Coppell resigns as Bristol City manager

[Hoop Blah]

I have a business associate who is part owner of a club they where they drink.

Not to disbelive Old B, but how recent is his perception of the drinking culture? How often do they need to pop in for a few drinks for him to see it as a 'culture' in the first place?

It's all relative of course, and then there's always an element of bravado, self-promotion and the chinese whipser effect coming into play with these kind of things.

I'd be amazed if, within a group of 30 18-35 year old blokes with too much time and money on their hands, there weren't a few that liked to get together on a pretty regular basis for a few drinks.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

You can't get away with being a drinker in the modern game. There is no hiding at all, they are tested daily to see exactly what they are putting into their bodies (to check hydration and nutrition). The way the game is played and the physical exercise they put into not just playing but training as well, it would not be possible with a drinking habit.

I'm not saying that there aren't any exceptions, that players never drink. Just that the idea that a club, at this level would be able to compete and have a drinking culture is not possible, the game has moved on so far in the last 10 years. You will still see players out and about and pics of Rooney/Crouch pissed up, but it would be a very rare thing and they would only do it when allowed to.

[weybridgewanderer]

Pardew did all the work and it took Coppell 3 years to finish it

You normally present your case well, even if I don't happen to agree with it. But this is just LOL funny. Pardew did a great job, but "all the work"? Three years is an age in football - if Coppell was as bad as you claim, we should have gone down, not up, in that time. Anyway, it's certainly more than enough time in sporting terms to earn most of the managerial credit for the result.

Indeed and perhaps Royalee can let us all know of any other Reading manager who has been awarded Manager of the Year not once but twice by his contemporaries all of whom know far more about football than Royalee ever will.

Is this the same Royalee that consistantly bestowed the virtues of the next messiah, BR?

Good to see he understands football management inside out!

[SLAMMED]

Once a Royal, always a Royal.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

I believe that there are two principal reasons behind Coppell's decision to resign.

Lansdown the City owner does pull the strings, but since he lives outside the UK he works through Colin Sexstone, his Chief Executive. I knew Sexstone previously when he had the same role at Gloucestershire CCC. He is most definitely not Coppell's type of person, varies between the pushy and the smarmy, and has a very high opinion of himself. It is hard to see SC working closely with him. There are also a lot of politics within the club, more so given their push to get local planning permission for a new stadium.

Second reason is the culture at Bristol City. It is not the family club which Reading successfully became and which clearly suited Coppell. Despite claims to the contrary there is still a drinking culture there as well as something of a wurzel mentality.

Family club?

[FiNeRaIn]

Yes, Reading are a family club. I thought this was one of the most obvious things in football?

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Yes, Reading are a family club. I thought this was one of the most obvious things in football?

Clearly not.

[The whole year inn]

Anyone paying the slightest attention to Smoking kills.... posts will have an idea of what he does for a living and would be inclined to believe him over an internet random claiming Coppell quit because of a wurzel mentality.

SKDD is about 19 and still has glazed eyes that he cleans the bogs at a football club

OB is an independantly wealthy man with numerous businesses

I know who I would believe - why would OB lie I am sure he has better things to do

[Ian Royal]

Yes, Reading are a family club. I thought this was one of the most obvious things in football?

Clearly not.

The vast majority don't seem to struggle with the concept. Especially if they listen to much the club says.

[FiNeRaIn]

Yes, Reading are a family club. I thought this was one of the most obvious things in football?

Clearly not.

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDet ... 92,00.html

Crowned " family club of the year".

Clearly so buddy.

[The whole year inn]

Yes, Reading are a family club. I thought this was one of the most obvious things in football?

Clearly not.

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDet ... 92,00.html

Crowned " family club of the year".

Clearly so buddy.

oh my days

Did you really miss the point that much?

Read it all again

[Royalee]

Whatever blogboy.

RFC History 5 vs Royalee 0

How did your mate Big Watch Bumper boy do?
You know the one, the revolutionary.

