Coventry City’s 2025/26 season preview: A make-or-break year for the Sky Blues?

An agonising stoppage time defeat in the play-off semi-final curtailed an eventful 2024/25 season for Coventry City as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League. Their meteoric rise through the table at the end of the year, helped by the managerial appointment of Frank Lampard, will provide plenty of momentum for their upcoming campaign. The next calendar year will mark 25 years since Coventry last played in the top flight of English football, so expectations will certainly be high to return one of the founding members of the Premier League to their rightful place.

Coventry finished the 24/25 season in 5^th, a substantial improvement on their position of 17^th in November. This rise through the table unfortunately came at the cost of long-term manager Mark Robins. It was, however, a necessary decision that paved the way for former Chelsea and Everton manager Frank Lampard to take his place. The Sky Blues had a number of standout performers, one of whom being 24-year-old Jack Rudonim who scored 10 goals and assisted 12 during the campaign. Rudoni is one of many to watch out for as Coventry aim to the start the season on a high.

It is not difficult to imagine the club making a strong start

Pundits such as Noel Whelan are tipping the Sky Blues for automatic promotion this year, and with their favourable early run of fixtures, it is not difficult to imagine the club making a strong start. Early trips to relegation favourites Hull City and Derby County, as well as a September filled with two huge derby games against Leicester and Birmingham City, should excite Coventry fans for the start of the season. December stands out as a crucial month for Lampard and his players, with three games against relegated Premier League sides and a showdown with fellow promotion hopefuls Bristol City. The last few games of the season are never easy, no matter where the opposition find themselves in the table. Nonetheless, most Coventry fans will surely be content with matches against Portsmouth, Wrexham, and Watford to curtail the season.

Despite his storied and legendary career as a professional football player, questions remain over Frank Lampard’s ability as a manager at the highest level. Lampard has recorded a number of achievements in his managerial career, including an FA Cup final and a 4^th place finish with Chelsea in 2020, and his stint at Coventry has certainly been a success so far too. Yet Lampard also contributed to Chelsea’s collapse the very next season, dropped Everton into a relegation battle, and has lost every final he has taken part in. The latter record in particular could prove fatal if the Sky Blues find themselves in the play-offs again this year.

There is undoubtedly much to look forward to in Coventry’s upcoming campaign

There is undoubtedly much to look forward to in Coventry’s upcoming campaign. Kaine Kesler-Hayden, their new £3.5 million acquisition from Aston Villa, will certainly be looking to make his mark in the new season. Granada left-back Miguel Ángel Brau will also add to the new look defence. First choice goalkeeper Oliver Dovin remains out of action for the first few months of the season, so the race will be on to sign a replacement keeper before 9 August, with Brighton’s Carl Rushworth seemingly the front-runner.