"Really stepped up" - Coventry City urged to make Jamie Allen decision | OneFootball

FLW's Coventry City fan pundit has given his view on whether midfielder Jamie Allen should be offered a new contract.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It has been a turbulent season for Coventry City in the Championship, but there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks under head coach Frank Lampard.

Coventry made the controversial decision to part company with long-serving manager Mark Robins in November after seven-and-a-half years in charge, replacing him with Lampard.

Lampard endured an inconsistent start to his tenure at the CBS Arena, but four wins in the last five league games have moved the Sky Blues up to 12th in the table, just four points from the play-off places.

One player who has played a key role in Coventry's recent revival is midfielder Jamie Allen, and the 30-year-old has certainly taken the opportunity he has been given by Lampard after Ben Sheaf was ruled out until the end of February with a muscle injury.

Allen barely featured in the early stages of the season under Robins, and he initially found his game time limited after Lampard's arrival, but he has started the last seven games in all competitions, wearing the captain's armband in Sheaf's absence.

The midfielder, who joined the Sky Blues from Rochdale in June 2019, was nominated for January's Championship Player of the Month award, and while he missed out on the accolade to Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, his recent performances have given Lampard plenty of food for thought with his contract due to expire in the summer.

Coventry City told to extend Jamie Allen's contract

When asked if the club should offer Allen a new contract, FLW's Coventry City fan pundit Chris Deez urged Lampard to keep hold of him for at least one more year, and he admitted he has been surprised by the midfielder's turnaround in fortunes.

"Jamie Allen is absolutely a player that I would like to keep here for at least one or two more seasons, we should give him a short extension," Chris said.

"He's really stepped up in the last month or so, and he was up for Championship Player of the Month as well, which I don't think any of us saw coming.

"He's really stepped up to fill the void and helped out while Ben Sheaf has been out injured so many times.

"Allen works hard, the fans absolutely love him, he's been here for about five seasons now.

"He's not as old as I thought he was, he's only 30, and I think he can definitely do a job.

"He's probably not going to be a starter by the end of the season with Ben Sheaf coming back into fitness and the recent signing of Matt Grimes, but I think it would still be worth keeping him around, especially to help out with some of the younger players.

"Although I say he's only 30, he's still quite well experienced, he knows the club, he knows Coventry inside and out.

"I'm a big fan of Jamie Allen and really hope he stays, and then after another year or two, I can probably see him dropping down the leagues.

"I think he'd be a really good top end League One player, I don't think he's really got the legs to be a mid to top end Championship player for much longer."

Matt Grimes' Coventry City arrival could spell bad news for Jamie Allen

It would be sensible for Coventry to keep Allen around for at least another year, even if only to provide cover in midfield, but the recent arrival of Matt Grimes could have an impact on his future.

The Sky Blues reportedly paid a fee of between £3.5 million and £4 million to Swansea City for Grimes, which would indicate that Lampard has big plans for him, and he adds further depth to the club's already strong midfield options that include Sheaf, Victor Torp, Josh Eccles and Jack Rudoni.

With such fierce competition for places in midfield, it seems unlikely that Allen will get much game time at the CBS Arena next season, so even if Lampard is keen to keep hold of him, he may decide to move on in search of regular minutes.