Coppell's lack of ambition

Millsy · by **Millsy** » 07 May 2007 16:27

Coppell has mroe long term ambition by being sensible about our current limitations and wanting to build up slowly.

Launching into something before we're prepared shows extreme shortsightedness and might ruin oru ambition.

Man Friday · by **Man Friday** » 07 May 2007 18:41

re the money for the league positions - what's the point if we will never win anything. We may end up the richest club in the league but haven't won anything. I'd rather some sort of middle ground where we stay afloat financially but by the end of the decade have won a cup or two. Otherwise, what's the point of it all?

brendywendy · by **brendywendy** » 07 May 2007 18:49

its funny but you never got threads like this in div two!

imagine if everyone had just gone, "oh bugger, whats the point of it all" when we got relegated the year we moved from elm park

or during all those years of football, where not only did we win nowt, but we had no chance of winning nowt

at leats now there is a chance, no matter how small

Berthwaite · by **Berthwaite** » 08 May 2007 12:36

If SSC had not wanted the team to win against Watford, he would not have included Sidwell.

Sidwell, as we all know, is leaving in the summer and so would be sure to play his very best to ensure that everyone watching from other Premiership teams saw him in the best possible light. The better he played, the more they would rate him and his next season's wages would be enhanced.

I am over the moon at our performance this season - it may not be as magical as last, but I rate it a much superior achievement.

No ambition? Ridiculous.

Platypuss · by **Platypuss** » 08 May 2007 12:53

Berthwaite If SSC had not wanted to include him in his last ever home game for Reading, he would not have included Sidwell.

May also be close to the mark.

Row V · by **Row V** » 08 May 2007 13:01

Sir Steve is the most succesful manager we've ever had in terms of league position. He's done us proud this year in the league and cup.

For oxf*rd's sake get behind the guy, not on him!

Berthwaite · by **Berthwaite** » 08 May 2007 13:05

Platypuss
Berthwaite If SSC had not wanted to include him in his last ever home game for Reading, he would not have included Sidwell.

May also be close to the mark.

Now, I don't mind you making your point, but you should not twist what I said to make it.

Such distortion of my post is not worthy of a moderator.

Man Friday · by **Man Friday** » 08 May 2007 16:49

That's my point, Brendy Wendy, there is now a chance - so don't ruin it by playing weakened sides for the cups. The cups are our only chances of silverware. Let's go for them whilst we can.

brendywendy · by **brendywendy** » 08 May 2007 17:14

maybe we will give them more of a go next year, or the one after

but this year it was entirely right to go about it as we have

Man Friday · by **Man Friday** » 09 May 2007 12:16

Agreed.

Ian Royal · by **Ian Royal** » 09 May 2007 12:27

I think some people either are really thick or struggle to remember that we have more 3 good players these days.

It's not like the Burns era when if we played our reserves the only point in turning up would be to see who wins the sweepstake on how badly we lose.

We have about 15 - 16 players of around about premiership quality, if not more. Coppell gives all of them as many minutes as he can to make our squad as effective as he can over a season.

Football is no longer just a case of playing your 11 best players every game. It's far too intense and draining to do that anymore. It's now about keeping as many of your best players as fit and in form as possible. That means rotating the squad where you can and giving those not currently featuring in the starting line up a chance to prove themselves and tkeep themselves match ready.

Dr Hfuhruhurr · by **Dr Hfuhruhurr** » 09 May 2007 12:35

If we had wanted to deliberately avoid Europe, we wouldnt have scored 3 times in the last ten minutes at the Reebok.

I as much as anyone am disappointed that we lost the 'statistically easiest' game of the season 2-0, but its more than likely that we didnt plan to. Of course, the greatest shame is that we never had to win both games to qualify anyway. This gives us a squeak at Blackburn, but we'll have to win it, and, tbh, I dont think we will.

