FORMER Coventry City boss Gordon Strachan insists Frank Lampard has created a ‘fearless’ side with the Sky Blues currently top of the Championship table.
Strachan managed the club in the Premier League from 1996 to 2001 and made 33 appearances for the Sky Blues at the end of his playing career.
Current boss Lampard has Coventry supporters dreaming of a return to the top flight with the Sky Blues five points clear at the Championship summit.
And Strachan heaped praise on Lampard’s mentality to bounce back from difficult spells in charge of Chelsea and Everton and turn the Sky Blues into title contenders.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds, Strachan said: “It wasn’t easy when Frank Lampard took the job because that’s how management works – three strikes and you’re out.
“Frank already had a couple of strikes against him, so it was a big decision for him to take on.
“He could have chosen to be a pundit, with no pressure and the freedom to say and do what he wanted.
“But I think that sums up Frank’s entire career, he’s always strived to be the best professional he can be.
“He’s mentally strong and good with people, which is crucial in management.
“When I say he’s good with people, I mean he tells them the truth when necessary.
“I think it’s a story we’re all enjoying because we’re all fans of Frank Lampard, given what he’s done for the game and how he’s conducted himself.
“You can see the same in his Coventry side, they conduct themselves well, they play to score, they’re fearless, and it looks like they’re improving, which is great.”
Coventry claimed a crucial win at promotion rivals Stoke City before the international break, beating former Sky Blues boss Mark Robins in the process.
And Strachan praised Lampard’s side for coming away from the bet365 Stadium with all three points in a top-of-the-table clash.
Strachan added: “That’s a fantastic result [against Stoke]. They’ll be coming away thinking that’s terrific.
“To go there, top of the league, against a team that defends so solidly.
“You’re always worried that coming up against your ex-manager, he might do something to you.
“All these things are in the back of your head. Frank’s then getting judged against Mark Robins, that’s the other story to it.
“But I think everything’s been done, and again, by looking at the way a club’s run, it’s been run really well in the last couple of years,
“Coventry, it’s a fantastic story. As a matter of fact, I get the story of taking a look.
“Three of my family have got season tickets there, so we know all about them. I know how good they are.”
Strachan managed his native Scotland for four years from 2013 to 2017.
However, he believes it is too soon to discuss whether Lampard could manage England in the future.
Strachan said: “That’s too far to look ahead, and it’s unfair to have that conversation.
“I think you should enjoy the moment. I kind of live, and I think it’s best to live your career like that.
“Enjoy the moment, be the best manager you can be, be the best person you can be today, which is Monday, and then just see where you end up.
“It’s a good way because if you start looking ahead, football has a way of saying, ‘No, no, you don’t look that far ahead.’
“The footballing Gods will give you plenty. The other problem is for yourself.
“I’ve known people who want to get to this level of being a manager at a top club, who say, ‘that’s my target,’ and don’t get there and feel like failures.
“So you might as well just go along and see where you end up.”
