Coppell considers loan deals

Anthony Smith • Published 19 Feb 2009 09:00 0 Comments

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STEVE Coppell has admitted he may be forced to bring in some emergency loans if results do not improve.

The Royals have won once in four games, albeit against Championship leaders Wolves. But their last two contests were turgid goalless draws against Preston and Queens Park Rangers.

To add to Coppell's woes, his goal-shy players have not found the net for an alarming 362 minutes - despite being the highest scoring team at home in England.

Now rumours are surfacing that Coppell wants to re-sign former Reading winger Glen Little from Portsmouth until the end of the season.

The 33-year-old right-winger left the Royals last summer but his opportunities at Fratton Park have been limited and Coppell presumably wants him to unlock defences and deliver expert crosses from the right, an area sadly lacking in Jimmy Kebe's game.

And another former player, Ibrahima Sonko, has also been linked with a loan move back this week after struggling to hold down a regular place at Stoke City.

Sonko left for more than £2 million last summer and the Sengal star would provide cover at centre-back with Ivar Ingimarsson ruled out for the rest of the season.

Bolton's man-mountain defender Danny Shittu would be another possibility should Reading suffer any more injuries in that position to Michael Duberry, Alex Pearce or Andre Bikey.

Coppell, whose side host Bristol City this Saturday, told The Chronicle: "What determines emergency loans is first and foremost injuries. If we have any more in certain positions I will have to look around.

"Secondly, results. If we're not getting the results we need then I have to do something about it. It's my job."

However, Coppell says his decision will finally rest on the performances of his current crop of players and he refused to comment on the speculation.

"It's all pure speculation which I pay no attention to whatsoever," he declared. "If we are going to do something in terms of emergency loans we will do it.

"But I'm not going to sit here and discuss what might happen or what we might do if this happens or that happens.

"The fact is, if we are winning games I won't have to do anything at all and that is our objective."

Nevertheless, there is pressure on Coppell to tinker with his team especially in midfield where captain James Harper has been criticised in particular for a lack of creativity.

Many supporters want Czech Republic ace Marek Matejovsky to start instead while others have run out of patience with Kebe who has lacked an end product to his dazzling build-up play.

But Coppell has never been one to panic: "We haven't lost games so why make lots of changes," he stated. "Everyone in possession of the shirt who is not doing it is going to be under pressure. That's the way it should be.

"The good thing is we do have options. We've got Marek Matejovsky, Brynjar Gunnarsson, and Jay Tabb who are all ready to come into midfield.

"It's an extremely competitive environment but the fact remains that if you are winning games then you stay in the team. If we're not winning games, I will make changes."

This weekend's clash against the Robins will be Reading's first game in two weeks after last Saturday's trip to Derby County was postponed due to their involvement in the FA Cup.

With Wolves losing and Birmingham drawing, Royals slipped to third in the table but with games in hand,

Coppell argued: "I don't want to read anything into last weekend. But when I look at what could have been a break was most welcome.

"We would have had eight players away on international duty. They would have come back on Thursday and travelled straight to Derby again. So from that point of view we were probably better off missing a game."

And he added: "I'm not interested in anyone else. If we do our stuff is doesn't matter how other clubs perform.

"But we have to be at our very best. We're not expecting anyone to give us anything. There are no handouts in this division."

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 18 Feb 09

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