Soccer · English FA Cup

Doyle praise for canny Coppell

Reading striker Kevin Doyle has praised manager Steve Coppell for his remarkable knack of picking up bargains.

The Royals have been a revelation in their first season in the Barclays Premiership and currently sit in sixth place, defying the many pundits who had them down for immediate relegation.

And their task later today will be to travel to Old Trafford to try and knock Manchester United out of the FA Cup using a collection of unknowns and cast-offs acquired by Coppell for a fraction of the prices routinely paid out by the Red Devils.

It sounds an impossible task but Ireland striker Doyle, arguably the biggest bargain of them all after joining the club on the cheap from Cork City in June 2005, is convinced there is no one better than his manager when it comes to defying the odds.

He said: 'Nobody fancied us to be where we are now, probably not even ourselves.

'It's frightening really considering the money we have spent. At the start of the season, even Watford were ahead of us as we were favourites to go down.

'He [Coppell] can get a lot of free signings, or not spend a lot of money, and get a side playing well together.'

 
Kevin Doyle has praised Steve Coppell's ability to make Reading competitive
Kevin Doyle has praised Steve Coppell's ability to make Reading competitive
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