Champagne on ice at Coventry – but Lampard knows a thing or two about pressure

Coventry 0-0 Oxford

The last time I went to watch Coventry, the question the fans were asking was: ‘Will we get promoted in February, March or April?’ Such was their dominance and the depth of the league and the gap to the top of the Championship.

It feels like a very different problem now.

Yes, they still have 10 wins in their last 12 home games, but the overall picture is slightly different. They have won four of their last 13 league games and could slip off the top of the table for the first time since October 18 on Monday.

But honestly, they still have a top coach, great players, and depth. question? nerve? confidence? Belief? Whatever it is, they need to find that spark from a few weeks ago and bring it back, sharply.

The atmosphere here is very different to the one I last visited at the Architectural Association Arena in Coventry at the end of November. Even walking around the stadium, the noise faded away, no longer believing that this was finally their year. There were more crossed fingers than smiles, and there was an air of anxiety in the air.

It was a good performance and they did everything right – they put the pressure on Oxford, had 74% possession and had 24 shots on goal, but they just couldn’t score. Surely this is just a matter of confidence?

Still, Oxford’s defense was outstanding and exemplified what good defense looks like. The body is on the line, the desire not to admit defeat and the passion to stand in the way. Coming away with a point against a top team in the league will be seen as a huge positive for them.

Coventry promotion? Keep your champagne on ice and the next few months might be rough.

The good news is that they have a manager who understands pressure in Frank Lampard. He’s been playing it his whole career. From the moment Harry Redknapp declared: “He’s going straight to the top”, he was thrust into the spotlight.

He ended up winning 11 major trophies, so I guess he knows a thing or two about handling pressure…
Mark McAdam

Putting pressure on the front two is nothing new for Ipswich Town

Derby 1-2 Ipswich

Shortly after the final whistle at Pride Park, George Hurst grabbed hold of team-mate Leif Davies and planted a kiss on his forehead.

Davies scored the winning goal for Ipswich in the 77th minute at Derby County. What a brilliant header; calm and considered but with enough power to ensure Rams goalkeeper Josh Vickers had no chance of stopping the ball crossing the line.

This is also an important goal. It means Kieran McKenna’s side will stay within striking distance of the automatic promotion places and could still prove to be a priceless fixture.

They created a chance after taking the lead through Lewis Travis’ own goal, but failed to capitalize. Ryan Brewster’s penalty was the punishment for that. Yet they found a way to get a much-needed victory – the first in three games since January 20th.

But putting pressure on the front two is nothing new for Ipswich. They performed admirably in the 2023/24 season, finishing second after beating Leeds United and Southampton. Coventry and Middlesbrough should be wary.
Danlong

Hull City proved to have too many loopholes to make serious push for automotive development

Hull City 2-3 Bristol City

Despite Hull’s attacking prowess, their defense looked too porous to mount a serious attack on their front two.

The team led 1-0 against Bristol City thanks to a goal from the excellent Oli McBurnie, but they conceded goal after goal and fell 3-1 behind.

Of course, this is the Robins, who lost 0-5 at home to Derby County in their last game. They’re not exactly confident or in good shape.

Hull City have scored 50 goals this season, third in the league, but have scored 43 at the other end. No club outside of the bottom five has conceded more goals than them.

Blackburn and Oxford, currently ranked 22nd and 23rd, have conceded fewer goals. The challenge of promotion is built on defence, and that’s where Hull fell short.
Simon Ghulam

Millwall punishes Wrexham’s attacking struggles

The Millwall fans turned out in droves and wow, the atmosphere was electrifying.

Wrexham dominated from the start and Phil Parkinson said afterwards they were the better side of the two teams – and I have to agree. They created a lot of chances; Issa Kabore was very lucky on the right wing.

Kiefer Moore was having a blast, and he and Jake Cooper got into a heated fight that resulted in Moore taking multiple blows to the face, including one that resulted in a bloody nose. But, as a fighter, he got back up and tried, tried, tried again.

Wrexham were unable to convert any chances in the first 45 minutes, which meant that in the second half, they wanted to do more of the same. They escape the trap, but are once again unable to convert.

When you don’t take your chances, the other team punishes you – and that’s exactly what happened to Alex Neil’s Millwall. They created several chances but managed to save them.

It’s done wonders for their play-off chances, but they’re also getting closer to the top two.
Kyle Walker

Southampton looks up again after defeating Watford

Southampton 1-0 Watford

Southampton have now won three of their four games, with the other a draw, and a turnaround is certain for St Mary’s.

After a 1-0 win over Watford, they are just four points away from the play-offs.

“We’ve taken a big step forward in the last few weeks,” Southampton coach Tonda Eckert said. “We conceded a set piece away from home, otherwise we would have had four clean sheets.

“It’s important moving forward and we’re very solid as a team, especially with the quality on the pitch and we feel like we’re always putting the ball in the back of the net.”

Eckert also praised Sel Larin, who scored the winning goal with a powerful header on his debut for the club.

“We knew that with Cyle we would have the physical presence we needed,” Eckert added. “He scores goals, but it’s also the way he defends at the other end.

“I don’t think it could get any better than this for him. Strikers live for these moments.”
Simon Ghulam

Viportnik vital to Swansea’s play-off hopes

Swansea 4-0 Sheffield Wednesday

Zan Vipotnik has started the season well, scoring six goals in his first nine games in all competitions. This is one point short of his total in all competitions for the entire 2024/25 season.

What followed was a period of desolation. He failed to score in four consecutive games in the Championship, scoring twice in a 2-1 win over Norwich City, and then failed to score in four consecutive games. Swansea have picked up just seven points from those nine games.

But since Vitor Matos was appointed as Alan Sheehan’s successor as head coach on November 24, he has started scoring again, and often.

After scoring twice in the 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, Vipotnik added two more to take his tally to 11 goals in 15 games under Mattos. It’s no surprise they took 25 points from those games.

This means Swansea are just five points out of the play-offs despite still being in 15th place. A few months ago, this possibility seemed distant.

If they do have any hope of finishing in the top six, keeping Wipotnik healthy and firing would be huge.
Danlong

All tournament weekend results

Friday

Saturday

Sunday