Coventry City news from CoventryLive as Frank Lampard wants his Sky Blues players to show how much they have improved since their last time they played and lost to West Brom

Frank Lampard is hoping Coventry City’s bumper Good Friday turnout at the CBS Arena will give his players the edge over play-off rivals West Bromwich Albion.

The Sky Blues are set to play in front of a new record home crowd of over 31,000 for the clash with the Baggies – managed by former City boss Tony Mowbray, and a person the current man in the hot seat has “huge respect” for in the game.

Sixth-placed Coventry go into the Midlands derby knowing that a win would further strengthen their claim for a place in the play-offs with three games remaining. Albion, meanwhile, who are currently three points behind in seventh place, could leapfrog the Sky Blues by virtue of a better goal difference if they manage to take maximum points, making it a pivotal game for both sides.

READ MORE: Doug King speaks out on magnificent statue after Coventry City and CBS Arena ‘complications’

READ MORE: Thomas, Mason-Clark, Thomas-Asante, Eccles – Frank Lampard provides injury update ahead of West Brom

“I think West Brom are a very good team and I have watched a lot of them in preparation for this game,” said Lampard, of a team who travel off the back of a 2-1 Hawthorns win over Watford – a result that ended a five game winless run that included three straight Championship defeats.

“They are very good in possession, a team that likes to have a lot of ball and a team also that have got real speed at the top end of the pitch. It can give you a lot of threats and I think in some of their recent results I don’t they’ve got what they’ve probably deserved from their performances.

“So, I have a lot of respect for the team and the manager, and a clear understanding that it’s going to be a tough, tough match.”

As for City’s home advantage, the head coach said: “Playing at home is a great thing for us. It’s a sell-out crowd and the sell-outs we have had recently have been amazing in terms of the atmosphere, and that will be great for us.”

And Lampard believes his side will be a different proposition to the team that lost 2-0 to Albion back in December in only his third game in charge.

“The previous game feels a long way away and I think we’ve come on a long way from then,” he said. “We created a lot of chances in that game, which we tend to do in the majority of our games, but in terms of the overall play I felt like there was a lot of work to do from that game.

“And when I looked at them they gave us some problems with the ball that we have to respect. But I think we’ve improved since then, so let’s try and show that.”

Asked about Tony Mowbray, who made a return to The Hawthorns in January after 18 months out of the game due to ill health, Lampard said: “I came across Tony when I was at Derby and he was at Blackburn and I found him a really, really good bloke; a great football man with a great manner.

“He came into the office afterwards and we had a good chat. And obviously with the last year that he’s had I got a huge respect for him and I’m really pleased to see him back working.

“Every time you play against his teams or I have watched them from afar when I’ve been working at different clubs and watching the Championship or wherever he’s at, you can see a certain style in Tony’s teams. And I know Ashley Cole has worked with him as well at Birmingham so yeah, I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”