G'Owen, G'Owen..Gone!

Cue lots of people venting their spleens and saying, "I told you so." A bad day for the club: we all need to move on asap. Bolton away is now going to be a very unpleasant experience, I fear. I think I will take some time off from typing on messageboards for a bit, as I don't want to get involved in arguments. Let's hope we get an even better manager next who keeps us up...and fast!

Great start to 2010, thanks Owen! You are right about the Bolton game,just got tickets for that one, not sure I am going to be able to stomach seeing Coyle in a Bolton track suit

He really has left us in it, the biggest problem is he has gone in January in the middle of the window. Were not going to be abe to sign any players now as they won't come until we have a manager. It really has left us S*** Creek! I am gutted, gutted. If he'd gone to a bigger club I wouldn't have been upset but Bolton. Here's hoping they go down.

Not sure there are many on here who will say I told you so, many on here seemed to fear this news, me for one. Bloody hell I loved that man for what he did for BFC, for me it is a sad day simply because I remember what I thought when the Celtic job came up, good luck to him if he decides to better himself and go to his boyhood heros. The Bolton job just leaves my heart wanting him and Bolton to be relegated and below us. Its just what my heart is telling me at the moment without listening to ALL sides of this story.

Gents, got to say I'd much rather see Burnley than Bolton in the premier league. Gutted for you, why would he want to go to that bunch of hoofing cloggers? Can't work it out. Let's hope they plumet to the championship.

Just to be clear I do thank Coyle for what he has done for this club I really do. I think I speak for a fair few that he was our hero, for taking our club to the Premier League. I wish him all the best, but I'm a football fan and I want my club to stay up and Bolton to go down.

Good luck mate, its ruined my Month! And it's me birthday on sat!!!!! Happy Birthday! Maybe we can sign a new manager for me, Hughes would be great but don't think we can afford him. I personally would like Steve Coppell.

Sounds like this may remain in the hands of lawyers for a while yet. We're talking about big enough sums of money that I don't think either side will want to back down quickly, and I would back Kilby, Flood and Fletch to reckon they've got ample strength in the club to move forwards positively, albeit with some difficulty in the transfer and loan markets. That bit clearly could hurt us; and they will therefore feel some pressure to act fast. But in my mind, Bolton now need Coyle more than we need to make a rapid appointment from outside. It's doubtful we'll hear anything from anyone till the particulars of Coyle's exit are sorted. When they are, I suspect all Clarets need to steel ourselves for the possibility of some less than positive comments aimed in our direction. This is usually what happens when a relationship breaks down acrimoniously. Maybe this isn't acrimonious, but it has that look at the moment. We need to remember that comments made at such times tell us more about who's making them than about who they're aimed at. These late flurries apart, Owen Coyle is now history as far as Burnley Football Club is concerned. The Coyle chapter in our history books will be bright, but short, and end with a fizzle and some questions. Some of those will be about what it is that makes Coyle want to keep on moving on, and at least some will probably conclude that it's not a totally positive part of his make-up. I nevertheless thank him for what he has done alongside so many others who have worked their socks off and played their hearts out these last two years. We were a strong club before he arrived. We were a strong club while he was here. We are a strong club now. As throughout our history there will be ups and downs. But I look forward to the future with pride and determination, and I am quite sure that is what Barry Kilby is doing too. Up the Clarets! I just wish I could be on the Turf to show my support against Stoke.

I don't fancy Mick Phelan it wpuld be a big gamble for me. But perhaps would help with getting kids from Man Utd.

Unbelievable move, lost some respect for him not seeing it out at Burnley. Also, there are rumours in South Wales that Dave Jones and Paolo Sousa are possible contenders....

One of the contenders for the Preston job has withdrawn his application - not sure who, but could that be significant ? Still think we should push the boat out and go for Keegan.

Thought Owen Coyle cared about Burnley football club evidently not. Blokes at work who support other clubs cant understand his reasoning its a sidewords move that has done his reputation no good what so ever.

Thank you for everything you have done Owen. You have taken Burnley to a place I never thought I would see us and you have done it in style. Without doubt, you have left Burnley in a much better position than which you found it! I will always be grateful for that. However, Burnley is bigger than any one person and we must now move on from the body blow and concentrate on our survival battle. As for 'fears' of appointing the cheap option as our next manager. Owen didnt work out to badly and I am sure he wasnt a million miles away from being the cheapest option. Trust the board - like us, they do have the best interests of the club at the forefront of their mind!

I have been meaning to sign up to Vital for ages now so i could comment on the articles you produce at Vital Burnley and now seems like a suitable time. I am gutted Coyle is going but as Couch Potato said he is now part of our history and so we must look to the future. The club is always more important than the man and you never know, we may get a better manager than Coyle. My personal choice would be Curbishley as I think he did a fantastic job at both Charlton and West Ham and fairly modest budgets.

Welcome Claude and thanks for your contribution to the debate

Welcome claude. I would want to pay a bit for a manager. I like Steve Davis but still think its too soon. I Don't think Curbishley would come up north, I would really like Steve Coppell I know I keep saying it, but he's experienced Bikey obviously got on with him and I think he would provide a bit of steel.

Welcome ClaretClaude, what a time to join us eh? At the moment I can't think of who I want only who I don't and I have made that clear in another post.

