Coventry City come up against Sheffield United on Tuesday night off the back of their first loss of the season - and take on a manager in Chris Wilder who accused them of "running around more" before attracting Frank Lampard as their new manager.

The ex-Blues boss has led the Sky Blues to the top of the Championship, breaking records for goals scored and the lack of goals conceded. Last season Lampard masterminded a run into the play-offs, which ultimately ended in heartbreak.

Prior to his arrival Mark Robins had taken Coventry from League Two to the Championship play-off final. He ultimately missed out on promotion and was sacked last season in early November after a poor run of results.

Wilder was then in charge at Sheffield United and is again back at Bramall Lane leading the Blades. He was known to be fan of Robins and his work and he called out the Coventry players, suggesting they upped their effort once he was axed to secure a 2-2- draw.

Coventry twice equalised against Sheffield United when they played this time last year, a period when they didn't yet have a permanent manager, and Wilder claimed had they put in similar graft Robins would've retained his job.

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He said: "We knew the challenge of somebody potentially taking over, whether they were there today or not, or in the next 24/48 hours, you know, media stuff that I believe will happen. I might be wrong but it’s a big football club they are up against and I stand by what I said about Mark (Robins), who did an incredible job.

“Maybe if they’d run around more like that before their manager might still be in a job. Whether I am being controversial about it, we knew, and maybe it’s just human nature that they would run around a little bit more today, which they did."

Five days after the stalemate at Coventry, Lampard would be appointed. Seven of the starting XI who drew with the Blades and copped flack from Wilder remain at the club. The Chelsea icon has enjoyed huge success and could end the Sky Blues' absence from the Premier League, which will extend to 25 years come May.

Robins meanwhile has found work since leaving Coventry and is again impressing at Stoke. He could yet be part of the promotion party, opposing his former team. The Trotters secured an impressive 5-1 win over Bristol City at the weekend to lift them up to third - four points off Lampard's outfit.

Robins and his Stoke side will host Lampard's Coventry this weekend.

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