Coppell looking for Number Three

In a time that all current trigger-happy chairmen are stuck in a persistent routine of dismissing Managers at their peril, it remains a remarkable, even astonishing, that Steve Coppell remains the only man that has a realistic opportunity of achieving a hat trick of promotions to the Premier League.
Normally with relegation the manager, more often or not, receive their P45. It’s a testament for Reading to keep utter faith in Coppell; well the Royals would have been foolish to get rid of their most successful manager in history.
While with Crystal Palace, Coppell won promotion in 1997 steering the Eagles through the playoffs for his first promotion. He then masterminded the historic Reading record-breaking season in 2005 to give the club their first taste of top-flight football for his second. Now he has the opportunity to make history once again with his current Reading team for his third.
Obviously, being constantly in the top flight would be the much greater reward but having the audacity to rebuild and supply a team that can obtain promotion time after time is a talent in itself. Losing key players then having the knowledge to replace those players with better ones is not a task for the lighthearted.
At present, Coppell is in a select group of managers that have achieved two Premier League Promotions but unfortunately, some of these managers’ potential and reward have never materialised. Some of these men find it difficult to warrant a job and find it harder getting one, Reading kept faith in Coppell and that has paid dividends this term but for other clubs this has not been the case.
Bryan Robson won promotion twice with Middlesbrough in 94/95 and 97/98 where the directors kept much deserving faith in the ex-Manchester United Captain. Ironically, he wouldn’t have to win back promotion in 97/98 if Middlesbrough had not suffered that three-point deduction for cancelling a fixture at late notice but he suffered the fate of relegation.
But as Middlesbrough have kept their top flight status, Robson hasn’t. He could have achieved a third promotion with West Brom, but he wrecked their chances with bad buy’s and bad form, he soon left by ‘mutual consent’ after just eight games of which three he won. Robson’s ill-fate spell with Sheffield United did nothing to help his cause. He has been since chucked into managerial wilderness.
Kevin Keegan had the habit of taking big clubs back to the top and he duly delivered this with Newcastle United and Manchester City in 92/93 and 01/02 respectively as they both saw a return of top flight football. He could have easily made it a third if it was not for the public demand of the England job. He succeeded Glenn Hoddle back in 1999 and Fulham, whom he managed and built the foundations of, were promoted two seasons later under the guidance of Jean Tigana.
Peter Reid won promotion twice with his beloved Black Cats. Sunderland reached the top flight in 95/96 and 98/99 and Reid was so close to making it three in the 97/98 season for only Michael Gray’s saved penalty resulting in Charlton Athletic to win the penalty shootout to win promotion but Reid and Sunderland bounced back to win the division with a, then, record of 105 points. He was soon sacked and spells at Leeds United and Coventry City never promised much.
Alan Curbishley twice steered Charlton Athletic to the Premier League, one with that famous penalty shootout win against Reid’s Sunderland and one in 99/00. Curbishley will have to look for a Championship club if you were to make it three after leaving West Ham United as finding a job in the top division has been difficult. Surely, there are making takers in the Championship.
Gary Megson took West Brom back to the top league on more than one occasion; his first full season saw a defeat in the Semi-final stage of the playoffs to the hands off Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers but Megson bounced back and won promotion in 01/02.
After being relegated the following season, Megson and West Brom soon returned to the Premier League for the 04/05 season with the help of newly installed Jeremy Peace’s financial prudence. Megson is currently doing a good job at Bolton, after ill spell times at Nottingham Forest and Leicester City but doesn’t look like adding to his two promotions at any time soon.
Steve Bruce took Birmingham City up twice in 01/02 and 06/07. Birmingham beat his old club Norwich City on penalties in the playoff final to win promotion in 2002 and lasted until their relegation in 2006. Bruce soon took his team back up in sluggish fashion as they finished second place to Sunderland after Derby County’s defeat at Crystal Palace in 2007.
Paul Jewell remains the last body of this list. He famously won promotion with Bradford City back in 1999 before leading Wigan Athletic to the top flight for the ever first time in their history in 2005. His third attempt with Derby County did not go quite to plan as the team struggled immensely throughout this season, Jewell was eventually replaced by Nigel Clough to postpone his search of a ‘hat-trick’ of promotions.
This season Mick McCarthy (Wolves), Dave Jones (Cardiff) and Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace), all look to join this select group of men that have achieved promotion twice.
Nevertheless, it leaves Steve Coppell to become the first manager who can claim a third promotion to the Promised Land. No mean feat indeed.

Return of the Chop

Cardiff City may have made the most sensational recapture of the championship for many years. Sunderland’s Michael Chopra is returning to the club where he made a household name for himself - on loan until at least January.
The 24 year old will be trying desperately to get within the goals again to prove to his current manager Roy Keane that he is a natural goal scorer. There has been premature rumours that the loan deal may end up being permanent one when the transfer window re-opens .
The Bluebird will graciously open their sympathetic arms for the return of Chopra who only spent a mere 13 months at Ninian Park. Whilst there he scored an excellent 22 goals from 42 appearances including a stunning hat-trick to defeat Leicester City 3-2.
Subsequently he moved to Sunderland for £5 million after the Mackems activated a release clause in his contract. After which he managed to score an opening day winner against Tottenham at the Stadium of Light last season.
Having been a former Newcastle starlet, the fans never warmed to him abd found his chances too few and far between. He did manage to score six goals to help contribute to Sunderland’s survival in the Premiership as he did play many of his games from midfield.
This term though, manager Roy Keane has shot Chopra down the pecking order as he focused on his strike force this summer with the captures of El-Hadji Diouf and Djibril Ciise.
He did score a memorable brace against northeast rivals Middlesbrough earlier this season to keep his name in the headlines but his chances were promptly limited.
The chance came about when Cardiff’s front pairing of Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd were both ruled out of action for a lengthy period due to hamstring injuries.
McCormack has been the star of the show this season as his 11 goals so far has helped Cardiff into the play-off places and with Bothroyd, they supplied a lethal partnership as 14 out of the 19 goals has been scored by the pair.
Manager Dave Jones moved shrewdly to prevent his team losing any momentum and with the upcoming game against rivals Queens Park Rangers they need to maintain their good form. And looking to cement their place firmly in the play-off picture.