A tribute to Reading and Stevie Coppell.

Discussion in 'Manchester United' started by Dark Savante, Feb 12, 2007.

  1. Dark Savante

    Dark Savante Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Become the Tea Pot!!
    I meant to make this thread a few weeks ago, shame on me.

    Reading are my team of the decade. I tipped them to go down at the start of the season. Egg on my face? I'm bathing in gooey yolk, and it's quite comfortable, as it goes.

    Reading were a revelation last season in the Colaship amassing a record number of points (highest points total ever in any of the professional English football leagues – they were also promoted in March that season :eek: ) and destroying everything in sight. Their football was amazing. They committed to attack, they played the right way and they were the team for the neutral to follow if entertainment was paramount.

    My reasoning for them going down this season was that they would come unstuck trying to play in this fashion in the PL. They'd come up against superior teams who would relish playing against this naive bravado. Apparently Stevie didn't get the memo, for he's gone to the top of The Premiership Tower, dropped his pants, and taken a large dump on the division. Not only are his troops riding higher than anyone could have dreamed, they deserve to be there. Galloping into town on the back of football that’s of such quality it should make the majority of clubs in The Premiership ashamed of themselves.

    How is it that these rookies, in the purest sense of the word (this is Reading’s first time in the top division in their history,) can find themselves in 6th position in England’s best division whilst spending a fraction of a fraction of the budget the clubs they nestle shoulder to shoulder with have? That Reading’s performances guarantee the largest dollop of élan this division has seen since Kevin ‘luv it’ Keegan took kamikaze camaraderie to within a hairs breadth of the title? The reasons are many and varied, but amongst them one must ask just how poor are the clubs in this league to be so systematically debunked by a squad that cost less than the transfer fee of Andy Johnson [Everton] to assemble. If you were a Reading fan, you’d be within your rights to ask: ‘what all the fuss is about The Premiership’

    It’s certainly isn’t to the detriment of Reading that these questions should be asked. They have renewed some of my faith in modern day football. A manager that can not only manage, but also play devastating, attacking football on a shoestring budget? Has Stevie Coppell been imbued with the spirit of Old Big ‘Ead (Brian Clough) himself? Having one, two or even three players perform to their optimum in a post-promotion season is not uncommon. Wigan were the last exponents of this technique and their have been many promoted clubs who have done so in the past, but to have a whole side perform to their optimum is not coincidence, it is amazing management. Whether Coppell had the money to go out and replace the charges who got him promoted or not, I don’t know, but at this point let’s take a look at the players he has used to get Reading to where they are.

    We have Kevin Doyle and Shane Long from Cork City. Leroy Lita, a million pound signing from Bristol City. Marcus Hahnemannn signed from Rochdale. Stalwart, Graeme Murty. Nicky Shorey signed from Leyton Orient. Steve Sidwell, a former Arsenal apprentice, signed from Brighton & Hove Albion. Ibrahima Sonko, signed from Brentford. Stephen Hunt, also signed from Brentford. Dave Kitson, signed from Colchester United. Bobby Convey, who arrived at Reading by way of D.C United. Seol Ki-Hyeon, who was signed from Wolverhampton Wonderers.

    The list goes on, but the one consistency is that this is a almost exclusively a bunch of players with no prior experience of top flight football, signed for a pittance, and performing to a standard that is almost unthinkable in this day and age with a squad of players from the lower divisions. Where should this leave the gaggle of chairmen in this league who are being short-changed by their clinquant teams and managers who aren’t delivering despite costing millions to assemble? There are very few managers and clubs who should be excluded from such a question; Manchester United, Bolton, Portsmouth, Blackburn and Sheffield United are the clubs who it could be fairly said are delivering performances and results in keeping with their status and budget. Outside of that bunch, questions can easily be raised about the disparity in cost of assembly vis-à-vis performance and results across the board in The Premiership. These clubs wear the bling (fancied players,) but on closer inspection, are we seeing that these diamonds are in fact cubic zirconias? The arrival of Steve Coppell’s Reading and the results therein, should send shockwaves through the entire division. Put simply, Coppell’s Reading must lead to an amelioration of this, the top division of English football. There are simply no excuses left for the perennial underachieving ‘big clubs’ in this league. Reading have delivered to the point where most clubs in this division have been served.

