Coventry City

Frank Lampard says Coventry need to do their talking on the pitch as they "start again" in the Championship title race.

The Sky Blues have seen a 10-point lead at the top wiped out after a run of 15 points from 12 games since the start of December - five of them defeats, including in their past two games at Norwich and QPR.

Middlesbrough are now level on points at the summit with third-placed Hull four points back and Ipswich, in fourth, seven behind with a game in hand.

Speaking ahead of the visit of struggling Oxford to the CBS Arena on Saturday (15:01 GMT), Lampard told BBC CWR: "There's something about this period where the gap's changed, maybe that's a check for everyone.

"In this period where we've had that little difficult moment, we've certainly dropped a bit, other teams are fighting, there's loads of context to that.

"We just have to be focused on our job. We have to get our job right. That's it."

Lampard said he was used to pressure from his playing career and spells as a manager with Derby, Everton and Chelsea twice.

"I've been in this game a long time," he said. "It's my job to stay calm and find the right moment to inject some emotion but also come in with a smile, with enjoyment.

"We can't forget what got us here, which is fantastic spirit and high-quality play.

"We have to focus on ourselves, don't listen to too much noise, don't get too up or too down, if we do that his group has shown they can absolutely compete.

"The lads have done brilliantly to get to this point. We've done it with a smaller squad, did we hit a bit of fatigue, yes.

"We start again, we have a competitive group, we have to work and then we have to do our talking come game day."

Lampard hopes to have deadline-day arrival from Brentford, Frank Onyeka, involved.

"He can bring a mentality and quality to the group which will be helpful. His wife is due to have a baby at any moment. We're managing that situation as it stands. I'm hopeful he will be involved because we've brought him in to be involved," the manager said.

Lampard said Ephron Mason-Clark's foot injury sustained at QPR is "not hugely significant" and should he miss Saturday's game he should return for Middlesbrough the following weekend.

Coventry have seen their 10-point lead at the top of the Championship whittled away over the past two months and the Sky Blues could lose top spot if they fail to beat Oxford United and Middlesbrough win on Monday.

The U's have won only three away league games so far this season but their last victory on the road did come a fortnight ago at Leicester City.

• Coventry are unbeaten in their past four league games against Oxford (W2 D2), with both teams scoring at least twice in all four of those meetings.

• Oxford have lost five of their six away league games against Coventry, with the exception being a 1-0 victory in League One in March 2019.

• Coventry have lost their past two league games, their worst streak since losing three consecutive games in the same campaign in April 2024 (3).

• Oxford have won just three of their past 18 league games (D6 L9), with all three being 2-1 victories against teams relegated from the Premier League last season (Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester).

• Coventry are the only side with three players to score 10+ goals in the Championship this season (Brandon Thomas-Asante, Ellis Simms and Haji Wright). It's the first time the Sky Blues have had 3+ players reach double figures in a second tier campaign since 2005-06 (Gary McSheffrey, Dele Adebola, Stern John).

"That [Onyeka] is a really good signing for us to get. Brentford's loss is our gain."

The transfer window was the main topic of discussion on this week's Sky Blues Fancast but did Coventry City impress with their winter signings?

Fans had their say on deadline day signing Frank Onyeka from Brentford and whether the new additions can help fix the Sky Blues' away day troubles.

Listen to the full episode and more Coventry City content on BBC Sounds.

Rob Gurney
BBC CWR

Image source, Getty Images

On the face of it, Frank Onyeka is exactly what Coventry need right now.

He is not nicknamed 'The Tank' without good reason. Stemming the flow of passes through midfield is what is required, especially away from home, and giving the overworked Matt Grimes some badly needed assistance which, in turn, should ease the pressure on the defenders behind them.

For me, there is still a case for playing three centre-backs away from home, where results have been very hard to come by since November.

Seventeen points dropped from winning positions on their travels - 12 of those in December and January - is clearly far too many for a club with automatic promotion aspirations, more so given the glut of goals they were scoring in October and November (32) has not been replicated in the subsequent two months (13).

The two loan wingers, Romain Esse and Yang Min-Hyeok, have had varying levels of impact so far. Esse has all the technical ability to make himself a top performer at Premier League level, while Yang needs more minutes before a proper appraisal of his talents can be made.

