Cisse wins Coppell's praise
17 Jul 2007 - 09:25:24
Reading manager Steve Coppell praised summer signing Kalifa Cisse as the Royals maintained their interest in the Peace Cup with an impressive 1-0 win against Lyon.
Simon Cox scored the only goal of the game as Coppell's side bounced back from their disappointing defeat to River Plate in their opening group match.
But it was Cisse who was the start of the show, with Coppell telling the club's official website: "With him being French, I was keen for him to start against a French team.
"I thought it would help make him comfortable because it can be a steep learning curve to integrate into the team.
"He had a little calf strain at the end and I didn't want him to get on the wrong side of the ref [having been booked already]. I brought him off but he did a good night's work.
"Simon Cox has been looking for a route into the team, and because he plays a number of positions it can be a help and a hindrance to him.
"I asked him to play wide right because Ki-Hyeon Seol's not fit and I didn't want to give Johnny Oster another game there.
"He was a little unfamiliar at times, but he did a lot of very positive stuff.
"He's got an eye for goal, he pops up in the right place at the right time and that was the case with the goal."