"Likely candidate" - Coventry City: Carlton Palmer makes Frank Lampard admission amid Mark Robins fury | OneFootball

The pundit has been speaking exclusively to FLW about the Sky Blues' potential next manager.

Carlton Palmer has slammed Coventry City for their decision to sack Mark Robins, but has backed Frank Lampard to be the man to replace him at the CBS Arena.

The now former Sky Blues manager was relieved of his duties following a 2-1 defeat to Derby County last week, with owner Doug King claiming that a fall-out between Robins and his ex-number two, Adi Viveash, led to his eventual sacking.

It has led to a situation that the club has not been in since 2017 when the 54-year-old was hired, a decision that saw the team go from a League Two side to a genuine contender for Premier League football.

However, King now has the difficult task of finding a replacement for a true fan's favourite at the CBS Arena, and it is one that he has to get right, otherwise he could face serious backlash from the Coventry faithful.

Palmer makes Lampard prediction

While a decision has not been made yet over who will be the new man in charge in CV6, there are some people that have been linked with the vacant job, most notably Frank Lampard.

The former Chelsea and Everton boss last managed in the Championship in the 2018/19 campaign with Derby, reaching the play-off final where they were ultimately beaten by Aston Villa 2-1. But, it is not a deal that may fill Coventry supporters with hope.

Nevertheless, former England and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, Palmer, believes it's a decision that should not even have to be made.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, he explained his thoughts on the Sky Blues' current situation and who he believes should be in the reckoning for the vacant role: "I really don't like talking about this when we’re talking about a replacement for Mark Robins, he should never have been sacked in the first place.

"I think it's one of the most disgraceful decisions of the season so far. Given what he's done at the club, I think it's unbelievable, I mean it's just crazy.

"You can go on and on and on and talk about all the things that Mark Robins has done over the years at the football club, and the first time they come in with any kind of stability and money, then it's just crazy.

"It looks like Frank Lampard is well in the mix to replace Mark Robins, that is for sure."

Palmer continued: "In my eyes, who do I think they should go for? It is a difficult one because obviously they've sacked Mark Robins because it's been disappointing, they obviously wanted to kick on and go ahead and get the job done.

"I mean, Steven Schumacher has done a fantastic job previously at Plymouth. Lee Carsley’s name has been mentioned, but I think Carsley’s happy doing what he's doing.

"So, given the names that have been mentioned, I don't think you're going to get John Eustace out of Blackburn Rovers. He's doing a fantastic job.

"I would say that Frank Lampard looks the likely candidate to take over from Mark Robins."

Lampard risk is not one that should be taken

While the relative success that he had at Derby six years ago will be in the mind of King at this moment in time, there is strong reason to disagree with any potential move for the Chelsea legend.

Lampard was helped massively by three loanees that stunned the Championship in 2018/19, with Fikayo Tomori, Harry Wilson and Mason Mount a huge reason behind the Rams reaching Wembley Stadium.

Currently, Coventry do not have a squad as strong as that, and they may have to rely on the 46-year-old to use his contacts to try and bring in players of a similar calibre. His results as a manager have not been strong either, winning only 83 of his 196 games.

His win percentage of 42.34% will be a worry for Coventry fans, especially as it has only started to drop as his career has gone on, and he struggled under pressure at both Chelsea and Everton, being sacked from both jobs.

What Lampard does bring, however, is a name. He will bring attention to the Sky Blues and that may help them in the transfer market, but with the former midfielder having been out of the game for well over a year, it may take a bit of time for him to get the team kicking.