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Clinton Morrison on Frank Lampard at Coventry, the Hull job and the FA Cup
Popular pundit Clinton Morrison has joined up with the Freebets.com team this season to discuss the biggest games and talking points each week in the EFL.
The former Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Republic of Ireland striker will be giving his views and predictions on the pick of the matches each week, as well going over some of the hot topics in the football world.
This week Clinton discusses Frank Lampard's appointment at Coventry, Hull's decision to sack Tim Walter, Steve Cooper's departure from Leicester last week and some potential upsets in the second round of the FA Cup.
Here's a full transcript of everything discussed this week.
Take advantage of Clinton's predictions using the best football betting offers from our top football betting sites.
Coventry appointing Frank Lampard
Q: Frank Lampard has finally been appointed by Coventry. Do you think he is a good fit?
Well, only time will tell. I do think it's a good opportunity for him. I think the club have money and they're going in the right direction but I know it's been disappointing this season.
Will he have money to spend going in? I'm not sure because they brought in quite a lot in the summer. And a lot of them are Mark Robins’ signings, but you have to work with them because they're talented individuals.
Defensively at the moment, they are probably conceding too many goals but I think he's a good fit.
Frank is ready now to go back into management, and I just think it's a good test for him in the Championship. It's a hard league and he's going to have to deliver because, as I said, the fans were not happy with Mark Robins getting sacked.
Q: What do you think fans can look forward to with Lampard? He did have a decent record with Derby, did a decent job there before in the Championship
Yeah, he got them to the play-off final when they lost to Villa, which was a very good Villa team. It's a hard one. It depends what style of football he wants to play. Everyone changes their style of football.
Coventry used to play out from the back and I think Pep (Guardiola) has had a big effect on every team, even in the lower leagues they want to try and play out from the back. So he'll have to implement his own styles.
He's going to take charge of the game on Saturday, which is a huge game against Cardiff. He won’t have long to work with them on the training pitch, so it will take a bit of time. It's not going to just work overnight, but he needs to go in there and start getting results.
I still believe Coventry should be trying to aim to finish in that top six and no team is running away with the Championship at the moment. So if they can put a run together, which we've seen in years gone by what Coventry have done under Mark Robbins, then they've got a chance of maybe getting into that top six.
Q: From his perspective, it is quite a good job/opportunity for him to take, isn't it?
I think they were really close, probably one kick away from getting back to the Premier League and then all of a sudden now it's a bit disappointing. They lose a brilliant manager who's done so much for that football club, but I wish Frank Lampard all the best and hopefully he can deliver for the football club.
Tim Walter sacked by Hull
Q: The other one that has just happened is Hull sacking Tim Walter last night. Could you see that coming?
It's been a struggle for the Hull manager for a while now. If you don't get results - and I watch a lot of the games - then you're going to end up getting sacked.
And that's what it's like in the Championship, and he didn't get those results. Maybe there were times where they played well and weren’t clinical in front of goal. Watching the Luton game not too long ago for example, they created chances and just couldn't put it in the back of the net
The inability to score evidently falls on the manager because he picks the team and he organizes the team. I think the Hull chairman won't be standing for that. So that's why I think he's made a change quickly.
Q: Do you think the manner of Rosenior's dismissal and then the fact that Walter only got six months, is it going to make managers think twice about working under that chairman in the future?
It was a strange one because everyone was shocked when Liam left, but the chairman just wants to be successful.
When you're a chairman and you put a lot of money into the club and you back the manager, then you just want to be successful. And if it's not going right and the fans think it's not going right then you're in big trouble because once the fans start losing patience with the manager, then the only thing that you can do as a chairman is make decisions.
And he's probably decided to make that decision now to try and give themselves a good chance of staying in the Championship because you don't want to be going into League One with the amount of money that he's put into that club and the players that he's brought in.
It's a hard one. I think he probably waited as long as possible. I thought that he would have been sacked a month ago, but he probably waited because he wanted it to be a success, but when you keep losing games and the fans are not happy, then there are big problems.
Q: They slipped into the bottom three this week, and it’s getting to that stage of the season where you just have to act…
That's true. I always say get to Christmas and see where you are then. And that's the true reflection of where you are and then you've got to have a good three or four months to the end of the season. So he's probably said, no, I need to look at this earlier because when you get into that bottom three, it can be a struggle.
The only thing that's good for Hull as I said, is no one is running away with a Championship. Two or three results and you're probably climbing to the top half of the table. That's how close it is this season. So I think the chairman has looked at that and thought, ‘let me just make these decisions quickly for the benefit of the club’.
Mark Robins for Hull?
Q: Mark Robins has been the early favourite in the betting. Do you see that being a good fit?
Yeah. I think any job that becomes available in a Championship now, Mark Robins will be a brilliant fit. Without a shadow of a doubt, it wouldn't surprise me if he went and took that Hull job and turned it around there because you know he's experienced in a Championship. He's one of the best around.
