Sideways Sammy

An integral member of the first-team squad, Josh Eccles is under increasing pressure for his place in the side due to the quality available in midfield. Having been one of the team’s better players for much of the first half of the campaign, Eccles has largely struggled for form since Frank Lampard has taken over, with only injuries contributing to the number of games he has started. While he is someone who offers the team a lot in terms of his energy and physicality, Eccles needs to show more technical quality, otherwise he risks dropping down the pecking order very quickly.

The main struggle that Josh Eccles has had since Frank Lampard has taken over has been that he’s been asked to play in a more attacking role than he looks comfortable with. Eccles is someone who is great at winning the ball and quickly giving it to other players to keep moves going, playing slightly further up the pitch has highlighted that he struggles to play on the turn in tight areas and to be decisive with his usage of possession. While the solution could be to play him deeper, it is a position where Lampard clearly wants someone with quality on the ball, which was the reason why Matt Grimes was signed. At the moment, Eccles has been fortunate that injuries in midfield have allowed him to play more regularly than his performances levels would dictate.

There is still time for Josh Eccles to adapt to the role being asked of him but he needs to do so sooner rather than later, with the summer transfer window on the horizon. A player of Eccles’ work-rate and versatility will always be valuable as part of a squad, but the bar required of him to start games regularly has been raised since Frank Lampard’s appointment. If Josh Eccles is to keep his Coventry City career going, he needs to respond to the gauntlet that has been laid in front of him.