Reading FC

West Brom want Coppell

By Nick Ive
June 17, 2009

Steve Coppell is on the list of possible candidates to replace Tony Mowbray at West Bromwich Albion.

The former Royals boss ended his five-and-a-half-year tenure at Madejski Stadium last month after failing to guide the club back to the Premier League.

And the Baggies, who are looking for a new manager following Mowbray’s decision to go to Scottish giants Celtic, have identified Coppell as a prospective successor.

Alan Curbishley and Paul Ince have both expressed an interest in the vacancy, while Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson and former Hawthorns captain Derek McInnes, now of St Johnstone, are also likely to be considered.

Coppell, aged 53, snubbed the chance of a quick return to management a couple of weeks ago with an unnamed Championship side.

Although he is not ready to retire, the former Crystal Palace, Brentford and Brighton boss has said he wants to take a couple of months off before taking up a new job.

He was set to lead Reading’s title-winning team out for Graeme Murty’s testimonial, but he has been forced to pull out as his son Mark, who has just completed a golf scholarship in the United States, is playing in a competition.

Coppell missed his son’s graduation due to his involvement in Reading's failed play-off campaign.

The Royals ‘106’ team, named after the number of points they amassed in winning the Championship three years ago, will now be managed by former assistant boss Kevin Dillon at Madejski Stadium on Monday July 20.

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West Brom would be a good fit for Coppell. They've got potential, would be serious about going back up and would have similar funds that he is used to working with. He doesn't like dealing with superstars and there's enough room there for him to bring in lower level talent like he's done over previous years. I think that if he did take the job that they would have a good chance of going up. The difference if this did happen compared to his experience with the Royals is that he wouldn't make the same mistakes by staying too loyal with individual players and would succeed in maintaing Premiership status. West Brom is a pleasant club with the same amiable feel that Reading has, and with a similar type of following. They're ambitious but not to the point of being fanatical and they're the sort of club that would prefer to appoint a Steve Coppell than, say a Roy Keane. Personally, I think Coppell is taking time out, mainly to learn how to gain a greater knowledge of man mangement. Any aspiration he may have to manage a "big club" is tempered by his lack of control of big ego's and unfortunately that is probably the main function of a manager at the top level. Wherever he goes I hope he does well and wins the respect of the fans. He's a gentleman of the game ........ and there aren't many of those managing at the top level.

Bradders, Reading
18/06/2009 at 20:45

Well an item like this fills space, but it just suggests a lack of 'Reading' stories. I would be amazed if -- 'have identified Coppell as a prospective successor' -- doesn't appear every time there is a managerial vacancy of substance. Would a story on a proper in-depth analysis of the Reading FC yearly accounts be more relevant to us, or would that be too much like hard work!