by rhroyal »
14 Mar 2009 17:30
My opinions have today changed about Coppell. I supported him throughout last season, had I lived in Reading I'd have happily joined the car park crew. However, there seems to be a huge problem with him. When the team is on the slide and in need of some inspiration it obviously doesn't come from the manager. If you think about our 2 good seasons, 05/06 and 06/07, it all just flowed and happened. Massive credit to Coppell for putting the side together, but once things began moving the spirit of the team and the familiarity were what brought us results.
In 04/05, last season and this season things haven't been quite as perfect. The team has hit a slump in January or so and every time there have been similar responses:
Stage 1) Keep picking the same team and hope it will sort itself out.
Stage 2) Make a few changes but keep the same key players in, and rotate the team until hopefully you find the right formula. Don't change the system.
Stage 3) We're not here yet. However I'm thinking of the Arsenal game last season where Coppell played an unknown formation which included De La Cruz, Convey, Kebe and a load of players you wouldn't expect, entirely irrationally.
Then there is the issue of Bikey right now. Duberry and Pearce started well. However, our last 6 games have the following goals conceded record:
2-1-1-2-2-1
That doesn't justify playing the same back 4 match on match. Bikey was in our team when we were on form earlier in the season, and if he doesn't start at Doncaster on Tuesday I will for the first time think that 20,000 or so Reading fans honestly know better than him on some issues.
The truth is until the end of the season Coppell is the right man, it would be crazy to change anything now. However it could well be time for him to walk at the end of the season.
My perfect solution would be to move him upstairs, to get him working with Hammond. I can't remember a Reading manager who's better in the transfer market and more capable of putting a team together. Just think about Kitson, Doyle & Long, Nunt, SHunt, Fedders, Bikey, Sonko, Doobs, Little and Ivar. Did they even come to £1mill between them? They have all been very important to our team in the Coppell era, and think about the profit on Sonks and Kits. Then consider all the bit-part, but equally important, players we've brought in on the cheap. Bryn, De La Cruz, Makin (he covered Shorey capably in 05/06) and a few others. A few more expensive transfers such as Convey, Lita and Matejovsky (still all cheap by most clubs' standards) have largely been beneficial to the team. Even when we consider Halford and Fae, there is no Reading manager ever with a better record in the transfer market.
However, he is not ruthless enough to be totally successful. He needs to drop players he likes if they're not plating well. He needs to learn that the you should always look at strengthening the squad even after success, however harsh it may seem to some players. You can't always afford players the chance to sort out the mess they've created. It would have shown great character from the squad last season if they had cleared up their own problems. It would have been a massive achievement in each of their individual careers. However they didn't, and it was a bad decision of Coppell to give them chance when there was always a good chance they'd fail. A distinct lack of ruthlessness in all these areas. Sir Alex still plays Scholes and Giggs, but make no mistake, that is only because they are capable. The day when they're over the hill SAF won't allow sentiments to stand in the way of success. I can't say the same about Coppell, and that is why he'll never be a great manager.
Then there is his one dimensional tactics. 4-4-2 come what may. Where's plan B? 5-4-1 against teams obviously better, but what when teams come to play 4-5-1 and stifle? What do we do then? We hope to score in the first 20 minutes and then run out of ideas. Then there is finally the issue that he has no charisma and sense of inspiration. If you're a player who's having a hard time all you can do is look across at the bench and see a manager who looks like a sad face drawn onto a scrotum.
So for me the answer is to bring in a new manager at the end of the season who can show the ruthless side and variation in tactics, with Coppell upstairs to work with him on transfers stuff.
