Coyle happy with underdogs tag
Owen Coyle is happy for Burnley to be written off as relegation certainties as the Lancashire outfit prepare to embark on their first top-flight campaign in 33 years.
The Clarets begin life in the Barclays Premier League with a tough trip to Stoke tomorrow and bookmakers rate them as favourites to finish bottom next May.
A summer recruitment drive which saw Coyle recruit a number of unheralded players has done little to encourage hopes that Burnley are here to stay.
Nor has their dismal pre-season form, yet being associated with failure sits surprisingly well with the ultra-positive Coyle.
He said: “There’s no doubt we will be written off as the underdogs in each and every match.
“I don’t have a problem with that and, let’s be honest, we’re in the Premier League on the smallest budget by a country mile.
“The more money you pay the better players you can get but, as I’ve said before, it’s not always about having the best individuals. It’s about the best team.
“We know we have ability and we have to show it on a game-to-game basis both individually and collectively.
“Nobody gave us anything last season. We’ve had to work our socks off to attain this lofty position in English football and we don’t intend to give it up lightly.”
