Frank Lampard admits Coventry 'not playing well enough'
COVENTRY manager Frank Lampard rued a disappointing away loss to Norwich, which means Middlesbrough remains just three points off the top of the Championship. The Sky Blues were on a winning streak until Romain Esse's 38th-minute goal at Carrow Road, but the Canaries fought back with goals from Anis Ben Slimane and Ali Ahmed. Coventry's lead at the top of the Championship has been significantly reduced, with Lampard's team struggling to secure wins away from home since November. They face QPR next.
Lampard acknowledges that his team has not been performing at its best. He stated, 'No disrespect to Norwich, who are on a good run, but we gave them their two goals. We didn't perform as expected in the second half, and we allowed them to score a second goal. It was a typical Championship match where we didn't take control. We weren't at our best, but we managed to score in the first half, and then we gifted them a way back into the game. It's disappointing, but we must focus on the next match.'
Norwich, under Philippe Clement, has won four consecutive games across all competitions and will head to the Riverside this weekend with high morale. Clement expressed pride in his team's performance, saying, 'I am very proud of the players because we faced a strong team with a top manager who plays good football and is at the top of the league. It was a challenging match, but my team rose to the occasion and played brilliantly to win. Three months ago, this result and performance might have been laughed at, but it was well-deserved. We need to maintain this level of performance to achieve our goals.'
The article also includes recommended reading about Middlesbrough's behind-the-scenes operations and the team's transformation under Kim Hellberg.
