Reading's no-show pair heading for exit following Coppell ban
'I want people here who are committed to the club not themselves'
Mike Norrish and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Thursday May 1 2008 Article history
Reading may or may not be playing in the Premier League next season, but it appears Emerse Fae and Ibrahima Sonko's days at the club are numbered either way. The pair have been banned for two weeks by manager Steve Coppell after refusing to turn out for the reserves on Monday night.
Fae, the club's record signing, and experienced defender Sonko skipped the reserve game against Tottenham to avoid the risk of injury ahead of international commitments his summer. Both men played in the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, Sonko for Senegal and Fae for the Ivory Coast.
But with Reading perched perilously above the relegation zone, Coppell is understandably preoccupied with more local concerns this week, and had no hesitation in applying the most severe censure available to him. "I want people here who are committed to the club not themselves," he said. "I don't care about the long-term as it's all about what happens now. We have two massive games and that is all we're concentrating on. I will re-assess the situation in the summer."
Midfielder Fae, who cost Reading £2.5m when he arrived from Nantes in the summer, has started just three Premier League games this season. He and Sonko will now be banned from the Madejski Stadium and the club's training ground for the remainder of the season.
Reading host Tottenham on Saturday before a trip to relegated Derby on the final day of the season. They are currently one point ahead of 18th-placed Birmingham with an inferior goal difference.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/01/reading.premierleague-------
Would love to see Reading go down and I hope this helps the cause. Like Derby, this article also shows the ridiculousness of some Premier League teams spending habits by essentially leaving record signings on the bench all season long.
