Coppell has gone

[dellwoodboy]

We certainly have a great deal to thank Coppell for and at this stage he has been easily the best manager we have ever had, but let's face it he did not have much to better. Both Mcghie and Pardew got us into the second tier and I always thought that in the season the latter left after 7 games we looked good and could have gone on with it, but it wasn't to be.
I am on record as saying that I thought we would get automatic promotion in season 2005/6 but it was never easy to understand why we were so good but Coppell must have worked some magic because as has been proved since the players were nothing special.
T my mind it all started to go wrong when we lost 6-4 to Spurs in late Dec. 2007 and susequently lost 8 games on the trot something we never really recovered from and Coppell seemed clueless about how to stop the rot. During this period he started to make some very strange coments in the media and though he remained a perfect gentleman the pressure seemed to be getting to him. I do not think he needed to do very much to the side to keep us in the premiership.
This season we were supposed to be a good side other managers said so and we were okay once we got in front but once the other side scored first we never seemed to have the passion to get back into the game.
And I think that was one of Coppell's failings an absolute lack of passion so many times I would have just loved to see him jumping and dancing around on the touchlinr a la O'Neill. Surely if the manager shows no passion how can the players respond when it is needed.
I hope now all the back up staff go as well. Have Downes and Dylan been any use at all?
Finally a big thank you to Coppell for all he has achieved for little old Reading Football Club and I wish you all the best for the future.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

Is it really that difficult to remain dignified?

If it is, just remind yourself that we currently hold the record for the most points gained for a promotion to the premiership. Or in other words, no-one has won the championship in more style. The following year, we were predicted to go down, but finished top half whilst simultaneously wooing all and sundry, who had previously ignored us, with our decent manners on and off the pitch, For 100+ years, this club had managed nothing beyond a Mickey Mouse cup final, and a few promotions here and there. We had reached the limit to Pardew's capability, and we looked for someone to take us further on exactly the same deal. Coppell achieved that. And I lay all that praise, despite knowing that we could have avoided relegation last season, and have done absolutely nothing of note in 2009. In short, we found someone who has been as good to our current chairman as he could have possibly imagined. I trust he knows that. We will never buy ourselves out of trouble (we can thank Tommy Burns for that), and for any manager that is real challenge in today's football. He stuck to that principle as well as anyone could have asked for.

Coppell was good, really good - and we shall probably look back at this season, see we came fourth, and only then start giving him the credit that's due. Someone may point out that we had so many injuries that we had to start Simon Church last night - I havent read that yet anywhere here. But we are currently sat here, having been emotionally battered at home for 4 months, slightly embittered and maybe just a bit fearful that our Saturdays are going to be a bit shitter from now on.

His decision was the correct one - we need a new reincarnation of the team and someone with a different approach to playing. We are lucky - there seems to be a proper managerial scrap this time for the vacant position and for the first time in quite a while, we have a number of youngsters who will be wanting and willing to play. Coppell has hardly left us destitute and desperate. By leaving us now, he has given us our best chance of renewing acquaintances in the Premiership. Even in his decision to leave, he has dome something good for the team.

Good on you Steve.

[Archie's penalty]

To my mind it all started to go wrong when we lost 6-4 to Spurs in late Dec. 2007

That in conjunction with the 7-4 to Portsmouth planted the seeds of doubt in his mind. If we had continued to play our cavalier style I think the tide would have turned/we would have gained enough points to stay up. After that we looked a shadow of our former selves, full of fear and self-loathing.

[Archie's penalty]

His decision was the correct one - we need a new reincarnation of the team and someone with a different approach to playing. We are lucky - there seems to be a proper managerial scrap this time for the vacant position and for the first time in quite a while, we have a number of youngsters who will be wanting and willing to play. Coppell has hardly left us destitute and desperate. By leaving us now, he has given us our best chance of renewing acquaintances in the Premiership. Even in his decision to leave, he has dome something good for the team.

Good on you Steve.

