Coyle Rejects Celtic For Relegation Scrap With Burnley

Owen Coyle has rejected the chance to manage boyhood heroes Celtic, to stay with Premier League new boys Burnley. Coyle was the first choice replacement for Gordon Strachan, but despite being offered £1 million a year to manage the Parkhead hot seat, he is staying with the Clarets. If Coyle took the Parkhead job he could have quadrupled his wages, but he has now decided to stick with Burnley and test his wits against some of the best in the business, including Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, and Arsene Wenger.

Last night Coyle said, “I am going on holiday with my family this weekend and I can assure you I will be doing so as Burnley manager.”

A Clarets spokesman said they had received no official approach for their manager, and added, “Nor will the club welcome any.”

Unsurprising Burnley will have more money to spend next season than Celtic, with a hefty slice of the £30m-plus Premier League money going to the Clarets' manager. Coyle intends to bring in five or six new signings and thinks he can progress with them and eventually fulfil his long-term ambitions of a move to a top four club.

50 percent of fans voting want Slaven Bilic as the next Celtic manager.

Coyle’s decision will come as a major blow for Celtic, who could now turn their attentions to West Brom’s Tony Mowbray. However the £1m compensation figure is a major issue.

Despite the board’s selection of Coyle as their first choice, the Burnley manager had split the Celtic support over his credentials with many seeing a lack of top flight experience a major issue.

So far in our Who do you think should be the next Celtic manager poll—50 percent of those voting want Slaven Bilic as the next Celtic manager, while 19 percent want David Moyes, and nine percent want Tony Mowbray. Only three percent of those voting already wanted Owen Coyle as the next manager. Just goes to prove that what the board wants and what the fans want are two totally different things. Maybe its time the board did listen to the fans, rather than look to the "biscuit tin."