Steve Coppell and the FA Cup

[Huntley & Palmer]

Interview in the Daily Mail

FA Cup an afterthought for Reading
By IAN GIBB

Last updated at 22:34pm on 4th January 2007

Reader comments (0)


League takes priority: Steve Coppell

Reading's six-goal heroes, fresh from their New Year's Day wrecking of West Ham, could have been forgiven for dreaming of FA Cup glory - but the closest they'll get is the stands at new Wembley.

Because manager Steve Coppell will leave them kicking their heels in frustration in favour of his fringe squad - even if they do a Millwall and go all the way to the Final, starting at home to Championship side Burnley tomorrow.

When it was pointed out to Coppell that his first teamers might just fancy themselves for a shot at the Cup Final, having all but guaranteed Premiership survival already, the Reading manager simply said: "I can get them tickets, no problem!"

So the likes of Kevin Doyle, Steve Sidwell and Marcus Hahnemann will have to take a back seat to less heralded names like Sam Sodje, Andre Bikey and Adam Federici.

Coppell makes no apologies, even though he would never have dreamed of playing less than his best side when he took Crystal Palace all the way to the Final in 1990.

He said: "I admit, quite frankly, that my priority is the Premiership. If our team of fringe players progress on Saturday, they will carry on. And if they did make it to the Final? They would play, 100 per cent."

It is not a message that will go down well with the FA or their sponsors of the world's most famous knockout competition but Coppell is adamant.

He added: "No disrespect to Burnley because I would have done this if we'd have been playing Arsenal at home or any of the big clubs. It's just something I've had on my mind since the third round draw was made.

"The Premiership is my permanent Cup Final every week.

"We won't be remembered for what we do in the FA Cup this season. This club's been in the FA Cup for 136 years - they haven't been in the Premiership for 136 years. That is our priority, I make no bones about it.

"If any of the big clubs decide to make a concentrated effort to win the FA Cup, they're going to win it.

"It has changed since my days at Palace. I don't think it's fashion, just the way things have developed. Priorities are slightly different now. I just look at the season."

So has the FA Cup been devalued? "It has certainly been eroded over time, definitely. But there is something very, very special and significant about FA Cup third round day. There are always upsets, but that just depends on what constitutes an upset these days. And I still want us to win."

Though Coppell has yet to decide on his team he admits: "There will be significant changes. We have a reasonably sized squad but there are question marks over quite a few players.

"I have got to find out about them in the intensity of first team games, that's where you really find people out, rather than just continue with the core players all the time.

"I would like the opportunity to see players in the heat of the kitchen. I've got to see the big picture of the season and it is a patchwork quilt. I have got to spread the load.

"It's the way I've done things in the past. The players understand where I am coming from and they will be accepting of it. For the ones who are not playing it's like a busman's holiday."

One advantage for Reading in resting the majority of first team regulars is that Coppell can bring back long term absentees like striker Dave Kitson and winger Bobby Convey.

Kitson hasn't featured since a bad challenge by Middlesbrough's Chris Riggott put him out with ligament damage on the first day of the season, after hitting 43 goals in just 75 Championship starts including promotion, following his £150,000 move from Cambridge United.

"If there is no reaction to their training session they will play some part and be in the 16-man squad," said Coppell.

This is exactly why I will never watch a Reading Cup game whilst Coppell is in charge. Don't get me wrong, I am not having a pop here at all. I know most fans dream of a long Cup run from season to season but unfortunately the magic of reaching the latter stages of this or the League Cup hold no importance to this football club. A great shame but the money of the Premier League walks the walk and talks the talk.

[Maguire]

It oxf*rd me off to be honest - there's no way I'm paying to watch something that's a reserve fixture in all but name. If he won't take it seriously then neither will I.

[Platypuss]

As I said in the other thread - what's the point in being in the Prem if you're not going to try and win something?

[Huntley & Palmer]

It does raise the question though, how are RFC playing this? Surely Coppell's statement is one shared by the club as a whole. Therefore no-one really gives two tosses about it being a reserve side and that they EXPECT to go out of the competition as early as possible.

It's almost like it is a hinderance, which really hacks me off as far as the FA Cup goes. If you ignore the top four and look at the next six clubs, that includes us as having a shot at it and we have avoided a relatively tough draw against minnows or another Prem club.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

I think he is right - we shouldnt worry about it unlessl we reach the quarter finals. We get £35 million for staying up this season.... its a no brainer.....

[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. If they take it seriously then so should every other club.

