Sun won't shine at Turf
11:13am Tuesday 13th May 2008
BURNLEY manager Owen Coyle will NOT be making a summer move for Sun Jihai.
Reports yesterday claimed the Manchester City defender was high on the Clarets' shopping list.
But Coyle has rubbished any links with the 30-year-old Chinese international, who has been at Eastlands since 2002.
Speaking to the Telegraph, the Burnley boss said: "I don't know where those stories have come from.
"I've certainly not spoken to Manchester City or Sun Jihai. I'm looking for good players to bring to this football club, and there will be an element of one or two of them being of a more experienced type.
"But where possible, I'm looking to bring younger legs into the football club.
"Within that, some are going to cost the club money, and I've already put things in motion."
Coyle held preliminary talks with Andrew Cole's FROM BACK PAGE representatives over the weekend, but said it was too early to report any progress.
The manager also expects to get decisions from the four players - David Unsworth, Jay Rodriguez, Brian Jensen and James O'Connor - he has offered new contracts to.
Coyle said: "I'm expecting to hear from them all from the middle to the end of next week."
Meanwhile, the problematic Turf Moor pitch will be undergoing major surgery this summer to try to resolve three problem areas.
The diggers moved in this week to unearth three large patches that have been a major headache for ground staff throughout the season.
The hope is that once this work is complete, the worst affected areas should have better drainage to limit the risk of previous postponements caused by unrelenting rain in the hours approaching kick off.
Stadium manager Doug Metcalfe said: "It has been well documented that we have issues with our current stadium pitch, even though we did not lose any games on it last season.
"Because of that, we are focusing on the three main problem areas, namely the goalmouth at the cricket pitch end and the two wet areas adjacent to the home and away dug outs.
"They have literally been excavated down to the sand base and we are performing a full reconstruction in those areas.
"The rest of the pitch will undergo the normal renovation work and we are hoping to see some real benefit from the three problem areas."