Where goes Owen Coyle, so (reportedly) follows Stuart Holden; after initially being extended a trial invitation by Burnley, the American midfielder may now headed to Bolton, where Coyle was recently installed as manager.
After wondering (aloud, on the most recent American Soccer Show as a matter of fact) if it was Coyle (or a member of his staff) that was directly responsible for the Burnley trial invitation and if the manager's move might have an impact on it, I've been given an answer. Holden's switch is interesting on that level, with Coyle indicating a strong interest, and brings up a new question: Will it be easier or more difficult for him to earn a contract with the Wanderers than it would have been with the Clarets?
Coyle did well to push Burnley to the Premier League, and did it while doing everything possible to play attacking soccer. Burnley's 2009-2010 ultimate fortunes are yet to be written, but with the club sitting in fourteenth place on twenty points, the possibility of a second consecutive top-flight season seemed reasonable. Still, the Clarets might very likely have been fighting for their lives down the stretch, and if Holden had managed to catch on there, his playing for a struggling side might not have been the best situation. As we've seen with Jozy Altidore at Hull (admittedly a younger, less refined player), consistent playing time can be hard to come by when every point comes at a premium.
Unfortunately for Holden, Bolton is actually in a worse position than Burnley. They sit eighteenth in the table, have earned eighteen points in eighteen games, and are in the relegation zone. Coyle's hiring is a direct result of their underwhelming play to this point, and his task will be to lift them to safety before the year is out. Though Bolton trails Burnley in the standings, they do have two games in hand.
Bolton is the bigger club, though the difference between the two on the field is negligible; no matter which Holden signed with, he'd be facing the prospects of being tied to a club going down, and without a relegation clause (which I'm not sure he would get), might find himself playing in the Championship next year. Would that truly (aside from salary, which is admittedly a factor) be much better than staying in MLS?
There's two ways to look at Holden's chances to catch on in England, and it really wouldn't matter if we're talking about Bolton or Burnley. On one hand, both sides obviously need quality, and Holden is a talented player; on the other, neither is the best place for an unproven (at that level) player to try and find a role. My best guess is that Holden going on trial with a Premier League club is a safe choice because he can test himself and determine if he has a future in England, while keeping his option to return to MLS and the Dynamo open. Though Houston is reportedly moving on because they can't afford to do otherwise, they would certainly take Holden back in a heartbeat if given the chance.
And I think they'll get that chance. Coyle's and/or his staff's interest in Holden may be legitimate, and I have no doubt they'll give Holden every opportunity to play his way into a contract. But with the uncertainty of the new environment for Coyle, Holden's safety net in the US, and an innate desire to play immediately and as much as possible before June, my gut says he'll be an MLSer again come February 1 (pending the CBA fallout).
That wouldn't be the end of the world, and there's no reason to believe Holden couldn't get a relatively advantageous contract out of the league should he re-sign. He'd be foolish to accept multiple league-controlled options, and should have the leverage to give himself an out should another move abroad become possible. If that is the case, and his Premier League fortunes this year hinge on a relegation-threatened club with a new manager offering him a contract after a trial, then my only conclusion is that he'll once again be wearing orange in March.
