LITA GONE OUT ON LOAN

[Southbank Old Boy]

Perhaps Dillion and Coppell disagree on this one?

Perhaps Dillion didn't know what was going on. There are many reasons why they're say the things they do. The best course of action is to take it all with a pinch of salt and make your own mind up with the evidence you can see for your own eyes.

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

Some quotes on the OS from Coppell:

Steve Coppell has given an insight into Leroy Lita's loan move to Charlton Athletic. The frontman has joined the Addicks for 28 days, having not featured at all for the Royals in our last three fixtures. He will now get the chance to play some games for Alan Pardew's side, and Coppell is sure the short term move can be good for all concerned. Steve told readingfc.co.uk, "Lee has been very, very frustrated. He's started a number of games this season, I think double figures, and not scored many goals. "He's been frustrated recently when I've selected a front two who haven't scored, carried on choosing them and he's not got a sniff. We've chatted about it in recent weeks.
"Just by chance, this week I was speaking to Alan Pardew and Leroy's name was mentioned. It just seemed to me to be almost a logical thing.
"There's an element of risk, I know that. If we get an injury at the weekend, we'd be left a striker short and the risk I've taken would have been unneccesary.
"But Leroy being here and frustrated is not helping him, or us. Now he's got a chance to go there, fight for his place and hopefully play.
"Like I say I have spoken with Leroy, he just wants to play, there's no edge to him. He's not been disruptive, people keep saying and asking me that we must have fallen out, but we haven't.
"I have to pick a team, and the ones who aren't playing are not happy, they want to play. That was the motivation. He wants to play and he gets the opportunity to play now.
"The Championship has extra games in midweek so it's an opportunity to play. Then it's down to him.
"He'll be getting match sharp, and we have the option after 28 days for him to come back and be part of things. I can't say what will happen, we'll wait and see next month.
"We have four strikers, he wouldn't have started Saturday so it seemed the right thing to do."

[Northern Git]

And a nice little quote from SSC back on 20th Nov.

Fight for your place, Leroy

20/11/2007


STEVE COPPELL has challenged Leroy Lita to fight his way back into the Reading team.

The former England Under-21 international was dropped from Royals’ squad for the 3-1 home defeat by Arsenal eight days ago.

He didn’t even merit a place on the bench as manager Steve Coppell chose to name Shane Long as his substitute striker.

The decision has sparked fresh uncertainty about the 22-year-old’s long-term Reading future.

Lita, whose current deal runs out at the end of next season, has so far failed to agree new terms.

Portsmouth and a host of other Premier League clubs could now be tempted to launch £6million bids for him when the transfer window reopens in January.

But Coppell told the Evening Post: “Everyone wants to play and if they do not then they are not happy.

“He is an integral member of the squad and I need a fully committed squad.

“If they are not in the squad, their target should be to get back in it.

“They should be determined to work hard in training and play well rather than just think ‘oh it must be my turn this week’.

“That applies to the whole squad, not just to Leroy.

“I can’t judge what he’s thinking, but his attitude is fine.

Every club needs four forwards and I just hope that he is determined to fight his way back into the team.”

Well thats out the window now.

[Shortbread]

are you really going to suggest that Dillon opted for the blatant lie route?!!

Not at all; I didn't hear the interview with Dill so I have no idea of the context of the interview (I was enjoying the ability to get down and see a match in one day rather than three!) and I probably therefore shouldn't be commenting at all.

But it looks as though Dill and Coppell are singing from the same hymn sheet as regards public declarations of Leroy's attitude. It seems to be one of Coppell's regular gambles: it may come off or it may not. But if Leroy wasn't going to be immediately involved anyway on Saturday, or perhaps not in the next few games either, the gamble not coming off is a lot less than it might have been - only if Kits or Doyler (or both!) fall injured will it have failed.

As others have already said, the key (at least now!) is improving service to the pair we are starting with rather than giving us ourselves extra options for when/if it doesn't. It's a shame that Leroy's star has fallen so far, but that's what seems to be the case currently.

Fingers firmly crossed.

[Gordons Cumming]

If you look at the Man.City website you can see they have 11 strikers!!!!!!

[earleyroyal]

At the moment we have a striker who hasn't scored with his feet all season

Do you mean Kevin Doyle??

Yes - at the moment in our squad we have a striker, Kevin Doyle, who hasn't scored with his feet all season.

[RoyalBlue]

are you really going to suggest that Dillon opted for the blatant lie route?!!

Not at all; I didn't hear the interview with Dill so I have no idea of the context of the interview (I was enjoying the ability to get down and see a match in one day rather than three!) and I probably therefore shouldn't be commenting at all.

