Frank Lampard handed stark Coventry City advice after nightmare Premier League start

Frank Lampard has been told he must continue to “ooze confidence” despite Coventry City’s difficult return to the Premier League, with Tony Pulis warning that the manager’s response to defeats could be crucial to their survival hopes.

Coventry sit bottom of the table after losing all three of their opening matches and are still waiting for their first point of the 2026/27 campaign.

The Sky Blues began with a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal before suffering a more damaging 1-0 home loss against fellow promoted side Hull City. They then produced an improved performance at Manchester City but were again beaten 1-0.

With Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United coming next, Lampard now faces an early test of his ability to keep confidence high.

Former Premier League manager Tony Pulis believes Lampard must ensure Coventry’s poor results do not affect the atmosphere around the club.

Pulis highlighted the enormous difference between managing a successful Championship side and dealing with extended losing runs in the Premier League.

“When you go in the Premiership, you’re going to have a run of maybe four, five, six games where you’re not going to pick a point up,” Pulis said.

The 68-year-old believes Lampard’s body language and mentality will now be particularly important.

“After a defeat on a weekend, you’ve got to go back in on Monday with your chest puffed out and oozing confidence.

“It might be killing you inside, but you have to show those players and the staff and everybody around that football club that you’ve got the belief you can stay up.”

Pulis believes Lampard must effectively become the standard-setter for everyone around Coventry during difficult periods.

“You are the leader and you carry the flag,” he added. “You’ve got to dust it off. It kills you, and I know it does because I’ve been there.”

The concern for Coventry is that their schedule offers little immediate respite.

Hull represented an obvious early opportunity to collect points, but that defeat has increased the importance of upcoming matches as the Sky Blues attempt to prevent a significant gap developing between themselves and their relegation rivals.

There have nevertheless been signs of encouragement, particularly in the narrow defeat at Manchester City.

Lampard must now turn those improved performances into points, beginning with another difficult assignment against Brighton.

Coventry host Brighton on Sunday, September 13, with Lampard searching for his first Premier League points of the season. Another defeat would increase the pressure ahead of matches against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, making the coming weeks an important early test of Coventry’s survival credentials.