    Am I premature in my appraisal of Reading? Team of the decade, what? We’re only in February, who’s to say they won’t plummet from their position once the bigger and ‘better’ squads pick up steam?

    The answer is no. Reading have performed to a level that was inconceivable up to this point in the season. Who amongst us doubts they can go to any stadium in this league and get a result? Only those with congealed adipose between their ears would entertain such folly. Reading’s football has brought a certain amount of sobriety to proceedings. They are a dangerous side achieving on a weekly basis. That austere veneer of Coppell’s, belies the joyous football he has delivered this term. Lest we forget this is a side who were a whisker away from a result at home to Chelsea, were paid the compliment of Manchester United switching formation away from home to accommodate them - and still only coming away with a draw from the Madejski. Drew with Chelsea away, hammered West Ham 6-0 and also beat them away. They have comfortably beaten Bolton and Spurs – two teams expectant of top six finishes and with ambitions of a Champion’s League spot. They are in the fifth round of the FA Cup where they are expected to field a reserve side this weekend. When you consider the squad they are doing all of this with, the fact this is their debut season in the top flight, and that they are, in fact, getting better and better as the season reaches its zenith, you have to start wondering where they will end up in the final table. European competition is not out of the question.

    The Reading fans themselves seem like an affable bunch, rather self-effacing and without a hint of arrogance you get from the usual ‘big club’ supporters. Of all the supporters in the top flight they could be acting like Billy Big Bollocks, but no. It seems like their great brand of attacking football and avoiding relegation will satiate them. Survival is still the order of the day. A rational and reasoned standpoint, which is fair enough, perhaps in a debut season one should just be happy to remain in the division. Let everyone else rave about you whilst you’re quietly going about your business. Which brings me to: ‘The Brain,’ the man making all of this possible, step forward Manchester United legend, Steve Coppell.

    [​IMG]
    Coppell attempts to explain
    the intricacies of his system
    to Stuart Pearce.


    The reason why I decided to write this piece in the first place was Steve Coppell. In him I believe we are witnessing a possible successor to Sir Alex Ferguson. Of course right now such talk is ridiculous, but if Coppell proves that this isn’t an anomaly, and he can keep Reading upper-end of mid table next season whilst playing the same glorious brand of football as has been bestowed upon the league this term, it will be safe to say that this is a very special manager. One who is already a Manchester United legend and knows better than most what Manchester United supporters value as much as winning – great, attacking football.

    Coppell was a legendary winger from the 1970’s, his story is easily accessible to anyone who wishes to read up on him. He has taken the principles of his own game and the game that Manchester United have always played and made a fantastic team around it. What sets him apart from the flash-in-the-pan managers that have appeared in the past is his tactical nous. Where it could be easily identifiable that the Wigan charge of last term was reliant on Pascal Chimbonda, Jimmy Bullard and Jason Roberts, or that when Sunderland were flying high a few years ago Kevin Phillips was key, in Coppell’s side you get the feeling that it is he that makes them what they are. His signings are rapier like to the point of acuity, they perform as a unit whilst all being individually competent, they are tireless and tactically aware, his sides carry out precise plans like drilled soldiers and within implementation results accrue incessantly. It just doesn’t strike me as a fluke, any of it. The man himself remains modest, reserved and humble. After all, he hasn’t achieved anything yet except a shower of praise. At the end of the season we’ll have facts to go with the lustre. Perhaps he’ll allow himself a wry smile then.

    What often tends to happen to teams and players that have had one great season is that they get ‘found out’ managers and players hack away at the mainframe of what makes said player or team tick and apply the necessary force to first crack and then destroy the dam of resistance. This is how we learn who the great players are. In terms of a team, it’s a little different, as they are subject to changes in personnel that can upset what was a fine balance. But in Coppell’s side I don’t see single components that make them tick. Indeed, I marvelled at Seol Ki-Hyeon earlier in the season, he was my favourite non-United player to watch, and then, he lost his place in the Reading side, and not only that, he is struggling to get it back! This despite being, for my money, one of the best performers of the first third of the season. Kitson and Doyle were the men upfront for the most part at the start of the campaign, if I recall correctly. Doyle got injured and Lita has slotted in and performed exceptionally well. The same thing has happened to Convey, he was a starter at the apex of this season, and now? He’s not been in the team for a while, whether through injury or not, I don’t know. The point, though, is that this side is more than a few components playing out of their skin. It’s a full squad of brilliant performers. Coppell has to get all the credit for this. It’s an amazing achievement in this, the era of foreign purchases over what is now an incongruous practice of lower league purchasing en masse, which was the status quo; about 20 years ago.

