Wimb Look at the players Coppell had to select from in 2004/05 and compare them to Adkins lot and you'd probably have to say Coppell had the greater talent to call upon.
Team A: Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarrson, Hughes, Little, Harper, Sidwell, Brooker, Kitson, Forster
or
Team B: McCarthy, Gunter, Pearce, Morrison, Obita, McCleary, Leigertwood, Akpan, McAnuff, Pogrebnyak, Le Fondre
I'd probably take Coppell's team tbh but whichever you choose it shows that really there shouldn't be any greater expectation on Team A than Team B.
Firstly, I will assume your inclusion of the pair of Akpan and Leigertwood, over the much better and more involved pair of Guthrie and D.Williams was unintentional?
Secondly, how are we judging the likes of Shorey, Sonko, Sidwell and Kitson? At their ability at the start of 2004/5 season, or at their peak ability? That is why I often take issue with those who claim Coppell failed early on, citing achievements later on as evidence. The fact is that all of Team B, bar Obita, have had significant top flight experience. Sidwell and Harper at the start of 2004/5 season had 4 seasons of Tier 2 football between them. Guthrie at the start of this season had 4 seasons in the Prem (of semi-regular playing time) and a Championship winning season. Danny WIlliams at the start of this season had two seasons of German top flight behind him as well as numerous international caps.
Team B is far more experienced, with many players the finished article, or near enough.
Thirdly, it is a 46 game season so it would be foolish to look at just the starting 11. Look at the subs Coppell had at his disposal: Martin Keown (38), "feed the goat, and he won't score" Shaun Goater (34), Lololyd Owusu, Bobby Convey (who was oxf*rd during his first 6 months), Les Ferdinand (37), Ricky Newman (34), Ady Williams (33) and Dean Morgan.
Players not in season's starting XI who made 5 or more Champ appearances for Adkins: Gorkss, HRK, Drenthe, Akpan, Bridge, Kelly, Baird, Blackman, Cummings, Karacan, Sharp, Hector, Taylor.
Many people do not rate HRK or Nick Blackman. But compared to Owusu and Dean Morgan they are bloody world class.
Squad B now > Squad A then
The squad in 2004/5 was threadbare, with the only backups either seriously shit, or 30s and past it.
"Coppell went 11 games without a win, that's crap", people say.
Well no, it is not great but it's worth remembering that 7 of those games were draws. We weren't getting hammered every week. And, oh look what a surprise, how many games did our preferred pairing of Kitson and Forster start together: zero times is the answer. Kitson was injured for the first 7, and coming back from said injury in the last 4.
11 winless league games; striker starts (sub appearances):
Forster = 7 (1)
Owusu = 6 (2)
Ferdinand = 4 (1)
Morgan = 0 (6)
Goater = 0 (1)
Kitson = 4
Is it any wonder we couldn't bloody score a goal?
And yet Adkins gets a pass whenever he can't start his preferred pairing in centre midfield?