But getting back to Coppell's 'lack of ambition' - in fact he is being ambitious. His ambition is to become a premiership club rather than a tourist club in this league. In fact it is ambitious to want to be 'Aston Villa' because they have the luxury to have a go at the cups because they will always have a good chance of getting the requisite points in the league. I wouldnt be surprised at all if we have modified our ambitions from being the 'New Charlton' to being the 'New Aston Villa'.

Personally, I dont care whether we are a premiership club or not, but I suspect Im in a minority. However if we become a comfortable premiership side like Villa, i think that is creditworthy.

Id rather that than become ambitious and fall into the Championship with an overstretched wage bill.

Jaques Francais · by **Jaques Francais** » 09 May 2007 12:56

Oh how I wish we had the ambition of Leeds circa 2001...

The people now complaining about Sir Steve's lack of ambition are the ones who would be complaining if we had gone all out in the cups and as a result been in a relegation position, saying "Steve should have focused on Premiership consolidation". I suspect they are also the same conspiracists who suggested that Mr Mad didn't want Premiership status for the club because being in the Top Flight is "too expensive".

I am surprised this thread has lasted so long TBH.

Yorkshire Royal · by **Yorkshire Royal** » 09 May 2007 13:02

I think it's fair to say that Reading FC has a large share of fans who are clearly nobheads. However I wonder as a percentage, if we are worse off, or better off then other teams...

Jaques Francais · by **Jaques Francais** » 09 May 2007 13:05

Yorkshire Royal I think it's fair to say that Reading FC has a large share of fans who are clearly nobheads. However I wonder as a percentage, if we are worse off, or better off then other teams...

Well Chelsea have 98.235%, so I would say we are better off myself. However, the percentage of idiots still annoy me. I don't mind discussion, but this one should be put to bed. Mainly because I am always right.

Scarface · by **Scarface** » 09 May 2007 13:44

Berthwaite If SSC had not wanted the team to win against Watford, he would not have included Sidwell.

Sidwell, as we all know, is leaving in the summer and so would be sure to play his very best to ensure that everyone watching from other Premiership teams saw him in the best possible light. The better he played, the more they would rate him and his next season's wages would be enhanced.

I am over the moon at our performance this season - it may not be as magical as last, but I rate it a much superior achievement.

No ambition? Ridiculous.

Had Steve Coppell really wanted us to beat Watford then Kevin Doyle would of started or at least would of come on earlier.

If it was a relegation threatened match Doyle would of started.

No ambition? Yes, but not enough.

Yorkshire Royal · by **Yorkshire Royal** » 09 May 2007 13:45

weybridgewanderer · by **weybridgewanderer** » 09 May 2007 13:48

charlton's new found position shows what "ambition" can do for you

7 years of being a mid tier premiership team. The fans want more so they get rid of their manager who doe snot share that ambition for the club within the same timescale.

They certainally didn't have a season of mid tier saftely

Sometimes people need to accept that we are where we are and we need to build before we move on

Archie's penalty · by **Archie's penalty** » 09 May 2007 13:53

Ian Royal I think some people either are really thick or struggle to remember that we have more 3 good players these days.

It's not like the Burns era when if we played our reserves the only point in turning up would be to see who wins the sweepstake on how badly we lose.

We have about 15 - 16 players of around about premiership quality, if not more. Coppell gives all of them as many minutes as he can to make our squad as effective as he can over a season.

Football is no longer just a case of playing your 11 best players every game. It's far too intense and draining to do that anymore. It's now about keeping as many of your best players as fit and in form as possible. That means rotating the squad where you can and giving those not currently featuring in the starting line up a chance to prove themselves and tkeep themselves match ready.

Great post IR. We have a lot of capable players at this club and Coppell is making sure we use all of them. I just hope we can replace Sidwell which, despite what everyone says, is going to be a big ask...

Z175 · by **Z175** » 09 May 2007 13:58

AthleticoSpizz our best league finish ever

and Coppell lacks ambition

If we had played ten defenders and played for nil nil draws all season and gone down 20th.... it would still have been our best league finish ever!

Coppell's lack of ambition

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