It is one man's fault

[cmonurz]

New manager required - needs to do something when game plan is exposed as weak and no other answers provided

Very hard to do when you can only call on what you have, any mistakes have been in the past surely?

3-5-2? Maybe 3-4-1-2, playing Kitson in 'the hole'? Bikey as a Macherano-style midfielder in front of the back four? Henry on the right? Pearce in defence rather than a midfielder? All examples of things Coppell might have tried with existing personnel, but hasn't.

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

Coppell has openly said that he does not know what his best team is - not the sign of someone who is control.

Every manager should know what his best team is surely - ah well next season in the Champioship does it matter!

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

We are where we are because of our transfer policy.

Coppell's transfer policy.

While it's impossible to truly know what would have happened, imo if we'd adequately replaced Sidwell and Little, while actually improving in other areas too, we would not be 3rd from bottom with one game to go.

[cmonurz]

The reason Coppell doesn't know what his best team is because he hasn't acquired any stand-out players.

[earleyroyal]

And that man is Steve Coppell

1. He decides we need no investment in the summer - Valid, although you don't know what was there to invest (transfer fees and wages)
2. He decides we need no investment in the winter - Valid, this has been his biggest mistake although similarly he might have had 3 million or 30 million, we can't tell

3. His subs are too late - A fair criticism, he makes subs for late impact and they do sometimes work, but not too often.

4. His team selection is crap - Strength and weakness - his consistent, settled selections helped to build one of the best teams around in 2005-2007, his selections this year have been poor. Too loyal to certain players (last season it was rightly loyal, this season too loyal)

5. He has personal vendettas against certain people - we don't know what goes on behind the scenes but I think this fits in with team selection issues, he does seem to have blind spots - why was Bikey not a regular? Why was Lita not picked? etc.

6. He has love affairs with others - playground point but there may be some truth in it, I've tried to see the good in Harper but I don't think he justifies a place, yet he's picked every week.

If we go down it is his fault, some will blame the chairman, but the money has always been there.....it is coppell who has refused to spend it - don't know this for a fact. I think the chairman has to shoulder some blame for not providing the funds, but we don't know - this isn't Football Manager where every team has a budget which everyone can see

The theme these days seems to be 'only as good as your last performance/month/season' and I think Coppell would admit he has made mistakes in transfers and team selection, but let's not forget his incredible work of the 2 years before that. I think he will leave if/when we go down, this has been a bad season to end with (if he does) but I hope the fans at Derby give him a fantastic send-off in appreciation of his work at this club.

[2.8 lita injection]

In coppells defence he had a team that over achieved last season, so he had a choice to keep the players & the spirit that had done so well or take it apart to make so called progress but lose most of what he had built up in the last 3 seasons......

This is all in hindsight.

[AthleticoSpizz]

In coppells defence he had a team that over achieved last season, so he had a choice to keep the players & the spirit that had done so well or take it apart to make so called progress but lose most of what he had built up in the last 3 seasons......

This is all in hindsight.

and he made his choice (in the name of football...........and giving players something to aspire to) quite rightly so


ok, stay up or drop, I have enjoyed it.................all of my dreams exceeded mainly by the team that got us here.


Next season in the Premiershi7 will eventually bring the team changes that you crave


We do it different at Reading

[2.8 lita injection]

In coppells defence he had a team that over achieved last season, so he had a choice to keep the players & the spirit that had done so well or take it apart to make so called progress but lose most of what he had built up in the last 3 seasons......

This is all in hindsight.

and he made his choice (in the name of football...........and giving players something to aspire to) quite rightly so


ok, stay up or drop, I have enjoyed it.................all of my dreams exceeded mainly by the team that got us here.


Next season in the Premiershi7 will eventually bring the team changes that you crave


We do it different at Reading

A refreshing post.

I actually hate the premiership as it is fixed before it starts, the same 4 that sell the league around the world will be top 4 but it was nice to dream of something different....

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

In coppells defence he had a team that over achieved last season, so he had a choice to keep the players & the spirit that had done so well or take it apart to make so called progress but lose most of what he had built up in the last 3 seasons......

This is all in hindsight.

and he made his choice (in the name of football...........and giving players something to aspire to) quite rightly so


ok, stay up or drop, I have enjoyed it.................all of my dreams exceeded mainly by the team that got us here.


