Coventry boss Frank Lampard wants his side to be inspired by the likes of Sunderland and Leeds after being back in the top flight after 25 years.
Coventry begin life back in the top flight against champions Arsenal on Friday, with many expecting Lampard’s newly promoted side to struggle.
However, Lampard believes Coventry can challenge those predictions by learning from the teams who successfully avoided relegation last season.
Sunderland finished seventh under Regis Le Bris, while Daniel Farke guided Leeds to 14th, and Lampard has studied how both clubs adapted to the Premier League.
“They’ve changed that rhetoric a little bit. Those stories are important for us to analyse and we’ve looked a lot at those two specific teams,” Lampard said.
“To see how they played gives us inspiration, but it will be us that manages to make that story for ourselves.”
Lampard knows Coventry face a major challenge after winning the Championship last season. The club have responded by making seven signings at a combined cost of more than 120 million pounds as they look to strengthen their squad.
“For teams who get promoted, we know what the gap is, history tells you that,” Lampard said.
“We knew we had work to do. We tried to strike the balance working smartly and strategically in the window.”
The Coventry boss believes the demands of the Premier League made squad depth essential.
“We are stepping up a big level now and need competition both in training and game time,” he added. “The rigours of the Premier League mean we’ve had to add players in different areas.”
Coventry’s return to the top flight is particularly significant given the club’s difficult recent history. They entered administration in 2013 and spent a period playing home matches in Northampton before leaving Coventry again in 2019 to ground-share with Birmingham City.
Lampard said the promotion was about much more than football for the city.
“It was a great year for us and the celebrations were great. It went beyond football in this city,” he said.
“I’m very excited to be here and get a club that’s been out of the Premier League for 25 years. It is exciting at this moment but we want to challenge and do well.”
