No Premier League gifts at Coventry - Lampard

[Getty Images] Frank Lampard has warned his Coventry squad he is not in the business of giving Premier League presents. The Sky Blues host Hull City on Saturday, their first Premier League home game in 25 years after last season's promotion. Lampard has signed 10 new players this summer, with Manchester City defender Stephen Mfuni also expected to join on loan. But, Lampard insisted everyone must prove their worth. He said: "I'm not here to give gifts of Premier League games to players unless they compete and show that they're ready to play in the league, and I think we need that. So there might be a bit more edge around it and I think that can be a positive thing. "You have to understand the human side of it. The players who got us here want to now show they can do it in the Premier League. "There's also a brutal reality to that. You have to understand the competitive nature of the squad has changed - whether you were here before or whether you're new into the team, you just have to compete at a level that's going to make us better. " Lampard, though, understands it is important to strike a balance between the new players and last season's squad who won the Championship title to achieve Premier League football. "The season we had last year was incredible," he said. "It was a real sweet spot of a small, tight-knit squad not expected to be automatically promoted, with players who are developing - that really develop and show their stuff - and you win the league by 11 points. It's not always going to be that good. "I want the reaction of a player to go: 'Oh, you brought him in - let me show that I'm better than him.' That has to be the mentality of it."