LITA GONE OUT ON LOAN

[SpaceCruiser]

I'm surprised that Royal Rother hasn't shown his smug mug on those threads yet.

[brendywendy]

I am very disappointed.This leaves us incredibly exposed at a time when we need to score goals. Also it was only on the 23rd January that Coppell turned down a request from Bristol City for the loan of Leroy. At the time the Bristol Evening Post quoted Coppell as saying that Lita was an important part of the squad and was not available. That report was subsequently confirmed to me by Keith Millen the BCFC assistant manager when I got chatting to him at David Lloyd. KM also said that Leroy saw himself very much as a Prem player and was reluctant to step down even on loan. All this leaves me to conclude that something serious has happened to force the clubs hand. I have heard rumours that some BCFC fans forums are reporting there was a training ground bust up last week when Leroy was told he would be on the bench at Boro. He is said to have stormed out of the training ground and as a result did not travel to Boro. If that was all that happened I am disappointed that Coppell has not risen above it in the interests of the club. Given the fact that Leroy has been scoring regularly in the reserves it would have been easy for Coppell to bury the hatchet and play Leroy against Man City. I fear that SC has put his personal position ahead of the clubs.

or put team moral/togetherness/discipline before leroys ego?

im not sticking up for the decision

it does seem a little strange

i would dearly like to get to the truth of what has gone on first though before i start slagging off coppell.
if there was a storm out of training, a public slanging match with the management, and a decision not to travel up to boro, when the players who were all dropped travelled anyway i would say coppell probably had little choice

but we just dont know as yet

[Fezza]

A load of tossers with short memories.

Considering what SC has done for this club why don't you trust him with these decisions?

He hasn't just got up in the morning and over his breakfast thought " I know how Lita can get some games. We'll loan him out to someone who needs him more. I tell Wally and Dills when I get to the training ground"

Thats not the point, it should have been dealt with when we were in a position to bring in cover. I don't really care about the past, it's the future that matters and todays decision has eroded what little confidence I had in the Management and put us in a position where a couple of injuries could kill our season.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

And it's only for a month. Calm down people, the sky isn't really falling, it's just an acorn.

Yes it's only for 28 days. But in those 28 days we have FOUR Premiership matches. Four matches where we cannot get an injury to a striker. It's a very big risk.

and wasn't it coppell himself who said that it was important to have 4 strikers available at the club??....

[Fezza]

I'm surprised that Royal Rother hasn't shown his smug mug on those threads yet.

Edit: Unfair comment removed

[Gordons Cumming]

All I can say is that Steve will prove you load of doubters are wrong.

You lot truly amaze me................or maybe you don't.

[1871royals]

“leroy must have even asked to go/refused to play or have been causing trouble within the squad”

This assumption that Leroy is a troublemaker is annoying. Kitson had a good start to the season but Doyle has been poor all season, he went on a goal drought at the start of the season, is on one now and still Leroy wont be given a chance. If the strikers are scoring, not playing is easier to take. If I was Leroy I would be very annoyed too, it was an absolute joke he wasn’t on the bench on Sat. Nearly everyone on here (even though hes not everyone’s fav) wanted him to start on Sat and he wasn’t even on the bench. I can understand why that was the final straw. He was still willing to play and contribute positively to the reserves. WD and KD have both been complimentary about his attitude, when he broke his leg you could tell how much the squad liked him. I don’t think his attitude is a problem. At least hes proven he can score in the prem unlike SL.

Agree completely that SC has put his personal feelings above the club. Very disappointing!!!!!!!!!

[bracknell loyal royal!]

What a joke. He didn't even get a chance despite our strikers constant poor performances. Natural goalscorer out the window - well done Coppell . Good luck Lita.

[londinium]

Looks like for whatever reason Lita wasn't being picked by Coppell, so why not ship him out on loan if only just to keep him fit.

This is o.k. if there is an agreement that we can cut short the loan period and call him back if we get injury or suspension problems.

Lita wouldnt have been in the team or even on the bench if the last 5 games are anything to go by so it really is no loss whatsoever.

[Ups and Downs]

All I can say is that Steve will prove you load of doubters are wrong.

You lot truly amaze me................or maybe you don't.

I admire your blind faith, Gordon, but on current showing i'm struggling to see how any of our strikers are going to come up with the goods in order for Sir Steves decision to be proved entirely correct.

After 24 years in club management I would have thought that SC would have developed such an understanding of certain players that he was able to put aside any fears he had of their temperament for the greater good of his team. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case. I'm baffled by this decision.

[Fezza]

All I can say is that Steve will prove you load of doubters are wrong.

You lot truly amaze me................or maybe you don't.

Why? SC has put us in a position where we may get relegated a year after almost reaching Europe. Yes he did great in the previous years but a series of really poor buy's and very odd decisions has really dropped us in it.

This is the same man who said he needed a break from football sooner rather than later and that he had let the backroom staff pick the team and tactics as he was out of ideas!

Sorry if my lack of faith offends you, but for me Coppell hasn't done anything to warrant my support since the end of last season.

[Gordons Cumming]

All I can say is that Steve will prove you load of doubters are wrong.

You lot truly amaze me................or maybe you don't.

I admire your blind faith, Gordon, but on current showing i'm struggling to see how any of our strikers are going to come up with the goods in order for Sir Steves decision to be proved entirely correct.

