Frank Lampard previously admitted he’s ‘even more’ determined to beat Scott Parker for one surprising reason

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What a weekend it is set to be in the Championship, especially on Saturday lunchtime, when Coventry City host Burnley in a promotion six-pointer.

There’s every chance Coventry versus Burnley could be a fixture we see crop up again come the end of the season, with both sides potentially being part of those all-important Championship play-off games.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	39	26	7	6	56	29	27	83
2	LeedsLeeds	39	23	12	4	78	27	51	81
3	BurnleyBurnley	39	22	15	2	53	11	42	81
4	SunderlandSunderland	39	20	12	7	56	37	19	72
5	CoventryCoventry	39	17	8	14	56	51	5	59
6	West BromWest Brom	39	13	18	8	48	35	13	57

While Scott Parker’s Burnley side will be hoping they can avoid that and go up as one of the top two teams in the division, Frank Lampard’s incredible work at Coventry has the Sky Blues dreaming of Wembley and the Premier League once more.

The two teams will be looking to spoil the party for one another this weekend, and the two managers at the heart of the clash have plenty of history to fall back on when trying to get an advantage for this game.

• READ MORE: Scott Parker knew Frank Lampard always had ‘foundations’ to be a successful manager, now Burnley must bring him down

Frank Lampard respects Scott Parker, but he enjoys beating him

Speaking to the press (via The Mirror) back in 2021, when Lampard was in charge of Chelsea and Parker was at Fulham, the former outlined his immense respect for Parker that was earned during their playing days together.

He said: “I definitely saw fight in Scott when he was here at Chelsea and I guess he would have wanted to play more. He left to play, which is ­always a great sign. He went to play more and his career was fantastic ­wherever he went after that, and his England career.

“That’s a sign of the man he is and the professional he was. I also find Scott very genuine, a straight-talker, and very hard working.”

Lampard even counts Parker as a friend outside of the game, but he quickly explained how that would not stop him wanting to beat his mate; quite the opposite, actually.

He added: “You can have friends in football – I have – but when you’re very driven, your job takes you in different directions, particularly when you’re a manager.

“It’s very hard to have too much small talk… because I am consumed with this job. But with Scott, I appreciate he’s got a lot on his hands, as I have, and I let him get on with that.

“And the other thing with friends is when you’re driven in this game, you want to beat your friends, sometimes maybe even more than you want to beat your enemies.

“But it doesn’t change anything in terms of how you approach the game. I’m sure Scott won’t mind me saying that and he’ll feel the same. At the end of the day, it’s points for our teams that we both need at this moment.”

Now, that innate desire to get one over on his friend and opponent will come to the fore once more, with both Burnley and Coventry absolutely desperate to pick up all three points on Saturday. We’re sure that friendship won’t mean a thing for the 90 minutes at the CBS Arena.

• READ MORE: Championship at risk of ‘boring’ event that’s happened just once in the last 10 years

Coventry City cannot afford another slip-up

Lampard has done an amazing job since taking over at Coventry, so much so that other clubs are looking at him already as a potential appointment in the summer.

That incredible run of form, which saw Lampard breaking records with Coventry, propelled the Sky Blues into the top six, has started to curtail a little of late, though.

Defeat to Derby before the international break and to Sheffield United at the weekend occurred either side of a big 3-0 win over Sunderland in the middle of March. Now, it’s crucial that Coventry get back on track as quickly as possible, starting with this mammoth task against Burnley.

A win here would not only maintain Coventry’s top six place, but would give them a huge mental lift going into the final six games of the normal season. That boost could be all Lampard and his men need to go all the way.