would be, ‘Yeah, I want to make sure we get up,’ but I’m sure secretly, Frank, with his pedigree, would want to finish on the top spot because they’ve been there pretty much all season.”
Lampard previously took Derby County to the Championship play-off final and impressed in his first spell at Chelsea with the club under a transfer ban.
And Townsend believes Lampard’s time with the Sky Blues has helped him to mature as a manager.
Townsend added: “Will this be Frank Lampard’s best achievement in management? Getting Chelsea in the top four at that time was difficult, there was an embargo on the club as well.
“So, he had to introduce younger players, the Mason Mounts of this world, and they all gradually started to come through, and Frank did that very well.
“He had a play-off final with Derby, so he’s been there or thereabouts. But I think he’s no doubt maturing as a manager.”