Coppell 0 Millwall 3
Rodgers 4 Preston 0

Should have given him more time.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Tbf there's a massive difference between Preston and Millwall.

Fwiw I reckon Rodgers will do well at Swansea. He's not a bad manager, he just got it very, very wrong at Reading and giving him more time was not an option.

However Millen>>>>>>Coppell based on yesterday.

[Ian Royal]

Whatever blogboy.

RFC History 5 vs Royalee 0

How did your mate Big Watch Bumper boy do?
You know the one, the revolutionary.

Coppell 0 Millwall 3
Rodgers 4 Preston 0

Should have given him more time.

Millwall 4-0 Hull - So Coppell did better than the relegated Prem club, even when his heart wasn't in the game anymore.

Rodgers league record.

Nottm Forest H 0-0
Newcastle A 0-3 23
Swansea A 0-0 19
Sheff Utd H 1-3 21
Barnsley A 3-1 17
Doncaster H 0-0 17
Cardiff H 0-1 18
Peterborough A 2-3 21
Watford H 1-1 21
Preston A 2-1 19
Middlesbrough H 0-2 21
West Brom A 1-3 21
QPR A 1-4 21
Leicester H 0-1 22
Coventry A 3-1 21
Ipswich H 1-1 22
Blackpool H 2-1 20
Derby A 1-2 21
Sheff Wed A 2-0 18
Crystal Palace H 2-4 19
Scunthorpe H 1-1 21

Never closer than 5 whole places from the top half.

Gillingham H 2-1 10
Preston H 3-2 8
Walsall H 0-1 9
Sheff Utd A 2-1 8
Crewe A 0-1 11
Wigan H 1-0 10
Millwall H 1-0 6
West BromA 0-0 7
Burnley A 0-3 8
Watford H 2-1 6
Wigan A 2-0 5
Stoke A 0-3 7
Crystal Palace H 0-3 9
Wimbledon H 0-3 9
Walsall A 1-1 9
Ipswich H 1-1 10
Nottm Forest A 1-0 9
Derby H 3-1 8
Rotherham A 1-5 9
Gillingham A 1-0 8
Burnley H 2-2 8
Sheff Utd H 2-1 8
Preston A 1-2 8
Crystal Palace A 2-2 8
Stoke H 0-0 8
Cardiff A 3-2 6
Sunderland H 0-2 8
Coventry A 2-1 9
West Ham H 2-0 7
Bradford A 1-2 9
Norwich H 0-1 10
Crewe H 1-1 10
Millwall A 1-0 9
West Brom H 1-0 9
Watford A 0-1 9

Coppell's worst season with us, where he didn't have a preseason, had very little money and we still spent the vast majority of the time in the top 10.

I think that says rather more about the comparative qualities of the two managers than Bristol losing one game, and Swansea winning one game. As does the fact that Rodgers has spent the grand total of about one season as a football manager whereas Coppell accrued over 1000 games.

[rhroyal]

Sad that he'll never get a hero's reception on his competitive return to the Mad Stad.

[sandman]

Coppell is quiet,intelligent,unassuming and well respected is anybody really surprised Royalee hates him?

[North Somerset Royal]

[quote="Harpers So Solid Crew"]I think he was being sarcastic BF.

Correct HSSC. I was of course saying this in this full knowledge that last season they damaged one of the shuttle buses on the way to the Mad Stad. Regretably Finerain and other posters on HNA do not appreciate subtle humour!

[North Somerset Royal]

BRISTOL City chief executive Colin Sexstone has dismissed reports suggesting a breakdown in the relationship between former manager Steve Coppell and chairman Steve Lansdown.

Coppell stunned City by quitting his post on Wednesday, claiming he had lost his passion for football management.

Dissatisfied with that explanation, some national media sources have attributed Coppell's sudden departure after just three months in charge to a rift with millionaire businessman Lansdown caused by the signing of England goalkeeper David James.

