Coventry City boss Frank Lampard has warned Sheffield United that his side have no fear heading to Bramall Lane tomorrow night. A win for the Blades would see them move above the Whites and onto 83 points, with Daniel Farke’s side not in action until they take on Swansea City at 3 pm on Saturday.
The Sky Blues are one of the in-form teams in the division and beat fellow promotion-chasing side Sunderland 3-0 prior to the international break. When asked what he was anticipating ahead of the clash, Lampard told the Coventry Telegraph: “Well, they’re all different. With Sunderland, part of the test was us being so good on the day. And Sunderland are a very good team.
“This is a different challenge. A team that have been up there all year, a team that looks different to Sunderland. They have a lot of experience and Premier League experience.
“I know Chris (Wilder) well, how he motivates and manages and coaches his teams. It’s very difficult for a number of reasons and we’re away from home. So, it’ll be a different challenge and one we have to take head on and be at our best, considering how tough it will be.
“It’s two in-form teams so it’ll be interesting to see what happens. Something has to give from that point of view, I guess.”
Lampard would go on to namedrop Leeds United, the Blades, and Burnley as the sides his Coventry team has been able to keep up with in the form table since his arrival. He added: “This is the business part of the season, and fortunately we’ve managed to compete with the form of Sheffield United and the Leeds and Burnley since I’ve been in, particularly since the New Year. So that’s a good thing for us.
“But yeah, it’s a challenge because they’ve been doing it all season. So we have to try and show where we’re at at this moment, understand the importance of this period of games we’re going into and be ready for the game.
“We have to be confident in ourselves and have a clear idea of how we want to approach the game. We need to be brave in how we play but we also have to understand the threats that they bring, which we’ve analysed.”
Coventry were one of the sides that were struggling in the second tier prior to Lampard’s arrival, with long-serving manager Mark Robins sacked as a result. Lampard has done a stellar job since arriving at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
“I guess the mindset has changed a little bit,” Lampard added. “Maybe if we played Sheffield United a couple of months previously, the team might have gone there with some trepidation.
“We’ve improved in a lot of senses and that’s the work that the players have put in and that we’ve done together. It doesn’t mean that this game in itself is going to be any different.
“You can go there in trepidation and still get results two months ago. But at this moment, we’ve improved. So it’s important that we hang on to that because you have to believe in yourself. Otherwise, what’s the point?
“So we’ll go there with a belief, but again, an understanding of the quality. You’ve got to respect the fact that they’ve been there all season. They’re top of the league, had a couple of points deducted, and amassed a lot of points. So we respect that but we also understand where we’re at at this point.”
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