Former Bolton boss Owen Coyle has reflected on his time as Wanderers and believes the job done at the club was 'amazing' despite suffering relegation from the Premier League.
Coyle, a former Whites player, joined Bolton as boss in January 2010. He departed fellow Lancashire club Burnley, whom he had led to the Premier League, to do so.
Having joined the club towards the start of the January transfer window, Coyle brought in reinforcements to improve Bolton's precarious position in the table, with the club in the relegation zone at the time.
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He secured the loan acquisition of midfielder Jack Wilshere from Arsenal and winger Vladimir Weiss from Manchester City. Stuart Holden was also brought in from Houston Dynamos.
The acquisitions helped to take Wanderers out of the drop zone and end the season in 14th. The following 2010/11 season saw the Whites repeat that finish, but were relegated from the top flight at the conclusion of the following campaign on the final day of the season by a point, after a draw versus Stoke City.
Despite the relegation, Coyle holds his time in the Wanderers dugout in high regard. He pointed to the lack of money spent in the January 2010 transfer window and the eventual finishing position that season and being nine points clear of the drop.
Speaking to the Under The Cosh podcast : “I took Bolton to 14th, kept them up and nine points clear of relegation. They were second bottom of the league when I went in and were nine points clear.
“I spent no money. I brought Stuart Holden in on a Bosman from Houston Dynamo. I got Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal and I got Vladimir Weiss on loan from Manchester City.
“I never spent any money, Stuart was a free and a minimal salary as well and the other two were kids. We just paid part of their salary, which wasn’t a lot and turned that Bolton team around from second bottom of the league and favourites for relegation to nine points clear.
“Even the following year - I know ultimately we lost our place in the Premier League with Bolton, but had there been VAR, we’d never have lost our place - but the following year (2010-11 season), up until the last seven, eight games of the season when we got Sam Ricketts injured, Stuart Holden injured, players that I couldn’t replace, we were in the top six of the Premier League having spent no money and the football we were playing.
“The job we did at Bolton actually in context was an amazing job. Everybody will have their own opinion on it, but we certainly know what we did and what we achieved.”
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