Lita Needs to Win his Place Back

Steve Coppell has warned Leroy Lita that unless he can find his scoring boots again he might not have a future with the club.

Lita's form this season has not been great, with quite a few missed chances leaving him with only one goal to his name, the strike in the Carling Cup against Swansea. Despite previously backing his striker Coppell has now warned him the he needs to get back to his best form or he might not even have a future with the club, "Leroy hasn't been playing well. I need Leroy to be on the end of things, scoring goals," Coppell told readingfc.co.uk.

"We're all judged on results - if I don't get results I'm out. It's the same for strikers - it's a competitive situation."

However it's not going to be as simple for Lita as it might sound as Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle are currently the preferred paring up front, that is when two are played up front, with Shane Long now ahead of Lita for a place even on the bench, and Lita found himself out of the Arsenal squad altogether as a result.

"Jose Mourinho said a team picks itself and I would say that too," Coppell also told readingfc.co.uk.

"I'm looking for combinations that are effective, scoring regularly and making a full contribution.

"Doyler has scored goals and Kits gives us something the others don't. Longy has been our most effective sub, as he showed with his role in our goal against Arsenal. He's scored off the bench and made an impact.

"In the previous home game against Newcastle he scored the winner and I don't want to knock him for six by leaving him out totally.

"He's our supersub - but he won't thank me for saying that."

This now makes things even more difficult for Lita who will have to rely on his performances in the reserves and training to force his way back even into the squad.

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