Exclusive: Coventry's Ellis Simms Heaps Praise on Boss Frank Lampard

Ellis Simms hailed the job Frank Lampard has done to put Coventry City firmly in the play-off picture.

The Chelsea legend replaced longstanding boss Mark Robins, who was the longest serving manager in the Football League after seven-and-a-half years at the club, with the Sky Blues cautiously looking over their shoulders in the Championship table back in November.

But a fine run of five wins from their last six league games has propelled the club towards the play-off mix. 

Simms briefly worked with Lampard during his time at Premier League Everton and knew exactly what the former England star was bringing to the table.

He told SportsBoom.com: “He’s been good since coming in.”

“With the player he was, we knew what he was about. He was a top player. We knew he was going to bring his knowledge of the game to us. He wants to pass that on to the players and we’re taking that on board.”

“You can see in our performances that we’re listening to him and doing well at the minute.”

“For me personally I knew he was a good person and a top coach because I briefly worked with him during my time at Everton.” 

“He wants to try and improve us as a team, make us better, make us more organised and he’s doing that at the minute.”

“It’s been a good for weeks for us. We’ve picked up some good wins in that space of time.”

“I feel like we’re on the up at the minute. We just want to kick on until the end of the season now.”

“If you look at the difference from eight weeks ago to now we’re getting the results and are at the upper end of the table compared to a few months ago when we were a bit down there.”

“We’re looking upwards rather than downwards.”

SIMMS HUNGRY FOR MORE GOALS

The 24-year-old hitman scored 19 times last season, but has netted just five times so far this term. 

After last season’s exploits in front of goal he would have undoubtedly expected more, but Simms knows he is more than capable of going on a run after hitting a hot streak of 14 goals in 11 games last season. 

“Personally I would have wanted more goals,” added Simms. 

“I finished last season strong. I would have liked to have been on a few more goals at this stage of the season.”

“But the main thing is the team’s winning at the minute and I’m helping the team out in other ways.”

“Even when I’m not scoring I want to contribute in other ways by holding the ball up, winning my duels and putting a shift in for the team.”

“I know if I keep doing that then the goals will eventually come for me.”

“Strikers want to score in every match they play. I’d like to finish the season with a few more.”

Coventry are just three points shy of the play-off places in tenth and head to eighth-placed Sheffield Wednesday is a tasty clash on Saturday.