{"id":434445,"date":"2026-02-19T16:16:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T16:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/434445\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T16:16:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T16:16:10","slug":"stick-or-twist-as-coventry-city-face-very-different-follow-up-challenge-at-wba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/434445\/","title":{"rendered":"Stick or twist as Coventry City face very different follow-up challenge at WBA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Coventry City predicted team from CoventryLive as Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner attempts to second guess Frank Lampard&#8217;s selection to face West Brom<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Coventry City boss Frank Lampard\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_JS396803932.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Coventry City boss Frank Lampard is likely to come up with a very different game plan against West Brom to that against Middlesbrough\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Coventry City boss Frank Lampard is likely to come up with a very different game plan against West Brom to that against Middlesbrough<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Having bounced back to form and returning to the top of the Championship with a confidence boosting victory over automatic promotion rivals Middlesbrough, <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coventrytelegraph.net\/all-about\/coventry-city-fc\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Coventry City<\/a> now face a very different test.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Not only have they the pressure of maintaining their lead at the head of the division \u2013 currently just a point ahead of Boro \u2013 but they also need to follow-up Monday\u2019s magnificent win against one of the form teams in the table with three points at West Bromwich Albion \u2013 a club that\u2019s been in turmoil this term<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Yet to win a single game in 2026, the Baggies have been in free-fall despite the arrival of new boss Eric Ramsay, assisted by former Sky Blues coach Dennis Lawrence. Taking away the 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Norwich last time out, however, back-to-back goalless draws against Stoke and Birmingham in the league suggest a tightening up in defence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CovTelCCFC#\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Get more Coventry City news and analysis via our FB page<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">That makes for a tricky challenge for Frank Lampard\u2019s men who struggled to break down relegation battlers Oxford\u2019s low block at the CBS Arena.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">So how does the head coach avoid a frustrating afternoon at The Hawthorns?<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The first name on the teamsheet is Carl Rushworth, the goalkeeper enjoying a fine and consistent season on loan. The same can\u2019t be said for the back four of late when Lampard has chopped and changed in search of solidity and stability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But having barely put a foot wrong on Monday night, the latest central defensive pairing of Bobby Thomas and Joel Latibeaudiere appear set to keep their places. Either side at full-back will be Milan van Ewijk and Jay Dasilva, the latter of whom enjoyed a welcome return to form against Boro.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Frank Onyeka\u2019s outstanding debut puts him on course to continue where he left off, perfectly complementing skipper Matt Grimes to help control the midfield, while Tatsuhiro Sakamoto dazzled on the right wing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coventrytelegraph.net\/news\/coventry-news\/more-coventrylive-exclusives-doesnt-cost-33398326\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Ensure our latest Coventry City FC headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Jack Rudoni showed signs earlier this week of a return to the player we saw in his first season at City but has hot competition from Josh Eccles who has proved influential in recent weeks in the number ten role.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">That leaves Ephron Mason-Clark as arguably first choice on the left flank, although Romain Esse, Jahnoah Markelo and Min-Hyeok Yang \u2013 left out of the squad on Monday \u2013 remain options if Lampard is looking to freshen things up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">And finally, Haji Wright appears to be the bolt-on starter up front after bagging a hat-trick against Boro and clearly desperate to get back on a goal scoring run ahead of Ellis Simms. Brandon Thomas-Asante, meanwhile, returns to the matchday mix after completing his three match ban for his return to his former club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Predicted City team: Carl Rushworth; Milan van Ewijk, Bobby Thomas, Joel Latibeaudiere, Jay Dasilva; Frank Onyeka, Matt Grimes; Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Jack Rudoni, Ephron Mason-Clark; Haji Wright.<\/p>\n<p>Content cannot be displayed without consentGet the latest Coventry City headlines sent straight to your phone<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Get the latest Coventry City news sent straight to your phone by joining our Sky Blues WhatsApp group. It&#8217;s a free service. You just need WhatsApp on your phones to participate. To join, <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/H19draMjRN1FTBfOrjO2II\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">just click here<\/a>, select &#8216;Join Community&#8217; and you&#8217;re in. If you later decide to leave our community, you can do so by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking &#8216;Exit Group&#8217;. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reachplc.com\/site-services\/privacy-policy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">read our Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Every day, the CoventryLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coventrytelegraph.net\/all-about\/coventry\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Coventry<\/a> City content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Our dedicated reporter Andy Turner &#8211; <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AndyTurnerccfc\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">who you can follow on X<\/a> &#8211; follows the Sky Blues home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur &#8211; that&#8217;s why <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coventrytelegraph.net\/newsletter-preference-centre\/?utm_source=newslettersignupheader\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you&#8217;ll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox.<\/a> You can also get all your favourite content from CoventryLive&#8217;s Sky Blues team <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/H19draMjRN1FTBfOrjO2II\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">on WhatsApp.<\/a> Sign up f <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/H19draMjRN1FTBfOrjO2II\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">or breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Coventry City predicted team from CoventryLive as Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner attempts to second guess Frank Lampard&#8217;s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":434446,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[79458,218,30301,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-434445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-coventry-city-fc","tag-football","tag-frank-lampard","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}