They claim James was not a Coppell signing and that the manager wanted money to be spent on strengthening other areas of the team instead.

An angry Sexstone, pictured above, poured scorn of those reports, describing them as "a complete and utter fabrication of the truth".

He said: "These people are so wide of the mark, it is unbelievable. I can say, quite categorically, that Steve Lansdown has supported every single manager he has worked with at Bristol City.

"He was 100 per cent behind Steve Coppell in the transfer market and never refused him any player he asked for. We looked at dozens and dozens of players."

He added: "To suggest there was a problem with the signing of David James is ridiculous. I was involved in that deal and Steve Coppell actually brokered it – he was the one who phoned the player and asked him to come to the club.

"David's wages were never an issue. In fact, it is more than likely that Steve Coppell didn't even know how much he was earning. To suggest he had a row with Steve Lansdown over this is wrong. They never had a cross word during the time they worked together."

Sexstone believes the frustrations brought about by dealing in the transfer market were a major factor in Coppell's decision to stand down as manager.

City's chief executive worked closely with the former Reading and Crystal Palace boss following his appointment at the end of last season and offers a fascinating insight into the pressures that finally persuaded the 55-year-old Liverpudlian to call time on his fledgling Ashton Gate career.

"There is no doubt in my mind that being a football manager is an extremely difficult job," said Sexstone, who helped broker the deals that brought David James, Damion Stewart, Kalifa Cisse, Nicky Hunt and Albert Adomah to the club.

"I think Steve found dealing with agents and trying to bring the right players in very frustrating. The transfer market has been a very difficult one this summer and there is no doubt it had a bearing on his decision. He found difficulty in coping with the day-to-day cut and thrust of the transfer market.

"He was presented with a unique situation in terms of the number of injured players he was unable to call upon and tried to address that through the transfer market. Unfortunately, we were forced down a number of blind alleys and it became very frustrating for him.

"More often than not, it was a case of the other club not wanting to sell the player in question. But funding was never a problem and money was always made available."

Coppell explained the reasons behind his premature exit in a statement issued through the League Managers Association, and Sexstone insisted: "There are no other reasons, and the national media are looking for things that are simply not there.

"Quite simply, Steve didn't have that enthusiasm or commitment he felt he needed to continue in a very demanding job.

"We obviously questioned his desire before offering him the job and he convinced us and assured us that it was what he wanted. Clearly, after three months, he felt differently and his was a purely personal decision.

"He was happy with the backing he had from the board and it was a purely personal decision. He felt there were other things in his life he wanted to do and, although we were surprised and disappointed, we had to respect that."

Defending the club's decision to appoint Coppell on a one-year contract as successor to Gary Johnson, Sexstone added: "Looking back is never a good thing, but we stand by the decision we made then. It was the right appointment at the time and we don't regret it. Steve's previous record spoke for itself. He was an exciting proposition for us.

"Obviously, events have happened since then that are extremely disappointing for all of us.

I was with Steve on Tuesday night after the Southend game and he was as disappointed as the rest of us with the result. But I had no inkling this was coming."

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/bristolcitynews/City-chief-dismisses-talk-chairman-Lansdown-boss-Coppell-fell-transfer-James/article-2527014-detail/article.html

[TFF]

"I think Steve found dealing with agents and trying to bring the right players in very frustrating. The transfer market has been a very difficult one this summer and there is no doubt it had a bearing on his decision. He found difficulty in coping with the day-to-day cut and thrust of the transfer market.

"He was presented with a unique situation in terms of the number of injured players he was unable to call upon and tried to address that through the transfer market. Unfortunately, we were forced down a number of blind alleys and it became very frustrating for him.

"More often than not, it was a case of the other club not wanting to sell the player in question. But funding was never a problem and money was always made available."

I'm quite surprised he took the job on if the above is true

He'll never find the role that Madejski and Hammond gave him again and he knows it.

[Yellowcoat]

Makes the board numpties who wanted Steve to replace Nick Hammond as Director of Football look even more stupid than usual.