Why Owen Coyle is wrong to leave Burnley

After several days of speculation, negotiations and snow delays, we're still waiting for confirmation of Burnley manager Owen Coyle's move to Bolton Wanderers. But he's making a mistake - even if he's relatively successful at the Reebok.

Coyle took over at Turf Moor in November 2007 after leaving Scottish Premier League side St Johnstone, and in May 2009 he took the club into the top flight for the first time in 33 years. In the summer, he turned down a move to Celtic and signed a new contract at Burnley, a step taken by most as an indication that the promising manager was at least going to see out the season in his post. And why wouldn't he? After doing all the hard work, why wouldn't he want to take on the challenge of joining his club in the big time?

It started well, too. While Burnley are hardly pulling up any trees (at least since their early victories over Manchester United and Everton) and may well end up getting relegated, they're certainly not the guaranteed relegation fodder so many of us thought they might be. They're a fantastic side with boundless character and a distinctive and attractive style of play. They're easy to like and Coyle, as a result, is remarkably popular among supporters of other Premier League clubs.

All of the above contributed to my surprise to hear him linked with the Bolton Wanderers job when they sacked Gary Megson. We know now that Coyle's appointment was something of a formality and there are lots of reasons for why he's chosen to move. As reasons go, they're pretty compelling: rumours of a substantial payrise (as much as three times his Burnley pay, I read somewhere), an affinity with the club as a former player and, of course, the fact that while Bolton aren't a huge club, they're ahead of Burnley in their development towards becoming an established and successful top flight outfit.

In fact, we know from Sam Allardyce's time at the Reebok that Bolton are quite advanced in football science terms and Coyle, presumably, will inherit some methods and habits retained at the club since Allardyce's departure in 2007.

So in essence there's not really much wrong with Coyle's decision to leave Burnley for Bolton, but it doesn't really sit too well with me. By staying at Burnley, Coyle could have put himself in a position where he'd taken them up, turned down two attractive jobs and kept them in the Premier League. In short, he would have deservedly been a real legend at the club and that is a status not to be undervalued. The thing is, so many within football do just that. I know money talks, but would you rather be Matt Le Tissier in Southampton city centre or Gareth Barry in Birmingham? Coyle won't be unpopular in Burnley, but he's jumped ship before becoming an all-time great.

I think he'll regret that in time.

And, regardless of his links with the club, Bolton seems a strange club for which to throw all that away. If he kept Burnley up this season, a real opportunity would no doubt have arisen, whereas Bolton isn't that much of a step up for him. What's more, he'll have to impose a complete cultural turnaround in order to apply his own football ideals to the team. Time is something Bolton don't have in their current position, so he'll be relying on the fact that Bolton have some good footballers and have played decent football more often recently than they used to. Otherwise he'll have to watch a traditional Bolton team scrapping against relegation, and where's the fun in that?

Don't get me wrong - as footballing mistakes go, this is very insignificant. I just think that six months of patience might have landed Coyle both a more enticing move away from Turf Moor and legendary status at the club.

What do you think? Is Owen Coyle really taking a step up by moving to Bolton, or his move just a sentimental (or financial) one? Will his stock in Burnley be damaged?

(Pic via Burnley FC)