Steve Coppell and the FA Cup

[Only one Trevor Morley]

AP I admire your stout refusal to adopt any sort of negative stance in this situation, but unfortunately the circumstances really dictate that we CAN take this seriously without any adverse effects. Hell, we got through eight games in December and the Xmas period without any adverse effects. What else are the players going to do on the allotted FA Cup weekends that we aren't playing in, sit there and play with their arse? No, they'll be training most likely which is quite ironic really.

There are many who will agree with you H+P, also another thing to back your arguement up is that we haven't got the fixture congestion like last year, playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday.

I think some of our players need a rest, Doyle, Sonko, Shorey, Sidwell to name a few. I think you have to look at the positive, it still is only Burnley at home, and last year our 'reserves' managed to get 4 very respectable results against then Premiership opposition in this competition.

What my hope is that he uses more of the youth. The likes of Osano, Hayes in particular, Federici, Henry maybe, Pearce need a game at first team level in front of a decent crowd, lets see what the youngsters have got.

I'm looking forward to Saturday must admit.

I think this is where he tends to shoot himself in the foot a bit. Whilst he is happy to play the established reserves in these games he seems to avoid the youngsters. I dont know if its caution in his old age - he used to play them at other clubs he managed. But with the notable exception of Long (who is a different case anyway) he seems to be adverse to playing those who have come up through the youth system.

With someone like Hayes surely if you keep extending his contract by a year you have to give him a go. hes the sort of player who could thrive in a quality environment.

[Alan Partridge]

I personally wish he would play the ressies but if we get to the quarters try and win it...

No matter what Steve has said, he will do that if that arose..

The 'reserves' got to play Arsenal away, alright we made changes but still had Sonko, Ingimarsson, Sidwell, Harper, Lita and Kitson from the start. He won't put a side out there that will get thrashed out of sight.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Where does it stop though, 4th round, 5th round, 6th round, Semis? Coppell has stated that he will keep the same mixture of squad players and reserves that starts this game. If we progress to the 6th round, won't a small voice in your head start to say 'Hang on, we can do something here. Let's go with the starting eleven and start to believe in it'.

As has already been mentioned, what is the point if the aim is not to win something. How will Coppell feel when the already intense media spotlight falls onto him if we reach the last 16 and he still insists on playing a reserve side? Especially with this interview being scrutinised from tomorrow onwards.

[Platypuss]

Our first team seemed to manage OK playing 46 league games last season, why can't they play 38 plus a cup run this? There are only 3 more league games in the rest of January and just 3 in February!

So we stay up this season; is it then always going to be about Prem survival at the expense of everything else. What's the point in that?

[alad]

By all means rest a few players in the game against Burnley but he will do exactly the same if Reading get say Fulham in the next round. It's not just about the Burnley game, it's his attitude to the cup in general.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Yet again Coppell devalues the cup, shameful.

If he thinks the cup doesn't mean as much as it did then I suggest Coppell takes a look at the last 10 winners. All top 4 clubs. .

i think thats his point. If one of the big 4 takes it seriously they win it. So why risk playing your first team at this stage when we still havent reached 40 points.

If we get to 40 points and we're still in it then I agree we should go for it - but no point risking key players before then.

None of the top four will play a first eleven until the quarter finals, perhaps the round before at best. That has been standard since I can remember

I think you'll find most of the top 4 will play strong sides unless they get paired against non league or lower league opposition.

Depends on who it is, any of the top four playing each other. Most definitely. Any of them playing Fulham or Charlton, you'd see at least four or five changes from the strongest available team.

[alad]

Yet again Coppell devalues the cup, shameful.

If he thinks the cup doesn't mean as much as it did then I suggest Coppell takes a look at the last 10 winners. All top 4 clubs. .

i think thats his point. If one of the big 4 takes it seriously they win it. So why risk playing your first team at this stage when we still havent reached 40 points.

If we get to 40 points and we're still in it then I agree we should go for it - but no point risking key players before then.

None of the top four will play a first eleven until the quarter finals, perhaps the round before at best. That has been standard since I can remember

I think you'll find most of the top 4 will play strong sides unless they get paired against non league or lower league opposition.

Depends on who it is, any of the top four playing each other. Most definitely. Any of them playing Fulham or Charlton, you'd see at least four or five changes from the strongest available team.

