A REVISED history of the Owen Coyle era started to emerge over the weekend amid some disgruntled Clarets fans, but the truth is they just wouldn’t be where they are without him.

Some of the talk bore resemblance to the ramblings of Manchester United fans after Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid. Was he really that good anyway? Might we be better off without him?

In Burnley’s case some have started to cite Coyle’s inability to secure an away win in the Premier League and, incredibly, suggested promotion last year may have been down to a large slice of luck.

But it is the Scot’s ability to get an extra 10 per cent out of players that could mean they will struggle to survive without him.

If Ronaldo was vital for United, Coyle has been even more crucial for Burnley.

Promotion, with the budget the Clarets possessed, was something of a miracle.

The second half of this season was always going to be harder than the first, and the disruption of Coyle leaving now will only exacerbate that.

How long will it take the players to get over such a body blow?

The warnings are there from the remarkably similar era Coyle played in at Bolton.

Bruce Rioch took them into the top flight but left for Arsenal in the summer before they embarked on their first Premier League campaign.

The Trotters struggled hopelessly without him, picking up only 10 points before the ill-fated management team of Roy McFarland and Colin Todd was split up ust after Christmas. Despite an upturn, they finished bottom.

Whether January loan deals for David Nugent and Jack Wilshere could be completed without Coyle remains to be seen, and the biggest problem could be for whoever follows him as manager.

The comparisons between new and old would be all too easy to make. Any departure from Coyle’s methods could be viewed with suspicion by both fans and players.

Choosing Coyle in the first place was a decision for which the Burnley board forever deserve credit.

Finding a replacement to keep Burnley in the Premier League will need to be an equally inspired choice.