Whites boss opts for evolution, not revolution (From This Is Lancashire)

Whites boss opts for evolution, not revolution

12:00pm Saturday 13th March 2010 in

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OWEN Coyle is wary of trying to change too much too soon as Wanderers continue their fight against the drop.

Today’s game against Wigan Athletic will be the Glaswegian’s 15th in charge, during which time he has led the club out of the bottom three.

The work is far from complete and the matter of paramount importance to the manager is protecting Wanderers’ nine-year Premier League tenure, something that remains in some doubt with nine games remaining.

But Coyle also remains hopeful that he can shape the Whites’ playing style to something approaching the technical approach he championed at his previous club Burnley.

And while he may have to wait until the summer before making inroads into that particular venture, he insists that progress is being made, even within the heat of a relegation battle.

“We’re trying to add to the squad we have so that we have a few different dimensions, to try and mix it up a little bit,” he said.

“It’s fair to say, given time, there will be an evolvement with how we go about things and how we like to play.

“But right now we have to use the assets we have, and we have a lot at this football club.

“That has kept us out of the bottom three, but to stay out we must continue to do our business right and keep taking points. That is the only way to stay up.

“We have to get to the right level of performance, like we did at West Ham, and if we do that it will result in points before the end of the season.”

Even if Wanderers win at home to the Latics this afternoon, for only the second time since their near neighbours were promoted to the top flight in 2005, they may still need to pick up points from a tough-looking run-in to ensure safety.

Games against Everton, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea come hot on the heels of the derby, and Coyle has no doubt that the issue will go right down to the wire.

“I’m certain it will go right the way to the very end,” he said. “It’s football, and that’s why we love it.

“It starts to get intriguing now at the business end of the season, when things start to get really tight.

“We can’t get wrapped up with what the other clubs are doing. We’ve got to concentrate on our own task at hand, starting with the Wigan game, which is a game we feel we can go and win if we are at our maximum.”

One player Coyle will have to do without as the season draws to an end is midfielder Gavin McCann, who has been told he requires surgery on a long-standing ankle problem.

The 32-year-old’s contract expires in the summer, leaving the club with a difficult decision to make on his future.

“I would think, given the operation and everything that goes with it, he will be out for a serious period of time,” he said.

“It is a real blow for him because he was involved with the first couple of games when I came in and he was desperate to do well for the club.

“He’s a really nice lad. He’s out of contract, so myself, the chairman and the owner will have to sit down and see what happens from there.”