It wouldn't surprise me if you see Mark Robins back in a hot seat. He might want to take a break and sit back and wait for something else to come along but it's a decent football club and if he's available and he wants to jump straight back into it, then why not look at Mark Robins?
I think he's the best candidate at the moment, that's for sure.
Leicester sack Steve Cooper
Q: Leicester also made a move last week, sacking Steve Cooper. Were you surprised by the timing of that?
I was surprised, but it was always going to be difficult for Steve Cooper, going from Nottingham Forest to Leicester. Leicester fans at the start probably didn't really take to him. They didn't like the style of football. And I spoke to a lot of them and they were saying it was always negative, but it's a difficult one.
You're in the Premier League and I don't know what Leicester fans expect?
I think they just want them to have a go. I covered their game on the weekend against Chelsea and it was a bit negative in that first half and the fans were getting frustrated because I just think they want the players to go and have a go.
If you're going to lose the football match, lose the match by having a go.
But he knows the Premier League, Steve Cooper. So maybe he had a game plan to set up to play against a good Chelsea team but you could always hear murmurs from fans and stuff that they weren't really happy with Steve Cooper.
So even when the appointment happened, Leicester fans weren't happy so as soon as it started going wrong and the fans start turning, then obviously the chairman's going to make the decision.
But they're not in the bottom three, Leicester. So it was a bit strange because where do you expect Leicester to probably finish? Where they probably are now? And if he managed to do that, he had done a brilliant job.
But I think it was the manner and the style of football that Leicester fans weren't happy about but sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for.
They're too scared to sack managers earlier on and then they think, ‘let's get to Christmas, see where we are’ and then start making the decision. I think it was a bit too hasty. I can get the style of football that they don't like, but that's how Steve Cooper was successful at Nottingham Forest
It's hard. What do fans want? Fans want attractive football where you're playing out from the back and creating chances, I get it. But sometimes you're in the best league in the world and you can't play against top teams and go all out because you'll get picked off.
It's kind of a difficult one but I know Coops and he'll be back in management. It's disappointing. He'll be disappointed because he probably waited a long time to get this opportunity, but he's just got to go again.
Sheffield United v Sunderland
Q: Looking ahead to this weekend then, any games that particularly caught your eye in the EFL?
Sheffield United v Sunderland is the one. I think two teams that are flying near the top of the table and I think that's the one where you look at it at the moment and say that is a brilliant game.
People are starting to wonder if Sunderland are starting to fall away a bit because of the youngsters in their team but if Sunderland fans had known at the start of the season where they are now, they'd have bitten your hand off for it.
I think that's a fascinating game. Sheffield United are in a purple patch at the moment. They're flying. I think all the attacking players are delivering for them the likes of Hamer and Rak-Sayki - the Palace boy who's been outstanding, scoring goals and creating chances - they're doing well at the moment. So that is going to be a fascinating game. And it's probably the standout game in the EFL this weekend.
Potential FA Cup Upsets?
Q: And looking at the FA Cup, is there anything to look out for?
I know there's a lot of FA Cup games. I couldn't really decide with the FA Cup but Market Harbour are playing Reading which I looked at and saw they have signed Sandro just for the FA Cup - the former Tottenham midfielder.
I heard that the manager saw him walking and asked him what he was doing, and does he fancy coming down and training there for the FA Cup?
Now he's there at Market Harbour and probably going to play against Reading!
And you know the frenzy with everything with all the media and Sandro coming out of retirement, I love that.
That was one where I looked at and thought that could be an interesting one. I think it's televised as well. So you're thinking, could it be an upset?
It's a good story. But the FA Cup's always good. You always get a buzz about it.
The Premier League teams come in in the next round so this is big for the non-league teams that are still in it. It's brilliant for them.
I watched that game the other week where the guy had the long throw, for Tamworth. When I came out of non-league, I played against them and there was a player with the long throw.
I said, ‘wow, can you not control the football?’ He's like ‘no, I'm in the team for my long throws’ - fair play!
That win was a great result for Tamworth. They’re away at Burton this weekend and Burton are not in good form at the moment, they are struggling. You make Burton favourites now, but they are struggling.
Tamworth with that long throw, the pitch is very tight and they could cause a lot of problems.
I just think if Tamworth were at home on their 3G, 4G pitch, it'd be a different game.
Sunderland for the top six?
Q: Going back to Sheffield Untied v Sunderland. Sunderland are falling away a little bit but they have Jobe Bellingham back - can they maintain their challenge for the top two after falling away a little?
I think Sunderland will finish in the top six. I think Bellingham is a fantastic player. I think they have missed him. They need more firepower though because I watched a bit of their game against West Brom the other night. They were unlucky. They were the better team and had chances in the final third. But I just feel they need that striker who can put the ball in the net. And I think come January they're still going to be in and amongst it.
I think Sunderland will spend and give themselves a great opportunity of finishing in that top six.
We all want to see Sunderland back in the Premier League. And as I said, I hope they do finish in that top six because they've been fantastic and I do think they'll buy a striker in January. I think that's the missing link.
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