    I suppose right now it is impossible to tell how Coppell copes under the pressure of expectation. At Reading he rides the crest of a rather fabulous wave, one which he deserves to wear like a cloak, but here, things are different. SAF is the most successful manager of this era, when it comes to results and success with an English side his wrap-sheet is longer than the rest of the league’s managers, combined. Those aren’t so much the feet of mere man to fill, rather a T-Rex that likes his grog neat. It’s impossible to tell whether Coppell can make big purchases or handle huge egos, nor do we have any idea whether he’d crumble on stages such as the Champion’s League. But really though, give him a few more years at Reading and we may just find out. ;)

    I’ll urge all of you to catch some Reading games this season wherever possible, they may just remind you of a team a bit closer to home..
     
  2. Motterman

    Motterman Member

    Jul 8, 2002
    Orlando, FL
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Right... a scouser at the helm. That'll be the day... :p

    But seriously, I've been impressed as well, and quite happy. My fantasy team has a few Reading players doing a right good job this season... :D
     
  3. appoo

    appoo Member+

    Jul 30, 2001
    USA
    fantastic post. I have a ton of respect for Coppell and it's been in the back of my head that he could succeed Sir Alex.
     
  4. caco794

    caco794 New Member

    Jun 22, 2004

    to further illustrate DS's thread, I've uploaded the MOTD gang talking bout the job reading put on this past weekend.

    [youtube]7K2wTzfo_OI[/youtube]

    they do look like a fun bunch. pity that I haven't been able to seen them proper. ********ing work and ummmm other stuff :)

    edit: great read, DS.
     
  5. Charleysurf

    Charleysurf Member

    Jul 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
  6. SirManchester

    SirManchester Member+

    Apr 14, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    The only doubt I have with Reading this season is Wigan. Remember what a great season they had last season? Sure at this point Reading has surpassed them but there is no way of knowing what will happen to them at the end of the season. If they happen to miss out on Europe, they'll most likely be robbed of a few players so the only way to secure these players is to push for Europe which gives them more motivation. Unlike Wigan, they are also giving us a hard time and I expect our FA Cup tie to be amongst our most difficult games of the season. It's not to be taken lightly.

    Coppel has found the right balance between experience and youth, between good Premiership tactics and players who are hungry for success. They deserve every little praise they can get this season and even more if they manage to keep their position in the league in May. I remember when we were doing the impressive players from other clubs this season, we mentioned Seol, the nas the season progressed, we found Doyle to be quite the revelation, then Sonko, then Sidwell, and so on. The point is, all these players are stand outs and worthy of a mention. There are few teams that work together as hard and maintain their level of grit and determination. It's even more impressive knowing where they came from.
     
  7. Lancashire Lad

    Lancashire Lad New Member

    Nov 5, 2002
    Lancashire
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    You seem to have forgotten hs very short stay at Citeh. He left Citeh due to the pressure, the pressure at United is far greater.

    Coppell (United legend) has developed over time, but could he cope with the pressure at a top club?

    ......Besides Coppell must have realised what a big mistake he had made going to City and was looking for any way out;)
     
  8. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    See, like DS mentioned, Wigan were dependent on a 3 or 4 veterans. Chimbonda, Bullard and a couple others who came from top flight football from various places. Also, Wigan were gritty and won and shocked many people by playing much harder for 90 minutes than anyone else.

    Reading have desire and effort, but the reason they are winning is the way their team is put together. They don't grind out results they do it by playing attacking football. Reading have outscored Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham, Bolton, Everton and indeed all but 15 clubs in the premiership. They have dual wingers and movement across the line although yes, they have a few players they depend on, its not like their season goes up in smoke if they get one or two injuries.

    For my money, Reading have several of the top 5-8 performers in the league in their various positions.

