Football Leagues » Premier League » Wandering towards Europe
Wandering towards Europe
England: Wandering towards Europe
Marc Fox
"Miracle man", as one British daily put it this week, might be stretching the credentials of Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle a year into his return to the Reebok Stadium.
But Coyle's contentious decision to trade Burnley - the club he steered into the big time of the Premier League and then onto a 1-0 win over Manchester United - for Bolton last autumn has been steadily vindicated over the past 12 months and finally ratified following his side's 5-1 thrashing of Newcastle United on Saturday.
Not that his new-look Bolton side featuring only limited personnel changes since Gary Megson was sacked last season is claiming to be the finished article despite standing on the cusp of the Champions League places with a quarter of the new season passed.
Far from it.
But if the truest test of a club manager in today's financially crippled Premier League (Bolton recently announced debts of almost £100 million despite this being their ninth straight season in the top flight) is getting the maximum out of your current resources, the 44-year-old Scot is currently passing with flying colours.
Coyle, who enjoyed three years playing for the Trotters in the mid-1990s, has spent next to nothing since returning to the Reebok as manager, yet Bolton are currently fifth in the Premier League compared with their relegation-haunted position in late 2009.
Indeed, Coyle's decision to abandon Burnley was perhaps most keenly debated at the end of last season when the Premiership debutants instantly returned to the Championship, in which they currently lie in 10th place.
But on a shoestring budget and with an emphasis on fluid football with attack-minded wingers and a potent front twosome in rejuvenated Johan Elmander and captain Kevin Davies, Coyle is slowly bringing some much-needed cheer back to Bolton.
In Elmander (eight goals) and Davies (six, four penalties), he has cultivated not only the league's leading attacking pair but also its most congratulated.
Elmander, the Swede, is receiving unprecedented Premier League plaudits as much for his sublime goalscoring form (as witnessed by the Wolves defenders a week ago) as for its sudden emergence from the doldrums.
Davies, meanwhile, celebrated a maiden England cap last month in Euro 2012 qualifying aged 33.
Midfielder Stuart Holden is another notable piece of astute transfer business by Coyle, the Aberdeen-born US international arriving from Houston Dynamo last winter on a free transfer and - after returning from a broken leg - has played in all 14 Premiership games this season.
Seasoned left-back Paul Robinson (another ever-present) is another success story as has been the signing of Bulgarian Martin Petrov from Manchester City on yet another freebie.
Coyle has also overseen defender Gary Cahill's full step up into the international fold following his debut against Bulgaria in September.
After the Newcastle victory, Coyle said the club's turnaround was based on the entire Bolton squad buying into his desire to improve their work ethic and create a feeling of togetherness.
"In January we were second from bottom and their confidence was fragile. We managed to keep ourselves safe with something to spare and the job in the summer was to build up that confidence and belief," Coyle explains.
"Every player has bought into what I am trying to do.
"You can see that togetherness and work rate and intensity and we have the quality to go with it. When you bring that together you have a chance of getting points."
Against all predictions, Bolton now even have a chance of returning to European action next season and are placing the transitional post-Allardyce days firmly behind them.
© Marc Fox & Soccerphile.com
|
|
|
|