Coventry have become the Championship’s ‘nearly team’ over the last few seasons.
Each of their last three campaigns has ended in heartbreak, with a play-off final defeat in 2023 against Luton Town, the penalty shoot-out loss to Manchester United in the 2024 FA Cup semi-final and then the last-gasp play-off agony to Sunderland in May.
Nine starters here were involved in that cruel finish at the Stadium of Light when Dan Ballard’s injury-time header took the Black Cats to Wembley, as the Sky Blues attempt to use that sense of hurt to power them on this campaign.
Only goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion, was making his debut so they will hope their continuity can help them in a division surrounded by sides trying to rebuild with new bosses and new players.
They picked up 35 points from their 15 home games under Lampard as the basis for their play-off push but they will feel this was two points dropped.
If they want to make a concerted promotion push, they need a better start than in those three previous years when they have been playing catch-up almost from the off.
But for the fourth season in a row, they failed to win their opening game.