In 2011, Owen Coyle was the manager of Bolton Wanderers and he had gained a reputation of playing good, attacking football. Coyle had also become known for leading a team with lesser means to Premier League safety.
During his stay with Bolton, a number of Arsenal supporters and neutrals continually expressed their desire for Coyle to take over the Gunners.
Arsenal dedicated blog Arsenal News Review even stated Coyle should be the team’s next manager. Of course, Coyle was never signed to be Arsene Wenger’s successor. The Frenchman is still in charge six season later. However, that doesn’t mean things have gone well for Wenger. In the last week, Arsenal have put in two awful displays that lacked energy. The team was beaten twice by Manchester City by an aggregate score of 6-0 in both the Carabao Cup Final and the league.
With Arsenal once again struggling and fans wanting to see the backside of Wenger, would they have given up the last six seasons for life with Owen Coyle?
What has Owen Coyle been up to?
In May 2012, the wheels began coming off of Coyle’s increasing bandwagon of popularity. Bolton were relegated from the Premier League and after just two months of playing in the Championship, the club severed ties with Coyle.
After a short layoff, Coyle returned to management with Wigan Athletic. However, he left six months after he joined the club. Unbelievably, six days later, Coyle uprooted his life and moved Stateside. He took the manager position at Major League Soccer team Houston Dynamo.
Although he may have thought coaching football – er… soccer – in the United States would have been easy, Coyle posted a mere 32.7% win rate. In just over one full season, Coyle won just 16 of 49 possible matches.
Coyle moved back to England in 2016. He took over Blackburn Rovers, but again, didn’t last full season.
This week Coyle resigned from Scotland’s Ross County. The team won just four matches from 22. He was only in the job for five months. By all accounts, Coyle’s sudden resignation took everyone by surprise. So, perhaps Arsenal are lining up the former Bolton manager to takeover? Maybe not.
It is difficult to believe just how far Coyle’s stock has fallen in the last six years. From being the man everyone wanted to succeed Wenger to a man who cannot coach a team through one complete season, Coyle has seen his career tank in less than a decade.
Were Arsenal right to never hire Owen Coyle?