Most top teams don't have a strongest 11, they tend to rotate anyway. One or two changes won't weaken the side much.

I recall Liverpool putting out a very strong side at Luton last season. If it's good enough for Liverpool it's good enough for Reading.

[Alan Partridge]

Yet again Coppell devalues the cup, shameful.

If he thinks the cup doesn't mean as much as it did then I suggest Coppell takes a look at the last 10 winners. All top 4 clubs. .

i think thats his point. If one of the big 4 takes it seriously they win it. So why risk playing your first team at this stage when we still havent reached 40 points.

If we get to 40 points and we're still in it then I agree we should go for it - but no point risking key players before then.

None of the top four will play a first eleven until the quarter finals, perhaps the round before at best. That has been standard since I can remember

I think you'll find most of the top 4 will play strong sides unless they get paired against non league or lower league opposition.

Depends on who it is, any of the top four playing each other. Most definitely. Any of them playing Fulham or Charlton, you'd see at least four or five changes from the strongest available team.

Most top teams don't have a strongest 11, they tend to rotate anyway. One or two changes won't weaken the side much.

I recall Liverpool putting out a very strong side at Luton last season. If it's good enough for Liverpool it's good enough for Reading.

I have no idea who Liverpool put out but I bet they made changes, maybe shock horror their squad players are better than ours?

[alad]

Liverpool: Carson, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Kewell, Gerrard, Sissoko (Sinama Pongolle 57), Alonso, Crouch (Kromkamp 79), Cisse (Warnock 89).
Subs Not Used: Hamann, Reina.

I'd call that their strongest side with the exception of Carson.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

Yet again Coppell devalues the cup, shameful.

If he thinks the cup doesn't mean as much as it did then I suggest Coppell takes a look at the last 10 winners. All top 4 clubs. .

i think thats his point. If one of the big 4 takes it seriously they win it. So why risk playing your first team at this stage when we still havent reached 40 points.

If we get to 40 points and we're still in it then I agree we should go for it - but no point risking key players before then.

None of the top four will play a first eleven until the quarter finals, perhaps the round before at best. That has been standard since I can remember

I think you'll find most of the top 4 will play strong sides unless they get paired against non league or lower league opposition.

Depends on who it is, any of the top four playing each other. Most definitely. Any of them playing Fulham or Charlton, you'd see at least four or five changes from the strongest available team.

Most top teams don't have a strongest 11, they tend to rotate anyway. One or two changes won't weaken the side much.

I recall Liverpool putting out a very strong side at Luton last season. If it's good enough for Liverpool it's good enough for Reading.

and they won the cup. As steve says if a top 4 side puts their mind to it and take it seriously they win it - whether or not reading play their best eleven

[Platypuss]

We should make some changes against Burnley, but I certainly wouldn't be happy about nine unforced changes.

For one thing, what really can you learn about how well someone could do in the first team if they are playing in a glorified reserves/scratch side?

I'd certainly prefer a mainly first choice team plus youth.

[alad]

Yet again Coppell devalues the cup, shameful.

If he thinks the cup doesn't mean as much as it did then I suggest Coppell takes a look at the last 10 winners. All top 4 clubs. .

i think thats his point. If one of the big 4 takes it seriously they win it. So why risk playing your first team at this stage when we still havent reached 40 points.

If we get to 40 points and we're still in it then I agree we should go for it - but no point risking key players before then.

None of the top four will play a first eleven until the quarter finals, perhaps the round before at best. That has been standard since I can remember

I think you'll find most of the top 4 will play strong sides unless they get paired against non league or lower league opposition.

Depends on who it is, any of the top four playing each other. Most definitely. Any of them playing Fulham or Charlton, you'd see at least four or five changes from the strongest available team.

Most top teams don't have a strongest 11, they tend to rotate anyway. One or two changes won't weaken the side much.

I recall Liverpool putting out a very strong side at Luton last season. If it's good enough for Liverpool it's good enough for Reading.

and they won the cup. As steve says if a top 4 side puts their mind to it and take it seriously they win it - whether or not reading play their best eleven

If that was the case then why didn't he play reserves sides against the top 4 in the league? If he believes Reading don't have a chance of beating them why risk first team players.

