'It feels like I'm wasting my time', says Met Police boss (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Assistant boss MacPherson persuades Cooper to stay on at Imber Court

2:26pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in Sport By Tim Ashton

Met Police boss Jim Cooper considered resigning after his team lost 4-2 at home to Cray Wanderers, to effectively end any hopes of a play-off spot.

Saturday’s defeat to the Ryman Premier Division strugglers had Cooper, who has been in charge at Imber Court for nine years, fuming and it was only the influence of his assistant Gavin MacPherson that persuaded him not to resign.

Met Police are only five points off the play-off spots, but Cooper has written them off after three games without a win and a performance against Cray he described as “wasting his time”.

Cooper said: “If we cannot beat teams in the bottom four, then the chances of beating the teams above us are very remote.

“The players lacked ambition and the willingness to put in a shift. They obviously do not want to make the play-offs.”

He added: “For the first time in nine years I thought enough is enough.
“If the players are not matching what I want to achieve then I feel I am wasting my time.

“I told the players in no uncertain terms how I felt, and I spoke with my number two, Gavin, on Sunday.

“He suggested that rather me leaving, I get rid of the players who are not ambitious enough – so there will be at least two or three changes soon.”

Duran Reynolds and Dave Knight got the goals on Saturday that did little to appease Cooper, who welcome promotion-chasing Lowestoft to Imber Court tomorrow night (Wednesday).

Cooper said: “The team will probably raise its game against Lowestoft as it a glamour game, but that is not good enough.

“Yes, we’ve had perhaps our best season so far – we had the run in the FA Cup, we’re in the Surrey Senior Cup semi-finals and we’re in the top half of the table but I want more and I want my players to give me more.”

Met Police go to Godalming Town on April 4 in the Surrey Senior Cup, with the winner due to face either AFC
Wimbledon of League Two, or Sutton United of the Blue Square South in a May final.