    Not many have been better than Sidwell, few do more with less than Doyle, Lita has more energy and enthusiasm then his counterparts and Hanhemann is better than average.

    They fully deserve their position in the league. I expect them to hold a top 8 position when its all said and done and I wouldn't be suprised if they finish top 10 next season as well.

    Great thread DS and good on Reading.
     
  9. listen_up_fergie

    listen_up_fergie New Member

    Mar 3, 2005
    Montreal
    Reading don't have the same budget Wigan do. Their record signing just cost them £2.25m.
    However, the point still stands...Reading have had a fantastic debut season, but the second year will be a true test of their mettle. There will be interest in some of their best players, and they need try and hold on to them in the summer or find adequate replacements. Sidwell still hasn't signed his contract extension, and in my view he is currently Reading's best player.
    But I said in another thread...it's not individual talent that sets this Reading side apart, but rather organization, mentality and spirit. If Coppell can continue to infuse this into any side he builds, despite changes in personnel, then Reading will continue to impress.

    As far as Coppell being a possible successor to Fergie goes...he still has a few things to prove.
    (1) The pressure of a big club. A couple of posters have already brought up his brief spell at Manchester City, [Numquam] who are a MASSIVE club [/Numquam]. However, that was ten years ago and Coppell might be more confident and ready than he was back then.
    (2) Trophies. Coppell has had some fantastic achievements in his managerial career with Palace and Reading, but apart from a Championship medal he has nothing else to show. Admittedly it was a fantastic achievement, but I think he needs to prove he can go against the odds once again to capture a more coveted trophy - it could be the Carling Cup, or even the UEFA Cup.
     
  10. haven

    haven New Member

    Jul 9, 2003
    Boston, MA
    I was going to say that Reading are the new Charlton, but then realized that Charlton never finished as high as Reading are stationed now.
     
  11. 433tom

    433tom New Member

    Jun 16, 2006
    Good thread DS. I've always been a big fan of Coppell, both in his playing days and coaching career. I picked them as the promoted side most likely to stay up but never dreamed they would do this well.

    If i'm not mistaken, if the season started on Jan 1, they would be top of the table right now. There is a lot to be said for that, because January is when many a promoted side who started the season brightly, begin to fade back into reality. But not Reading.

    And their fans are a decent bunch. Good friend of mine is from the Reading area. I actually went to one of their home matches last season. Had a real nice time. Seems like since Steve took over, Manchester United is most Reading fans second favorite club.
     
  12. mschofield

    mschofield Member+

    May 16, 2000
    Berlin
    Club:
    Union Berlin
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Sorry to step into a club discussion, but had to praise a thoughtful look at Coppell, and Reading.
    As a Reading fan (and I think most would agree with me) we don't collapse when sidwell leaves, or lita leaves, or .... We collapse when Coppell leaves.
    There was a point last year, Reading were flying, when Murty, Shorey, Sidwell and kitson went down injured at the same time. At that point, they had been, arguably, our four best performers. it was early in the season, October, in a year when we knew we didn't have any depth.
    But we didn't miss a beat. We not only didn't lose a game during their absense, we played the same brand of football we're playing now.
    FFS, look at Long. How many starts did he have with the club when he started scoring in the prem? Zero. He hadn't even been a footballer a few years ago . Look at Bikey this past weekend, having replaced Sonko (clearly, our player of the season). Look at Hunt (well, forgive the hair).
    When Coppell is looking for players, his first criteria is hunger. If they've got a chip on their shoulder, he's for them. He's brilliant. He knows exactly what his players can provide, and figures out a way for them to privide the most they've got on offer. And he does it every week.
    As Coppell notes, we're not in for Europe, we're fighting relegation. We're going to reach 60 points and be fighting relegation.
    And finally, no, he couldn't take the pressure of ManU. you wouldn't want him. Please.:(
     
  13. Dark Savante

    Dark Savante Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Become the Tea Pot!!
    These excerpts sum him up for me.
    ^
    Coppell's analytical mind is a key feature of his management style. However, by his own admission, his first steps as a manager were not quite as refined as his methods now. 'I didn't know what I was doing for the first couple of years.'

