What are Frank Lampard's tactics and style of play? Incoming Coventry manager's predicted line-up and stats

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Frank Lampard is in advanced talks to return to the dugout and become the next Coventry City boss, talkSPORT understands.

Lampard has not been in a job since his interim stint at Chelsea in 2023, where he won just one game in 11.

Since then, the former England international has been linked with several jobs including Canada, Rangers and Burnley.

Lampard revealed to talkSPORT in June that he turned down offers after leaving Chelsea for the second time but is now ready to return.

The 46-year-old is following the advice of his uncle and legendary Premier League boss Harry Redknapp in stepping down the English football pyramid to revive his managerial career.

talkSPORT understands Lampard is the front-runner to take the reins at Coventry after the Sky Blues sacked long-serving boss Mark Robins.

The role would be Lampard’s fifth as a manager, having started out at Derby County in 2018, and his second in the Championship.

Of those, it was his second spell in charge of Chelsea that tested his managerial credentials most so, here’s what Coventry can expect…

Lampard: A History

The three-time Premier League champion and Champions League winner first managed Derby in the 2018/19 season.

Lampard utilised his Chelsea contacts to sign former Blues academy pair Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori on loan.

Harry Wilson – now of Fulham – similarly arrived for the season from Liverpool to compensate for the losses of Matej Vydra to Burnley and Andreas Weimann to Bristol City.

The following winter, Lampard reunited with old teammate Ashley Cole at Pride Park to aid what had become a push for promotion in his final months before hanging up his boots.

Derby finished sixth in the Championship before reaching the playoff final at Wembley following a dramatic comeback victory over Leeds.

However, Lampard’s first experience of the national stadium as a manager ended in a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

Chelsea came calling that summer for him to replace Maurizio Sarri, after a record of 24 wins in 57 matches.

He took over the Blues with a transfer ban and the loss of Eden Hazard overshadowed his pre-season at Stamford Bridge.

Lampard enhanced his reputation by overseeing a fourth-place finish and an FA Cup final with a focus on developing the club’s youngsters.

Chelsea spent more than £200million on new recruits but a run of five defeats in eight games had them ninth and saw him dismissed.

The former midfielder spent 18 months at Stamford Bridge before Thomas Tuchel was tasked to replace him in January 2021 – ultimately winning the Champions League at the end of the season.

Lampard returned nearly a year later at Everton in January 2022 and succeeded in confirming their survival on the penultimate day.

He was axed 12 months into his reign with a win percentage of 27.91, having lost 24 matches of his 44 games in charge.

His last spell came as the ill-fated run as Chelsea caretaker boss at the end of the 2022/23 campaign following Graham Potter‘s sacking.

Style of play and tactics

Lampard was a 'goalscoring midfielder' which is why it’s not so surprising his early managerial years were defined by attacking play.

Speaking about his footballing philosophy at Derby, Lampard told Goal in 2019: "In terms of style of play, I want to play good football. We want to try to play. We have been one of the teams in the Championship this season who try to play.

"We try to move the ball through the pitch, rather than being too direct, that's not my style. It is not the way I want to play.

"I want my team to play good football, but on the other side of that, I want them to be really aggressive and win the ball back. So I don't like to try and put myself into one style of play. I think it is important to be adaptable in terms of systems."

As Lampard said, he was flexible in terms of his favoured formation – opting to switch between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 at Derby and Chelsea.

His sides looked to dominate possession, press high and utilise width with overlapping full-backs ahead of inverted wide midfielders.

Chelsea averaged a Premier League season high of 2.84 crosses per 90 minutes during Lampard’s first season in charge.

Bournemouth were the only club in the division to make more interceptions per game such was the work demanded off-the-ball.

Lampard’s focus on quick build-up play meant Chelsea’s overall passes in 2019/20 (20,664) and touches (291,710) were both down on Sarri’s.

The downside to this free-flowing and less patient set-up meant a lack of defensive stability has been a critic of his tactical acumen.

Chelsea were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester United in his first game in charge, and Lampard has experimented with three/five at the back.

The latter was more commonly seen during his tenure at Everton, such was the predicament of the club at the other end of the table.

Lampard’s 5-4-1 saw him content with the Toffees being compact in shape rather than aggressively pressing.

His new counter-attacking philosophy proved uninspiring to fans but effective as Everton won three of their final six games to stay up.

Lampard’s second season at Goodison Park saw him try to be more forward-thinking and revert to his old 4-3-3 formation.

But a lack of quality in possession coupled with the reduced defensive security led to Everton being ruthlessly exposed.

It is a balancing act his Merseyside successor Sean Dyche has faced, with criticism of his style despite an overall better win ratio.

Not much tactical insight can be gained from Lampard’s return to Chelsea – with the chaotic start to the Todd Boehly era, the major summer clearout readying itself at the club, and his own weakened stance as an interim resulting in an abysmal run of form.

How might this work for Coventry?

Coventry sits 17th in the Championship with 16 points from 15 games, but owner Doug King still has playoff aspirations for this season.

Former EFL boss Neil Warnock joined the fans criticising the decision to sack Robins by labelling it as ‘silly’.

The club made the change due to their unhappiness at 'the performance of the team over an extended period'.

All these signs point towards Lampard scrapping the 3-5-1-1 used in the 2-0 defeat to Burnley for his preferred systems.

Those formations flourished best in his first Chelsea season, which had Jorginho and N’Golo Kante shielding the defence.

Coventry‘s Ben Sheaf – a graduate of Arsenal’s famed Hale End – is well suited to the demands needed for one of those roles.

Milan van Ewijk is also primed to continue his standout form at wing-back, with Lampard allowing him the license to get forward.

Jack Rudoni has managed just two goals in 17 championship matches this term, but only needs to look to Mount who has previously revealed how Lampard worked on his arrival into the penalty area.

Summer signing Oliver Dovin will fancy his chances at reclaiming the No.1 spot in goal with his ability to distribute the ball.

Lampard will also reunite with former Everton man Ellis Simms, whom he recalled from Sunderland after seven goals in 17 games.