OWEN Coyle has told Danny Murphy to leave football management to the professionals.

The Wanderers boss disagreed entirely with the Fulham midfielder’s recent comments that club managers are to blame for a perceived increase in dangerous tackles on the field.

Murphy’s accusations were levelled at Stoke manager Tony Pulis, Wolves’ Mick McCarthy and Blackburn Rovers’ Sam Allardyce, but Coyle spoke out in support of the trio at Monday night’s North West Footballer of the Year awards.

“Danny Murphy is a very talented player, there is no doubt about that,” the Whites boss said. “But, equally, no manager goes out to instruct his players to go and try and hurt opponents.

“That doesn’t happen. As good a player as Danny is, he should leave managing to the managers because we are very fortunate in this league that we have outstanding managers.

“These are top class managers who he has criticised and they do their very best for their football clubs.”

Murphy claimed late last week that certain managers were guilty of over-motivating players, leading to them committing over-zealous challenges.

He said: “Stoke, Blackburn and Wolves, you can say they’re doing what they can to win the game.

“But the fact is that the managers are sending the players out so pumped up that inevitably there are going to be problems.

“You can look at the players and blame them. But every team has a captain and a manager who is in charge.”

His sentiments were condemned by the LMA, prompting him to pull out of last night’s scheduled appearance as a pundit for ITV for England’s game against Montenegro.

Coyle will cross swords with one of the men in question, Pulis, on Saturday at the Reebok, knowing the Potteries side have risen to seventh in the table, having taken 10 points from a possible 12.

“Yes, it’s a tough game but if you look through the fixtures they are all tough. And Stoke City are flying right now,” he said.

“Equally we are at home and have been playing well so it's a game we are looking forward to.

“We will look to be positive and to go and win the match.”