Sir Steve and Europe , spot on as usual

[Gunny Fishcake]

Taken from the BBC Sport Website , the man is a god and I for one totally agree with him .........

Coppell plays down European bid

Coppell says a Uefa Cup place can be a burden
Reading manager Steve Coppell has questioned the benefit of clinching a Uefa Cup place, with his side still in the running for a European berth.
The Premiership debutants are eighth in the top flight - only two points adrift of sixth place and a position that would book a Uefa Cup berth.

But Coppell said: "We're not geared up for Europe.

"It would be too heavy a load in our development, which would not be good for us."

Coppell confirmed that the club would not be entering the Intertoto Cup if the opportunity arose and says the strains on the squad are his main reason for not being keen on playing in Europe.

It's been a burden to a lot of clubs and we can't afford to have that burden - It's a real conundrum for our future

Reading boss Steve Coppell

He added: "You can only challenge with a seriously deep squad.

"We would not get value and our concern is just playing our cup finals every weekend in the Premiership.

"We would have to add numbers and if you do that it can upset things. That would concern me.

"We've got to work with a tight unit because that's what we are about."

Southampton manager George Burley led former club Ipswich to fifth place in 2000-2001 after the club were promoted to the Premiership the previous season.

The lofty position ensured they qualified for the Uefa Cup but the added pressure of a European campaign arguably led to their relegation the following season.

Coppell said: "George told me that you can go into Europe too early. The odds are against you.

"With the way the Uefa Cup is formed you might get a couple of games in eastern Europe to start so there is no real television revenue and you lose money because you have had to get more players.

"It's been a burden to a lot of clubs and we can't afford to have that burden. It's a real conundrum for our future."

[biscuitman]

No TV revenue in Eastern Europe but an away game in Prague would be magic

[zac naloen]

No TV revenue in Eastern Europe but an away game in Prague would be magic

Can you wait another year for the squad to develop?


I've been saying for a while. Europe could be fun, but it could also undo all the hard work that's been done.

Is that a risk worth taking for one season of European football?

[1960]

A question. Seeing that I'd love to see Reading end up in the top six or seven, but am a bit worried like Sir Steven about Europe: are you allowed to opt out of Europe if you finish high enough but are unwilling to take part? Or would the FA allow you to dip out but would never ever invite you again?

[readingbedding]

Liverpool managed to do this in the mid 80's, the Club didn't have much to do with it mind.

[Chaney]

my main concern is that all we want to do is survive while we are in the top flight, playing weakened sides in the cups and not wanting to qualify for Europe is all well and good, but when does it stop?, the club as to move on and look to start winning things or the new fans we have now will desert us a quickly as they appeared

[Ian Royal]

Europe would be good experience for the likes of A Fed, Golbourne, Hayes, Halford, Cox, Long and co though.

I'd be happy to see us play the reserves as with the cups.

But I understand Coppell's position, partial expectation management though it is.

[SpaceCruiser]

my main concern is that all we want to do is survive while we are in the top flight, playing weakened sides in the cups and not wanting to qualify for Europe is all well and good, but when does it stop?, the club as to move on and look to start winning things or the new fans we have now will desert us a quickly as they appeared

When our squad is big enough to cope, I think.

[higher]

If the club qualify for Europe perhaps they could let a hobnob squad have a go.Bagsy I dont go in goal.

[toppy]

If the club qualify for Europe perhaps they could let a hobnob squad have a go.Bagsy I dont go in goal.

I'll be the creative one in mid-field

[West Stand Man]

Europe would be good experience for the likes of A Fed, Golbourne, Hayes, Halford, Cox, Long and co though.

I'd be happy to see us play the reserves as with the cups.

But I understand Coppell's position, partial expectation management though it is.

It could be done without much increase in squad size if the club applied a similar policy to that run this year.

