Owen Coyle´s turning point

Sometimes life is about good and bad choices. This theory is specially true when it comes to football. There is no certainty in there. One club can be close to silverware one season and then fighting to avoid relegation the next one. One player could be the crowd´s favourite one day and be the villain the day after. The manager may be praised and recognised by his wisdom and be put in the spot just in a fortnight. Some believe you create your own chance, and perhaps this is the case of Owen Coyle, a low profile gaffer who has managed to lead Bolton to European positions in the beginning of this the Premier League. The trotters are without doubt the revelation team having defeated Tottenham 4-2 at home and drew 2-2 against Manchester United and 1-1 against Aston Villa, so far this season. Currently they stand fifth, but battling with Manchester City for the last place to play Champions League next season.

Owen Coyle embraces his new club, Bolton Wanderers.

Owen Coyle played a key role in Burnley´s miraculous promotion to Premier League. That happened in the 2008-2009 season and meant that Burnley was a top-flight club again, 33 years after the last time. The scot joined Burnley halfway through the season in substitution of Steve Cotterill and led the club to promotion play-off places. Burnley saw-off Reading with a 3-0 victory and then faced Sheffield United in the Promotion Final at Wembley. A thrilling game with just one goal scored by Burnley sealed their place in Premier League after a frantic season of ups and downs. The town of Burnley became the smallest town in history to inhabit a Premier League club, far exceeding the previous holders.

The newcomers started the season in a good form at home. Burnley defeated holders Manchester United 1-0 and had an identical score against Everton shortly afterwards. Burnley´s away home, however, lacked the necessary consistence to be out of relegation places. Close to the winter transfer window, rumours about Owen Coyle leaving the club suddenly came up. The Scot´s old club, Bolton Wanderers, made its appearance and lured him in a desperate bid to help the Trotters to avoid relegation. Owen Coyle´s future, either at Burnley or Bolton, was top of football´s headlines for weeks. His wasn´t an easy decision for many reasons. First, because both sides were trying to keep hold of his Premier League status and second because Coyle was so grateful to Burnley, the club he helped to promote to England´s football top-flight. Finally the Scot gave the nod to Bolton on the grounds of better future prospectives and more funds to spend in players. That was a clear turning point for him as Burnley sunk into relegation places and Bolton Wanderers found themselves comfortable ending up 14º placed in the table.

Luckily for him Coyle picked the winner in a two-horse race. His side got the biggest prize of them all, to keep their Premier League status and by means of contrast, the others lost all being relegated. That was a bizarre move, mainly if we take into account Coyle´s words. According to his statements he once turned down Celtic job to be one more season in charge of Burnley in Premier League. Which begged the question: Why he said no to powerful Celtic, a club where he could play for silverware, to stay at Burnley but now he is desperate for a move to Bolton? He has been tempted to join Scottish giants ever since and perhaps this glorious spell at Bolton could help him to be a future candidate to the post of manager of the Scottish national football team. Whereas for now Coyle finds himself in the middle of an unexpected battle, vying Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspurs, Liverpool and Manchester City to claim an Europe League place or even a Champions League position. Bolton has conceded just two defeats so far this season and has the Premier League´s top-scorer Johan Elmander with 8 goals. The Swedish makes an unstoppable partnership with English striker Kevin Davies (6 goals) which is one of the keys of Bolton Wanderers current form.

Only future will tell if Coyle´s move was for good. Only future will tell if the Scot will be for Bolton as loved as the polemic Sam Allardyce once was in the late nineties and early years of the new century. Perhaps he is in his way to set a new high at the Reebok Stadium and he doesn´t know yet.