But it looks as though Dill and Coppell are singing from the same hymn sheet as regards public declarations of Leroy's attitude. It seems to be one of Coppell's regular gambles: it may come off or it may not. But if Leroy wasn't going to be immediately involved anyway on Saturday, or perhaps not in the next few games either, the gamble not coming off is a lot less than it might have been - only if Kits or Doyler (or both!) fall injured will it have failed.
.

The gambles Coppell is taking this season, he should damn well be signed up to 'Gamblers Anonymous'.

You forgot to mention:

He is also gambling that one of his remaining three strikers won't get sent off.

He is gambling that Doyle finally remembers what a goal is.

He is gambling that Long continues to be an impact player coming off the bench, 'cos he certainly don't look an impact player when he starts.

And, of course, he started this nasty and potentially extremely expensive gambling habit when he gambled on what was left of our squad from last season being good enough to keep us up without any significant strengthening.

Given Coppell's assertion that he'd already decided at the start of this week (so much for his old line about performances in training counting for a lot) that Lita wasn't going to start this Saturday, can anyone really blame Lita for wondering just what the hell he had to do to ever stand a chance of starting a game? Little wonder he ended up asking to go out on loan!

Finally, it would appear that it's not only Reading fans questioning what is going on in Coppell's mind:

'Brown surprised at Lita signing

Former Charlton and Reading defender Steve Brown says the arrival of Leroy Lita at The Valley is "exceptional".
Lita, 23, signed a 28-day loan with the Championship club after struggling to secure a first team place at Reading.

Brown told BBC London: "This is an exceptional signing by Alan Pardew. I'm surprised Reading let him go.

"The thing that strikes me is how he's out of the picture at Reading. They are in the relegation mire and you'd expect them to want all hands on deck." '

[Gordons Cumming]

Who cares what Brown thinks?

He's hardly got his finger on the pulse has he?

About as clueless as many nobbers.

[Man Friday]

don't understand why "he wouldn't have started Saturday". Ho won't now of course - he's on loan - but what was stopping him before? Attitude? Apparently not. Loss of form? Don't think so, he was scoring in the reserves. Other strikers in form? That must be it.

[madreadingfan]

i dont care about his attitude problem if he gives us the goals!!!!!!!!

[Victor Meldrew]

Fans seem easily swayed by the "scoring in the resrves" argument.
I don't see the clamour for defenders from the reserves when we have a greater problem this season preventing goals than we have in scoring them.

Despite the protestations of Dillon and Coppell there must be a big problem between Lita and his colleagues (other than Murty it seems) for Coppell not to want him around the place when we only have 3 strikers at the club.
A happy squad or a squad that is not so happy with Lita around?
A gamble given our perilous league position but one that Coppell clearly feels is worth taking so there must be something not right-remember we didn't know a quarter of what Robin Friday got up to until long after he had left the club.

[Royal Rother]

How many times can one boring man make the same point on one thread? Fascinating stuff. (Not you VM!)

[Tredder]

I'd have Lita at QPR every single day of the week.

He's a goalscorer that needs a run in a team and is quite obviously not in Coppells good books.

[Uke]

I'd have Lita at QPR every single day of the week.

Will he need to bring his own lube?

[Royal Rother]

I'd have Lita at QPR every single day of the week.

So would most mid-table Championship clubs.

[Tredder]

Lets hope you lot keep him for next season then.

[Bedford Royal]

Sorry, but IMO, Coppell has truly oxf*rd this one up.

I can't put into word how angry I am at how Coppell has dealt with Lita over the last few months!

[RoyalBlue]

How many times can one boring man make the same point on one thread? Fascinating stuff. (Not you VM!)

Trick question.

Only you know when you are going to stop!!

Who cares what Brown thinks?

He's hardly got his finger on the pulse has he?

About as clueless as many nobbers.

And, of course, the man who is meant to have his finger on the pulse is doing such a fantastic job this season!! The end of season table will determine just how clueless he has been.

Finger on the pulse or not, I think Brown is right, you would expect 99%+ clubs who are in the relegation mire to want all hands on deck. e.g. Hodgson has just asked Healy to stay with Fulham rather than go out on loan.

[Royal Rother]

[CMRoyal]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but today's Times is interesting:-

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 498178.ece

Two telling comments:-

"He will have a future back here if he scores goals. I won't have one if we don't win games so that's an obvious answer."

"I said to him the only way he was going to get back in the team was by impressing in training and reserve games. It should never be a process of "well, the people in the first team are doing crap so I should be playing". It shouldn't be selection by omission."