http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2006/08/19/sfnsmi19.xml
Coppell striving to retain blend that has served Reading so well in the past
By Alan Smith
(Filed: 19/08/2006)
The off-season, in truth, could have gone better. A lot better, in fact, according to Steve Coppell, the man who skilfully directed proceedings last season as Reading set about obliterating the Championship competition.
The record books show that the Royals ended up with a whopping 106 points, having won promotion in late March, earlier than any other post-War side. It had been a quite stunning display of confidence, concentration, organisation and togetherness, one that should have provided a clear head start in their Premiership planning.
So far, at least, it hasn't worked out that way. Attracting players to the Madejski Stadium has proved harder than expected.
"It soon became obvious that Reading was not an attractive proposition for a lot of players," Coppell reflected this week as he contemplated a campaign, starting with the visit of Middlesbrough today, which will tell him a great deal about the existing squad.
"It seems that players with aspirations don't look upon Reading as the final stop on their journey; a stepping stone definitely but established Championship players - and they were our targets at the end of last year - thought they could do a little bit better than us."
It hasn't been a question of money. John Madejski, the owner, benefactor, chairman and chief driving force, has made plenty available. Only the other day, two £5 million bids were rejected for a couple of players in France. No, it is more the club's modest profile, wage structure and uncertain short-term future that have stood in the way of moving things on.
Mind you, in candidly explaining the situation, Coppell does a great job in hiding any frustrations.
"Our market is very, very small and we've probably wasted a fair amount of time this summer by going after certain players and then finding out for various reasons that the deals have fallen through."
If that summary sounds bleak for the hordes of Reading fans looking forward to top-flight football for the first time in the club's 135-year history, a counter-balance can be found in the potential of those who won promotion. Characters like Steven Sidwell, Nicky Shorey, Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle offer purpose and promise. Rather than his first-choice XI, Coppell is more concerned about strength in depth.
"I said from day one that anyone who watched us last year couldn't look at the team and say: 'Oh, there's an obvious weakness there. He's scrambled his way into the Premiership.' Most of the players deserve the opportunity to play there. The holes that were apparent were from a depth point of view.
"If I can sign another two or three players before the transfer window closes I will do because if we have a couple of injuries our season could be over. That's our main concern at the moment. We are vulnerable in terms of numbers.'
In recruiting reinforcements, though, Coppell is very conscious of retaining the special "chemical blend" that has brought them this far. "It would be easy to bring somebody in on twice the money but it wouldn't be right," he says. "That's important - that we don't get people coming in, no matter how good they are, who will make the other players resentful.
"It's funny, the players themselves are saying we need more players in, that we need to strengthen, when the chances are it might mean them losing their place. If I was a player in the same circumstances, I'd think 'no, sod it. We've won the league, we've done what no other team have ever done before, give us a chance'."
Along with that chance comes the extra pressure that forms part and parcel of England's showpiece division. The added expectation, the huge media interest, the intense television scrutiny - new challenges to conquer for a set of players that can hardly muster up a Premiership appearance between them.
"We're gonna get the smart-arse judgments throughout the season from critics who say we're not good enough - can't do this, can't do that. Occasionally we'll also get pats on the back from people who say we're refreshing and doing our own thing. Somehow we've got to be able to withstand the knocks, ignore the plaudits and concentrate on trying to win the next game."
Words borne from experience. A high-class winger in his day for Manchester United and England, this economics graduate went on to manage, among other clubs, Crystal Palace on three separate occasions, winning promotion to the old First Division in his first spell.
Could that track record be an advantage over the next 10 months?
"The top flight is totally different now. I think my experience will only help from a perspective point of view. You read about poor Darren Clarke's wife and think football isn't that important. My experiences have given me more depth in my perception of football."
That's partly why he prefers to work with a rolling one-year contract, so as not to get stuck in a job he dislikes.
"I want to manage where I'm wanted," he says. "I box it off a year at a time. Come the end of this season, the club will make a decision, I'll make a decision and the chances are they will be the same one."
Before that moment, however, there are an awful lot of adventures waiting in the pipeline, some of which won't prove too enjoyable.
"In certain games I fully expect to be convincingly beaten. We've got to have the mental strength to then put that to bed and not dwell on it too much and bounce back. That will be a critical test - being able to bounce back. His biggest fear on the eve of the big kick-off is that he and his team let themselves down.
"Having earned the right to be here, we don't want to give it up cheaply. We certainly don't want to give it up without earning some respect. "I am intrigued to see what the players are capable of. We can all have our best guesses but nobody knows for sure."
A quiet summer will soon turn into an enlightening autumn and winter.