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Steve Coppell has shocked Bristol City by resigning as manager at Ashton Gate with immediate effect after just one match of the new league season and Keith Millen has been appointed as his replacement on a three-year contract.

The 55-year-old delivered his surprise news to chairman Steve Lansdown on Wednesday and he has also decided to retire from football management, having only taken over at City in April, 112 days ago.

Coppell, who saw his side lose 3-2 at Southend in the Carling Cup on Tuesday after also suffering a heavy 3-0 home defeat to Millwall in the Championship last Saturday, says that he took a long time to make his announcement, but he has not given an explanation.

He said in a statement released through the League Managers’ Association: “It is with the deepest regret that I confirm my departure from Bristol City. I have made my decision after very careful consideration and I believe that it is in the best interests of both the club and me personally that we go our separate ways.”

“Bristol City is an excellent club, with brilliant support and a chairman with great ambition for the club’s future. Whilst I was looking forward to the challenge of leading the players in this season’s campaign, unfortunately, it has become clear over recent weeks, that I found I could not, for whatever reason, become passionate about the role and give the commitment the position demands.

“I appreciate that the timing of my departure is not ideal, but I believe it is best for the club to appoint a new manager or indeed appoint Keith Millen, who has a deep knowledge of the club and the squad, at this stage of the season. That individual can then make decisions on signing players before the window closes and work with the squad for the full campaign.

“I am retiring from football management but still feel I have a contribution to make to the game sometime in the future. I would like to sincerely thank the chairman and the board for their understanding and I wish the club and its supporters every success.” (Sky Sports)

Steve Coppell is one of those managers who enjoys the respect and appreciation of just about anyone who loves the game. He was a great player and has been a successful manager in his various positions but it seems that for whatever reason the 55 year old just didn’t have his heart in the Ashton Gate job. The Robins seem to be going in the right direction having brought in some good signings over the summer including experienced Premier League campaigners likes Nicky Hunt and David James, but the season did not begin well so perhaps that simply served to highlight Coppell’s decision that the job wasn’t for him.

Expect many to put the former Manchester City and Crystal Palace boss in the running for the vacant Aston Villa post but the highly respected boss wouldn’t make a statement such as this and then try to takeover elsewhere, he has far too much class for that.

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Steve Coppell has resigned as Reading manager after Tuesday’s defeat by Burnley denied the Royals a place in Championship play-off final.
The 53-year-old took charge in 2003 and guided Reading into the Premier League three years later but they were relegated in 2008.
Coppell’s men lost 2-0 to Burnley on the night and 3-0 on aggregate.
“Following our play-off exit I feel it’s the best thing, for both the club and myself, for me to leave,” he said.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Reading manager and would like to thank everyone connected to the club for the support I have received.” (BBC Sport)

Stevie Coppell is the manager nearly all fans like. Understated, down to earth and never one to mouth off unnecessarily, he will surely me employed elsewhere in less than a month. The former Man United winger has had a pretty decent record of success since he hung up his boots at the age of 28 and jumped in at the deep end at Crystal Palace.

His Reading side capitulated towards the end of the season and that downward turn continued through the play-offs where they were beaten by two great strikes last night as Owen Coyle’s Burnley side marched on towards the final where they will come up against Sheffield United.

So what now for Coppell? Well expect him to be linked with every available position in the top two divisions and if i were a betting man (which i am btw) i would guess he will be in the Premier League next season even though his former Royals side are not,.

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The Daily Mail report that Stephen Hunt is far from being a happy chappie after it was reported that Reading blocked a proposed move to Everton. Quite whether a bid was on the table is another matter, although it’s clear that the Irishman wanted a shot at the big time and feels annoyed that the Championship club supposedly stood in his way.

‘It (Everton) was a big club and it was disappointing that Reading could not have helped me out a little bit to benefit my career.

‘For what I have done for them, it would have been nice,’ he said after Reading reportedly rejected a £3.5 million bid from Everton.

‘There’s a £5 million release clause in my contract. Reading would have got a big chunk of that up front and the rest within a year but they (Reading) did not want to budge,’ he said.

While it’s clear that Steve Coppell wants to keep his best players at the Madejski Stadium for a promotion push this term, he didn’t stand in the way of Sonko and Kitson when they left the club for Stoke this summer, and it’s highly questionable that Everton were really forcing the issue on this one. However, do Toffees fans think that Hunt would have been a valuable acquisition?

However, as Setanta report, the Royals gaffer is not giving up any more players without one hell of a fight. After their 0-0 draw with Forest on Sunday, the scouser clearly wants to keep hold of the likes of Kevin Doyle and James Harper, and even talks about strengthening his squad for their assault on the Championship.

“I want to get a message across that I don’t want any of my players to go. There’s been a certain amount of hovering but I would hope the teams respect our situation now the season has started,” said Coppell.

“Our squad has been there since May 13 and the last thing any manager wants is a last-minute rush because The Premier League kicks off next week.

“Why haven’t people come earlier, why have my players suddenly become desirable?

“I said many weeks ago that if any player does leave it will be at a premium. I don’t want to lose anyone.

“If anything, I’m going to be the predator myself and bring a few players in.”

Reading fans, where do you think your team needs strengthening? Are you short of firepower now that Kitson has gone, or should Coppell look to bring in a creative midfielder? Anything less than a top six finish would surely be disappointing to the fans this term?