Completely agree - our profile has been raised considerably. And we can prosper next year.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

T my mind it all started to go wrong when we lost 6-4 to Spurs in late Dec. 2007 .

For me it was the 2-0 at home to Watford, denying us UEFA, in a three way scrap with Pompey and Bolton that we easily capitulated.
It was after that that we decided that we didnt have the squad to compete in Europe or either of the domestic cups. It was then that the 'Madejski factor' hit into the players. We cant afford to keep a squad of 30, so we have sacrifices to make. It was the first real time we had to really sacrifice anything. Reading had turned a part of itself unambitious.

[Ian Royal]

Sad to see Steve go, but I think it's the best decision for both the club and just as important, for him.

Maybe he can come back in a few seasons time and be as great again. I'd certainly welcome him back.

Steve Coppell, the only Reading Manager ever to have his worst ever season still be one of our 10 best ever. I think that says it all really.

Let down by the players who couldn't/wouldn't live up to his expectations.

[IceRoyalsandKDoyles]

Thank you (Sir) Steve Coppell - a true Reading FC Legend

[Para Handy]

Coppell was good, really good - and we shall probably look back at this season, see we came fourth, and only then start giving him the credit that's due. [...] His decision was the correct one - we need a new reincarnation of the team and someone with a different approach to playing. We are lucky - there seems to be a proper managerial scrap this time for the vacant position and for the first time in quite a while, we have a number of youngsters who will be wanting and willing to play. Coppell has hardly left us destitute and desperate. By leaving us now, he has given us our best chance of renewing acquaintances in the Premiership. Even in his decision to leave, he has dome something good for the team.

Good on you Steve.

As usual, Dr H, you're speaking sense. Steve Coppell has left us as a much more attractive proposition than we were when he joined. Anyone who doesn't recognise the job Steve has done is either very blinkered or a very recent fan.

Also, irrespective of whatever faults he was perceived to have, no one can deny that for once, it was nice to have a manager that was, erm, respected throughout the game. His demeanour might not have been to everyone's choice but I know I felt proud that he was our manager. Not something I think I could say about some of the previous incumbents.

[PEARCEY]

Legend, but the time is right. Hard act to follow but it just had to happen.

What I would say though is the players are a gutless spineless shower and I hoep the 'names' and lads on big money are the first ones out the door, they have let down Coppell and the supporters massively in 2009

Totally agree with all of what you say

[readingbedding]

His decision was the correct one - we need a new reincarnation of the team and someone with a different approach to playing. We are lucky - there seems to be a proper managerial scrap this time for the vacant position and for the first time in quite a while, we have a number of youngsters who will be wanting and willing to play. Coppell has hardly left us destitute and desperate. By leaving us now, he has given us our best chance of renewing acquaintances in the Premiership. Even in his decision to leave, he has dome something good for the team.

Good on you Steve.

Completely agree - our profile has been raised considerably. And we can prosper next year.

yep, i feel that too...

[John Peel]

LETS ALL HAVE A DISCO,
LETS ALL HAVE A DISCO,
NAH NAAH NAH NAA!
HEY!
NAH NAAH NAH NAA!
HEY!

I've got a 4 pack of stella, some party size sausage rolls and will youngs greatest hits........can I join the disco.....

Of course, m8.

Party is going to be going on for some time yet!!!

Yes, let's all agree with the guy who created a post last week debating whether paedophiles are the same as homosexuals. And who can forget the New Chant I, New Chant II, New Chant III etc etc.

MVP - are you actually a Reading fan or do you just come on here to p*ss us off and wind us up? If you are you're doing a great job!

In my opinion Steve is the best manager we've ever had. Watching him post-match on Sky this morning brought a lump to my throat. That's my heart speaking.

Unfortunately, my head says that in the long-term it was probably the right decision to take. I think Steve knows that and probably harks back to the end of last season when he could've walked away. He knew that as soon as his passion and drive went it was time to go.

