We drew 0-0, we're 8th - Let's find a scapegoat.

[Stranded]

Or equally, the "first team" could have lost to Man Utd or then lost at Boro as they did in the League at the end of Feb. It's something we'll never know.

[Behindu]

Nothing wrong with criticising Coppell.

But why is no one allowed to criticise your criticism ?

The FA Cup exit had little if anything to do with who Coppell selected, it was down to a dodgy 6 minutes defending.

It's a huge leap to suggest that 'if' Coppell had made on or 2 different selections we would be in the FA Cup final - even Man Utd aren't in the FA Cup final yet !

IF we had beaten Man Utd (big if) we'd still have had to beat Boro away (not easy), win a semi and then win a final - which could have been against Chelsea and Spurs.

Sorry for trying to answer your fishing expedition seriously by the way, but maybe behind the childishness there is a point to be responded to ?

[papereyes]

It would have definitely been alot easier to beat Boro and Watford that it will be to get results at Bolton, Spurs, Blackburn and at home to Newcastle and Liverpool.

As shown by the loss at Boro' shortly before the game against Manchester United.

[Katie Marsden]

We played badly and still should have got at least a draw in that game.

In one off cup games it would have been easier to beat Boro and Watford than it will be to finish 6th or 7th.

Behindu, I don't mind constructive critism at all. Just seems the fishing excuse is a very easy bail out option for certain people that can't argue against my point.

I'm sorry if some fans want the club to challenge and win things instead of just making up the numbers like we have done for the majority of our history.

[Behindu]

Your point is entirely theoretical though.

Coppell picks his teams and I don't especially think his selections have been responsible for defeats.

His approach has paid huge dividends because it has enabled us to develop a squad that has seen us cope with major injuries this season and last.

IF we had beaten Man Utd (huge if) then you cannot claim we would have won the cup - who knows how the draw would have panned out !

Coppell also makes his decisions without the benefit of hindsight. As he himself has pointed out his selections have hardly been 'weak' sides and even his cup team has been packed with experienced internationals and plenty of first teamers.

And if accusations of 'fishing' are to be avoided don't you need to build an arguement rather than just fling accusations of cock ups around ?

[papereyes]

Hindsight United is the best team the world has ever seen.

[Katie Marsden]

Your point is entirely theoretical though.

Coppell picks his teams and I don't especially think his selections have been responsible for defeats.

His approach has paid huge dividends because it has enabled us to develop a squad that has seen us cope with major injuries this season and last.

IF we had beaten Man Utd (huge if) then you cannot claim we would have won the cup - who knows how the draw would have panned out !

Coppell also makes his decisions without the benefit of hindsight. As he himself has pointed out his selections have hardly been 'weak' sides and even his cup team has been packed with experienced internationals and plenty of first teamers.

And if accusations of 'fishing' are to be avoided don't you need to build an arguement rather than just fling accusations of cock ups around ?

The selection and tactics were to blame for the replay defeat. As soon as Lita came on the game changed and it changed even more when Little entered the fray. Theres no doubt that if Little and Lita had started that game we would have got a result, Man Utd were very poor and fielded the weakest side they've put out in years. They played a stronger team at Southend and got beat, that puts some perspective on things.

I didn't claim we would have won the Cup, but theres a good chance we would have gone very close and probably qualified for the UEFA Cup even if we lost the final. It annoys me some fans are happy to settle for third best, in football you have to grab every chance that presents itself because you might not get that chance again.

Coppell also made some comments after the game Saturday about not being ready for Europe due to squad size. That was plain rubbish as Boro proved last season. They didn't have the biggest squad and got to the final with Mclaren in charge who the majority of fans believe is totally inept. Coppell would also have the whole of the summer to add to the current squad.

Hindsight United is the best team the world has ever seen.

Stick to AE.

[Stranded]

I can see where you are coming from KM - but if he'd played the strongest team from the outset - ie at Old Trafford we may never have even got the replay in the first instance. Unless you back his judgement in the first game but question it in the second?

[papereyes]

Hindsight United is the best team the world has ever seen.

Stick to AE.

Just because you don't like an argument ...

[Victor Meldrew]

Ihave to agree with darling Katie and Huntley on this.
Surely the idea of playing is to aim for the stars and for a club like Reading that surely means qualifying for the EUFA Cup either by reaching a domestic cup final or by finishing about 7th in the division.
I do think that we missed a great opportunity in the FA Cup partly by the club's attitude towards the competition which may well have affected the attitude of the players ,whoever was picked.

