Southampton line up Steve Coppell for key role at St Mary's

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Southampton line up Steve Coppell for key role at St Mary's
Published 22:17 07/09/09 By MirrorFootball
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Southampton are lining up Steve Coppell for a new director of football role at St Mary’s.

Coppell is wanted to help recently installed boss Alan Pardew turn around League One’s bottom club.

He has not worked since quitting Reading at the end of last season but Saints hope to tempt him back into the game.

Pardew played under Coppell at Crystal Palace in the late 80s and the pair are expected to work closely together to bring in new talent.

Coppell has good experience of how a director of football works from his time at Reading where Nick Hammond held a similar post.

But he faces a tricky test at St Mary’s where a Saints team that began the season with a 10 point suspension have yet to win any of their six league games.

Saints are now backed by Swiss billionaire businessman Markus Liebherr and have already paid out £1million to sign striker Ricky Lambert from Bristol Rovers this summer.

And club chairman Nicola Cortese is keen to have a capable pair of hands running the club’s transfer policy.

He has previously said: “The position would be full-time and we want somebody with knowledge and experience. He will then be making transfers as well.”

No.1 in South London

Wally Downes has just gone there as assistant manager to Pardew, so would make sense.

AllLeftFoot

"And club chairman Nicola Cortese is keen to have a capable pair of hands running the club’s transfer policy."

For some reason they don't seem to trust Pardew with all their cash.

AFKABartram

[cite]Posted By: No.1 in South London[/cite]Wally Downes has just gone there as assistant manager to Pardew, so would make sense.

Fantastic. So now the biggest w****r in football has the biggest a*****le in football as an assistant.

Match made in heaven. When Ian Holloway was at Wimbledon and his wife had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Downes and his allies would get their kicks taking the piss with stuff like "What's it like dating a baldy bird"

A class act.

Scoham

If this happens, how long until Pardew is sacked and Coppell takes over?

No.1 in South London

[cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: No.1 in South London[/cite]Wally Downes has just gone there as assistant manager to Pardew, so would make sense.

Fantastic. So now the biggest w****r in football has the biggest a*****le in football as an assistant.

Match made in heaven. When Ian Holloway was at Wimbledon and his wife had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Downes and his allies would get their kicks taking the piss with stuff like "What's it like dating a baldy bird"

A class act.

His parents must have known something at birth !

Fanny Fanackapan

I think Nicola Cortese should watch out for Pardew's "capable " hands.....

bingaddick

[cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]Match made in heaven. When Ian Holloway was at Wimbledon and his wife had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Downes and his allies would get their kicks taking the piss with stuff like "What's it like dating a baldy bird"

A class act.

Wally by name, Wally by nature. What a total pr*ck!

Cardinal Sin

[cite]Posted By: Scoham[/cite]If this happens, how long until Pardew is sacked and Coppell takes over?

My thoughts entirely.

BigRedEvil

If it happens, it will just be an easy excuse for Pardew to make on why he failed at Southampton

kodfish

I'm sure I read somewhere that Pardew and Downes have an intense dislike for each other. Could be interesting.

Plaaayer

What happened to Pardews assistant at his last job?

Henry Irving

I thought they were mates hence Pardew introducing himself on the Crossbar challenge as

"Wally Downes, fat and over rated" or something similar

falconwood_1

Pardew doesn't need friends.

He has himself.

Covered End

Pardew's empire building continues. He now has 3 ex-managers to assist him. Boy does he need assisting.

"Southampton have appointed former Brentford boss Wally Downes to their coaching staff.

He has more than 30 years' experience as a player and coach and left his coaching role at Reading this summer.

Saints boss Alan Pardew has already brought former Brighton boss Dean Wilkins and ex-Wimbledon manager Stuart Murdoch to St Mary's.

He said: I'm delighted to have been able to add Wally to my backroom staff at Southampton."

mart77

I believe that Saints have said the Coppell story is false.

Atletico Addick

Not long to go..
10 men went with Pardew (sh*te) went with Pardew to Saints.. 10 men 9 men 8 men 7 men 6 men 5 men 4 men 3 men 2 men 1 man went to Saints with Pardon.

Addick Addict

To Bristol City by the looks of things. Would have loved him to have been our Manager at some point.