Of all the noise that has been made this season by clubs in the Premier League, not much of it has been made by Bolton. But one look at the league table will tell you that it should have been. By the end of their 5-1 drubbing of Newcastle United, Bolton were sitting in the Champions League places, and they were there on merit. They were only dumped into 5th place on Sunday after a resurgent Manchester City thrashed Fulham at Craven Cottage. So while examining results and the table suggest Bolton are amongst the big movers and shakers this season, you wouldn’t have thought it, with the limited amount of column inches that have been written on them. So how have Bolton gone from being relegation fodder a year ago to European candidates? One answer, Owen Coyle.
Having been a well drilled unit under Sam Allardyce the club went into a bit of a malaise under the management of both Sammy Lee and Gary Megson. But with the appointment of Owen Coyle in January 2010, the club have gone from strength to strength. You don’t get labelled ‘God’ lightly, and at his previous club, Burnley, Coyle was exactly that, having guided what was, with the greatest of respect intended, an average Championship side to the promised land of Premier League football.
Coyle has reinvigorated Bolton and instilled a steely determination, which has been characterised by the side only losing twice this season; once against Arsenal, and once against Liverpool. However, in years past the organisation and impregnability of Bolton would have been matched by their brutal tactics and unimaginative forward play. Not so under Coyle. One dimensional football has been replaced by some dynamic, skilful play, characterised by Johann Elmander (incidentally a signing by Megson) and exemplified by his goal against Wolves in a 3-2 victory at Molineux.
Although Bolton’s ascent has been fairly muted in the press, there has been tangible praise from the upper echelons of the national game, with Kevin Davies receiving his long-awaited debut for England, following his impressive performances thus far this season. Although Fabio Capello neglected to include Davies in the squad that lost to France, Davies can be rest assured, after that particular England performance against France, that he may well receive his second call-up relatively soon.
So while Bolton’s rise has been quite quiet, if they remain playing the football that they are, and maintain their current position, ‘God’ and his team will turn more than a few heads come May.
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