Coyle lauds 'top-class' Moyes

But Bolton boss targets Goodison upset this weekend

By Elliot Ball   Last updated: 19th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Coyle lauds 'top-class' Moyes

Coyle: Thumbs up to Moyes

Everton are fortunate to have him because there are some big clubs out there and he is capable of being a world force

Owen Coyle on David Moyes
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Bolton boss Owen Coyle believes Everton counterpart David Moyes could thrive at one of Europe's elite clubs after describing the Toffees manager as 'capable of being a world force' ahead of their Premier League clash.

Coyle has nothing but admiration for his opposite number, Moyes having also been raised in the Glasgow area.

Moyes has turned the Toffees around after a dismal start to the season when his squad was riddled with injuries, plus unrest in the dressing room thanks to Manchester City's courting of Joleon Lescott.

The England defender's protracted £24million move eventually came to fruition and the Merseysiders have since managed to rediscover their best form and are an outside bet to gatecrash a Europa League berth for next season having won their last six home games.

And Coyle, whose side have lost five of their last seven meetings with the Blue half of Liverpool, realises a Trotters success would be an almighty upset to the form book.

But the Bolton boss, who has already beaten his friend when former club Burnley benefited from Everton's early-season troubles, believes the Goodison Park outfit are lucky to have a tactician as talented as Moyes at the helm.

Top-class

"They are probably the form team in the division, particularly at home, where they have turned over Manchester United and Chelsea," said the Trotters boss, who may have seen the statistic that says the Toffees would be third in the division if the season had started on 1st January.

"We are under no illusions about how difficult the task will be.

"David Moyes is a pal and someone I have a lot of time for. He is a top-class manager, he has shown it year after year.

"I hold him in very high esteem. The job he has done is second to none. Everton are fortunate to have him because there are some big clubs out there and he is capable of being a world force.

"We are similar in a way in that we both have a passion and a desire to win matches."

Collective effort

Everton may be enjoying a strong end to the campaign, but Coyle believes Bolton are also moving in the right direction and wants his side to kick on in the latter part of the season, starting at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The Trotters were in the relegation zone when Coyle arrived from Turf Moor in January, but are now eight points clear following the emphatic 4-0 victory against Wigan last weekend.

And Coyle was keen to praise the collective effort of his team.

He said: "We have some really talented players but the strength is not in the individual. Any club I have worked at the strength is in our group.

"People have remarked about the number of clean sheets we have kept recently but that has been a collective effort.

"That is not just about Jussi Jaaskelainen, who is an outstanding goalkeeper. The more quality we bring to the game the more chance we have of winning points."