    His years at Crystal Palace were a fantastically eventful grounding. Coppell constructed his team from all but scratch and took them to the 1990 FA Cup final and, the following season, their highest ever league position, third. Developing players is something that makes him tick.
    ^

    I think this sums it up. I didn't forget his stint at Citeh, but it was a long time ago and since then he's done a lot in the game, and also seems to have come to terms with prying eyes and so forth. I also think citing 'stress' as his reason for quitting could mean a whole host of things. It's a polite way to get out of a gig you don't fancy - the stress may not even refer to the job itself, but the fluff and cretins at board level, which is entirely different.
    I think you've been fantastic. In fact, I didn't think it was possible in this day and age to play a 4-4-2 with a promoted side full of players with no experience in this league and attack all and sundry with no fear and tactical awareness. It really is a joy to behold and I think it's the most incredible feat of this decade so far. Every side you face takes you very seriously. I don't think anyone would call you a 'banker' for 3pts before the 90 was played.

    As for Coppell, I don't think you've got anything to worry about from us for a while, but if he keeps this level of performance up for the whole season, some mid-table clubs may well be enquiring about him. I don't think he'd go, mind. Seems like a very loyal chap. Three years in this league at the upper-mid level and I think he'll be on the radar of clubs like ours.

    The way he plays the game is the closest reincarnation to a Fergie side I've ever seen, that will raise eyebrows soon enough I think.

    Good luck for the rest of the season, I'll be cheering you on whenever our games don't clash.

    :)
     
  14. Dark Savante

    Dark Savante Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Become the Tea Pot!!
    Hansen compared them to us circa '94. He's spot-on. Their style is identical to United's. That has everything to do with Coppell's time here.It's the primary reason why I would love him to be our new manager if he can keep on keeping on.
     
  15. Stud83

    Stud83 Member+

    Jun 1, 2005
    Also, Reading knocked out a couple of Chelsea goalies, which certainly helped us...
     
  16. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    My God, I've only just watched the clip, but that is phenomenal. You can see they've got a system and a plan and they know where the ball is going before the opposition's set piece is taken.
     
  17. listen_up_fergie

    listen_up_fergie New Member

    Mar 3, 2005
    Montreal
    The speed at which they get players forward is certainly a throwback to the nineties.
     
  18. sdotsom

    sdotsom Member+

    Manchester United
    Mar 27, 2005
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Yeah..that first corner they highlighted was incredible to me. As soon as they realized it was a bad corner..and I do mean literally seconds after, they had a good 6-7 men sprinting for the other side of the pitch.

    They play great football and have a solid manager. Cheers for Reading.
     
  19. Dark Savante

    Dark Savante Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Become the Tea Pot!!
    If you don't know why I was fussing, hopefully today should give an insight. An immaculate tactical performance again from Coppell and his side. The man is probably the best tactician in the league.
     
  20. mhtwins113

    mhtwins113 Member

    May 9, 2005
    Club:
    Lincoln City FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I blame you, DS. Coppell read this and thought that he owed you a tough match. ;)
     
  21. Charleysurf

    Charleysurf Member

    Jul 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I thought Reading were poor in the second half until they were handed a goal by Uniteds poor defending. His powers of motivation were not apparent at the start of the 2nd half. Reading were transformed when they got the goal but that's hardly due to Coppell.
     
  22. Dark Savante

    Dark Savante Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Become the Tea Pot!!
    I'd completely disagree on all counts. I was getting very nervous seeing how we couldn't break them down. We had half chances for the most part...at our own ground!
     
  23. listen_up_fergie

    listen_up_fergie New Member

    Mar 3, 2005
    Montreal
    I agree with Charleysurf...I don't think Reading were particularly strong. We did manage to get players through on goal at least on two occasions, and we should've had a two-goal advantage at some point in the game. Their goal was completely against the run of play, and we have only ourselves to blame.
     
  24. Stud83

    Stud83 Member+

    Jun 1, 2005
    Huh? :confused: We had a goal, another one disallowed, and at least 4 more great chances to score, especially late in the second half. Can't ask for much more, considering so many of our regulars were out.
     
  25. Stud83

    Stud83 Member+

    Jun 1, 2005
    Agreed. If anything, Coppel should be praised for his team being so well prepared physically, but we pretty much gift wrapped the game for them.
     

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