Jahnoah Markelo fits the brief of a young player with potential who can come in and make a favourable impression and, from owner Doug King's perspective, someone who can then generate a profit.

Frank Lampard's man-management and his players' in-game management will undoubtedly be tested in the next three months. After such an impressive start to the season, the object of the exercise now is to have enough confidence and resolve to complete the job they started.

In the words of the 1987 FA Cup Final song - Go For It City! It is certainly the best opportunity they have had in 25 years for automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

Image source, Getty Images

Today is the final chance of the season for your Championship team to do transfer business.

The window closes at 19:00 GMT, meaning teams - and fans - can avoid the usual late-night transfer scramble.

It has already been a busy window - for some teams anyway - but whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our live text coverage throughout the day here

Charlotte Richardson
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The Championship is one rollercoaster of a division. My advice? Buckle up and enjoy the topsy turvy ride.

The Sky Blues squandered their lead, dropping more costly away points and inviting Middlesbrough to join them level at the summit.

QPR are suffering with so many injuries but having been wounded by injury time defeat last Saturday, they displayed grit and resilience. Two great goals and a deserved three points.

The home fans stayed late after the whistle, enjoying the buoyant mood. A week is a long time in football, even longer in the Championship.

Image source, PA Media

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard admits his side are in a "difficult moment" after seeing their lead at the top of the Championship disappear.

The Sky Blues' 2-1 loss at Queens Park Rangers saw them stay top of the table but they are now level on points with second-placed Middlesbrough.

Lampard's side had been 10 points clear when they beat Boro in November, but a run that has seen Coventry fail to win any of their last seven away games has seen that lead evaporate.

"What we must do now is keep positive, look to the next one. We're in a difficult moment, it's clear, a difficult moment and we're top of the league," told BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire.

"We know that gap's gone now, so it's a race from now and we have to pick ourselves up very quickly."

Lampard's side had gone ahead thanks to Josh Eccles' header before goals from Richard Kone and Nicolas Madsen secured a memorable win for the hosts - who had been beaten 7-1 by Coventry earlier this season.

"We didn't deal with the messy parts of the game well enough, second balls a little bit, a few duels and get punished for it," he added.

"It's a great goal, great header from Josh, great ball from Rudy. The feeling was on this pitch against a difficult opponent it was going to be a tough game and there wasn't much in it before that, so it's a great goal to get us in front and you fancy us a little bit.

"But again when there's mess in games and the second balls and balls dropping and we don't deal with them, they end up going in behind us and we're late on some things and then you get punished."

Frank Lampard believes Coventry's high standards in the first half of this season mean they are being judged by unrealistic expectations.

The Sky Blues took 43 points from their opening 18 Championship games and have topped the table since early October, but 15 points from the past 11 matches has seen the chasing pack close the gap at the top from 10 points to just three.

Monday's defeat at Norwich made it seven away games in all competitions without a win, a run dating back to November, but Lampard says his side are being judged by "unsustainable" standards they set in the first four months of the season.

He told BBC CWR: "We have got to be careful to understand where we are at, where we sit in the table is due to our hard work.

"If we'd continued our form from November (until the end of the season) we'd have ended up on 112 points or something - it's not a reality.

"Football games and periods come around that are challenging, they do to every team, whether you are a parachute team or not, like us.

"It's important to have the right perspective. Negativity on and off the pitch can be negative, it's important to be positive, that's where I'm at."

Asked about a "difficult time" for the club, Lampard added: "If you call 'a difficult time' winning against Leicester and Millwall and losing at Norwich, maybe that's down to the standards we have set this season.

"Norwich clearly wasn't our best day but there have been a lot of good days, we just have to get back at it."

Asked about a possible shift in formation at the back or in midfield, Lampard said "it's my job to think about it".

Coventry thumped Saturday's hosts QPR 7-1 at the CBS Arena in August but Lampard insisted: "That bears no relation. We played very well, it was a tough day for them, they reacted very well. They have got results through the season, a very good coach, players, atmosphere. I understand how tough it's going to be.

"Nothing is going to guarantee you winning this league but we have to give the best version of ourselves."

Jack Rudoni is back from a thigh injury while Lampard described 23-year-old winger Jahnoah Markelo as "one for the future" though "if he can help us in the short term that would be great too. We just need to get him match-fit".

