Frank Lampard's thirst for Coventry City success will be greater after QPR comments | OneFootball

Frank Lampard will be desperate to impress at the CBS Arena

Eyebrows were raised when Frank Lampard was appointed at Coventry City to succeed Mark Robins, but week by week he's starting to vindicate that bold call from the Sky Blues' board.

Coventry were genuine relegation candidates when Lampard took over, but fast-forward a few months, and they're firmly in the play-off shake-up, which is testament to the job he's done at the CBS Arena so far.

A last-ditch Bobby Thomas goal earned them a 1-0 home win in midweek against QPR, and after that triumph, Lampard cited that it was a "great feeling for everyone in the stadium".

The thousands in attendance for Coventry will now be firmly believing that they could be playing Premier League football next season, but after falling short a couple of times under Robins, they won't be getting carried away just yet.

That'll be hard though, as the play-offs are so close now they can almost touch them, and after his comments in midweek, Lampard's thirst to deliver success will be even greater as he looks to rebuild his own reputation.

Frank Lampard will be keen for more magic moments at the CBS Arena

It was always likely to be a tough gig for Lampard to take over at Coventry after Robins' controversial decision, so bringing the feelgood factor back to the CBS Arena will certainly be a good way to get everyone back on side.

Arguably the most pleasing aspect for Lampard last night will have been that he saw his side find a way to win when he confessed they weren't at their best for large parts, and that showed they have the hallmarks of promotion contenders.

Lampard said his team's performance "wasn’t perfect" and that they "can be better than that", and they'll probably have to be throughout the rest of the season if they're to end it in the play-offs.

But what Tuesday night did show is that Lampard's side have the gall for the fight, and it's given him a huge platform upon which he can build, and he cited as much when he claimed his team "have to keep pushing on".

After seeing that his team can grind out results when they're not at their best though, he might think he's onto something in the Midlands, and he'll be acutely aware that more results like that will keep the CBS Arena faithful on side and probably yield many more magic nights like Tuesday.

Frank Lampard has plenty to prove on a personal level

Lampard's midweek comments almost certainly show that he has a burning desire from within to prove that he is a good manager after failed spells with Chelsea and Everton.

That could prove to be an incredibly powerful weapon for Coventry, because Lampard seems to be a man on a mission this season, and it seems as though he's used his time out of the game to hone in on his managerial skills.

Lampard cited in midweek how his side can't afford to let their standards slip, and it's easy to forget sometimes that Lampard has actually been here and done this before with Derby County, when he guided them to a play-off final.

Those roles that followed probably tarnished his reputation, but at this level he has a very good record, and it seems as though their midweek success has stoked the fire for Lampard.