Next season in the Premiershi7 will eventually bring the team changes that you crave


We do it different at Reading

I'm sorry but that just doesn't cut it in my imo.

It's a disservice to how good we were last season to simply put it down to over achievement. We lost the spine of our midfield , while to rest of the team has got stale.

The right 3 - 4 player would have solved that imo. The squad has never needed big changes, just the right additions.

[Ian Royal]

That's just it - Coppell has the players to get us out of this mess, he's just refused to use them.

Convey is a far better foil for Shorey on the left, Cisse is stronger defensively than Harper and would partner Matejovsky efficiently. However, week after week the manager prefers to pick his favourites even though they aren't doing the business, which makes it even more unforgivable that we're going down.

You really are mad arn't you!?

He played Convey, bar Liverpool and Arsenal he was leightweight and poor, failed to beat his man, tackle or delivery balls to the strikers. He played Cisse, he is a better tackler than Harper, but is next to useless going forward and is nowhere good enough to play midfield on what he has shown. Marek is quality, but he can't cover enough of the pitch quickly enough and is just as incapable of tackling as Harper. Maybe Marek and Bikey would work as a partnership.

[AthleticoSpizz]

ok dancin' Doe

we all know that 3 or 4 excellent players would've got us to Europe....of course we do

but who deserved to be shipped out after 2006/2007 & 2007/2008 seasons to help pay for them ?


to me, Copps paid homage and quite correctly gave them their stage

I enjoy my footy.........not just successful footy

[URZZZZZZZZ]

Sadly I agree with Winchy, it is Copps fault where we are in the league, and it is up to him and his players to rescue us from disaster, and it was also him that took us to these dizzy heights, and for that I shall be eternally grateful, is it time for him to go at the end of the season, who knows, but I have posted before, that I think it is, and I also think that we should find him a permanant football position at RFC.

Winner of the most long winded sentence ever!!

[Alan Partridge]

ok dancin' Doe

we all know that 3 or 4 excellent players would've got us to Europe....of course we do

but who deserved to be shipped out after 2006/2007 & 2007/2008 seasons to help pay for them ?


to me, Copps paid homage and quite correctly gave them their stage

I enjoy my footy.........not just successful footy

Coppell had an excuse to keep all of them and 'give them the stage' in the summer, what's his excuse for January when our shortcomings were so obvious?

[shadesrwrf]

ALOL

[Coppelled Streets]

Coppell shot himself in the foot with this one. He has said both quotes below this season almost word for word.

"I had money to spend but didn't feel we needed to use it, I had faith in the players we already have here"

Then....

"We're punching way above our weight"

No shit Sherlock. That kinda means you should spend te money made available to you!!

[Upper West?!?]

What a bunch of sh*te you spout about Coppell. I don't believe it takes RTG to recognise what Coppell has achieved for this club. What was unachievable for 135 years, he achieved, but now he's no good and was just "lucky".

Where have we heard this cr*p before? Oh yes, Big Sam has taken Bolton as far as he can, we need a new manager. Harry has taken West Ham as far as we can, we need a new manager. ...

I'm seriously fcuked off with the blame culture on this board. Do you really think a new manager is going to help? Do you really think you poorly informed, irrational and idiotic opinions are better than Coppell's? If you do, then you need help mate.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I enjoy my footy.........not just successful footy

[cmonurz]

we all know that 3 or 4 excellent players would've got us to Europe....of course we do

but who deserved to be shipped out after 2006/2007 & 2007/2008 seasons to help pay for them ?

No-one, but that's tough sh*t. That's exactly the small club attitude that has put us in this position this season.

[2.8 lita injection]

I really dont understand the people who want coppell out, they probably have sky & play football manager so everything is short term.

Coppell has taken Reading further than any other manager, he has a bad season but we know he is capable and i dont see how sacking him is going to take Reading forward.

Out of interest who should replace coppell ?

[cmonurz]

I really dont understand the people who want coppell out, they probably have sky & play football manager so everything is short term.

Coppell has taken Reading further than any other manager, he has a bad season but we know he is capable and i dont see how sacking him is going to take Reading forward.

Out of interest who should replace coppell ?

Should we stick with the same players next season if we stay up? These players have taken us further than any other players, they have had a bad season but we know what they are capable of.....

It's a ridiculous argument - we have gone backwards this season, and I don't feel any sense of loyalty to Coppell or the players, not at all after today's wretched performance.