Lampard would not be drawn on more incomings before Monday's transfer deadline, though added: "We're aware the market is open, we'll see. If there's something that we felt would help the squad, that could happen, if not, we have got our squad, on we go."

Image source, Opta

Table-topping Coventry and QPR will both be seeking a spark as the Sky Blues head to West London on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Monday's defeat at Norwich made it seven games without a win on the road in all competitions for Frank Lampard's side, four of them defeats, though they remain three points ahead of second-placed Middlesbrough, with Ipswich a further five back.

The R's are 12th, four points adrift of the play-off places going into the weekend programme, but have won just one of their seven games since Christmas, against rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday, and have lost two of their past three at home after a four-match winning streak.

• QPR were beaten by a six-goal margin in this season's reverse fixture against Coventry (1-7 in August 2025), which remains their joint-heaviest defeat in a Championship match (since 2004-05).

• Coventry have already scored seven goals against QPR this season; the last time they scored 10+ across home/away games against an opponent in a single league campaign was in 1963/64, also against QPR (10).

• QPR have only won one of their past seven games in the Championship (D3 L3). Since Boxing Day, only Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday (both 0) have fewer league wins in the second tier.

• Coventry have lost three of their past six league games (W2 D1), more defeats than they suffered across their first 23 matches in the Championship this season (W15 D6 L2).

• Based on xG on target faced (excl. own goals), Coventry's Carl Rushworth has prevented more goals than any other goalkeeper in the Championship this season (+6.6 – 32 conceded from 38.6 xG on target).

Image source, Shutterstock

We asked you what you felt Coventry needed to improve after their poor away run has taken a big chunk out their once mammoth lead at the top of the Championship table.

The Sky Blues have have failed to win their last seven matches on the road, in all competitions, and are being reeled in by Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town.

Here are some of your responses...

Julian: Sometimes, I think we suffer from being too predictable in attack with our high line and we're being caught out.

The defeat at Norwich was down to two obvious mistakes and bad game management.

Ephron Mason-Clark and Haji Wright should've stayed on as they were very obviously going to score eventually. We should've stuck another defender on and ground out a 1-0 or even a draw like we did at Southampton.

I think we are going to achieve promotion but obviously not in an easy fashion! Typical City!

Steven: The team is starting to feel the pressure now of the gap closing. They need to focus on playing and stop looking at the table.

One game at a time, it's still the same team that took QPR apart 7-1 at the beginning of the season, they just need to find that type of form, mentality and feeling again.

PUSB, you can do this.

James: Our entire system relying on Matt Grimes being on form has been a ticking time-bomb for a while now. Feels like groundhog day as it used to be the fitness of Ben Sheaf that would make or break our seasons.

Does anyone at the club know you are allowed two holding midfielders on the books? Hopefully the Frank Onyeka rumours are true and they'll shut me up.

Gary: I don't think we've played awfully, but it feels like a long time since we were keeping clean sheets, which means you need to score at least twice to win.

It also feels like teams have figured us out. Our midfield seem to be getting overrun, and we seem to be struggling to isolate our wingers against opposition wing backs.

Right now it feels like when things aren't going to plan, we don't have a tactical back-up.

Andrew: We are too vulnerable in transition to the counter-attack. As our full-backs are pushed forward, our central midfield players are seeking space in the wide areas, we are vulnerable to the other team breaking at pace right down the middle in transition.

We also lack pace in central midfield to make recovery runs.

We need to change tactics away from home. The two holding midfield players need to stay central at all times, our full-backs not pushing forward all the time but being more selective and using the counter attack at pace more ourselves.

Rather than gaining possession in transition and slowing the ball down, giving the home team time to get back into their defensive shape, we need to break at pace in the wide areas or get the attacking midfield player to make a third man run in advance of the centre forward.

Simon: Defensively weak, particularly in the centre, but across the back four there are palpable nerves. Sloppiness cost us the three points at Carrow Road, but Norwich were just more hungry than Coventry.

They seemed to win every loose ball, driving forward at every opportunity. Our midfield was too cautious, possibly missing Jack Rudoni, but they looked like a side on the ropes for much of the second half.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Coventry City are making progress in their talks to sign Brentford defensive midfielder Frank Onyeka before Monday's transfer deadline.