Reading have a good chance to do well in it but yet again the pathetic antics of Coppell have shown the club up. It's insular beyond belief. Just like when England thought they were above entering the early world cups.

Survival is almost assured, so why not take it seriously?

It's only an extra 5 games if you reach the final.

I'm sure players paid stupid wages can play a few more games.

[Alan Partridge]

I actually look forward to these games, this is a chance to see the likes of Federici, Golbourne, maybe Hayes or a James Henry, some of the fringe players we never see in a competitive match. It shows the strength or lack of depth in the squad.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Tell that to the 16,000 mugs that have had to cough out for Saturday. A league season isn't all about playing the so called best teams, it's nice to have a break to go and watch your team play at Doncaster or Scunthorpe or wherever. For the nostalgia value alone it is priceless, for the ability to stand there on that terrace or at home and say to yourself 'Look how far we have come in such a short space of time'

[Maguire]

I think he is right - we shouldnt worry about it unlessl we reach the quarter finals. We get £35 million for staying up this season.... its a no brainer.....

If we were second from bottom I'd be more inclined to agree with you, but we're ninth with 30pts and it's only January 5th.

[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. If they take it seriously then so should every other club.

Reading have a good chance to do well in it but yet again the pathetic antics of Coppell have shown the club up. It's insular beyond belief. Just like when England thought they were above entering the early world cups.

Survival is almost assured, so why not take it seriously?

It's only an extra 5 games if you reach the final.

I'm sure players paid stupid wages can play a few more games.

What about when Man Utd pulled out of it altogether to go on holiday in Brazil?

I'd like to see us win, but I'm looking forward to Saturday, looking forward to seeing some of these guys play.

[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.

[Gav]

I think he is right - we shouldnt worry about it unlessl we reach the quarter finals. We get £35 million for staying up this season.... its a no brainer.....

If we were second from bottom I'd be more inclined to agree with you, but we're ninth with 30pts and it's only January 5th.

We did the same last season...

Had we not ignored the cups, would we have broken so many records we perhaps shouldn't have? Possibly not. This season, will we sneak into Europe while other clubs have their eye on the F.A. cup? Possibly.

A weak argument I know, but I'm sure you get the sentiment.

[Huntley & Palmer]

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.

[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. If they take it seriously then so should every other club.

Reading have a good chance to do well in it but yet again the pathetic antics of Coppell have shown the club up. It's insular beyond belief. Just like when England thought they were above entering the early world cups.

Survival is almost assured, so why not take it seriously?

It's only an extra 5 games if you reach the final.

I'm sure players paid stupid wages can play a few more games.

What about when Man Utd pulled out of it altogether to go on holiday in Brazil?

I'd like to see us win, but I'm looking forward to Saturday, looking forward to seeing some of these guys play.

Agree with that - seeing Federici will be interesting - and I hope henry or Hayes get a run out

[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

[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. If they take it seriously then so should every other club.

Reading have a good chance to do well in it but yet again the pathetic antics of Coppell have shown the club up. It's insular beyond belief. Just like when England thought they were above entering the early world cups.

Survival is almost assured, so why not take it seriously?

It's only an extra 5 games if you reach the final.

I'm sure players paid stupid wages can play a few more games.

What about when Man Utd pulled out of it altogether to go on holiday in Brazil?

I'd like to see us win, but I'm looking forward to Saturday, looking forward to seeing some of these guys play.

The FA pressured them and they got untold stick for it. If given a choice they would have entered the FA Cup. I'm not sure they wanted to travel half the way around the world and play games in 100 degree heat in the name of a glorified tournament no one cared about. The FA wanted them to enter as it would have reflected badly on the FA's World Cup bid had they not.

It was a one off and they have taken it seriously since then as they always had done before, alot of Manchester Uniteds history is tied up in the FA Cup and they remain the club who has won it the most.

It's a different situation to the one Reading find themselves in.

Fair enough play a handful of reserves but to come out and say what he has done is wrong. It's not a case of survival v FA Cup. It's not one or the other.

[Alan Partridge]

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.

[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.

[The Rouge]

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

So why can't we play an understrength side considering we have lower league opposition at home?

Our team isn't going to be made of duffers, and the guys playing will want to win, it's also their opportunity to impress. If Federici has a good game who's to say he can't challenge Marcus? Sodje needs 90mins, likewise Bikey. Shane Long will get better for another 90mins first team football and then hopefully the youngsters will get a go. I REALLY hope Hayes gets a chance at some stage down the left.