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

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This weekend will see some fascinating battles in the Championship, but one no one will want to miss is the clash between Scott Parker’s Burnley and Frank Lampard’s Coventry City.

As things stand, Burnley are hot in pursuit of the top two, level on points with Leeds United and just two points off league leaders Sheffield United.

Whatever the result this weekend, this game will have a massive impact on the Championship title race. Meanwhile, the fight for the play-offs will be affected, too.

Coventry City have dropped points of late, but could bounce back in style by beating the Clarets and cementing their own place in the top six.

It’s a game that will see two of the brightest young managers in the division go head-to-head, with Scott Parker and Frank Lampard ready to test themselves against one another yet again.

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Frank Lampard has always had what it takes to be a top manager

The pair have been teammates in the past — at Chelsea and with England — and opponents both on and off the field as players and managers. Now, they meet again, at different clubs, but with a long history between them that will surely feed into the upcoming fixture.

Speaking to the press (via the Dunfermline Press) back in January 2021, Parker had plenty of kind words to say about Lampard, especially in light of the great job he did with Derby County and then Chelsea, and admitted he always knew his opposite number would become a great manager.

Parker said: “He had a work ethic and a determination. I have massive respect for Frank as a footballer and the player he was. I was privileged enough to play with him but I’ve probably got more respect for a guy that had an unbelievable work ethic.

“He drove [himself] everyday in terms of his craft and wanting to get better and had a single-mindedness about him that got him the career he got. With those foundations and those abilities, I always knew that if he wanted to go into management then he’d be successful because with those values you’ve always got a chance.”

Reflecting on the success Lampard enjoyed in the past, Parker added: “It doesn’t surprise me that he’s gone to Derby and done well and then gets the Chelsea job under tight restrictions last year in terms of what they had to go through and he did an incredible job with them. And the same this year really.”

Lampard has had to rebuild his career since then, of course, having struggled at Everton and in his second spell with Chelsea. But, Lampard has changed a lot recently, and has clearly got the fire back in his belly as a manager.

Now, he must prove his credentials against one of the best teams in the league, and get one over his old friend.

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If Burnley overcome this test, they’re on course for promotion

Just like Coventry, this is a stern test for Burnley, and one of the toughest games they’ve got left in the final run-in.

There’s absolutely no reason why the Clarets can’t snatch the title now, and with the way they’ve relentlessly picked up results over the last few months, they’re a good bet to at least secure a top-two spot.

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

With Leeds falling apart again, both Burnley and the Blades will be licking their lips and fancying automatic promotion right now.

Burnley have been breaking records all season, and have hit a new level of late that makes them a frightening prospect. It will take everything Lampard and Coventry have got to come away with anything here.