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Burnley boss Coyle: Wigan clash will be for purists

Burnley boss Owen Coyle expects their clash with Wigan Athletic to be one for the football purists.

In Coyle and Latics boss Roberto Martinez, the match will bring together a pair of old friends that have developed into two of the top flight's most promising young managers.

Both managers have a similar eye for the aesthetic and Coyle is expecting plenty of attractive play to be on show at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Coyle said: "I expect there to be a lot of players on the park that will have a positive influence, in terms of trying to do something in the game that excites and pleases the crowd and that will be entertaining.

"At the same time, it will be within the work ethic that you have to help your team. I have no doubt that both teams will be going all out to win the match and we have to make sure we are at our very best."

Coyle was full of praise for Martinez's achievements in his short time as a manager, likening the Spaniard's transformation of Swansea City to his own project at Burnley.

"I knew him (Martinez) when he was a player at Wigan," Coyle said.

"Scott Green, who I played with at Bolton, and Roberto were friends so I bumped into him a couple of times, and then I have had a relationship with him since I sold him Jason Scotland from St Johnstone to Swansea when Jason was coming out of contract.

"You only have to look at his Swansea teams and now his Wigan team to know that he likes to play football that is pleasing on the eye and that everyone enjoys. He has a great knowledge of football.

"Roberto built that team and that football club up (at Swansea) and that is similar to what we are trying to do here at Burnley. There are a lot of attributes that he holds and I have no doubt that he will continue to improve as a manager and go from strength to strength."

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