I don't blame Steve, I blame the players. I hope you're happy you overpaid f*cking w*nkers. Let's hope they put that disappointment to good use next season (those that are here of course). I blame the January transfer window too - time to get rid of it!

[semtex1871]

LETS ALL HAVE A DISCO,
LETS ALL HAVE A DISCO,
NAH NAAH NAH NAA!
HEY!
NAH NAAH NAH NAA!
HEY!

I've got a 4 pack of stella, some party size sausage rolls and will youngs greatest hits........can I join the disco.....

Of course, m8.

Party is going to be going on for some time yet!!!

m8, thats gr8, it's a d8......

[marysiaska]

LETS ALL HAVE A DISCO,
LETS ALL HAVE A DISCO,
NAH NAAH NAH NAA!
HEY!
NAH NAAH NAH NAA!
HEY!

you need your head examined mate!
I think Coppell is a RFC legend!

[Top Flight]

Thanks Sir Steve.

I am absolutely gutted you've gone! You are forever an RFC Legend. Best manager in our history and I want a statue to honour your achievements.

[Woodcote Royal]

I don't blame Steve, I blame the players. I hope you're happy you overpaid f*cking w*nkers.

If anyone said this about their precious Steve Coppell, many posters would go into meltdown but, if it's about the players or the Chairman and serves in anyway, however small, to lay the blame for two sh*t seasons at somone elses door, that's fine.

I'll tell you what I thought about our players. The vast majority played theirs hearts out but after two seasons of failure, whenever they went behind their confidence shattered and their performance fell apart.

By the time Steve Coppell had the faintest idea what was going wrong, it was too late.

Meanwhile, Royal Blue demonstrates the flip side of the "lets blame anyone but Coppell" campaign that has been raging for the last 2 years.

If it's not the players fault, it has to be down to the manager so, apparently, Coppell only resigned once he'd been told their was no money................you couldn't make it up, oh

Meanwhile, and to his credit, Coppell has admitted that, as the manager,it was his fault and wasn't daft enough to duck this responspility for the second season in a row.

Our current squad contains players who were nearly all signed by Coppell and they weren't good enough in a league where most clubs have to survive on a fraction of our resources.

On the other hand, Burnley are an excellent example of what can be achieved on limited resource's which is why they eventually won our 2 legged encounter with ease.......................but, perhaps this was down to Ron Grant and someone has yet to come up with a marginally plausible reason why.

[brendywendy]

like most complex systems that fail, the problem at RFC the last two seasons wont be down to any one man
but a complex web of interlinked causation where every one from the players, to the manager, to the coaches, to the chairman, to the fans, to the groundsmen etc are actually all a little bit culpable

coppells the top man, and as such he gets payed to take that responsibility, and he has
but anyone looking to lay blame in any single spot is just wrong

[Top Flight]

We finished above Burnley in the table and over two legs looked the better side.

football is decided on the smallest of margins. Get over yourself Woodcote. We have had another successful season. It's just that you don't interpret it that way because your head is in cloud cuckoo land.

[sandman]

if all the dicks who were at the car park begging him to stay had not bothered, we might well have done better this season.

we didn't deserve to be in the play offs after the way we have played since Xmas.....Coppell had run out of ideas and we desperately need some new leadership.

good riddance Mr Boring......

The comedy stylings of a complete moron.Give him a round of applause.

[brendywendy]

if all the dicks who were at the car park begging him to stay had not bothered, we might well have done better this season.

we didn't deserve to be in the play offs after the way we have played since Xmas.....Coppell had run out of ideas and we desperately need some new leadership.

good riddance Mr Boring......

The comedy stylings of a complete moron.Give him a round of applause.

LOL

post of the day!

feck off newbie!!!

[semtex1871]

if all the dicks who were at the car park begging him to stay had not bothered, we might well have done better this season.

we didn't deserve to be in the play offs after the way we have played since Xmas.....Coppell had run out of ideas and we desperately need some new leadership.

good riddance Mr Boring......

The comedy stylings of a complete moron.Give him a round of applause.

feck