A TRIO of EFL pundits admit Coventry City’s survival chances in the Premier League next season will depend on the club’s recruitment.
Sky Sports pundits Curtis Davies, Jay Bothroyd and Jobi McAnuff discussed Coventry’s plans for next season after the club lifted the Championship title.
Davies played under Lampard during his time at Derby County and believes Coventry’s first major summer signing will need to sell the project to other potential new arrivals.
Davies said: “That’s the big decision. You’re going to need players to improve their position in terms of a Premier League profile over a Championship profile.
“But that’s down to what they’re going to spend. Doug King and Frank Lampard are going to have to have those tough conversations.
“We were looking at the starting line-up and came up with about four players who can play in the Premier League now and play well.
“It’s harsh but the others would have to grow into it. Throughout the team, Frank Onyeka is the only one with more than 20 Premier League appearances.
“Frank [Lampard’s] experience himself is going to be the thing that has to galvanise the group but they definitely need to add Premier League talent to it next year.
“It’s going to be key getting that first big signing in to sell the project to the players.”
Former Sky Blues striker Bothroyd scored 14 goals in 72 appearances for the club in the early 2000s.
And Bothroyd stressed the need for Coventry to recruit the right type of player and urged the Sky Blues to avoid big-name signings.
Bothroyd said: “When I was at QPR, the recruitment was so many players and it just didn’t work.
“QPR brought players in who had great careers but they were giving them big money and they came in and had no hunger.
“With Frank Lampard, he’s going to bring in the right players to galvanise the squad.
“You have to bring the right type of players and right type of quality in that can benefit everyone and make the team better.
“They have to go through the spine of the team. They need to bring pace into the defence, more quality in midfield but I think Haji Wright is going to have a big season next year.”
Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff captained Reading to the Championship title in 2011/12 only for the Royals to suffer relegation back to the second tier after one season in the top flight.
And McAnuff feels Coventry must target players with significant Premier League experience if the Sky Blues stand any chance of survival next term.
McAnuff said: “What Coventry City do will depend heavily on that recruitment.
“These are Championship level players but other than Frank Onyeka there’s no regular Premier League experience.
“When you do step up it is a massive gulf, we found that out at Reading and didn’t add enough of those week-in week-out players at that level.
“I don’t think there’s going to be an endless pit of cash, that’s not how Doug King has done it, so those characters and experience is going to be absolutely vital to give them any chance.”
