OWEN Coyle hailed Mark Davies as “the best player on the park” at Old Trafford – and then challenged him to show it more often.

The 23-year-old showed up well against the likes of Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick in the Manchester United midfield, but Coyle insists he cannot be content with one weekend’s work.

Davies has seemingly shrugged off the fitness problems that curtailed his early promise at Wanderers and is now in the middle of his longest run of league games since signing from Wolves three years ago.

Coyle has predicted big things for the Wolverhampton-born playmaker, but reckons he still needs to improve his end product if he is to truly realise his potential.

“Mark is really showing the benefit of the games and he’d be the first to tell you that it looked at times as though he was an impact player,” the Whites boss said. “I’ve sat down and had extensive talks with him about how I think he can progress.

“He’s competing against United with elite, world class players and he stood toe to toe. And I have just left him with this in the dressing room – that has to be his standard now. He can’t play well one week and then have two or three off.

“But to be fair he has been very consistent and that’s why he’s there in the team.

“There are areas of his game he can improve – goals, an end product – but he has been creating things recently, and getting on the end of things.”

Coyle was realistic enough to concede his side had been outplayed for most of the game against United, but felt there had still been an opportunity to snatch points.

“I don’t have complaints, but I’m disappointed to lose a goal on the stroke of half time,” he said of Paul Scholes’ effort.

“We’d dealt with everything Manchester United had thrown at us. Adam had saved the penalty, but then we concede from a throw in 40 yards out.

“The great thing was that for 25 minutes in that second half, we were the team on the front foot. We’d come to Old Trafford believing we could get something and we did have a couple of half chances.

“The second goal killed it. It was a bit fortuitous, the way the ball ran through, but he finished it in the corner. The third goal felt like salt in the wounds because we were deserving of a better scoreline.”

Overall, Coyle was happy with the attitude his side had shown against the champions, even though the defeat meant Wanderers sunk to 19th because of Blackburn Rovers’ win against Fulham.

“Sometimes you can come to the elite clubs and think your players are like rabbits in the headlights,” he said. “That wasn’t the case here. The players stood up and were brave on the ball.

“We had the best player on the park in Mark Davies, and that’s among Manchester United’s world class players. I thought a lot of our young players did well.”