FRANK Lampard expects FA Cup fourth round opponents Ipswich Town to provide his toughest test yet as Sky Blues head coach.
The Sky Blues suffered a home defeat against Leeds United in midweek ahead of hosting Premier League strugglers Ipswich this weekend.
And Lampard hopes to take some pointers from the defeat against Leeds into this weekend’s game against the Tractor Boys who achieved automatic promotion to the top flight last season.
Ipswich sit 19th in the Premier League relegation zone, three points from safety and have won just three league games all season.
Lampard said: “Every detail has to be spot on and we try to do that every game but more so against Premier League teams because you know they have the strength and the weapons to hurt you and be really clinical in a sense.
“They have the physical capacities in the Premier League and sometimes you compare it and go, can we match their physical capacity, because that’s what they do every week, and they are good markers for us as coaching staff to look at.
“We’ve only been here two months or so and it gives a chance to see where we’re at compared to a Premier League team.
“It feels like the strongest team we will have played against when you look at them pound for pound.
“That’s maybe where the Leeds game can provide some valuable pointers for us in terms of that step-up in quality and what it means for us, with and without the ball because we can be better than we were against Leeds on both fronts.”
And Lampard hopes the midweek defeat against Leeds does not knock his side’s confidence as City’s four-game winning run came to an end.
Lampard added: “For me cup runs are always good for confidence.
“You want to manage the squad, and you want to have as many FA Cup games as you can and going deep into the competition and do great things.
“We want to win every game we play, and you approach every game as it comes and I’m not going into it with any other thought other than to win the game and get into the next round.
“Leeds are probably the strongest team we’ve played so there are some things for us to take from that game for sure, you don’t just push it to the side, but it shouldn’t knock us off our stride, we’re on a good run.
“We’ve lost a football match; you don’t go on those runs forever and it’s important we move onto the next one.”
City enjoyed a memorable run to the semi-finals of the competition last season and beat Sheffield Wednesday on penalties to reach the fourth round this term.
Coventry host Ipswich on Saturday, February 8 with kick-off at 3pm at the CBS Arena.
