"They don't deserve it” | Frank Lampard on Coventry's heartbreaking play-off semi-final exit

Well, what can you say after that Frank? Football can be so cruel, can't it? Yeah, that's the biggest example. I think I've probably been involved in that because firstly, congratulations to Sunderland, they go to the final, but the immense pride that I've got in my players. Over the two games, anyone who watches the two games, dominated at home, dominated the game for possession, we know, mistake, no score, etc. Dominated that game and I think dominated huge periods of this game. Played controlled second half, wow, wave after wave of control and attack and the control. Players are giving everything from where we've come from. 17th in the league in December. Players have been brilliant in the second half of the season. We're competing with the parachute teams in terms of where we finish, with the top few in the league, week after week, game after game. Came here with absolute bravery to play, to play the way we play. If you talk about them being a low blow, they had to concede to us because of the way we play, the way the lads controlled the game. They don't deserve it, the players. I'm a lot older, I've been around a lot, so I've taken whacks and I've had success. So I suppose I can be maybe a tiny bit more balanced in my job to be more balanced, but for those players, they don't deserve that. So congratulations to Sunderland, we're not better, but we were a better team over two football matches. Absolutely clear and that's why they will be so happy that they won that game. We were going to Wembley, but in the football sense, pride, massive pride. Players, play-offs can be so frenetic, can't they? What does it say about the players that they've managed to come here and control the game like that? We took frenetic out of it, like the first five minutes maybe, and then a lot of it looked the same away from home. It's harder to have that absolute control that we had at home. But, well, the balance of the team, the way they played, they continue to play, getting the ball, all the things you said before, get the ball wide, stay on the same side and then change, but I can't ask for any more. I'm actually, I'm so disappointed for the club, for the fans and the owner and the players and everything, but once the dust settles, I cannot already, I cannot be disappointed with the way they play, because you work every day with them and they take on information and they're together on the group, even at the end on the pitch, so you know, football, football. Yeah, I mean, there can be a feeling once you get your goal that maybe you've climbed a mountain at that point, you've got the momentum, though, haven't you? You kept going. Did you think that it was in it for you to maybe win it in normal time? Yeah, I didn't have to say much to them, because the players are doing it, you know, they owned it on the pitch. They owned it up until extra time. They owned it the second half. It was like the crowd was dead quiet. They understood that a team was coming and taking control and they're on their home place, so and then into extra time a bit the same. They pushed in the second half of extra time. We were tired, they were tired, so then the game becomes a little bit more of a toss of a coin, but we're at the stage where we're sort of thinking about penalties and then that happens and, you know, again, you've got to defend the corner, but the big laddies had a great couple of games for them. Their best player, probably, out of the two games, because he had to be, scores the goal. So, you know, it's cruel, but I can't think of anything but pride for the season and for tonight. Have you got to use this as motivation and when you reflect over the next few days on the magnificent second half to the season that you've had since you took over? Yeah, I'm aware of it already and, you know, we wanted to go to Wembley, but sometimes the gods conspire against you in certain ways. That's football, but yeah, I'm already there. Of course, we'll take a break and we want to get better. We want the squad to get stronger. The players have shown what they can do, that they can compete. The fans deserve it at this football club. They deserve it. I think that they'll be going home tonight proud of their players that they support and, yeah, I'm just disappointed for them that they don't get a trip to Wembley.