The 28‑year‑old is also attracting interest from Sheffield United and is expected to decide his future within the next 24 hours.

Brentford have made the Nigeria international available for transfer after he became frustrated by a lack of first‑team opportunities under Keith Andrews, having experienced similar frustration during Thomas Frank's tenure.

Frank Lampard's Coventry sit three points clear at the top of the Championship but have just two wins in their last six league games and have not kept a clean sheet since 26 December.

Sheffield United are 17th but remain not entirely out of contention for the play‑offs in a congested table, nine points off the top six.

While things might be feeling nervy around Coventry City this week, their blip might have come at a perfect time, says EFL pundit Darrell Clarke.

In the latest edition of the BBC's 72+ EFL podcast former Bristol Rovers boss Clarke backed Frank Lampard to keep confidence high in the Sky Blues ranks despite a run of just four wins in 12 games in all competitions since the start of December.

Coventry's lead at the top of the Championship has been slashed from 10 points to just three in that spell and their 2-1 defeat at Norwich on Monday made it seven away games without a win in all competitions.

Clarke said: "I think it's getting a bit nervy, I think they need that reset.

"Sometimes it's not bad to have a blip, all teams do, Coventry are having one now but it might just be the right time to have that because you want to be really strong in those last 15 or 16 games.

"Frank has experience, he's been there, won everything. He'll be resetting the group. They have got a fantastic team there. I am sure they'll kick on.

"You're always going to have a little dip, you just have to keep that confidence high."

Another away defeat for Coventry City, this time against Norwich City, means they have not won any of their past seven matches on the road (D3 L4) across all competitions.

It has contributed to their once sizable lead at the top of the Championship table turning into a vulnerable three-point advantage.

How concerned are you Sky Blues fans? Why are they seemingly a different team at the CBS Arena compared to when on their travels?

What would be your advice to boss Frank Lampard right now and does the answer lie in his tactical approach or transfer market?

Let us know your thoughts here and check back later to see a selection of your responses.

Full-back Jay Dasilva says Coventry City are still confident they can win promotion but admits the Sky Blues "weren't at our best" in Tuesday's defeat by Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Despite taking the lead through Romain Esse, the Sky Blues faltered after half-time, conceding twice in the second half as Ali Ahmed's winner extended Coventry's troubles on the road to six games without a win.

"Very disappointing," Dasilva told BBC CWR. "We knew we weren't at our best. You're not going to play great every game but it should've clicked when we went that goal ahead.

"When you concede so early [after half-time] it's never great and we just never got going. It just felt a bit flat."

The defeat cut Coventry's lead at the top of the Championship to just three points as they prepare for another away trip - to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday [15:00 GMT].

Despite seeing their cushion at the top shrink, Coventry still have an eight-point gap to Ipswich Town in third place - although the Tractor Boys have a game in hand.

And Dasilva is staying positive over their chances of going up.

"For sure, everyone still believes," he said. "We're still confident. We're top of the league. We focus on ourselves and get back to all the good things we've been doing.

"It's a reminder nothing comes easy. Every game's so hard and we have to fight for it. It's down to us to make it right in the next game."

Birmingham City have joined Coventry and Sheffield United in the race to sign Brentford and Nigeria midfielder Frank Onyeka, with the Bees seeking around £8m for the 28-year-old. (Birmingham World), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard said his side were not good enough in either box as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Norwich.

The Sky Blues' lead at the top of the Championship is now just three points as they they have failed to win their last seven away games, in all competitions.

Coventry led 1-0 at half-time after Romain Esse's angled finish but never fully got on top of the hosts who won through goals from Anis Ben Slimane and Ali Ahmed.

Ephron Mason-Clark hit the crossbar for the visitors and Lampard felt it was a game that got away from them, mainly through their own doing.

"We gifted them their goals. If you do that in the Championship you lose games. If you defend sloppily and make mistakes, teams score against you," Lampard told BBC Radio CWR.

"We created enough chances to score more goals but didn't. Defensive errors are a problem, something we've been good at this season.

"It was a great finish, good goal, and we went in at half time 1-0, so that's positive, but we came out [in the second half] and gave them some momentum.

"Some games aren't easy to control in the Championship. We had more possession than them, and created enough chances, but games are always won in both boxes.

"It's not easy to come here on a Monday night against a team in good form and try to control every aspect of the game."