Championship

FRANK LAMPARD is set to have an interview at Coventry this week.The Chelsea legend, 46, ranks high on the shortlist to replace Mark Robins, who was axed as City’s boss earlier this month.Frank Lampard will have an interview with Coventry this weekCredit: GettyRuud van Nistelrooy is also in the running for the roleCredit: AlamyLamps is believed to be keen on talks despite not having applied for the job.The ex-Stamford Bridge, Derby and Everton boss has experience working in the Championship after taking the Rams to the play-off final  in 2019.Ruud van Nistelrooy is also thought to be a leading contender for the Sky Blues hotseat.The Dutchman, 48, was last week ruthlessly ditched from Manchester United’s coaching team by their new manager Ruben Amorim.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLVan Nistelrooy managed three wins and a draw from his four games in charge as interim Red Devils boss after compatriot Erik ten Hag was sacked.Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield, 40 —  whose side top League One — is also a contender.Coventry are 17th in the Championship and sit just one point above  the drop zone.The club sacked fan favourite Robins earlier this month after winning just four of their first 15 matches this season.Most read in ChampionshipFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSA 2-2 draw at league leaders Sunderland proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.And Robins was shown the door after overseeing 387 games in seven-and-a-half years, freeing up a coveted dugout position.How Ruud van Nistelrooy’s ‘donut solution’ kicked off Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd revolution earlyMark Robins was sacked after winning just four games this seasonCredit: PAManchester United icon Van Nistelrooy was one of the first to throw his hat into the ring after his interim spell at Old Trafford.But Lampard is also in the frame for the Coventry job.The Chelsea legend, who has twice managed his former side, has emerged as one of the favourites to replace Robins.And he will now hold talks over the vacancy this week.Should he get the job, Lampard will be hoping his time with the Sky Blues goes better than his last interim role at Stamford Bridge.Filling in for Graham Potter until the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Lampard mustered just one single win from 11 matches with a misfit Chelsea side.He has since been working as a pundit and admitted last month he would love to manage England in the future.Lampard said: “As an English player who played 100-plus times, and an English person who’s very proud – of course, the England set up is something… I never dreamed of playing as many times for England, let alone now as a coach.READ MORE SUN STORIES”So, now as a coach, I think I would be crazy to sort of say, ‘Oh no, that would never interest me’.”It would have to be something that they would want me to do, and have to be something that I want to do and thought I could add value to it in any way.”Frank Lampard’s managerial careerDerby County, May 2018-July 2019: P57 W24 D17 L16Chelsea, July 2019-Jan 2021: P84 W44 D17 L23Everton, Jan 2022-Jan 2023: P44 W12 D8 L24Chelsea, Apr 2023-May 2023: P11 W1 D2 L8 More

ROB EDWARDS’ Luton future is in doubt with rivals Coventry watching developments.Boss Edwards has seen the Hatters struggle back in the Championship and insiders claim the 41-year-old has considered quitting.Luton Town boss Rob Edwards’ future has plunged into doubt after a rough start in the ChampionshipCredit: AlamyLuton manager Edwards is being monitored by CoventryCredit: PACoventry sacked Mark Robins two weeks ago and are admirers of Edwards — whose Luton side beat them to promotion in the 2023 play-off final.But Sky Blues would be even more interested if he was a free agent instead of having to pay out compensation.Edwards took over at Kenilworth Road two years ago and quickly turned things around.The Luton boss won promotion to the Premier League by winning the play-offs only a year later.Read More on FootballHowever, the Hatters had a short stint in the English top flight as they finished in 18th place with six points separating them from safety last term.Luton immediately returned to the Championship where they have struggled this season.Edwards’ side is currently in 21st in the English second division and that has plunged their manager’s future in doubt.He would face immense competition for the top job at Coventry as owner Doug King has claimed the EFL side has received plenty of CVs from “high-quality” managers.Most read in ChampionshipBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAmong them are reportedly ex-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard and former Manchester United interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.Lampard has been a free agent since leaving Stamford Bridge last year where he worked as interim manager in his second stint in the Blues’ dugout.Luton’s injury crisis so bad assistant manager Rob Edwards had to play in training but then he got crocked too Van Nistelrooy was axed by United despite a four-match undefeated streak, which saw him winning three games, as there was no room in new manager Ruben Amorim’s coaching team. More

