LIKE many, I was cautiously optimistic when after the Gary Megson /Sammy Lee debacle Owen Coyle was appointed manager, writes Ian Clemmitt .
He started well and for a few matches produced the flowing football we loved to see, and kept us in the Premiership. But things went wrong after the trip to Wembley where Stoke thrashed the Wanderers 5-0.
Somehow, Owen Coyle seemed to lose his creativity and judgement, but the team survived another season in the top tier.
The fixture list did not help him last season, and the team seemed to forget how to win, and has not found its way back since.
I was dismayed when Al Habsi was transferred, as Jaaskelainen was having a poor season, but Owen Coyle continued to select him week after week.
He also continued with Kevin Davies , Zat Knight and Paul Robinson, whilst it appeared to me, and many other supporters, that they were not up to the job.
I am perplexed by Owen Coyle's management of the team on match days, and his reluctance to use substitutes, the modern game is a fourteen man effort, not 11 or 12.
I could go on about systems, and purchases where I also have reservations about his style, but that would take too long.
Finally I have heard rumours, I stress rumours, that Own Coyle is an old school trainer concentrating on extended fitness training , and ignoring sports science, I do not know if that is true, but there was a telling comment from Sean Davis about the quality of care he received from the backroom staff.
In conclusion, I do not believe that the Wanderers can achieve promotion with Owen Coyle in charge, that may be no bad thing, but I would really love to see some good flowing football, but I doubt he can produce that either.
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