With the Premier League season just hours away, we conclude our look at the new campaign by talking to Reading boss Steve Coppell.
What have you been up to over the summer?
I think every football manager in the country and football staff around the world will have experienced the same. You might go away on holiday and lie on a beach in the sun, but at the back of your mind you’re always thinking about what next season’s going to hold.
You’re already formulating what your priorities are, what you and your team need to do to get better and take the next step, and how you’re going to make that journey.
Did you watch the World Cup?
Yes, and for the most part it was a wonderful exhibition of football. There was some inconsistent refereeing, and slightly disturbingly a lack of direction from FIFA as regards that. The way we went out was disappointing for everyone, and there was just such a sense of deja vu about it all, wasn't there? Like most people I felt that we had better players but for some reason it just didn't transfer. I tipped Italy from the start, because I thought they would be hard to beat. That proved to be the case, and they were more committed in attack than we were.
How has your pre-season gone so far?
Pre-season is always difficult to plan and it’s easy to be wise after the event with regards to quality of games and their timing, but on the face of it, our preparation seems to have gone well.
My own personal number one criteria has been the number of injuries sustained, and going into this game we’ll probably only have one player unavailable through injury. The second criteria of winning friendly matches is not too high on my agenda, but again in that category we have done very well.
Are your preparations different for this season different from last year?
No, very similar with a few friendlies against local non-league teams, a trip to Sweden and a high-profile home game at the end.
What new players have you got in over the close season?
Seol Ki-Hyeon was our first signing. When he has played against us in the past, I’ve always thought he was a handful to try to control. And when we contacted Seol and his agent, it was nice to immediately hear that he wanted to come to us. That has not been a familiar pattern this summer - we’ve enquired about a number of players but the message that normally comes back has been ‘he’s got other irons in the fire’ and ‘we’ll keep you informed’. Basically that means ‘if no-one else comes in for him, then we’ll think about you’.
Sam Sodje was very keen to join us too and he is another player I’ve watched a lot. I don’t want to burden him with this tag, but I see him in a similar vein to Sonko. I’d seen Sonks play so many times and although I maybe understood why other managers or clubs weren’t attracted to him, I saw the potential and since arriving here he has had great success. I’m not saying Sam Sodje is going to take exactly the same route, but the raw material is there without doubt. All we can do is provide an opportunity and hope he lives up to our expectations.
Which players are the ones to watch at your club?
I wouldn’t want to single anybody out, but they are all desperate to prove themselves at this level.
Are you looking forward to the new season?
Of course. We’ve been looking forward to it for what appears to have been a lifetime, during one of the longest summers I‘ve known in football due to the early end to last season’s campaign and the late start of the new one following the World Cup. I’m sure the long wait will make the arrival of the season even more special.
Grounds they are looking forward to visiting?
I’m only thinking about our opening game against Middlesbrough.
Who is your tip to win the league?
I’m not worried about that, my only concern is Reading and the task that lies ahead for us.
What are your personal ambitions for the season?
We are in the enviable position of being part of the Premier League, but we’ve earned the right to be there. Come what may, whatever happens, this year will be deemed a success for Reading Football Club in terms of our ongoing progress. Whatever we do this year will be a success...it’s just a question of how big a success.