FORMER Reading player and owner Roger Smee is reportedly prepared to save the crisis-hit club with the help of a newly-formed consortium.Smee, 76, spent four years lining up for Reading in the 1960s and 70s before turning to a career in business.Reading owner Dai Yongge (L) is trying to sell the clubCredit: RexA former Reading owner is allegedly willing to take overCredit: GettyHe became chairman of the Royals in 1983 and spent seven years at the helm before making way for John Madejski.However, the ex-forward is now willing to try and save the club from going bust.According to the Reading Chronicle, Smee has formed a consortium with the hope of completing a takeover.It is understood the 76-year-old has already been in contact with the Reading Supporters Trust amid his longstanding interest.Read More in FootballHowever, his consortium would only be willing to take over if Reading fall into administration.The current price tag is deemed too high by Smee and his team.Administration would make the club cheaper, but it would come with a 12-point deduction.Issues would also arise over the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park due to club’s complex company structure.Most read in ChampionshipFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIt is not thought to be an immediate threat.Reading owner Dai Yongge put the club up for sale over a year ago due to ongoing financial problems.EFL club owner gives update on new £2bn ‘spaceship’ stadium included in mega plans for state-of-the-art complex American lawyer Rob Couhig came close to securing a deal in September but withdrew after talks collapsed.As previously announced by the club, an unnamed party is locked in talks. More

BLACKBURN have admitted there are major doubts over the club’s future as a result of the Venky’s legal battle with the Indian government.In club accounts submitted this week Blackburn director Jitendra Desai writes that “a material uncertainty exists” over the club’s ability to continue operating.Blackburn have admitted there is some concern about the club’s financesCredit: GettyBlackburn made a profit of £1.8m last year, but that was down to the sales of Adam Wharton, Thomas Kaminski and Ash Philips to Crystal Palace, Luton and Tottenham respectively raising almost £23m.Without continued player sales the club need funding from the Venkys to stay in business, but the Indian government have blocked them from transferring money overseas.The Venkys’ parent company are involved in a long-running legal case with the Directorate of Enforcement in India in an attempt to get the ban overturned, with a hearing due to take place in Delhi this month.The Directorate of Enforcement are the branch of the Indian finance ministry in charge of investigating money laundering and breaches of foreign exchange laws.Read More in FootballThe Directorate allowed Venkys to make payments of £3.5m and £11m to Blackburn in June and October 2023 respectively after they pleaded for an exception to help keep the club afloat.No transfers have been since however, leaving Blackburn at risk of running out of money next year.Blackburn’s accounts were audited by a firm of independent accounts, PM+M, who issued a similar warning.They wrote: “Until such time as the legal matter is concluded satisfactorily, a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on this group and the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”Most read in ChampionshipFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSBlackburn currently sit ninth in the Championship table, three points adrift of the play-off spots.They next face newly-promoted Portsmouth next weekend.’I was a zebra, Shane Duffy was Goldilocks’ – Norwich City star Kellen Fisher on wild Xmas partys, dinner with Delia and team-mates getting egged More

RUUD VAN NISTELROOY could be set for a quickfire return to football, SunSport has learned.The Dutchman has left Old Trafford after new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim decided he did not want him as part of his coaching staff.Ruud van Nistelrooy has admirers at BurnleyCredit: GettyThat decision came despite Van Nistelrooy winning three and drawing one of his four matches as United’s interim boss.His spell at the Red Devils, on top of his impressive season in charge of PSV, have seen his stocks rise and SunSport understands Burnley are interested.Their managerial hunt in the summer saw both Van Nistelrooy and Scott Parker as candidates – with the Clarets appointing the latter.The decision was taken out of their hands somewhat as Van Nistelrooy instead chose to join Man Utd as Erik ten Hag’s assistant despite holding talks to be top man at Burnley.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe allure of an Old Trafford homecoming was too much for Van Nistelrooy to turn down.But Burnley could now look to revisit that situation if they feel they are heading in the wrong direction under Parker.Owner Alan Pace is well-known for giving managers time, as he has done with Sean Dyche and Vincent Kompany.So it seems unlikely he will axe Parker just yet.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSBut it will certainly be at the back of his mind amid significant fan unrest.Kicking-off their Championship campaign with 4-1 win against Luton and 5-0 win over Cardiff, Parker got off to a great start before things started to go downhill.How Ruud van Nistelrooy’s ‘donut solution’ kicked off Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd revolution earlyBut across Burnley’s last 13 league games since, they’ve only managed nine goals.A disgruntled Turf Moor could be beginning to turn on Parker despite them still sitting fourth in the table.Ruben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man UtdWHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for. More