Burnley blog: Slick Clarets are so typical of Owen Coyle (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Burnley blog: Slick Clarets are so typical of Owen Coyle

4:20pm Tuesday 24th November 2009 in

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So happy anniversary Owen Coyle.

It is a measure of how far the club has progressed and how expectations have risen in his two years at the club, that thousands of Burnley supporters left the rain drenched Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon, disappointed to have only take a point from a team packed with internationals who have designs on gate-crashing the top four.

In many way, the performance against Villa encapsulated what Burnley FC under Coyle is all about.

Here was an afternoon of crisp passing, slick movement and inventive football.

It might be a bit of a stretch to suggest that Coyle has turned Burnley into the ‘Arsenal of the North’, but one of the most remarkable aspects of his tenure has been to transform a stubborn and no-frills Steve Cotterill side into an exuberant, entertaining and successive team.

And there was plenty of evidence of that on Saturday.

Chris Eagles, reaping the benefits of an extended run in the side, was in electric form.

Stephen Warnock will face few more searching examinations this season. Eagles is a livewire, either looking to beat his man or move the ball quickly to a team-mate.

Right from the off, he was at Villa. It took them an hour to get to grips with him.

One player they never got to grips with was Steven Fletcher.

Now he has been deployed centrally, it’s abundantly clear why Coyle was right to bring him to the club. To label a target-man is to ignore the fact that he is, in fact, an excellent and intelligent footballer.

He was key to the Clarets dominance.

Quite where the usually lucid and admirable Martin O’Neill was coming from when he claimed that Villa deserved a point is anyone’s guess.

For this writer’s money, Saturday’s may have been the best team performance of the campaign.

With the quality players and riches the Villains have at there disposal, they should be making us look ordinary yet there reverse was true.

But there is still one gap on Owen Coyle’s CV that needs to be filled – a Premier League away win.

If Burnley can contain Carlton Cole, there is no reason why that can’t come at Upton Park.

Not only are the Hammers fragile, there have a notoriously fickle crowd.

In his first two years, Coyle has brought us promotion, cup glory and fantastic entertainment.

Here’s to a few more.