Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWhen a football manager has little or no budget to work with, their other skills are brought to the fore.That was certainly the case for Steve Coppell during his first spell as Crystal Palace boss, when his tenure was built on necessity, ingenuity and the ability to spot talent where others werent looking.With little money available, Coppell was able to sign and transform a collection of relative unknown players into household names, and would come agonisingly close to landing the clubs first major honour and to playing European football.Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 ListCoppell on losing Ian WrightThe likes of Ian Wright, Alan Pardew and Gareth Southgate all made a name for themselves under Coppell, who admits that he had to think outside of the box.First and foremost it was a necessity, Coppell recalls to FourFourTwo. When I first went to Palace we had no money. My first year in management was the blind leading the blind. I didnt have a clue what I was doing. You may like Crystal Palace have raised their own standards with major trophy wins in back-to-back seasons, so how will the Eagles fare this time without the man who guided them there? Crystal Palace 2026-27 season preview Sam Allardyce was the best manager Bolton could have had at that time. We were tough on the pitch and had a bit of magic the perfect formula Youri Djorkaeff reflects on his Bolton Wanderers stint "Sir Alex Ferguson crossed a line, and therein lies the difference between me and him, thats how he won 13 league titles and I won none" Kevin Keegan on Newcastle United's 1995/96 Premier League challenge 30 years on from the 'Love it' rant We made our training ground open to non-league managers and they became our scouts. Ian Wright was a no-brainer. All the non-league players had an Ill-show-them mentality and thats what we were looking for.Ian Wright was the figurehead for how Coppell was able to create a new culture around the club. But after finishing third in 1991, the striker would depart in what Coppell sees as a defining moment for Palace.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Almost immediately Ian Wright went to Arsenal, Coppell continues. We had a great relationship with Ian and he could have left a couple of years before but agreed to sign a new deal. Hed done well by us but we both knew the situation and we werent going to stand in his way.To a certain extent that was a real body blow I really do think we could have been one of the big boys for a couple of years.For your best player to leave to fulfil his ambitions sends a message to the other players. It became a difficult couple of years.As a player, Coppell earned 42 England caps and, following his success in the Palace dugout, his name was soon bandied around as a potential successor to Three Lions boss Graham Taylor in 1993, following Englands failure to qualify for the following summers World Cup.On occasion I was mentioned, but never approached, Coppell recalls. It never really interested me that much.The Palace job was massive and so intense that I think I would have been unfulfilled as a national team manager.TOPICSSteve CoppellCrystal PalacePremier LeagueJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromBen Mountain
