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Nothing wrong with 'tough tacklers' - Coyle

Danny Murphy singled out Stoke as a team guilty of robust challenges

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Bolton manager Owen Coyle has hit back at Danny Murphy for pointing the finger at individual clubs for making reckless challenges.

Murphy called for Premier League managers to take responsibility for their players' actions in the wake of a series of bad tackles that have caused injury.

The Fulham captain suggested particular managers sent out their players to stop other teams playing - pointing out Stoke, Blackburn and Wolves as serial offenders. But Coyle, whose side welcome Stoke to the Reebok Stadium this weekend, does not fear for his side's safety and believes Murphy was wrong to point the finger of blame at particular individuals.

"To mention any club or individual is very wrong," Coyle said. "If you look at all the clubs involved and the managers, these people are fantastic at what they do - fantastic managers and fantastic football clubs.

"If there are teams out there who are tough tacklers, there is nothing wrong with that. What we have to do is eradicate the tackles that are not within the laws of the game. We want players to be competitive, we want closing down and challenges but we do not want anything that is over the top and reckless.

"If there is that, let's punish it and stamp it out, but in terms of hard and mistimed tackles due to the pace of the game, there is a difference between a reckless challenge and a mistimed challenge."

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish believes players do not go out to intentionally harm another professional, but refused to react to Murphy's comments.

"There have been a lot of stray tackles over the past few weeks and it is a big talking point," he said. "I don't believe anyone goes out to hurt someone maliciously. Danny has said what he has said and it has created some headlines, but it is his opinion. Other people have their opinions and I have mine.

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