McGhee spot on in the Argus

[Southover Street Seagull]

- I'm not actually that anti-Palace. They don't really bother me much, and in fact I quite like Simon Jordan! That's most certainly not the reason for my Coppout hatred.

- Maybe if Coppell had started that season we wouldn't have lost so many games, and that would mathematically have saved us. However, the fact remains that in Feb we were out of the bottom three, yet he still guided us back into it with some lame results (Preston at home being the pinnacle).

- Ok, so if he had so much affinity for the club, WHY did he leave? He didn't like Madejski, he walked out of an interview, yet still went - WHY?

Also one more question. How can Coppell be compared to Adams. Do you not see that Adams left after huge success and Coppell after failure? Am I the only one who sees the huge difference there?

I am not comparing Coppell with Adams.
As I have said before Coppell left because he had a much better chance of success if he went to Reading. It's football.
He didn't do it behind our backs, he didn't say he was going to stay and then leave.
Loyalty is only shown by the fans like me and you.
Oh and did you not see Coppell on one of the pro-Falmer marches on the seafront after he left?

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

You would not think that if you were standing by the dug outs went Brentford scored in injury time to prevent us having 9 point out of 9 , McGhee turned round and smashed his fist into the back of the dug out with such force I could see the dent on the other side

Also the man who said when we were beaten 5-1 at home to Stoke was an irrelevant result? That isn't passion that is disenchantment to me.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Sure, he is still eminently employable, but it remains the fact that this was his first relegation on his CV of his own (Leicester's from the Prem was "inherited" and the football world does forgive those as it did with us and Coppell). That does damage your reputation to a degree.

Take Phil Parkinson, a fine young manager whose one bad experience means he now has to rebuild his reputation once again as a No2.

LI, Phil Parkinson had a 25,000 seater stadium and about 2 million quid to play with at Hull. McGhee as everyone knows in the football world if they have half a brain was at shitty Withdean.
I suspect they will see that he was in for a tough ride with us.

 

[Da Man Clay]

Also the man who said when we were beaten 5-1 at home to Stoke was an irrelevant result? That isn't passion that is disenchantment to me.

We had a lot of kids playing and I dont think he wanted to dent confidence any further. The point is that it was an irrelevant result, It meant nothing in terms of our season and im sure all the players wanted the season to end a s quickly as possible after we got relegated.

 

[Yorkie]

Also the man who said when we were beaten 5-1 at home to Stoke was an irrelevant result? That isn't passion that is disenchantment to me.

It was an unfortunate choice of words but the result was irrelevant as we were already relegated. Not nice but true.

 

[London Irish]

Also the man who said when we were beaten 5-1 at home to Stoke was an irrelevant result? That isn't passion that is disenchantment to me.

No, he was protecting his players from the bitterness of the fans. One of his more admirable qualities was that he always defended his players from unreasonable expectations, and he made no friends among fans doing so, but it was a brave, admirable thing.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

We had a lot of kids playing and I dont think he wanted to dent confidence any further. The point is that it was an irrelevant result, It meant nothing in terms of our season and im sure all the players wanted the season to end a s quickly as possible after we got relegated.

It was bloody relevant to me and countless other fans. We didn't have a lot of kids playing either. He had people like Carpenter and Butters playing and Reid too. He shoulds have played the whole youth side, at least they might have showed a bit more passion!

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Sorry, should have been clearer, someone else was comparing Adams to Coppell. I wasn't aiming that at you directly.

I would, however, argue Coppell did do it behind our backs in a way. That summer he signed a new contract (after a tediously long wait), then jumped ship a few months later. That's the disloyalty in all of this. That's my problem with the bloke. If he had 'done a Taylor' and gone in the summer, I wouldn't be overly impressed after a relegation, but as we would have had plenty of time to deal with it I wouldn't have had a problem with him. The way he did it just stinks of him looking after himself throughout, but at the same time trying to paint a picture of a this great affinity with the club. Absolute bullshit in my opinion. Why were we good enough for him when he was out of work, and again in the summer, but suddenly he was off a few months later?

Yes, I did see him there, and frankly I don't see why he was welcome. I know he had nothing to gain by coming, but WHY exactly was he there?

He was at the Falmer march to show support for his former employers and fans.

Some people may call that loyalty.

On the subject of his contract, we don't know when Reading started to put out the feelers for Coppell. He was just doing what most people would do and get himself another years work.
Reading could well have started to ask about his availablity after he had signed his contract.

 

[London Irish]

It was bloody relevant to me and countless other fans.

I would liked to have seen us sign off a disappointing season with a win. But the season was over and it was just a glorified friendly. Anyone who elevates such a fixture to any level of importance has other agendas I'm afraid, and there were plenty there who just wanted to punish McGhee for our relegation. All rather pointless in my view.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

No, he was protecting his players from the bitterness of the fans. One of his more admirable qualities was that he always defended his players from unreasonable expectations, and he made no friends among fans doing so, but it was a brave, admirable thing.

Sometimes players shouldn't be protected by their manager, this was one case where I think that should have happened. I never condone singling out players personally but sometimes the team needs a collective dressing down when they have put in a shabby performance like the Stoke one.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

re the Stoke game. It's just a minor point, but our team that day was NOT full of kids. Have a look:

Henderson
Reid
Hinshelwood
Butters
Lynch
Carole
Nicolas
Carpenter
Frutos
Kazim-Richards
Noel-Williams

Agree with about that point!

 

[British Bulldog]

Also the man who said when we were beaten 5-1 at home to Stoke was an irrelevant result? That isn't passion that is disenchantment to me.

Just like the results in January were'nt important either, It's after the Stoke game that he should've gone though.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

I would liked to have seen us sign off a disappointing season with a win. But the season was over and it was just a glorified friendly. Anyone who elevates such a fixture to any level of importance has other agendas I'm afraid, and there were plenty there who just wanted to punish McGhee for our relegation. All rather pointless in my view.

The only agenda I had for that game was for the team to play with some pride and passion and for players like Butters, Carpenter and Reid to be rested and for youth to be given a chance. A chance to play in as you say it " a glorified friendly ".
I remember a long time ago a certain Stoke City had been relegated from the old second division and game to the Goldstone for a "glorified friendly" that they took rather seriously!
The beat us 4-1 I think and the five thousand or so fans they brought down with them had great relegation party and good memories to take back to Stoke, they had also seen their team's pride restored.

 

[cjd]

No, he was protecting his players from the bitterness of the fans. One of his more admirable qualities was that he always defended his players from unreasonable expectations, and he made no friends among fans doing so, but it was a brave, admirable thing.

Do you go to the same optician as yorkie...??




PS. what are you doing on here ?.....you should be comforting your partner...! Any news ...??

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

I'm sure they did, as they had Pardew in place before that. My point is he should NOT have left at that point. He had taken us down, he had kept us waiting on a new contract, and he then messed us around for weeks while he decided on Reading (including an embarrassing day where our fans actually tried to persuade him to stay. God, if ever I need a definition of the word demeaning!). If he was a loyal man, he would not have walked out, particularly with us so well placed to go back up. I guess we're not going to agree on that one, but I respect your opinion and you make some fair points

When did Coppell actually leave? My memory is bad so correct me if I am wrong, but I thought he left with season a few weeks old.
As I said there isn't much loaylty in football except from us fans.
You make some good points too.
But we will debate this until man lands on Mars and still disagree!