EXCLUSIVE
not happy
Crystal Palace told Steve Cooper would be ‘most uninspiring appointment in the world’ as Eagles fan laments Nuno Espirito Santo talks breaking down
Steve Cooper would be the 'most uninspiring appointment in the world' if he's named Roy Hodgson's successor at Crystal Palace, talkSPORT has been told.
That's the view of Eagles fan Terry, who rang in to White & Jordan to air his disappointment at the news Nuno Espirito Santo's proposed move to Selhurst Park has broken down over his reported new demands.
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And as far as he's concerned he'd rather have seen veteran boss Hodgson continue at the helm as opposed to seeing Cooper - now the bookies' favourite - handed the reins.
"I'm fed up of it. It's the most uninspiring appointment in the world if we go for him [Steve Cooper]," he said.
"To go from Nuno [Espirito] Santo to Steve Cooper... I just find it rather embarrassing. I'd rather have kept Roy Hodgson than go for Steve Cooper!
"I don't understand why we as a club when something starts to look positive looks to happen like this new stadium, new players, new managers... we just end up keep regressing and regressing.
"We've been subjected to such boring, turgid football for the last three years under [Roy] Hodgson and then we go out and get Steve Cooper?! I just don't understand it."
Jim White couldn't fathom to understand Terry's pessimism about Cooper's potential arrival at Selhurst Park, to which the latter responded: "They were so boring to watch [in the Championship play-off final].
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"Listen Jim you obviously don't watch enough of Palace mate. The football is rubbish and horrible to watch," Terry added.
"Everyone says it but we are a one-man team [Wilfried Zaha]. That's just a fact. That player keeps wanting out and we keep refusing to sell. He's going away on a free.
"This season we have got to rebuild and we've got to get new players... but who are the players going to want to sign for? Do you think players will want to sign for Steve Cooper?"
Former Palace owner Jordan acknowledged Terry's concerns, but believes the Eagles may have dodged a bullet in their failed pursuit of former Wolves boss Santo.
He explained: "Palace bought a very good player last year from QPR in [Ebere] Eze, who is now injured.
"The emphasis has gone off Wilf a little bit, and at some point he will want to go because he's been there for a significant period of time, but the difficulty is what do you want?
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"Do you want someone coming through the door to do you a favour Terry and being a pain the backside from the get-go because he can't even do a deal from the first outset and driving everybody mad.
"Or do you want somebody who might have the ability to manage the team and change the direction of it?
"I know Swansea fans who were in your camp, who said the football they watched this year wasn't very good and weren't having any of Steve Cooper, so I'm kind of in your camp.
"I said it from the outset that I guarantee Palace fans will not see this as a particularly inspiring appointment, but they're in the Premier League and they've been there for eight years - I would have wished for that during my time there.
"I think we've got to get balance and with the greatest respect in the world to all of these clubs I think they're stint. I think a lot of clubs haven't got a lot of money and the managers have got the wrong end of the stick.
"You're seeing [Antonio] Conte think he can rinse Tottenham for whatever he can rinse Tottenham for.
"I can guarantee Nuno Espirito Santo would have been sitting there saying I want this, that and the other and Palace are sitting there thinking, 'hang on a second, we haven't got that much money', so there's a balance to be had."
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And speaking on the same show, West Ham first-team coach Stuart Pearce believes the criticism directed at Cooper was unfair considering his achievements in the game to date.
"His CV is pretty strong at the moment, albeit outside of the Premier League," Pearce said.
"At international level he's achieved success with the England teams, before coming into the club scene.
"How much emphasis you put on that [is a debate], but he's still created a winning environment.
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"He's come in and put Swansea at the top end of the Championship. I always find it difficult before someone has even come through the door to write them off.
"Supporters want a sexy name in football and that isn't always the way forward."
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