Bolton vs West Ham preview - Fun factor key to Coyle ethos - 7M sport

Bolton vs West Ham preview - Fun factor key to Coyle ethos



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Posted Saturday, April 09, 2011 by PA

Bolton manager Owen Coyle has fashioned a winning, grinning mentality among his players and one he feels is set to run and run.

After arriving from Burnley 16 months ago, he lifted the club out of the relegation zone and this season they have kicked on.

Bolton entertain West Ham lying in eighth place in the table and a week on Sunday face Stoke at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Coyle puts their progress down to the combination of a fun and work ethic he has installed in the camp.

He said: "Enjoyment is paramount. I came in last year and one of things I asked the players to do was enjoy their football.

"We understand there are football pressures but they are not the real pressures of every day life when someone is out of work and has a family to look after.

"We all want to be good at our job but surely to God you can come in and enjoy what you are doing. We enjoy tremendous lifestyles because of what football brings us.

"If I can have my players enjoying their work and going and replicating that on a match day then we can win games. That's what have we have to do.

"There is a sense of optimism at Bolton but you need to back that up with results."

Coyle is delighted to be returning to the Reebok Stadium where they have picked up 29 points out of a possible 45.

He said: "It seems like an eternity since we were at home and it is great to be back as seven of our last nine games have been away.

"It has been a tremendous effort from the lads and we have been very unfortunate regarding some of our results.

"We have been in terrific form at home. There is no secret. We work ever so hard. Even when we are away we are positive in our outlook."

West Ham are battling to avoid the drop and go into the match on the back of a 4-2 defeat by Manchester United but Coyle believes they are in a false position, saying: "We have to make sure we are at our best on Saturday to get the three points as West Ham have real quality.

"They are a very good team and better than their league position suggests as they have shown in recent games.

"West Ham were 2-0 up on Manchester United and there on merit, so we will give them the utmost respect. But when we are at our best we can go toe to toe with any team."

Zat Knight (knee) and Mark Davies (ankle) return to the squad after injury while Ricardo Gardner is also in contention following a loan spell at Preston.

West Ham manager Avram Grant will serve the first match of a touchline ban.

The Israeli was handed a two-game ban and #6,000 fine earlier this week for comments made about referee Mike Jones during last month's 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Stoke.

While Grant will be banished to the stands at the Reebok Stadium, the Hammers have no fresh injury concerns to contend with. Jack Collison (knee) and Junior Stanislas (hernia) are both ruled out with long-standing injuries.



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