Coyle's move a few miles south from Burnley to Bolton has really got people stumped. Burnley are currently 14th in the Premier Division, and while they're far from clear of the drop, you'd definitely back them to stay up, especially against Bolton. Bolton are 18th following the departure of the much unloved Gary Megson, and I think it's safe to say they will be in the relegation mixer come the 36th, 37th, and 38th games of the season. So why, oh why did you make that move Owen?
Money can't be an issue, as neither Bolton nor Burnley have that much. You could argue that Bolton's budget is slightly bigger than Burnley's, but not so much as to attract a Manager from a very similar Club.
Burnley have some of the most passionate supporters in England, and I'd know as one of my friends is a Burnley fan through and through. They love their team, and were delighted with the job Coyle was doing. There were very few people who believed Burnley would avoid the drop in their first Premier League season, and I'm not too sure many of their own supporters believed that would happen either. So 14th after 20 games is more than decent.
Bolton's style over the years has been very direct. Sam Allardyce got them hitting target men, most notably Kevin Davies and pretty much feeding off the scraps he left. They'd be made up of big, strong players who wouldn't be afraid to go through you with a 'take no prisoners' attitude. Burnley aren't quite like that. They play more, and probably better passing Football, as is Owen Coyle's style. So can we expect a change in strategy from Bolton now? I should think so, but that will have to start straight away by investing players in the January transfer window that fit that system. Bolton don't possess too many Footballers that would please the purists.
It confuses me as to why Coyle would want to leave Burnley in the middle of such a progressing, successful project there. For a start he got them into the Premier League against most odds, and with a pretty limited squad and budget. Now he's more than holding his own in that League. I mean, Burnley have beaten Manchester United at Turf Moor, and have only lost once at home all season. That's a remarkable record for a newly promoted team. Surely he'd want to finish off that project by ensuring Burnley finish in a respectable position, which would probably class as anything above the drop zone. I could understand if he'd left at the end of the season after achieving Premier League status for another year, but half way through staggers me.
The only reason I can think of for his sudden move is that Bolton still holds a place in his heart from his playing days. Coyle spent two of his twenty-three playing years at Bolton, and made 54 appearances. Even that doesn't seem credible. It wasn't a long stint at the club, but it must have been special to him if that is the reason he wanted to move. Lee Dixon suggested on BBC's Football Focus that Coyle may feel he has a better chance of staying in the Premier League with Bolton, but their League position and recent results don't suggest that to be the case.
Burnley Operations Director Brendan Flood revealed his dismay at Coyle's decision.
"They have got a bank debt of £44m, we have got none. They do not have a history of spending a lot of money over the last few years. I think they can say a lot of attractive things to tempt Owen in, but whether they deliver on those, I think history will tell."Chairman Barry Kilby admitted that the move was a "sideways step" for Owen, and one that didn't represent any great ambition.
So no one quite knows why Owen Coyle has made the move to South Lancashire, but time will tell as to whether it was the correct one.
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