Coventry City captain Matt Grimes believes that his side’s impressive start to the EFL Championship season is all down to balance.
Frank Lampard’s side have taken the league by storm so far, sitting undefeated at the summit of the table. Not only at the Sky Blues in first position but they have scored 12 more goals than any other side in the league.
| # | Team | Played | Win | Drawn | Lost | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | CCFC | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | +20 | 19 |
| #2 | MFC | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | +6 | 18 |
| #3 | LCFC | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | +5 | 16 |
| #4 | PNE | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | +4 | 16 |
| #5 | SCFC | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | +5 | 15 |
| #6 | QPR | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | -1 | 15 |
Captain Grimes – “It’s Been a Good Start For All of Us”
Not only does Matt Grimes believe the start is down to the balance of the squad but say’s it is all about the confidence instilled in the team’s front men.
“It’s incredible, you can see the amount of confidence our front lads are playing with at the minute,” he told BBC CWR.
“We’ve been really good in both boxes – not just the amount of goals we’ve scored but also that’s four clean sheets in a row now, so all good signs.
“We’re playing with the perfect mix of detail and freedom and that’s what you’re seeing. The attacking players are an absolute force at the minute.”
Coventry’s form speak for itself, not only have they scored the most goals in the league but only Stoke City have conceded less goals than the Sky Blues.
Grimes, who joined from Swansea City in the summer, took over as captain when Ben Sheaf moved to Wrexham in early September.
“It’s been a good start for all of us,” he added.
“I know there was a lot of noise in the summer about us not starting too well [in past seasons], and we’ve done that this year so we can just get our heads down, keep working and crack on.”
Since his appointment as captain, Grimes’s team have picked up 13 points from a possible 15, scoring 12 unanswered goals in their last three victories in the league.
This form means that the Sky Blues go into the international break as the only undefeated team and the side to beat when the league returns in two weeks.
Frank Lampard’s Championship Key
Boss Frank Lampard wasn’t the most popular choice in certain fan groups when he was appointed by Coventry but after a play off run last season and a sublime start to this season, heads are starting to turn.
Two poor spells in the Premier League with Everton and a second return to Chelsea, left many thinking Lampard had lost his identity as a manager. Yet most forget, it was at Derby County in the Championship, where the former midfielder earnt his chance in the topflight.
As explained by Ashley in a more detailed look at Coventry’s strong start, Lampard took Derby to the play off final in a run that included a comeback win against then favourites, Leeds United.
This season, City have the leagues top scorer in Haji Wright, the highest goals per match with three, the most clean sheets with five, most shots on target per game with six and most big chances created with 34. There’s no hiding that Grimes’s Coventry look a serious team right now.
Whilst in 2018-19, it was Chelsea loanee’s that helped his side up the table, this time it appears its the balance of his team, captained and directed by Grimes, that is guiding the Sky Blues to a start that could act as a springboard.
