Owen Coyle
Investment
The new Bolton manager, of course, left Burnley only a couple of weeks ago. He had led them to the Premier League against all the odds but made the decision to leave when he realised that the necessary investment required to keep them in the top league would not be forthcoming.
Burnley’s loss was Bolton’s gain as the forty-three year old Scotsman is a manager with a great future ahead of him.
Promotion
Since Coyle cut his teeth in management at Falkirk and then moved on to St Johnstone, he has looked as though he is made for the role. At St Johnstone he took the club to two Cup semi-finals and to within a last day defeat that cost them promotion to the SPL.
The next season he took them to the Scottish Challenge Cup final but then left the club to join Burnley in the week before the game was played. They went on to win.
Reputation
At Burnley he cemented his growing reputation by taking the club into the Premier League via the Championship play-offs where they beat Sheffield United in the final.
Against that record it is no surprise that the Burnley fans are angry about him leaving their club. He was something of a messiah for them and they feel terribly let down by his actions. That anger and disappointment was clearly evident in the reaction the Burnley fans gave to Coyle in the game at the Reebok.
Judas
The Burnley fans chanted “Judas” at him several nasty banners about him were evident amongst the 5,000 travelling support. Despite that, Coyle retained his dignity and spoke well after the game.
“I can’t complain, they wanted to come and vent their anger. But if we’re going to get biblical, then maybe it should be Moses, because we led them from the wilderness.”
At the end of the game Coyle went on to the pitch to commiserate with the Burnley players and to applaud the Burnley fans.
“I wanted to thank them for the support they gave me when I was the manager. They were an incredible set of supporters, it’s such a special club and new Burnley manager Brian Laws is in such a privileged position. We were always going to come in for a bit of stick. I think it’s probably testimony to the job we did that they’re disappointed that we’ve left and they feel aggrieved by it. What I would say is that the only person aware of all the facts surrounding the whole situation is myself and I know that I’ve conducted myself every step of the way in the right manner. Ultimately I made a footballing decision, nothing more and nothing less. I came to a wonderful football club that I know well. It was a vital three points against a club I had two marvellous years with and a club I will have a big soft spot in my heart for until the day I die.”
In amongst the excitement and emotion of the game were two facts that Coyle and everyone at Bolton will be thrilled about. Firstly the three points lifted them out of the relegation zone and secondly, they kept a clean sheet for the first time since May last year.
Strength
It is early days for Coyle at Bolton but he looks as though he is likely to go from strength to strength as a manager. He is determined to keep his feet on the ground and to make sure that his players know they are in a fight.
“To be out of the bottom three is nice, but we’re not getting carried away, there’s hard work to be done. It’s a start, but that’s all it is. We now have a massive game at Liverpool at the weekend, but I’ve been buoyed and boosted by the way the players have gone about their work and how receptive they’ve been.”
At some point Coyle is likely to have a bad time as all managers do, but at the moment it seems he enhances his reputation with each game he is involved in. The Burnley fans are understandably angry with him at the moment but in time they will surely look back at his reign at the club with great memories and a fondness for the man who made them happen.
Bolton have a difficult few months ahead of them but they couldn’t have a better man to steer them through them.
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