Games against them have shown Reading can compete and in a cup game stand a decent chance of beating them.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

Our first team seemed to manage OK playing 46 league games last season, why can't they play 38 plus a cup run this? There are only 3 more league games in the rest of January and just 3 in February!

So we stay up this season; is it then always going to be about Prem survival at the expense of everything else. What's the point in that?

Its an interesting question - would you choose 5 years of guranteed premiership football or 2 years and relegation but a cup final appearance. I'd rather not take the west ham route myself. But I can see the arguments fo it all the same.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Fair one but then Liverpool and Utd have always taken the competition more seriously than others. A better example would have been Arsenal who managed to make large changes last season with players like Djourou, Gilbert, Owusu-Abeyie and Larsson all either starting or coming on. There would be a core of four or five strong players but that is it, shame we do not have the players to get away with it.

[Alan Partridge]

Yet again Coppell devalues the cup, shameful.

If he thinks the cup doesn't mean as much as it did then I suggest Coppell takes a look at the last 10 winners. All top 4 clubs. .

i think thats his point. If one of the big 4 takes it seriously they win it. So why risk playing your first team at this stage when we still havent reached 40 points.

If we get to 40 points and we're still in it then I agree we should go for it - but no point risking key players before then.

None of the top four will play a first eleven until the quarter finals, perhaps the round before at best. That has been standard since I can remember

I think you'll find most of the top 4 will play strong sides unless they get paired against non league or lower league opposition.

Depends on who it is, any of the top four playing each other. Most definitely. Any of them playing Fulham or Charlton, you'd see at least four or five changes from the strongest available team.

Most top teams don't have a strongest 11, they tend to rotate anyway. One or two changes won't weaken the side much.

I recall Liverpool putting out a very strong side at Luton last season. If it's good enough for Liverpool it's good enough for Reading.

and they won the cup. As steve says if a top 4 side puts their mind to it and take it seriously they win it - whether or not reading play their best eleven

If that was the case then why didn't he play reserves sides against the top 4 in the league? If he believes Reading don't have a chance of beating them why risk first team players.

Games against them have shown Reading can compete and in a cup game stand a decent chance of beating them.

Well maybe he may play a stronger side than the one that will play against BURNLEY on Saturday?

don't believe all you read in the papers.

[Huntley & Palmer]

The article is a bit long and indepth for a misquotation AP. Even SC could not talk his way out of that one.

Interesting that he mentions the 'question marks over quite a few players' He must be looking to remove any deadwood from within the squad. Be it youth or senior in age

[readingbedding]

Liverpool: Carson, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Kewell, Gerrard, Sissoko (Sinama Pongolle 57), Alonso, Crouch (Kromkamp 79), Cisse (Warnock 89).
Subs Not Used: Hamann, Reina.

I'd call that their strongest side with the exception of Carson.

Benitez did that because they crashed in the 3rd round the year before.
Against Burnley I think it was, and Liverpool did play a weakened side against them in comparison.

[alad]

Liverpool: Carson, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Kewell, Gerrard, Sissoko (Sinama Pongolle 57), Alonso, Crouch (Kromkamp 79), Cisse (Warnock 89).
Subs Not Used: Hamann, Reina.

I'd call that their strongest side with the exception of Carson.

Benitez did that because they crashed in the 3rd round the year before.
Against Burnley I think it was.

Lesson learnt and he realised what the FA Cup means.

Coppell just seems to treat it as a distraction.

[URZZZZZZZZ]

Would of thought someone with as much experience of the cup as Coppell would take it more seriously. Its sad, but I look more forward to the draw than the matches these days.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

If that was the case then why didn't he play reserves sides against the top 4 in the league? If he believes Reading don't have a chance of beating them why risk first team players.

Games against them have shown Reading can compete and in a cup game stand a decent chance of beating them.

But thats the point - he wants to save his best players so they they are able to play against the big four - in the league. All he is focused on is 40 points and 35 million. I agree with him. Lets focus on getting those ten points and then think about the cup.

Lets say Doyle and Lita got badly injured after starting the match. Suddenly those 10 points wouldnt seem so near. yes thats unlikely - but surely no more likely than us getting to the final. Its our first season - lets get the points....