WANTED! Tight manager who shares our love of attacking football. Must like cold weather and warm, passionate people. Can go away after two years. As long as we are in Europe, we don't care.

Dare to dream tmp!

Latest rumour-Blackpool boss Ian Holloway

There are some subtle hints in Flood's book too that both Jewell and Reid are to say the least a little quirky! Flood seemed fairly dismissive of their qualities

I really wouldn't be keen on Reid who's record, despite some success with Sunderland, is less than impressive. Looking at the poll Jewell is a runaway favourite; perhaps because his managerial record reads hit, miss, hit, miss... I stated earlier that my choice would be Curbishley, but after that I think Ferguson would be a good appointment. I thought about Phelan, and maybe he would be a good manager, but then I remembered other United assistants who went on to manage their own teams: Kidd, Queiroz and Mclaren. Scary Stuff! What does anybody think about John Hughes?

HUghes is the Hibs manager, right? Might not be a bad shout...

Well it's happened. I can't wait to see (hear) Owen's reasons for his move. I'd like to say thanks to him for getting us to Nirvana but I don't understand the move and that's what makes me think there must be more to this than meets the eye. As for managers...I'd go for Coppell or at a push Simon Grayson.

We are a bit surprised ourselves Merlin

Steve Davis might go? Surely not! I really thought he did have Burnley at heart.

Please not Steve Davis, He's my favourite Burnley player!! He was captain when I was a kid a rock at centre back, I can remember meeting him outside Chesterfields stadium, when I was about 11! I'd be more heartbroken over Davis then coyle!

On SSN it says their sources understand that Bolton are a long way from meeting our compenstation claims. Nothing on SSN about PNE and Ferguson.

I also think this should have been sorted long before now. What happens if we don't agree a fee? That would be a mess.

Hold out as long as you want Barry Kilby talk it over with Brendan for a day or two, because until you agree he can't start work anywhere near Bolton as he still works for us. Meanwhile get plan A and B in place for the moment you take the Bolton cash and whatever was planned for the january sales make sure we get them now.

LOL , 'I would never want a manager like Mick McCarthy' - Bahahahaha! Least he wants to be with us :D LOL LOL LOL

Given that OC would appear to have breached his contract, presumably we don't have to pay him, but he can't work anywhere else till he or someone else buys him out. Not sure. Given that he was only allowed to talk with Gartside on the understanding that Bolton would pay the 3.6, then the breach would seem clear, plus Bolton may have broken league and FA rules.

I would go for a Coppell or Curbishley - we're not in the CCC now. Young managers may struggle to hack it (Martinez case in point). Some suggest there is more to the departure and I agree, but we seem to know most things (Board getting the loans paid back, the loan with near 200% return, the budget OC had and the possible rumoured Flood back seat). I don't see what else there could be that OC didn't know in June. I think he'd have jumped ship anyway to any Prem team, even Rovers!! The cynic would say Celtic was his way to get a release clause engineered into the contract - we see the cost of that now.

Sorry SC I have to be careful about the brothel thing,libel bollox and all that

On the more than meets the eye... I dare say that things will get said, but I expect they are things that were either already out in the open (as Crosspool has listed, plus frustration at not being able to pay Nugent's full wages) plus those we can expect to be coming in the normal course of a Burnley winter (discussions over which players coming up for end of contract we can keep; maybe an unsettled player or two having offers dangled in front of them). Maybe also Coyle knew that, once called a 'god', a fall from grace would be rapid once it began; and many of us had started to question his stubbornness at not rotating players. Perhaps the flip-side of his high-energy up-beat style is that he burns out... and his track record does not include any long stays anywhere that I can recall. Maybe, as happened with Stevie C, he began to wonder whether some of the directors had begun to wonder whether he was possibly showing signs of running out of ideas. Maybe, as a young manager who has thus far had constant success, his bravura exterior covers over a lack of an inner strength to feel he is coping when things seem to be standing still. We will know a little bit more about him when we see how he handles himself at his next press conferences; and rather more if he doesn't bring Bolton some quick success, he finds out that the budget there is not all he'd hoped for, and the fans do a Megson on him. Did he run to a warm welcome when things began to get just a little bit tough? Or has he shown bravery in putting his career on the line? Next!

Good question. All you lot stuck at home need to keep your mind's sharp. So here's another one: after how many years does a loan earning 10% annual interest get repaid at 200%?

WTBM - all I know is that there was a strong rumour of a benefactor who helped keep us afloat at the end of last season (thank you) but who more or less doubled their money in six months. CP - re loan question. Assuming the question relates to Boltons 10% benefactor loan not our double your money one. Answer - never. The 10% is like an interest only mortage in all probability (an interest rate we may all have to get used to in the next year or two :-))

Any thoughts?

Expected him to stay! Good luck for the rest of the season... Darren Ferguson would have been a great appointment but he's taken now!

Bit of news, someone has just sent a text saying Someone has spraypainted all of OCs face out on the big board at the turf and wrote *****er. A bit harsh but.............

OK, just a thought re. buying back of ground.

I do like the idea of buying back the ground and it would be high on my list of priorities. If we stay up I would definatley do it. I think we should buy Nugent with money!

Super Mick McCarthy

Sad... A silly, silly move from Coyle.