Coventry City

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard spoke to BBC CWR after his side's 2-0 home defeat by Ipswich.

"It's disappointing but sometimes you just have to say we weren't quite at our usual best and the opposition are a really strong team and we lost the game," he said.

"I think we can pat ourselves on the back as a whole group because of where we've managed to get to - if you'd asked people at the start of the season where'd you want to be at new year and then see where we are, you'd go 'wow'.

"The important thing now is the reaction behind the scenes, it's our job to analyse it pretty quickly because the next game comes in a few days and I'll be asking a lot of the players to go again.

"We had 20 minutes in the second half when we looked a bit more like ourselves but otherwise they played well so I'm not going to cry about a deflection (which put Ipswich in front), sometimes that happens."

Image source, Getty Images

Luke Woolfenden hopes his patience will pay off with an extended run in the Coventry side after finally breaking into the starting line-up.

The defender, who arrived from Ipswich at the start of September, has had to wait for his opportunity with the Championship leaders but will start his third successive game against his former club on Monday [18:00 GMT].

"The timing of it has probably not helped me a bit," the 28-year-old told BBC CWR.

"Coming on deadline day, with the boys already flying, there's no reason to change the team. I knew that coming here. So it's just about being patient and biding my time.

"It has been difficult coming off the bench, getting minutes here and there and not really knowing when you are going to start. But I've really enjoyed being here, so it hasn't been an issue for me.

"The boys are winning [so] they're not going to change the team. Now that I'm in the team, we'll see what happens."

Woolfenden's first home start came in the Boxing-Day victory over Swansea, which gave him a proper taste of the CBS Arena atmosphere.

"It's different playing to being on the bench." he said.

"It gives you goosebumps at the start when they sing that song. My little girl has been singing it over Christmas.

"I was giving her a bath the other day and she came out with 'We'll Live And Die in These Towns'

"The fans are unbelievable and they do get right behind you."

Image source, PA Media

BBC CWR's documentary 'The CBS Story: In Our Coventry Home', featuring exclusive interviews with owner Doug King and Joe Elliott, had a big response over the Christmas period.

Here are a selection of views from listeners:

Darren Curley: A fantastic piece and a must listen. Thank you

Mike Seaton: Brilliant piece, thanks to all involved. Brought back lots of memories, even if lots weren't neccesarily good ones! We've all lived through it, easy to forget just how much! Thank you all for bringing it to life 🩵

Richard Iggulden: Excellent! A really good listen.

Mick: Just listened👏👏👏 somebody peeling onions x

Mark Smith: Excellent documentary by @BBCCWRSport @thelornashow @TheSimonGilbert on the fall and rise of my beloved @Coventry_City over the years. I hope 2026 will be a celebration year to get us back to the promise land #PUSB

James Tallis: It's quite a trip through 30 years of mismanagement in the new documentary from @thelornashow. The stadium saga that rattled on from my childhood to parenthood finally ended this year. Boy what a journey it's been… 😅

NiiLampty: Thought the documentary about the CBS was really well put together. Worth seeking out if you didn't catch it.

Kevin Unitt: This was superb by @thelornashow. The stadium was biggest signing, bigger than promotion, bigger than anything #PUSB.

As the Championship-leading Sky Blues close out 2025 at their CBS Arena home against fellow promotion chasers Ipswich Town on Monday [18:00 GMT], you can listen to the documentary by clicking the arrow on the link below.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard was pleased with the Sky Blues' defensive strength as his side edged past Swansea City 1-0 on Boxing Day.

Goals have dried up for City in December. They have found the net four times in their past five games after hitting a half-century of Championship goals in their first 18 matches.

"Over the course of the season, there are so many games you play. We had a hot patch earlier in the season where everything you hit goes in," he said.

"Today we had a couple of chances first half that didn't go in, Ephron (Mason-Clark) gets a great goal.

"We have chances in the second half to make it feel more secure and it doesn't quite drop for us, so try to keep clean sheets, try to do other parts of our game.

"We weren't as good today off the ball as we normally are.

"First half was more passive, less urgent, and that had to be said at half-time because they (Swansea) can play and we gave them the feeling that they can play, look up and find passes through us.

"We addressed that. They are a good team, they gave us a tough game and I am really pleased with the result."

Image source, PA Media

"So, what's on the top of your Christmas list?" BBC CWR's Lorna Bailey asks Coventry City chairman and owner Doug King, who had completed the purchase of the CBS Stadium in the summer.