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Sky Sports reports that Nicky Shorey has joined Aston Villa for around £3.5 million, and it doesn’t seem like a bad bit of business for the Midlands club. The defender has the very definition of a cultured left-foot and has consistently stood out for the Royals over the past few seasons.

“I’m delighted to be here. It’s all come out of the blue a bit but it’s a great challenge for me. This is a massive club and I’m really looking forward to it,” Shorey told the club’s official website.

“There were other clubs interested but this is such a big club. Obviously I talked to the manager and he’s very positive and very ambitious. That’s what I am – especially after last season. I want to get back into the Premier League and show people what I can do.

“So I’m just grateful for the opportunity to play for such a big club as Aston Villa. I think I can achieve everything I want in the game at a club like this.

“Villa are definitely going places. You can tell by the signings they’re making and the people already at the club.

“The manager is talking very positively here and obviously the chairman’s backing him up. So I want to be a part of that.”

It had appeared that Portsmouth were leading the race to sign Shorey, who seemed to have the pick of a few clubs in the end. Reading will appreciate the cash they get for this talented player, although with Kitson also gone, will the Royals be struggling to make the top six?

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There had been speculation that the former Manchester City and Crystal Palace manager would step down at the end of the season, especially after falling through the relegation trapdoor. However, the Daily Mirror report that the scouser has decided to take a massive pay-cut and finish the job he has started at the Madejski Stadium.

He said: “The last thing I want to be remembered for at Reading is for a relegation. I wanted the chance to put it right. Now our motivation is to try to make next season memorable for all the right reasons.”

Are you betting on Reading to repeat their triumph of 2004/5, when they took the division by storm? It llargely depends on keeping hold of Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle and James Harper but to name a few. You’d certainly expect the Berkshire club to be in and around the top six next term, although Sheffield United and Charlton proved last season that relegated clubs have no divine right to these placings.

Since his emotional outburst though, it turns out that Portsmouth Manager Harry Redknapp and Reading manager Steve Coppell both actually agree with him, with Harry quoted as saying:

“You would need £150million to spend to have any chance of breaking into that top four, Look at Liverpool last summer, they spent £28million on Fernando Torres and he is a fantastic player but who else can compete with that?
I agree with Kevin Keegan, I do not see any way that anyone else can break into the top four. Tottenham came closest for a few seasons but if you look at them now they have fallen back into mid-table. Nothing is guaranteed by spending money and it is getting harder and harder to get there.”

And Coppell today saying:

“I have been saying that for a long time. At the start of the season you know within four teams definitely, probably within three and most betting people would say within two teams who is going to win the league, I contradict myself by saying it is brilliant to watch these teams do well in Europe but they have too much of an advantage on a week-to-week basis for it to be a really competitive league.
There are sub-divisions within the league that are competitive but in terms of winning the division you know who is going to do that at the start of each year.”

Are they right? Is the Premier League boring or just predictable? Should the Top Four be booted into an Elite Euro League? Should the Champion’s League rules be changed? Surely something needs to change or the fans will vote with their feet.

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Sky Sports report that Coppell is unhappy that Alexander Hleb got away with slapping Graeme Murty during the match, when a red card should apparently have been brandished instead. His captain was knocked to the floor as a result, with the officials taking a leaf out of the Arsenal manager’s book and ‘not seeing anything’.

Coppell said: “Hleb slapped him across the neck and it is clearly visible on the video. It is there to see.

“I don’t know how the procedure is at the Football Association. It seems some mystery man phones in and says ‘have a look at the tape’.

“The whole process is unexplainable and arbitrary. Maybe someone in their front room somewhere will do something about it.”

It’s getting tight at the foot of the Premier League table, with just one point seperating Birmingham from Bolton and Reading. It appeared that the Royals had hauled themselves clear a few weeks ago, but last week’s defeat at home to Fulham means the prospect of returning to the Championship is a very real one.

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Leroy has been very, very frustrated.

He’s started a number of games this season and not scored many goals. He’s been frustrated recently when I’ve selected a front two who haven’t scored, carried on choosing them and he’s not got a sniff.

Just by chance, this week I was speaking to Alan Pardew and Leroy’s name was mentioned. It just seemed to me to be almost a logical thing.

There’s an element of risk, I know that. If we get an injury at the weekend, we’d be left a striker short and the risk I’ve taken would have been unnecessary.

But Leroy being here and frustrated isn’t helping him, or us. Now he’s got a chance to go there, fight for his place and hopefully play.

We have four strikers, he wouldn’t have started Saturday, so it seemed the right thing to do.

Last season, Lita was one of the best players for Reading but this season he has failed to capture his old form and is supposedly not wanted by Coppell anymore. Lita has started just 7 Premier League games this season and let’s hope that his stint at The Valley does him some good.

Reading manager Steve Coppell, who was sounding pretty much downbeat ahead of the relegation 6-pointer, is now optimistic again after bagging all 3 points away from home. Coppell says:

When you’ve gone so long without winning, when you eventually do, the feeling is just a huge sigh of relief.

Middlesbrough played 120 minutes in midweek, and if that was going to be a factor in the game, it was going to be in the last 10-15 minutes, and that proved to be the case.

From my point of view, my players stuck in there all the time. It’d be easy after the run we’ve had to be soft-centred but we were hard today, we kept going, and we just got a break at the death.

Reading are third from bottom only on goal difference but their first away win in the league this season should certainly motivate them. Indeed some would even suggest that Reading are just too good to go down.