If we reach the UEFA Cup this season how many games would we expect to play?
2 probably or maybe a few more.
Do we really need a massively increased squad to satisfy a few extra games?
We can always throw the League Cup again and the FA Cup if we make progress in Europe and what a great experience it would be for our players and fun for our fans.
Much as I love and respect Steve I thought he sounded a bit Billy Smalltime in today's Press when talking about travel in Europe-FFS Heathrow is on our doorstep Steve and buying a few tickets for players to travel for a few hours is no big deal-people actually do it every day and most of the competitors will be not much further away than Newcastle or Middlesborough!!.
Go for it,we may never get another chance.

[Katie Marsden]

Hindsight United is the best team the world has ever seen.

Stick to AE.

Just because you don't like an argument ...

Care to break down your arguement?

Hindsight United is the best team the world has ever seen.

I tried but I'm having some trouble. It seems to be some sort of sarcastic comment trying to be funny. What am I missing? Please explain your 'arguement'

Behindu and Stranded have both put forward their arguements and I've responded.

Stranded, the fact we got a draw at Old Trafford wasn't down to the side he picked. We lacked quality going forward and only scored from a set piece. Again I feel a stronger side might well have got a win there as United looked dodgy at the back but we never tested them.

Victor Meldew makes some good comments. Coppell sounds at times like he doesn't fancy Europe because it's more hassle for him. He's quite happy to plod along in the league and play weak sides in the cups. Part of me wonders whether his limitations as a manager are behind all this lack of ambition.

[papereyes]

Hindsight United is the best team the world has ever seen.

Stick to AE.

Just because you don't like an argument ...

Care to break down your arguement?

Hindsight United is the best team the world has ever seen.

I tried but I'm having some trouble. It seems to be some sort of sarcastic comment trying to be funny. What am I missing? Please explain your 'arguement'

Oh, its two-fold.

One - easy to make judgements after the matter. We can all say "Should have played this, should have played that". Coppell stuck to his guns.

Knowing what has happened makes those decisions much easier.

You are well aware of that.

Two - its a reversal of a comment you have made elsewhere. You threw away someone's comment because you didn't agree with it, yet you yourself remarked that people shouldn't do that.

Again, you are well aware of that.

As for Coppell's decisions - I think he should have strengthened round by round. But then again, he made it clear he was going to give his reserve players a chance. Would it be bad for him in the grand scheme of things to turn back on what he said? Possibly. Is it beneficial to see where our reserve players' playing standards actually are? Certainly yes.

Did we know how much of a chance we had? Much harder to say. Federici doesn't make one mistake and its only 2-0.

Is it easier to get into Europe through the league than the cup? Given the nature of the cup, its not as clear-cut as has been made out. You yourself said it'd be easy to beat Middlesboro' yet recent results would disagree. Watford - a side we've not beaten in the last few attempts. A harder draw in the next round and nothing has been achieved.

More to come tomorrow. I have to leave.

[Katie Marsden]

To be honest papereyes we both share more or less the same view on this one. I never said it would be clear cut to win the FA Cup, just think we would have had a very good chance of reaching the final.

I also think playing a first choice side and trying to win a cup is more beneficial than testing out fringe players especially when they have already had plenty of games this season in the league cup and earlier rounds of the FA Cup.

[Behindu]

Coppell doesn;t select his sides to 'test out' fringe players.

Your arguement is fatally flawed if you think that !

Coppell looks at the 'bigger picture' and by making sure the likes of Oster, Hunt, Gunnarsson, Bikey, Long etc have had games he ensures they are full squad members. He doesn;t need to 'test' them, but he does need to give them a feeling of being part of the squad.

I would say his record over the last 2 seasons and the way the 'fringe' players have regularly stepped in when needed and performed superbly shows the benefit of his approach.

I'd also question the assumption that he fields a 'weak' team. He fields a different team, but frankly I don't think the sides he has put out in the cup have been weak.

I have no doubt that he ways the pros and cons of including each player and has sen plenty more pros for 'his' way than cons.

And it's amusing to see Victor telling us the club has to want to win things and at the same time telling us a UEFA cup spot would only mean 2 games !! Surtely we'd be aiming to win and playing 20 games !!!