After 24 years in club management I would have thought that SC would have developed such an understanding of certain players that he was able to put aside any fears he had of their temperament for the greater good of his team. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case. I'm baffled by this decision.

I'm baffled too, but SC wouldn't have made this decision lightly.I know that for sure.

[brendywendy]

“leroy must have even asked to go/refused to play or have been causing trouble within the squad”

This assumption that Leroy is a troublemaker is annoying. Kitson had a good start to the season but Doyle has been poor all season, he went on a goal drought at the start of the season, is on one now and still Leroy wont be given a chance. If the strikers are scoring, not playing is easier to take. If I was Leroy I would be very annoyed too, it was an absolute joke he wasn’t on the bench on Sat. Nearly everyone on here (even though hes not everyone’s fav) wanted him to start on Sat and he wasn’t even on the bench. I can understand why that was the final straw. He was still willing to play and contribute positively to the reserves. WD and KD have both been complimentary about his attitude, when he broke his leg you could tell how much the squad liked him. I don’t think his attitude is a problem. At least hes proven he can score in the prem unlike SL.

Agree completely that SC has put his personal feelings above the club. Very disappointing!!!!!!!!!

im not going on about him being a trouble maker, ive been one of his biggest defenders on here
im just saying that if there wasnt some big bust up that threatened team togetherness/discipline, or leroy has said he didnt want to be here, then i can see no other reason why he would be let go-ie coppell must have gone mental
i would truly hope he hasnt, so the most likely answer is that there was a fatal breakdown in their relationship after saturday that was irretrieveable.it was unlikely that lita was ever going to respond well to long getting in ahead of him at boro,
i also would have prefferred some one make a decent bid for him in jan and we let him go, replacing him with another promising player.

[Fezza]

Looks like for whatever reason Lita wasn't being picked by Coppell, so why not ship him out on loan if only just to keep him fit.

This is o.k. if there is an agreement that we can cut short the loan period and call him back if we get injury or suspension problems.

Lita wouldnt have been in the team or even on the bench if the last 5 games are anything to go by so it really is no loss whatsoever.

There isn't we can't get him back in the first month!

[londinium]

Looks like for whatever reason Lita wasn't being picked by Coppell, so why not ship him out on loan if only just to keep him fit.

This is o.k. if there is an agreement that we can cut short the loan period and call him back if we get injury or suspension problems.

Lita wouldnt have been in the team or even on the bench if the last 5 games are anything to go by so it really is no loss whatsoever.

There isn't we can't get him back in the first month!

How do you know that for sure?

Either way,,, it has become apparent that Coppell was never going to play Leroy not matter the circumstances as our lack of goals from the front two couldnt be any worse and Leroy still doesnt get on the bench.... therefore it really makes no difference

[CMRoyal]

Why the hell didn't we sell him for the £5m odd apparently on offer in January if we had no intention of playing him?

An extraordinary decision at this stage of the season.

Trouble is, no-one came in for him. SC clearly wanted rid in January, but couldn't sell him. Utterly bizarre decision though, this loan, given the vital games coming up this month. It's almost as if the management are resigned to getting the goals from midfield from now on, and/or living in the hope that all three strikers can't remain out of form all at the same time forever.

I didn't expect Lita to come to the team's rescue - he's not been good enough to do that this season - but I did expect him to feature at some point, and for SC to see what he could do in tandem with Matejovsky. What's Leroy's head going to be like if we do need him come April, by the way? Would he be able to put this disappointment behind him and do it for the boss?

[Sharpy]

joke

[rob the royal]

i'm sure half you lot thought leroy was poo until we started losing every game.

personally i think he should have been given a chance, but looking back to when we've seen him play this season can we really say that he'd do much better than doyle or kitson just cos he's netted a few for the reserves?

i was shocked when i saw this, but at the end of the day it changes nothing, if we get desperate we can just recall him can't we? well that's what i thought. if we can't it's only until the end of the month anyway. so he's only missing 4 games. if he comes back having bagged a hatful and then gets a run in the team and saves us then nobody will be complaining

[Fezza]

Looks like for whatever reason Lita wasn't being picked by Coppell, so why not ship him out on loan if only just to keep him fit.

This is o.k. if there is an agreement that we can cut short the loan period and call him back if we get injury or suspension problems.

Lita wouldnt have been in the team or even on the bench if the last 5 games are anything to go by so it really is no loss whatsoever.

There isn't we can't get him back in the first month!

How do you know that for sure?

Either way,,, it has become apparent that Coppell was never going to play Leroy not matter the circumstances as our lack of goals from the front two couldnt be any worse and Leroy still doesnt get on the bench.... therefore it really makes no difference

I read the article on the OS and it's the rules of the loan system!

EDIT: and before you say it isn't mentioned on the OS, it was when the story was first reported!

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Lita has got huge potential IMO.

Problem is, the bloke is a total pr*ck whose attitude towards RFC is disgraceful.

His pathetic, bickering performance against Bolton was the final straw for Coppell.

The sooner players like him are out of the club the better as far as im concerned. Players with that attitude will be a hinderence in a relegation battle, not an asset.

Bye Bye Lita, you had a massive chance to become a top player at Reading and you've blown it. Don't expect to see him in the Prem for a while, if ever again.