Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard has admitted he has no idea what to expect from Sunderland when the two teams meet for their play-off semi-final second leg next week.
The Black Cats entered the game in a run of dreadful form, having failed to win in their last six. That run included five successive defeats, arguably making them underdogs for the two-legged tie.
Having secured a fourth-placed finish, the Wearsiders knew they would have home advantage in the second leg. This gave them an incentive to get something out of last night’s game, although they had never before tasted victory at the CBS Arena.
Sunderland’s last win against Coventry came way back in 2007, whilst they hadn’t recorded an away win against the Sky Blues since 1985, back in the days of Highfield Road.
Regis Le Bris’ game plan was evident from the off. Sit back, try and soak up the pressure and hit their opponents on the counter. With just 25% possession, it’s a tactic that paid off wonderfully. Goals from Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayender secured a 2-1 win to take back to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.
Lost their last five, haven’t won since April 5th and had just 25% possession tonight…yet Sunderland are now favourites to secure a place at Wembley. Football, eh?#SAFC https://t.co/2y1amAGrgt
— The Real EFL (@RealEFLSocial) May 9, 2025
Lampard Admits He Has ‘No Idea’ Which Sunderland To Expect
The result was a bitter blow for Lampard, who has performed an excellent job since replacing Mark Robins in November. However, he has admitted that he is puzzled as to what Sunderland he will face in the North East. Speaking after the game, he said:
“It will be different in the second leg. We don’t know how they’re going to play. Will they want to play so low at home, or will the fans want to drag them forward?
“They know they’re holding the lead, so it’s up to them what their strategy is, and we’ll have to be adaptable on the day to try to find a way, whatever they do.
“If they come out more, they’ll be a different type of threat, playing between the lines, probably with the two number eights, which is how they often play.
“They didn’t do that here, they sat back and waited to counter-attack. They sucked it up, and now they’ve got something to hold onto, but I’ve got no idea how they will approach the next game.
“They may take that approach again at home, we’ll have to see. I think they brought that approach here because of what they felt when they played against us in the league.
“I think they maybe looked at how we’ve been playing here at the CBS, and I understand that. Credit to them. But we’ll look at it for the second leg. If they come out a bit more, we’ll see what that means. There’s pressure on us both in different ways now.”
Writer’s View
Lampard’s comments are slightly odd. He’s almost admitting that he will have to ‘wing it’ a little at the Stadium of Light and adapt to what is happening in front of him. Of course, that happens in most games but the fact he is publicly admitting he is scratching his head will be pleasing to Regis Le Bris. Still, it’s all to play for in the second leg.
