Frank Lampard makes 'squeaky bum' admission as Coventry City enter final phase

CommentsSportAndy Turner Coventry City reporter14:34, 09 Mar 2026Sir Alex Ferguson famously coined the phrase ‘squeaky bum time’ referring to Manchester United’s tense title race with Arsenal with a few weeks to go back in 2003.

Asked if Championship league leaders Coventry City are at that stage in terms of their push for automatic promotion which includes a tussle for the title with Middlesbrough, as it stands, with ten games to go or whether that’s something that comes with just a few weeks left, Frank Lampard said: “I think we’re there, but I think there will be more twists and more squeaky bums along the way. So we have to try and deal with that.”

The Sky Blues have secured five successive wins following a mid-term wobble to re-establish themselves at the top of the second tier where they sit five points ahead of second place Boro and nine ahead of third placed Millwall and ten off fourth placed Ipswich.

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! Get more Coventry City news and analysis via our FB page

“Wouldn’t it be great to win this league by so many points and put your feet up for the last five games?” said the City boss.

“I don’t know how many Championships have ended like that. I remember Leeds and Burnley were fighting out that top position right to the end last year. Even the Ipswich year, when they got up, you know it goes to the wire. And particularly with the make-up of the league.

“We’ve got a good squad that we really trust and there are some strong squads around us as well, so there’ll be some squeaky bums, for sure. But we have to deal with it because it’s a pressure you want rather than mid-table or the negative pressure at the other end.

“We’ve got something that we really want to get hold of, so it’s also about living in the moment because football careers, even though I’ve been lucky to be successful in teams I’ve worked with and I have worked with good team-mates and managers etc but there are a lot of tough moments in careers as well.

“So sometimes you can always be thinking about the next thing and actually not trying to enjoy the situation we’re in because it’s credit to the boys that they’re there. So it’s trying to get that balance, I guess.”

Get the latest Coventry City news sent straight to your phone by joining our Sky Blues WhatsApp group. It's a free service. You just need WhatsApp on your phones to participate. To join, just click here, select 'Join Community' and you'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 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

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 Coventry City content.

Our dedicated reporter Andy Turner - who you can follow on X - follows the Sky Blues home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.