Coyle vindicated by Bolton’s cup success

IT’S often said that a week is a long time in politics.

In that case, a year must seem like a lifetime in football.

Last February, Owen Coyle was just settling into his new job at Bolton having left Burnley — his arrival was seen as a sideways move and many claimed he had lacked ambition.

Perhaps they had good reason to assume so considering Bolton were 18th in the Premier League and in a real scrap for survival, just like their Lancashire rivals.

Fast forward a year or so and Coyle has taken Bolton into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and his side stand an outside chance of qualifying for Europe this season.

And what of Burnley? Coyle’s old club are struggling to keep up in the chase towards the Championship. His move to the Reebok does not seem sideways after all.

“I came in for criticism when I took the job but it was purely a football decision. I have always made big decisions and it was the right move,” Coyle said. “It’s up for others to say if it was a sideways move but for me it was about football.’’

Yesterday, thanks to a mixture of style and substance, Coyle masterminded another Bolton victory, ending Mark Hughes’ FA Cup adventure and setting up a quarter-final tie away at Birmingham.

Ivan Klasnic netted his second Cup winning goal in a week to halt Fulham’s hopes of progression.

Hughes, like Coyle, has enjoyed a favourable experience having changed jobs. Sacked by Manchester City last year, he returned to management with Fulham and, despite seeing his side’s Cup run end, he has performed admirably at Craven Cottage. And with Bobby Zamora returning yesterday from a six-month lay-off with a broken leg, Hughes has grounds for optimism.

But after succumbing to Coyle’s Bolton, Hughes said: “Disappointment is the main feeling — we wanted to progress but we haven't been able to.

“They defended their goal well, made key tackles and we found it difficult to break them down. There were a few decisions that didn’t go our way but I don’t want to go down that route especially after losing a Cup tie as it will sound like sour grapes.’’

FULHAM: Schwarzer 6, Baird 6, Hangeland 7, Hughes 6, Salcido 6, Dempsey 7, Murphy 7, Sidwell 6, Gera 6 (Zamora 67, 6), Johnson 6, Dembele 6.

BOLTON: Bogdan 6, Robinson 6, Cahill 8, Wheater 8, Alonso 6, Lee 7, Holden 6, Muamba 7, Petrov 6, Klasnic 7 (Elmander 79, 6), Kevin Davies 6

Referee: Stuart Attwell 5.