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Coventry City manager Frank Lampard<\/p>\nCoventry City match reaction from CoventryLive as Frank Lampard gives his take on today’s performance at The Valley<\/p>\n
18:03, 01 Jan 2026Updated 18:12, 01 Jan 2026<\/p>\n
Coventry City manager Frank Lampard<\/p>\n
Frank Lampard rued missed opportunities in front of goal to finish off a determined Charlton Athletic after taking the early lead at The Valley where they had to settle for a point on New Year\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
The Sky Blues got themselves in front from a well taken goal from Ellis Simms as early as the third minute but couldn\u2019t add to that despite a couple of decent opportunities, and eventually conceded amid intense second half pressure from the home side.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a tough match and it always was going to be coming here on New Year\u2019s Day,\u201d admitted the City boss, speaking after the 1-1 draw.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a third game in less than nine days and we knew it would be tough. It was a great start to the game when we scored a really well worked goal and well taken goal, and I was very happy with that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not easy to control these games because they can become a bit messy, a bit direct, second balls and it\u2019s not a criticism. I think they are a team very much in an image of their manager, I want to say that\u2019s a positive of being passionate and effective in what they do, and they had periods of the game where they were effective in what they did.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then we had probably the cleaner chances in the game and we didn\u2019t take them so, yeah, a tough match and we\u2019re disappointed because when you\u2019re ahead and you draw, then you\u2019re more disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lampard made six changes and switched formation to three at the back for the game. Asked if that was as much due to tiredness and fatigue in the camp as it was tactical, he said: \u201cYeah, it\u2019s both but mainly physical because some players that are playing in areas of the pitch where I haven\u2019t got natural like for like replacements.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they can\u2019t keep playing games because you\u2019re worried about injury. Some players have got little niggles and fatigue based things so there was that and then that can quite quickly, with the nature of our squad, take us to a back three anyway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t think that was the worst to come here because you know what they are and we know that they\u2019ll try and get a lot of people in your last line and they\u2019ll hit diagonals early or straight balls, so having five at the back defensively with the three offensively wasn\u2019t the worst at all for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
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