Ever since their semi-final defeat against Stoke City in the 2010-11 FA Cup, Bolton have been poor, and to say they’ve adjusted to life in the Championship in a slow mannor would be an understatment, but for me they got rid of Owen Coyle too early.
Having to deal with one of the league’s lowest budgets is hard enough, but when the club is hit with long term injuries to key players in the form of Lee Chung-Yong and Stuart Holden in particular then survival was always going to be a struggle.
Losing an England centre half is hard to deal with when your a club the size of Bolton, however Bolton conceded goals even with Gary Cahill in their side, and the exit of Johan Elmander a more pivitol one in the club’s dimise. A rarity in today’s a game, a forward whose got a strong build as well as fantastic technique, with his strike away to Wolves a perfect example of that, and the club missed the Swede more then what they thought, as neither David N’gog nor Kevin Davies scored enough goals last season.
In what is a really competitive league, Bolton are only six points off a play-off spot. Granted its far from an ideal start, however it’s also far from a disaster and Bolton are one of only a few sides in the Championship that could go ten games unbeaten. I’m positive that Coyle would have led Bolton back to the Premier League if he was still in charge.
It wasn’t long ago Coyle was linked with the then vacant Liverpool hotseat, and a poor run doesn’t make him a bad manager over night. With rumours heavily linking Coyle with a return to Turf Moor, the former St Johnstone manager will bounce back, given his personality, and the first blot on his copybook won’t be one that will tarnish his career.
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