Frank Lampard on the ‘big call’ he made ahead of Coventry City vs Middlesbrough, it paid off spectacularly

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Coventry City boss Frank Lampard made one huge call ahead of the clash with Middlesbrough that he was always confident in.

Coventry City finished the season in the play-offs following a crucial win at the CBS Arena against Middlesbrough.

This season, Coventry have undergone a huge transformation under Frank Lampard, and a top-six finish is the very least that the Sky Blues deserve this term, having been one of the most in-form sides in the latter half of the 2024/25 Championship season.

Coventry City will face Sunderland in the play-offs, something that supporters will be optimistic about because of Sunderland’s poor run of five defeats in a row. The win at the weekend, knowing that a draw would have pitted Coventry against the stronger Sheffield United, was crucial, and Lampard will be relieved that one call that he made before the game paid off brilliantly.

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Coventry City boss Frank Lampard praises Ben Wilson after ‘calm’ performance vs Middlesbrough

Before the final game, Lampard utilised Brad Collins in-between the sticks, but his form was a slight cause for concern, with him conceding 10 goals in seven games, including three in a defeat to a struggling Plymouth Argyle side.

As a result, Coventry City boss Lampard utilised Ben Wilson, who hadn’t featured since October.

Wilson has been out in the long term after picking up an injury, so the pressure was on him to perform, especially after having been out of action for so long.

Lampard was full of praise, understandably, for his goalkeeper, telling the BBC about just how ‘outstanding’ he was.

“It’s a big call,” Lampard said. “All eyes go on the goalkeeper when you make a change for the last game of the season.

“Ben was calm with his feet, big saves and quick out of his box. He can be very happy with his performance.

“Ben had quite a bad injury and it was not until recently that he was saying he was feeling better and looking better.

“For a goalkeeper with an injury, it’s not easy to train at their level. It’s only recently that he was ready, and I knew he was.

“Ben’s a great supporter, he’s a big personality in the dressing room, and his performance was outstanding considering.”

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Frank Lampard will likely continue with Ben Wilson for play-offs

Once the home tie against Sunderland comes around, Lampard will be left with the same predicament on who to name as his goalkeeper.

It is safe to say, after the last performance, it would be surprising to see Wilson dropped after showing impeccable ability on his return to the side, a remarkable feat considering how long he was out of action.

The Coventry City shot-stopper has surely shown enough in his ‘outstanding’ performance against Middlesbrough, where he notched a clean sheet, to be worthy of being the man in between the sticks for Lampard’s side in the play-offs.