"I don't think I have Christmas list," he replies. "How about nine points in the next three games."

On August 23rd 2025, King finally secured ownership of the Sky Blues' home ground, 20 years after they left Highfield Road, safeguarding the club "not only [for] the present but for future generations".

You can hear more in 'The CBS Story: In Our Coventry Home' - a documentary featuring exclusive interviews with Doug King, former chairman Joe Elliott and reporter Simon Gilbert, hosted by Lorna Bailey.

Listen on BBC CWR on Boxing Day at 6pm and on BBC Sounds

Coventry City have brought in measures to try to prevent a flu bug spreading any further into their squad, says head coach Frank Lampard.

Defenders Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching and midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto all missed Saturday's 1-1 draw at Southampton through illness while defender Milan Van Ewijk (against Preston) and Victor Torp (against Ipswich) also missed previous matches.

"Since pre-Southampton where this all started to occur we've brought in measures," Lampard told BBC CWR.

"We all lived through the Covid era so we're more familiar (with isolating). We're separating players as much as we can and also staff who maybe don't have to be in the building as much haven't been around."

The Sky Blues are six points clear at the top of the Championship as they prepare to meet Swansea on Boxing Day (15:00 GMT) and Lampard is keen they are not hit by further absences.

"Dinner times and meetings, we've taken it all into account completely so we've tried to take as many steps as we can without affecting anything we do training wise.

"We're working through it. We're hopefully going to have some players fitter and fresher and in better condition than we did at the weekend. Obviously the players performed brilliantly considering the situation at the time."

Coventry take a six-point lead at the top of the table into this meeting and also have the best home record in the division having taken 26 points from their 10 games at The CBS Arena.

Swansea head to the Midlands having lost their past four away matches.

• Coventry are winless in their past nine home league games against Swansea (D5 L4) since a 3-1 victory in the top-flight in October 1981.

• Swansea lost 2-0 against Coventry in their last league meeting in February, ending an 18-game unbeaten run against the Sky Blues (W8 D10).

• Coventry are unbeaten in their past eight home league games played on Boxing Day (W7 D1), since a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in 2007.

• Swansea have won just one of their past eight away league games played on Boxing Day (D2 L5), losing 5-0 at Southampton in their most recent on the road in 2023.

• Coventry have won their past seven home league matches and have not had a longer home winning run since between October 1959 and February 1960 (9 in a row).

Coventry City defender Joel Latibeaudiere says the "togetherness" of the squad is their driving force as they head into Christmas top of the Championship.

The leaders held on for a vital point with 10 men in a 1-1 draw at Southampton on Saturday after Jay Dasilva was sent off two minutes into the start of the second half.

Frank Lampard's side are now six points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough, and 11 points ahead of third-placed Ipswich Town.

"The biggest takeaway for me was how the team stuck together, how we grinded it out, and that feeling of togetherness to take into the next game. I think that's why we are where we are," Latibeaudiere told BBC CWR.

"A lot of us have been together for three years now. We've been knocking on the door a long time. The gaffer has come in and hit the ground running.

"He's also added a couple of top quality additions who've fitted in straight away. I think we are where are because of the group and how hard we run, how hard we work for each other.

"He reminds of that every day in training, and as long as we keep sticking together like we are, the sky's the limit."

Latibeaudiere was making his first appearance of the season at St Mary's after sustaining bone-bruising while on international duty with Jamaica at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June.

"I got it at a really bad time, and missed most of pre-season," he added. "It took a while, and I'm back ready now, feeling fresh. The boys have been class, and I'm just glad to be part of it now."

Flu in the Coventry camp at the weekend meant Latibeaudiere played alongside Luke Woolfenden for the first time, with the latter having arrived from Ipswich in the summer.

"We've actually become really close because we've not been playing," he said. "That is really tough for players because that's all we want to do.

"We've had those days where you come and its like, 'I'm doing this again', so getting each other through that and doing extra sessions after training really paid off, and I thought we were really good together.

"Its been tough mentally, but there have been a few players in the same boat and we've just stuck together and got ourselves through those tough moments, and we were always ready.

"When the time came I knew I was ready, I was prepared, and I just loved being out there."

Image source, PA Media

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard says he is "delighted" with his players after they held on for a 1-1 draw with 10 men at Southampton.

He told BBC CWR: "At half-time, I wouldn't have said that [it was a good point] because we were fantastic in the first half.

"Considering the game prep we've had with people falling ill in the last couple of days and some players have played slightly below par as well but you wouldn't have noticed that.

