MIDDLESBROUGH

9:57am Monday 28th April 2008

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AFTER David Wheater has played such a magnificent first season in the first team, I am wondering why Colin Cooper is giving him warnings about how he may lose his place in the team if he doesn't keep up the good work? (Echo, April 16) Surely Cooper should be encouraging him to keep on playing well rather than warning him about the dangers and pitfalls if he doesn't.

Rather than telling David that his second season might not be as good as his first, he should be saying to him, "you've done marvellously well this season, if you keep up the good work and continue to play well, then we will reward you with a regular first team place and then we might consider giving you a pay rise."

Cooper has more experience as a coach than me, so he should know better than me how to give youngsters encouragement and confidence; not take that confidence which he already has away from him.

Margaret A Greenhalgh, Darlington