Frank Lampard and Kaine Kesler-Hayden reflect on Coventry City's win against Millwall 🎙️

Frank, 4-0 away from home, another clean sheet, four goals on the road. Nights don't get much better than this. We could tell from the response from the fans and the players and yourself at the end of the game. Just sum it all up, if you can, in words for us. Well, yeah, I mean, an outstanding performance. A really tough place to come, always here. I don't get well beaten much. And there's a reason for that. We're a good team, a dogged team, difficult atmosphere. And actually, they've got some really talented players. I think their recruitment has been good. They've got players that we knew would be a threat. But our performance from first half, I think we had a better side and we get our goal. We could have had maybe a couple. I felt the focus of the team was great. The support was amazing, to be expected. But I'm not sort of taking it loosely there. It's great for us. And I think they feel the team were playing well and giving everything. And then the second half, I loved because it was tough early parts of it. We had a couple of problems. Torquay comes off. We knew Josh was carrying something. And our job is to also understand there's a game in two and a half days. So for the lads to manage it and score an incredible second goal, obviously, but then to make the changes, players come in and then see out the game really, really well, I think it's a complete performance from a bit high-pressing and a bit of control first half to being a bit more compact and dangerous on the transition for us. I think the team showed a couple of different faces today in a good way. And you scored the second goal at a critical time when Millwall were threatening an equaliser, really, weren't they? Yes, they're always threatening, by the way, because they give you problems. They can be direct. They can also find spaces between lines. We had to correct a bit at half-time, our press, because we were a bit jumpy and giving them spaces to try and give us problems on the sides. We became a little bit more compact. We took ourselves slightly back defensively and it felt good. I liked it. I felt a better security from that. But the timing of the goal and the brilliant play on the right-hand side with Milan's speed and cross was unreal. And then Hedges' goal was like an amazing goal. It was one of those sort of stunning goals in a stadium. Sometimes a goal goes, you go, wow. And I thought that was that for us. I'm pleased for Ellis Sims as well, because I thought his cameos recently have been pretty good and more what you're looking for and hoping for from him. Yes, they have to be. And any squad has to have minimum two strikers competing, minimum. So one might have a period of feeling like, am I getting in enough? They absolutely have to deliver in different ways. Ellis has great attributes to come on and give teams a threat late in the game. Also to start games, of course. And we'll need that at different times. And that competition is good. So good for his confidence to score. Good that we could maybe get Hedges off the pitch and a couple of others as well, because we'll have to have a count-up and see where we are for Sheffield Wednesday. But yes, really, really pleased for him. He's very low-maintenance, Ellis. He's really good to work with. He's quiet. He comes in, he does his work. And he's a lad that makes you happy when he gets moments like that, because he deserves them. And Kane ices the cake for you at the end. A nice moment for him to come on and score his first goal. Yes, brilliant. Again, talking about good lads. I've got a lot of them, thankfully. But yes, he's come in. He's felt his way into the group really seamlessly. He's a really good lad, very good in the dressing room. You could see that. I think we all celebrated with him. He's also a really good player. And, you know, very quick, very quick, moves with the ball really well. He has that defensive mindset about him. So when it's him and Milan on that side, it can be an option for us at times. But also in an attacking sense, I think he showed it there. So very happy with him. You've been here 10 months and connections between fans and players and managers are all important for any successful football club. And you just seem to be building that week after week after week. And being unbeaten and winning games, I know, helps that. But you must really feel a connection now. Yes, I do. And I think, to be fair to us, sometimes in these moments, you can say it, we work hard as staff. And, you know, the staff that were here before me, the staff that have... before us, the staff that I brought with Chris and Joe, we work really hard. And, you know, we've seen progress for sure. And I think the fans are relating to what they're seeing on the pitch, the players, the focus, the passion, the quality of our play, hopefully. And that's a good place to be in. So I like that. I get scared when I talk about it as if it's just come easy. Because it's only the next game. And what we do, we're always going to ignite the fans. The minute we come off it, we won't so much. So it's good at the moment. But I'm thinking about Sheffield Wednesday now. And then we have to have that mentality because it's going to be very tough for us to be exactly where we want to be this season, because maybe of the size of our squad and the challenges that will always come with this