Coventry City news from CoventryLive as Frank Lampard looks ahead to the atmosphere on Monday night when the Sky Blues host Middlesbrough at the CBS Arena
11:13, 15 Feb 2026Updated 11:40, 15 Feb 2026
Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard admits he’ll be as nervous as the fans when Coventry City host leaders Middlesbrough in Monday night’s automatic promotion six-pointer at the CBS Arena.
The Sky Blues boss says he’s felt the “tension” in the home crowd in recent weeks as the team’s ten point lead at the top of the Championship has evaporated, with City now in second place, two points behind Boro in table.
Kim Hellberg’s men travel to the West Midlands in fine form, off the back of six straight league wins, while Lampard’s men have taken just eight points from their last eight games.
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Asked if he has any message for the City supporters, many of whom will be nervous but who can play a huge role on the night – as they have routinely done with their impressive vocal backing – the head coach admitted: “I’ll be a bit nervous but this is what we’re doing it for. It’s great. The nerves of this game is for us to fight to try and get back to being first in the league. That’s amazing.
“It’s a good thing and I think everybody’s come together at this club in the last year, to go from where we were to get to the play-offs and get so close to the Premier League last year. And then to go again and push it, that’s been a joint effort of everybody.
“So there’s no message other than we all understand that and I know the fans will be completely behind us. We have our job. The players have their job to be intense and to have the right aggression and personality in our game. And then the fans will be with us. They have been incredible since we’ve been here.”
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He added: “I’ve felt their tension lately. It’s normal. We all want the best, right? We all want this team to go to the Premier League but we also have to help it in terms of the action and what we do on the pitch. So if we’re all together on Monday night, we’re a strong unit and we know that at the CBS.”
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