Frank Lampard praised Blackburn Rovers for demonstrating to his Coventry City squad that victories don’t always come easily or in high-scoring fashion.
The Sky Blues came into Saturday’s fixture on the back of three dominant wins in just eight days before the international break — 3-0 over Birmingham, 4-0 versus Millwall, and 5-0 against Sheffield Wednesday. However, Blackburn made life challenging for Coventry until two quick second-half goals from Victor Torp and Brandon Thomas-Asante within three minutes secured a 2-0 win, giving Coventry their fifth consecutive clean sheet and returning them to the top of the Championship.
Reflecting on the first half, Lampard said:
“Credit to Blackburn in the first half. They came with an aggressive, organised approach and were happy to compete man-for-man across the pitch. They made it difficult for us to build our usual rhythm and control, so they deserve that credit.”
He added that a tactical adjustment at halftime helped turn the game in Coventry’s favour:
“We made a slight tweak at half-time, which helped the players. It’s important for our squad to understand that we can’t expect to dominate every match and win 3-0, 4-0, or 5-0 — football doesn’t work like that.”
On returning to the top of the table, Lampard was measured:
“It’s nice to be top, and I enjoy it for the fans. Our job is to keep them excited while continuing to work hard. This match was a good test for everyone — for the players and even the supporters — to see that it isn’t always easy. To score two important goals after not being at our best shows the character of the squad. Rushy made a key save in the first half, and we managed the game well after that. There are plenty of positives to take from a tough contest.”
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