Shockingly, news broke last week that Coventry manager Mark Robins had been sacked by the club after an eight-year spell. Robins was dismissed due to an apparent disagreement between himself and owner Doug King, who felt that Robins had uprooted the structure of the coaching staff at Coventry. Now, many high profile managers are tussling for the position.
Current interim boss Lee Carsley and former Chelsea gaffer Frank Lampard are two big names who are leading the way to take over the Sky Blues, but the race appears to be very tight, with no clear favourite.
Coventry City next manager odds
All of the top 10 favourites to take the helm at the CBS arena are listed below. A number of top managerial talent look set to be considered, but there is no clear appointment target in mind.
| Manager | Best odds |
|---|---|
| Lee Carsley |
9/4 |
| Frank Lampard |
11/4 |
| Matt Bloomfield |
12/1 |
| Robbie Keane |
20/1 |
| Nicky Butt |
25/1 |
| Rob Edwards |
28/1 |
| Rhys Carr |
33/1 |
| David Wagner |
33/1 |
| Liam Rosenior |
33/1 |
| John Eustace |
33/1 |
Current favourites
Lee Carsley – 9/4
Current interim England manager Lee Carsley is the current favourite to succeed Mark Robins. Carsley actually made 72 league appearances for Coventry, and was caretaker manager of the club twice over, in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
The Englishman has been impressive while steering the ship for his country after the departure of Gareth Southgate, and he would appear to be well-placed to assume a permanent position at Coventry, given his prior knowledge of the club. At 9/4, his odds have been constantly shortening due to mounting doubts as to whether Carsley will be offered the England job. Now would be the time to capitalise before odds providers slash prices further.
Frank Lampard – 11/4
As reported last week, Frank Lampard has thrown his hat in the ring and applied for the Coventry job. The Chelsea legend's last job came at Everton, where he was underwhelming during a one-year tenure which saw him average a meagre 1 point per game. He won only 12 games from 44 during this time.
However, Lampard has previously proven himself to be a capable Championship manager. He guided Derby County to a sixth-place finish in which they sadly lost the play-off semi-final 2-1 to Aston Villa. However, 26 wins from 57 games is a much better return, so Lampard may be able to revive his managerial career at the CBS Arena. At 11/4, he is good value as a second favourite to Carsley.
Matt Bloomfield – 12/1
A more unlikely choice, Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield has entered the fray to become the next Coventry boss. The Chairboys are enjoying an incredible season and have surged to the top of the League One table, gapping second place Birmingham by two points.
Bloomfield's only prior managerial experience came at Colchester United, where he steadied the ship during a five-month stint. He moved to Wycombe shortly after, where has managed 94 matches. He is currently an outsider at 12/1, but Wycombe's incredible form could see him beat some big names to the CBS Arena hot seat.
Robbie Keane – 20/1
Former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane has emerged as another potential successor to long-standing manager Mark Robins. The forward has been making a name for himself in management after a one-year spell at Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv saw him win the Israeli Premier League and reach the last 16 of the Europa Conference League.
Having left the club at the end of the 2023/24 season, Keane is now looking for a new challenge in management. Although it may be tough to unsettle a few more likely choices, so much uncertainty surrounding the Sky Blues means he is not to be discounted at 20/1.
Lifelong Ipswich Town supporter who recently graduated from Durham University in French and German. Have developed a passion for European football based on my links abroad and am an avid supporter of Werder Bremen and Auxerre. Joined the MFT team in October 2024 and looking to take my first steps into the world of football journalism.
Himself is a reflexive pronoun. Although you have an antecedent in the sentence with Robins it would be more elegant if you just wrote “an apparent argument with owner Doug King”.
As for the betting advice, I’d say none of those is likely to get the job. Laying Lee Carsley at 9/4 looks like free money.