Source: Team_Talk
Coyle: Martinez is a purist
olton boss Owen Coyle has praised counterpart Roberto Martinez for the mental strength he has shown in sticking to his footballing principles.[LNB] Latics opened their Premier League campaign in August with a 4-0 home defeat against newly-promoted Blackpool and were hammered 6-0 by Chelsea at the same venue in the following game.[LNB]It appeared as if Martinez's preference for attacking play was leaving his side horribly exposed, but a 1-0 win at Tottenham halted the slump and Wigan have now taken nine points from their last six league games.[LNB]Coyle, whose team travel to the DW Stadium tomorrow, is also an advocate of flowing football and has hailed the Spaniard for persevering with what he believes in.[LNB]"I have known Roberto for many years and he is very much a purist," Coyle said.[LNB]"He loves passing and moving the ball, and there are tremendous players in offensive positions for Wigan - the Rodallegas, the N'Zogbias. Di Santo is a terrific player, Boselli was a big-money signing.[LNB]"These are very good players and they look to retain that possession and pass and move the ball.[LNB]"All credit to Roberto because he came in for a bit of flak, as we all do as managers, at the start of the season and they have seen their way through that.[LNB]"He has shown tremendous mental strength and tremendous belief in what they are doing at Wigan and they have started moving themselves up the table.[LNB]"We know we are playing against a very good side and we are going to have to be at the top of our game to try and achieve a positive result and get points.[LNB]"But the way we are going about it, I believe we can be positive and try and impose ourselves on the match."[LNB]Bolton have adopted a more attractive style themselves under Coyle which has served them well this term.[LNB]Currently sat in seventh place and with two of their players in the last England squad, the club looks to be in rude health.[LNB]Midfielder Fabrice Muamba has been tipped in some quarters to join his club mates Gary Cahill and Kevin Davies in the senior national set-up and Coyle hopes seeing Arsenal's Jack Wilshere - who was on loan at the Reebok Stadium last season - make the jump from the under-21s to the full squad will encourage Muamba he can do the same.[LNB]"Being an English club, you want your players representing the country," Coyle said.[LNB]"Fabrice has done ever so well in the under-21s and he has to continue that progression.[LNB]"I think the great thing with the under-21s is that they will look at the squad and see that Jack has really burst from that squad into the full one.[LNB]"I would hope they will all look at that and think 'I can be the next one'.[LNB]"But the only way to do that is by performing consistently in the Premier League and showing Fabio Capello 'look, I'm a young talent and I'm ready to play for you."
