If Coppell had stayed would be celebrating promotion right now?

[Turkey]

I think we would. The performances were just coming together and we played our best game of the season at Rushden. The form after he left has cost us big time.

 

[Beach Hut]

Yes MLK I agree with your vision (and post)

 

[Trigger]

I think we were 4 points clear when he left?

 

[Beach Hut]

I think we went through a phase of 1 point out of 15 after he left

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Yes I think we would, just like we would still be in Div 1 if he had come earlier. No point thinking about it now though. Could equally say that if we had managed to win a few away games, i.e grimsby away, wycombe away, sheffield wednesday away then we would be up.

 

[Marshy]

Agree, we would have been up with Coppell in charge.

 

[jmc]

If smith had just f***ing scored!

 

[Soton Seagull]

There would have been a fair chance, although we did not deserve to be in the position we were whe he left. Apart from a couple of games we had played fairly poorly.

 

[Hungry Joe.]

No, I don't think we would. Sure we went through a bad patch after he left but we haven't changed that much. We're still well organised at the back but not scoring enough goals. I think Plymouth, QPR and Bristol City would have still pipped us albeit by a smaller points margin. Mind you, it's a bit like asking how long a piece of string is isn't it?

 

[smudge]

If smith had just f***ing scored!

Quality

 

[Juan Albion]

No, I think we were in an unstainable position when he left.

I dunno about that, I'd say it's more likely we've been ScotchGuarded since he left.

 

[Jim D]

I think we lost between 5 and 7 points due to the disruption caused by SC leaving (1 v B'mouth; 1 v Brentford - his old club; 3 v Stockport and possibly 2 v Posh). With him there we'd probably be pushing for second - although QPR might still be favourites.

 

[graz126]

close call but you have to say. 4 points clear with him so yes.without the disruptions caused by this i think we would have either won or come 2nd in the league. but he didn't stay and we aint up yet so, forget it. lets fight and do it the hard but much more exciting way.

 

[Turkey]

No, I think we were in an unstainable position when he left. We played a lot of home games early in the season where we were mediocre but the opposition were even worse (Luton, Chesterfield, Grimsby, Blackpool etc). We were not going to finish in the top 2 playing like that for a lot of the season. 4th is where I forecast we'd finish and I think that is a realistic position for this group of players.

Thats true but just before Coppell left the tide was turning and we were starting to play better. Also would we have dropped so many points in the transiton period?

 

[Captain Pugwash]

i think if we had brought Mark Mcghee in when coppell left we would have carryed on the way we were and we would have an championship medal now

 

[Biscuit]

Interesting point. That fact is we just dont know. Looking at it from a satistics point of view - yes we would. But then thats not always how it goes is it.

 

[Padders]

The way we played at Rushden along with the lack of quality in the division, I couldn't see how we could not get promoted.

The Coppell left.

 

[Yorkie]

We lost 2 in the first 10 with Coppell. We then won 2 and lost the next 3 with Bob Booker before McGhee came in.

I don't think we would have lost all 3 of those games if Coppout had stayed. His sports psychologist had the team believing they could do it and they lost confidence in themselves.

McGhee had to find out who was capable of what and swapped the team round a bit until he had it how he wanted it.

 

[Gullet]

The transition period definately affected us. But also another reason may be the way Leon Knight used to WANT to do his best for Coppell, yet since McGhee arrived he has got so lethargic at times that it makes you wonder whether he wants to be on the pitch at all. The well publicised bad feeling between him and McGhee may well have lost us goals, something that wouldn't have been an issue if Coppell had still been here. Knight made it clear that playing for Coppell had a lot to do with him choosing Albion over QPR.
Or am I just talking b***cks?

 

[NMH]

Personally I think we had a flimsy claim to any continued progress with Coppout, and that we would soon have been found out - then gone onto a sustained period of poorer results.
All of this is conjecture anyway, and being rid of a 'temporarily striped' manager is ok if he's going to jump ship as soon as a better offer came along.
coppout is finding his level a little tough to sustain in the 2st anyway, and he's NOT looking like the Prem material he longs to be for Manure. He inherited a winning side, and didn't do anything special with them afterwards, so that proves a point right there. reading would have been a surprising contender for promotion, and they appear to have failed to make it into contention.

I have more faith in MM to build a consistent side and keep the points coming in.