Owen Coyle's 'insatiable hunger' makes him perfect match for Burnley
When Brendan Flood and Barry Kilby, the board-room catalysts behind Burnley’s revival, looked to appoint a manager who matched their ambition, two applications for the post jumped out.
In seeking to become successor to Steve Cotterrill in November 2007, one aspiring candidate began: "I have five years’ experience of being a manager in the Fantasy League. I’m used to working with a budget of £40m but I do realise I will not be getting that kind of money at Turf Moor.
"I had a trial for Manchester Boys at which I was told I would have progressed had I not scored two own goals. There will be no problem with relocation as I live closeby in Accrington. Please contact me soon as possible as I have heard through the grapevine that Real Madrid may be on the lookout for a new manager too.’’
After they finished laughing, Flood and Kilby turned from the fantasist to the realist, to the most noteworthy application: Owen Coyle, then learning his craft at modest St Johnstone. It was a gamble. Coyle was inexperienced but Alex McLeish vouched for him. So did Phil Gartside, chairman of Bolton Wanderers whose forward line Coyle once graced.
So they decided to meet the Glaswegian and were both struck by what Flood calls Coyle’s "insatiable hunger’’. After talking to Coyle, Flood remarked to Kilby: "Well, he sounded a bit like Bill Shankly.’’
Coyle has proved a perfect fit with the club. It was not simply his plan for buying young, inexpensive and eager players like Kevin McDonald and more recently Steven Fletcher that suited a sensible board with their player’s wage ceiling of £15,000 a week.
It was also Coyle’s commitment to the cause. A local saying runs that "if you kick a person in Burnley, the whole town limps’’, reflecting their all-for-one togetherness. Coyle’s team are also a band of brothers, a unity seen in last week’s famous victory over Manchester United.
Before they ran out at Turf Moor, Coyle told his players: "Go and get to your maximum and we'll all sleep well at night.’’ It’s about giving everything, delivering for the fans, for each other. Small of size, Coyle’s squad is big of heart. As the champions discovered, Burnley’s resilience and stamina are formidable.
Afterwards, Coyle, an astute man-manager, told his elated players to "go out and enjoy the night’’, knowing he could trust them to down a beer or two and be up for training first thing. The teetotal Coyle went home and answered every one of his 65 congratulatory texts as he watched the match again.
Defeated by Stoke City on the opening day, Burnley’s response against United has been hailed as remarkable yet under Coyle they have developed a reputation for fighting back strongly from adversity.
After losing to Spurs in the Carling Cup and Arsenal in the FA Cup last season, Burnley did not bemoan their fate. They went out and won their next Championship games.
They are tough characters. Like their manager. "I played at 9st 12lb in the Premier League at Bolton and probably shouldn't have because defenders were able to pick me up and move me about,’’ said Coyle.
"But I had the desire and hunger to be the best I could be. I was fortunate to play for Ireland, not because I was a particularly gifted player, but because I worked hard. That's all I'm trying to do as a manager.’’
Allied to a strong work ethic are more cerebral qualities. Coyle, a canny tactician, usually sets up his team in 4-1-4-1 formation, denying opponents space in midfield and allowing Burnley to hit on the break. His players follow his orders zealously.
Coyle stirs loyalty because he looks after people. He cares. When attempting to sign McDonald from Dundee, Coyle met the teenager’s parents at a roadside café in Scotland. "I have three kids of my own,’’ Coyle told them. "I will look after your son.’’ Reassured, they agreed to allow Kevin south.
Coyle’s compassion is highlighted in Flood’s little gem of a paperback "Big Club, Small Town & Me’’ (TH Media, £9.99 with profits going to Burnley’s youth development). Even during Coyle’s finest hour, as he walked across the Wembley pitch to celebrate last May’s Championship play-off triumph, he found time to console Flood, whose mother-in-law had passed away the day before.
"Brendan, I was really sorry to hear about the death of Ellen’s mother,’’ Coyle told Flood. "You’ll tell her I was asking won’t you?’’ Such kindness binds people even closer together.
So the directors worship him. As the players do. As the fans do. Coyle has got Turf Moor dreaming again, rolling back the years to the great days of Jimmy Adamson, Jimmy McIlroy and Leighton James. "Owen Coyle is God’’ banners flutter at Turf Moor and even at Wrestlemania spectaculars in the United States.
Burnley have friends around the world. Within seconds of the final whistle last Wednesday, Burnley received 200 jubilant emails from supporters all around the globe. Within hours, Coyle received media requests from Vancouver, Australia and California. Being so personable, Coyle agreed to evening interviews to fit in with different time zones.
Burnley do things with a touch of class. Before kick-off, an impressed Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Michael Owen were presented with match-day programmes with each player’s name embossed on the cover. Coyle was so keen to show the right hospitality to Sir Alex Ferguson that he memorised the tasting notes of the two expensive bottles of wine he bought for his distinguished guest. Claret flowed on and off the pitch.
Under the shrewd Coyle, and dynamic board members like Flood and Kilby, the football club have lifted a town that has not enjoyed the best of fortune in recent times. During the team’s run to Wembley, Flood was called in by the local police.
"Over the past couple of years since the football club started to pick up, things have been going better and better for us as well,’’ said the Chief Inspector.
"The crime rate has dropped. Do you think you can keep it going that way?’’ Flood replied: "'I’ll have a go.’’ That’s the Burnley way. That’s the Owen Coyle way.
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