Coyle hails Reebok revival - and there's more to come
9:42am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Latest By Marc Iles
OWEN Coyle hailed his Wanderers for turning round their season, but warned: There’s more to come!
The Whites held firm to record their first Premier League stalemate against Arsenal – and their first goalless draw of any kind in two years – to put further daylight between themselves and the bottom three.
That makes it just one defeat in eight games in all competitions, and, while the upturn in fortune has pleased the manager no end, he believes the injection of three new signings, Tim Ream, Ryo Miyaichi and Marvin Sordell, and those returning from long-term injury, could mean even better times on the horizon.
“We went toe-to-toe with Arsenal,” he said. “They had chances but so did we. It was absolutely terrific because in the last 20 minutes we were the side making the chances and we really had them on the ropes.
“Our young players were great. It was touch and go whether David Ngog would play because he had picked up an illness and hadn’t trained. He said he felt better so we picked him because of the form he’s been in. He chased everything, and could have had a couple of goals, truth be told.
“There were so many pleasing positives. But as good as we were, I still think there is room for improvement.
“We all know the circumstances with what happened earlier in the season, and, without getting ahead of myself, I said we would come through that. We are doing it at the minute with the quality we are showing but we have got to keep focus.”
Coyle believes it could have been even better for Wanderers had referee Chris Foy spotted a late pull on Mark Davies right on the edge of the penalty box by Gunners defender Per Mertersacker.
“I didn’t feel that the secondary challenge was a penalty but I did feel Mertersacker had pulled Mark Davies back - that might have been inside the box, or just outside it,” he said.
“That put him off balance for the next phase of play and that why he went crashing down.
“The goalkeeper went to get two good hands on the ball, I’ve no argument with that, I just thought it should have been pulled back for the earlier foul, be it a free kick or a penalty.”
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