"Then the context of the red card, the decisions in the first half, but our spirit, our effort, our desire to try to hang on to what we had at the end of the game was very special.

"I'm delighted with the performance, I'm delighted with the point considering we had 10 men in the second half."

Coventry go into Saturday's game (12.30 GMT) having beaten Bristol City last weekend after a two-game winless run.

Only the Sky Blues (19) have taken more than Southampton's 18 points over the past eight Championship matches, although the Saints did suffer a 2-1 defeat by Norwich last Saturday.

• Southampton have won three of their past four league games against Coventry (D1), as many as they had in their previous 18 (D9 L6).

• Coventry have lost their past two away league games against Southampton, last losing three in a row between December 1970 and December 1972.

• Coventry have won more points (21) than any other side away from home in the Championship this season, but have failed to win either of their past two away trips in the competition (0-3 v Ipswich and 1-1 v Preston).

• Coventry's Ephron Mason-Clark has created the most chances in open play in the Championship this season (32), while team-mate Matt Grimes has created the most chances from set plays (28).

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Carl Rushworth has made such an impact at Coventry City this season their fans want to sign the Brighton goalkeeper on a permanent deal.

Whether the Seagulls would sell remains unknown, but it is easy to see why fans of the Sky Blues have fallen into the trap of falling in love with a loan player.

The 24-year-old produced another impressive performance against Bristol City on Saturday, making a string of important saves to earn another clean sheet and three points for Frank Lampard's side.

Rushworth, who was signed to replace injured first-choice keeper Oliver Dovin, has started all 21 Championship league games this season and kept eight clean sheets to date.

Earlier this season he went 613 minutes without conceding a goal for the Sky Blues – the longest run without conceding a goal of any goalkeeper in the club's history.

His run eclipsed the previous record of 608 minutes set by Horace Pearson in 1934.

Prior to this spell in the West Midlands, Rushworth spent half of last season at Hull City before being recalled in January and spent the 2023-24 campaign as first choice goalkeeper at Swansea City.

The Premier League feels like the next step for the former England-Under 21 shot stopper, but how likely is he to feature in Fabian Hurzeler's plans?

Brighton currently have goalkeepers Bart Verbruggen, Jason Steele and Tom McGill, who are all under contract for several more years.

Would one have to leave for him to re-gain a squad place? Or could the club be willing to cash in for the right price?

Regardless, Rushworth appears to be destined for the top flight, whether it be at Brighton or elsewhere.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard said his players "showed a lot of spirit" to hold on to a 1-0 win against Bristol City.

Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth made a number of key saves to deny the Robins throughout the match and late on as they pushed for an equaliser.

"To lose a game and draw a game probably put a bit more importance on this, a bit more feeling. People would have been looking at us to see how we reacted against a strong team," Lampard told BBC Radio CWR.

"It was great, the players' attitude from minute one was really good, really sharp and continued that.

"We pushed them back and they're one of the highest pressing teams in the league, highest regains, and we played a lot of the game in their half.

"Absolutely not our best performance but sometimes in the endurance test of a season, you look at all the games, your comfortable wins, the games where you have to fight and dig in for the win - games that give you challenges like that [but you] keep a clean sheet, get a goal and we showed a lot of spirit in the team."

Image source, EFL

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard has won his second successive Championship manager of the month award.

The Sky Blues boss oversaw maximum points with five successive wins in November with his side currently five points clear at the top of the table.

Lampard said: "We got some fantastic results throughout November and I would like to thank all the players, staff and everyone involved for their continued hard work.

"We have a great togetherness and team spirit here and we're all looking forward to the busy Christmas period and continuing our hard work."

Birmingham's Chris Davies, Tonda Eckert of Southampton and Derby boss John Eustace were also nominated for the award.

Coventry at the double again

Image source, Getty Images

Once again Coventry have cause for a double celebration with striker Ellis Simms being named the player of the month, following hot on the heels of team-mate Brandon Thomas-Asante claiming the award in October.

The 24-year-old scored five goals in his three starts in November including a brace in each of the victories over Middlesbrough and Charlton, taking his tally to eight in all competitions so far this season.

"This was only possible because of my team-mates and the staff pushing standards every day," said Simms.

"Individual awards come from team performances, and the results we've had make this extra special.

"I'll take the confidence from it and keep giving everything for the club and the fans."

Simms beat strikers Carlton Morris (Derby) and Joe Gelhardt (Hull City) plus Birmingham full-back Alex Cochrane to the award.