A Team = Prem league (exactly as this year)
B Team = FA and UEFA Cups (simply exchanging League Cup for UEFA, but using the same basic squad as this time)
C Team = League Cup (this could be a largely youth based team like the normal reserve league side)

We might expect a relatively short sojourn in the Laegue Cup, but what the hell. It would realistic to assume that we would only be expected to have a brief run at EUFA in our first season, so this would be useful experience for the second string. It also sees the true first team focussed on the Premier League, which has to be the priority for some years to come.

Whatever, I am sure that there is contingency planning going on in SC's mind to find a way to deal with the UEFA conundrum should it happen.

[Seal]

My only concern is that these comments from Coppell almost come across as suggesting he doesn't want us to qualify for Europe, and therefore finish high up the league table.

This mindset could feed through to the players, and as a result they may take their foot of the gas too. As a result we will slip down the league table. Baring in mind how much extra prize money you get the higher you finish in the Premier League, this could lose us a lot of cash.

[Stranded]

He still regularly says his only target is winning the next game and this is I'm sure all they focus on in training.

[Arch]

Europe would be good experience for the likes of A Fed, Golbourne, Hayes, Halford, Cox, Long and co though.

I'd be happy to see us play the reserves as with the cups.

But I understand Coppell's position, partial expectation management though it is.

It could be done without much increase in squad size if the club applied a similar policy to that run this year.

A Team = Prem league (exactly as this year)
B Team = FA and UEFA Cups (simply exchanging League Cup for UEFA, but using the same basic squad as this time)
C Team = League Cup (this could be a largely youth based team like the normal reserve league side)

We might expect a relatively short sojourn in the Laegue Cup, but what the hell. It would realistic to assume that we would only be expected to have a brief run at EUFA in our first season, so this would be useful experience for the second string. It also sees the true first team focussed on the Premier League, which has to be the priority for some years to come.

Whatever, I am sure that there is contingency planning going on in SC's mind to find a way to deal with the UEFA conundrum should it happen.

Why not B team for all three cups? It's been a good policy in terms of getting quality playing time for many players we've subsequently had to call on in the league. In many ways, the only downside has been there haven't been enough of those games, so an extra tournament - 2 or 4 games or whatever - wouldn't go amiss.

[Reading_Royal]

No europe = sidwell not staying!

Coppell either thinks if we don't get europe, find a replacement or its mind games and really he'll love to see us there and we know he would like sidwell to stay.

Only way he is thinking is europe i suspect! just not letting on to the national press.

[Rax]

Don't believe a word of it - Sir Steve is a master of this game, let's face it - this time last year he point blank refused to accept we were going up..... and we all know what happened next!

Enjoy the ride, kids!!

[paultheroyal]

If that is to be the approach for the remainder of the season...i.e. not to qualify for europe....and the fact we are safe from relegation, surely the time has come to make wholesale changes and give a number of the new signings and young players a real run-out?

[Katie Marsden]

He's hardly spot on.

Boro got to the final with a fairly average squad last season so it shows his comment about needing a big squad to do well is plain wrong.

Another big factor is if we qualify for Europe we will be able to attract much better players in the summer. This is being over looked, the factor of European football will have a massive impact on who we sign especially as 3 or 4 clubs tend to go after the same player.

[Horsham Royal]

A question. Seeing that I'd love to see Reading end up in the top six or seven, but am a bit worried like Sir Steven about Europe: are you allowed to opt out of Europe if you finish high enough but are unwilling to take part? Or would the FA allow you to dip out but would never ever invite you again?

As has since been pointed out you can always play the youth team or ... just throw the first tie.

[Woodcote Royal]

No europe = sidwell not staying!

Coppell either thinks if we don't get europe, find a replacement or its mind games and really he'll love to see us there and we know he would like sidwell to stay.

Only way he is thinking is europe i suspect! just not letting on to the national press.

Or, he might be thinking that our world doesn't revolve around Steve Sidwell and knows that europe would be a bridge too far for us next season.

We've already achieved everything any of us dared to hope for back in the summer and I really can't see Coppell wanting to take his team on a tour of some of the worst spots on the continent from which we would have little to gain and so much to lose.