league. But if we can keep this together and keep playing, and we know we've got great support, then hopefully we'll have a chance. And this rest and recovery now in the next 48 hours is all important before heading to Hillsborough, Frank, isn't it? Yeah, well, I saw eight championship games last night, of which we were not one. We're playing on Wednesday and then they move us to Saturday morning. I mean, it's incredible the two and a half day turnaround. It doesn't feel right. Sheffield Wednesday played last night. So we'll do our most. We'll do our most to recover. Hardly anything on the legs to prepare for Sheffield Wednesday. It'll be a challenge because, again, we haven't got a squad to make lots and lots of rotations necessarily. But we have got a good feeling. So let's try and recover and see what we can do there. Is Victor OK? He brought him off early in the second half. We'll have to see. He got a bang on his ankle, which was his problem ankle last season with the injury. So it's more soreness, hopefully, than a big issue. But, yeah, we have to change. Kane, congratulations. Your first goal for the Sky Blues on a special night. Try and sum it up for us if you can. Yeah, it was crazy. Really enjoyed, obviously, coming on and getting the minutes that I did. With getting these minutes, obviously, I've got to prove myself and help the team how I can. And to get the goal today, I was absolutely delighted. I love the celebration as well. That's your trademark, presumably, is it? Yeah, it is. I haven't done it for a bit, so it needs a bit more work. But, yeah, I enjoyed doing it and I think the fans did. No, definitely. In front of the fans. It can't have been much more of a special feeling than to do the old double backflip in front of the travelling fans, Kane. Yeah, it's incredible. I think it's in the scenes. 4-0 away from home is a massive result, especially here. It's a tough place to come. And, yeah, I'm just glad we can carry on with this unbeaten run and give the fans something to go away with and be happy about. And it's a mark of this team that you'd scored the second goal just when Millwall were on top and threatening to come back into the game. But to score that second goal when Hadji obviously converts Milan's cross was the perfect time to score a goal like that, wasn't it? Yeah, definitely. I think the team's got so many goals in it and so many people that can affect the game and you can see it there. Milan's already chipped in with so many assists this season. And, you know, the ball was incredible to Hadji and finished it well. And I think that settled the game down a bit. It was still a bit up and down, obviously, away from home it can get like that. But I think we settled it down and to win 4-0, like I said, it's a massive result. And people talking about the amount of defensive work that the forwards do as well, you know, unselfishly as part of the team. And Brandon Thomas of Sante, I think, epitomises that at the moment, doesn't he? Yeah, definitely. Hadji as well. El when he came on, brilliant at it. And I think, you know, if we want to get to where we want to get to, I think everyone has to play their part and everyone has to do their bit and some. So, I think the fact they're doing that, you know, I think it speaks loudly to even us defenders and stuff like that. Do you know what I mean? We need to run as well, if they are. So, yeah, it's really good and I'm grateful we've got them up top. Of course, going eight games unbeaten at the start of the season can't help but to build team spirit and confidence within the group. But you look like a really together changing room. Yeah, definitely. From the moment I walked in anyway in pre-season, I could just feel it straight away, the togetherness. All the lads, you know, buzzing to come in every single day and long may it continue. And I think as the season goes on, the bonds will only get stronger and we'll become an even better team than we are now. And we've mentioned it already, but the connection with the fans is obvious. And that's crucial for any successful team, Kane, as well, isn't it? Yeah, definitely. To build that connection with the fans, I think you can see the numbers that they came with today. And I think that really pushes us from the first minute, you can hear them singing. And, yeah, we're just delighted and happy with the way things are going and hopeful that it continues. And what did the gaffer say to the players afterwards? He was just really happy, really happy with the performance. I think happy with how we dug deep in the game because there was moments where, you know, they had chances and stuff like that and we were on the back foot. I think we've done really well to get back into the game and to score the chances, which we did. And I think he's happy with that and the other lads are happy too. And now a quick turnaround before Sheffield Wednesday away. You've got to get back and rest up before heading north now, this time at the weekend, for a 12.30, which is another early kick-off on a Saturday, when we're talking here at almost Thursday morning, almost, you know? Yeah, we'll get back on the late tonight. So, obviously, recovery is really important with the game coming so quickly. Obviously, it being 12.30, a three-game week, but, you know, there's going to be a lot more of those this season. So, yeah, if we can go and get a result on the weekend, what a week it would have been.