Steve Coppell leaves Paul Hartley out of Bristol City tour to Sweden
STEVE Coppell admits he is now planning his team without Paul Hartley after leaving the midfielder out of Bristol City's pre-season tour to Sweden.
The Scotland international has been strongly linked with a return to Hearts after just one season at Ashton Gate.
-
Bristol City's Paul Hartley, front, in pre-season training. He has been left out of Bristol City's tour of Sweden
Hartley, whose family still live in Scotland, remained in Bristol as City flew to Scandinavia yesterday. The onus is now on the veteran to resolve his future.
New City manager Coppell said: "I've had a number of chats with Paul. His family are up in the Scotland and he was back and forth to see them all last season.
"He is homesick and, in an ideal world, he'd be playing his football in Scotland – that's his point of view and I respect that.
"He had a very good year for this club last season, but it's asking a lot for him to be making that journey over and over again for another season.
"I'm anticipating that he won't be here. I think he's too good a player not to be picked up by a club north of the border."
Coppell has taken Queens Park Rangers target Bradley Orr to Sweden as City wait to see if the London club will firm up their interest in the right-back with an official offer.
City are without strikers Nicky Maynard and Danny Haynes through injury and both will see specialists on their knee and groin/thigh injuries respectively this week.
Coppell has also boosted his attacking options by adding trialist frontman John O'Flynn to the party.
O'Flynn, 28, from Cobh, is out of contract at League Two club Barnet after scoring 30 goals in 76 games. He has six Republic of Ireland Under-21 caps.
Coppell said: "John's been around for a little while. I've watched him at the same time I was looking at Kevin Doyle and Shane Long.
"He's a good finisher and has scored goals at Barnet consistently. This is an opportunity for him and it's nice to have people around the squad who are hungry. He wants a chance."
Defender Louis Carey and striker Marlon Jackson have both resumed light training after heel and hamstring injuries respectively.
Coppell, who takes charge of City for the first time tonight as they play their first pre-season match against top Swedish outfit IFK Gothenburgand, admits the honeymoon period is coming to an end for his players.
It is the first of three games in Sweden for City, with Helsingborg and Vallens to come over the next five days.
"It's a chance for me to see the players in action," said Coppell.
"It's the easiest thing in the world being a football club manager during the summer. You're not being judged on a Saturday and it's the same for the players.
"At the training ground, there's a good atmosphere and mentality, but we're not reliving what's happened last Saturday.
"It's an opportunity to cement a few ideas and get a good framework in place. But it's all down to the games."
While City have been in training for little more than a week, their Swedish opponents are in mid-season.
"We won't be judged on the three games in Sweden, but it'll give us a good idea of where we are fitness-wise because the Swedish teams are in the middle of their season," said Coppell.
"They should be way ahead of us in fitness but we should do well with our technique.
"It will give me a chance to experiment with different shapes while we are away."
City traveling squad: Dean Gerken, Stephen Henderson, Louis Carey, Liam Fontaine, Lewin Nyatanga, Joe Edwards, Kalifa Cisse, Jamie McAllister, Danny Ball, Bradley Orr, Marvin Elliott, Lee Johnson, David Clarkson, Cole Skuse, Ivan Sproule, John Akinde, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Marlon Jackson, Albert Adomah, John O'Flynn, Joe Lennox.
29 Comments
View all
by Simon, Briz
Thursday, July 15 2010, 5:58PM
“Chris - apology accepted.
I have nothing further to say except I will not reply on a thread with either you or Dolman Bob again. I think BEP need to add a rant forum so people can argue the toss like this somewhere else. These comments are not about the news article, anymore.”
by dolman bob, bristol
Thursday, July 15 2010, 4:33PM
“i looked up your special little motto Chris.
sorry to break the news, pal, but Like you, it appears to be complete crap.
why pretend you are anything more than an egotistial meglomaniac?
that suits you, it really does, because it's all about you Chris. but you i am sure you know that already because your handful of friends on the 606 board are always quick to pander to your bloated ego.
at times i pity you Chris, but the feeling quickly wears off the minute you start typing again.”
by Chris, Bristol
Thursday, July 15 2010, 3:32PM
“Oh no Bob, im so scared, quaking in my boots........NOT! My motto is "Utrinque Paratus" you look that up..."pal"
Look at your coments Bob, and yet you accuse me of having no decency about former employee of the club. You can dish it out like a bully but cant take it!
Simon, apoligies, you made some good points, some of us can accept that.”
by Simon, Briz
Thursday, July 15 2010, 1:32PM
“Meh! Get a room together you two...this is not cool!”
by dolman bob, bristol
Thursday, July 15 2010, 1:07PM
“Chris, you don't know me, and therefore you certainly don't know what I am capable of, so if I were you I would be very carefully indeed what insults you are prepared to put on here in future because you are skating on very thin ice pal.
I'll leave you to carry on thinking you are the centre of the universe whilst the rest of us enjoy supporting our football club, and applauding players who have put in a good shift and helped get rid of a rotten manager and chief scout.
Final word Chris, you are clearly an egotistial meglomanic - they worst kind I have ever come across.
Google the meaning Chris, or get you mummy to do it for you, it is a very ugly trait.
It almost certainly explains why you have absolutely no support on this message board.”
by Simon, Briz
Thursday, July 15 2010, 10:52AM
“Chris and Bob, both of you are making good insightful points. You are both equally right and equally wrong. I hope you can put aside your differences and whatever Paul Hartley decides what is best for him, you'll respect his wishes. You both seem to be going off at a tangent at the moment.”
by Chris, Bristol
Thursday, July 15 2010, 8:54AM
“Stop trying to analyse me Bob, you arent capable of doing that, plus I dont pretend to be anyone Bob, unlike you who hopes that by adding the word "dolman" in front of your name implies to others that you sit in the dolman on a regular basis, you clearly dont, i also dont need to in order to challenge your inept views on football. In any event, being a minority on here can only be a god thing. Keep checking the stats Bob, and let the rest of us get on with the real football side of things.”
by Simon, Briz
Wednesday, July 14 2010, 4:36PM
“His heart is at Celtic and he is friends with Neil Lennon and his family live up there. Thank you for one good season, and all the best for the future, Paul. He will make a great manager one day and we need to recruit another penalty taker, his spot-kicks are sublime!
I think Steve Coppell wants to ensure Maynard and Haynes are in peak condition for the start of the season. He doesn't need to see first hand just how good those players are; but Haynes is a little inconsistent. He destroyed West Brom and Barnsley with his pace and skill - so I can cope with a little inconsistency.”
by dolman bob, bristol
Wednesday, July 14 2010, 4:29PM
“Well i must say Chris, Bristol, I have read my comments again and i feel they sum up the situation perfectly.
It is a pity you quickly resorted to childish name calling as a means of trying to get your desperately shallow points across.
You really let yourself down there.
We clearly read the game differently. i am comfortable that my view is shared by the majority. i am sure your view forms the majority opinion on the 606 board.
you are very much in a minority on this page - and pretending to be Bob from Wick 7 minutes later to try and add weight to your comments later fools nobody.”
by Bob, Wick
Wednesday, July 14 2010, 1:45PM
“Having played and manged football teams for many years i agree that stats d not really refect what happens in a game of football.
For instance, check Xavis stats for Spain, he rarely assists or even scores goals yet, as anyone should know, he is a very key player for them, and one of the better players in the world. Of course Hartley, or anyone else at the City for that matter, has only a fraction of his ability, i understand that,its just an example of how stats dont always paint the right picture in a game of football and they should not be relied upon.”