Coppell "I'm due a break"

[Dirk Gently]

Why not? Pards and McGhee are two of the best managers we've ever had.

You go back in our history and look at all the bad managers we've had - and boy, we have had some absolute crap - and yet nobody ever mentions those guys. Never.

Yet guys like Pards and McGhee - who we actually achieved some success with - get trashed all the time. They are at the top of our list of managers as far as getting the most criticism. Its very strange and very sad.

i will tell you why not because they bloody craped on us showed us no loyalty and walked out on us so thats why there is a lot of us who hates them if either came back to this club i would burn my season ticket

they didnt just walk out
they both left at the worst possible time and played big parts in us losing out on promotions/playoffs

They both left us when we were in good positions, for jobs that they thought were bigger and better - which they both buggered up. As well as showing no confidence in us and thinking they were bigger than the club, they failed to make a success of the opportunity they left us for.

[brendywendy]

coppell says he wasnt talking about weeks or months(doesnt mention years though!)and that the story has been blown out of all proportion

[Physci]

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 99,00.html

[Tinrib]

Coppell - The truth

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 99,00.html

Hopefully that'll now stop all the doom mongering this thread exudes.

[Stranded]

Perfectly reasonable comments, as they always were. Sadly that doesn't interest people as much as sensationalism.

[Barry the bird boggler]

The article on the website says...


Steve Coppell has dismissed speculation about his future as well wide of the mark.

The boss granted a lengthy interview to Henry Winter last week, and part of that article discussed his next move after Reading.

Steve said he would most likely take a break from the game, but these quotes were singled out, with some reports going so far from the truth as to suggest he was 'on the verge' of leaving the Club.

This could not be further from the reality of the situation, as Steve explained in his weekly interview with our online TV station.

He told us, "If I can clear this up, I did an interview with Henry, who I respect as being a top writer.

"It wasn't just a five-minute interview, it was a 30 or 40-minute chat. We were talking about the Club etc, and toward the end he said 'what next?,' referring to the future.

"I said that I've been working for six or seven years now, and as a general comment I said I'm probably due a break.

"I firmly believe my longevity as a manager has come because every so often I've had a break to recharge the batteries.

"It's given me the opportunity to see others work, and different ways of doing things. Sort the wheat from the chaff.

"I firmly believe it helps you become a better manager or coach in the long term.

"Recharging is important because the job now is a year-round grind. Even on holiday you speak to agents, arrange pre-season and there are never more than three days without contact or thinking.

"It's a demanding job, everyone appreciates that.

"I have a contract here. Inevitably my time will come to an end, whether Reading get rid of me or I say I need a break.

"I was referring to the future, not next week or next month or whatever.

"A week is a long time in football. If I'm not getting results, I fully expect to be removed. If I am getting results, then I fully expect to stay here for an awful long time."

[andrew1957]

As always SC makes loads of sense and long may he remain at the helm.

If only the avearge hobnobber had 10% as much common sense!

[SpaceCruiser]

right now i want him to leave

You won't be happy.

The same applies for Coppell................F*CK OFF.

You won't be either.

coppell can go,

I'm guessing not you either.

[brendywendy]

whilst i am totally ecstatic at the inclusion of this line:
"If I am getting results, then I fully expect to stay here for an awful long time."

thats sounds good


starting with a result on saturday please!

[handbags_harris]

Reserving judgement until this moment, I've followed this thread with interest since it first started and I was always confident the comments were taken out of context. Some people really do seem to believe exactly what they read in the papers, and these people really need to be more prudent and less trigger happy with their comments. As highlighted by Spacey, Winchester, Gus & West Stand Flash, take a bow boys.

[3 veesinarow]

Apologies for being self-referential...

It's staggering how many idiots on this thread think that when SC says he fancies a rest "shortly", they actually believe he means next week. He signed a two season deal last summer - his first ever - and if he is ever thinking of a break from the game, it will be when that runs out and no earlier, unless the armchair managers hound him out before then.

I was referring to the future, not next week or next month or whatever.

What he said...

[Hoop Blah]

Reserving judgement until this moment, I've followed this thread with interest since it first started and I was always confident the comments were taken out of context. Some people really do seem to believe exactly what they read in the papers, and these people really need to be more prudent and less trigger happy with their comments. As highlighted by Spacey, Winchester, Gus & West Stand Flash, take a bow boys.

Thats all well and good but at a time when the club needs to be projecting a positive and united front it is naive to say you're looking to leave very shortly. It hardly matters how you mean it to be taken, it's how it will be perceived that is of real importance.

[Stranded]

And if people had read the comments in context rather than just jumping all over them there wouldn't have been the over-reaction that there has been.

[3 veesinarow]

If you're short-sighted and over-reactionary, you will perceive the statement in blind panic and decide that the world has come to an end, there's no point in carrying on, we're all doomed etc etc.

If you're more even-tempered and prone to a bit of forethought, you will perceive that a level-headed man is making a level-headed comment in which he is weighing up his future without dismissing or ignoring his current position.

You decide.

[Hoop Blah]

Unfortunately we live in a world were the majority of people will probably err on the sensationalist side of things.

Realistically Coppell is operating in an industry where every last word is open to interpretation and the media frenzy is way over the top. That's why I think it was a poor choice of words from Coppell, not because I think he was necessarily thinking of quiting at the end of the year....

I'm still unconvinced that he wasn't thinking that at the time of the interview though.

[Denver Royal]

Heh, a few days ago I made a confident prediction at the pub. I said get ready for the 'I didn't really mean that, I was taken out of context, it has been blown out of proportion' retractions to appear. Its taken longer than I thought, though.

At the very least he's laid the groundwork so that when he does leave, we can say we half expected it.

[brendywendy]

Reserving judgement until this moment, I've followed this thread with interest since it first started and I was always confident the comments were taken out of context. Some people really do seem to believe exactly what they read in the papers, and these people really need to be more prudent and less trigger happy with their comments. As highlighted by Spacey, Winchester, Gus & West Stand Flash, take a bow boys.

Thats all well and good but at a time when the club needs to be projecting a positive and united front it is naive to say you're looking to leave very shortly. It hardly matters how you mean it to be taken, it's how it will be perceived that is of real importance.

thought he just said shortly

[Old Biscuitman]

In the long run everybody leaves and the long run isn't very long in football.

[willz_royal]

Reserving judgement until this moment, I've followed this thread with interest since it first started and I was always confident the comments were taken out of context. Some people really do seem to believe exactly what they read in the papers, and these people really need to be more prudent and less trigger happy with their comments. As highlighted by Spacey, Winchester, Gus & West Stand Flash, take a bow boys.

Thats all well and good but at a time when the club needs to be projecting a positive and united front it is naive to say you're looking to leave very shortly. It hardly matters how you mean it to be taken, it's how it will be perceived that is of real importance.

thought he just said shortly

the sun quoted it as "very shortly"

[Ian Royal]

Thats all well and good but at a time when the club needs to be projecting a positive and united front it is naive to say you're looking to leave very shortly. It hardly matters how you mean it to be taken, it's how it will be perceived that is of real importance.

thought he just said shortly

the sun quoted it as "very shortly"

newspapers never misquote.