BBC CWR’s Rob Gurney

Frank Lampard is Doug King’s choice. Now he has to deliver a return to football’s top table for the first time in a quarter of a century.

His profile is just what the owner wants – bringing the name of Coventry City Football Club into the psyche of people outside the game.

And the Lampard contacts book brings with it an expectation that he’ll be able to conjure up something hitherto missing from this group of players to take that extra step that Mark Robins couldn’t.

Until January, though, he has to get a tune out of an underachieving, underperforming squad and work out his priorities for that next transfer window.

Getting Derby to the Championship play-off final was an achievement. But, just like his Sky Blues predecessor, Lampard couldn’t quite revisit the promised land.

It’s not a universally popular appointment with Sky Blues fans but going forward together, rather than divided, has to be the right approach now.