FA CUP BURNLEY v WEST BROM 4TH RD REPLAY TONIGHT, 7.45PM
Burnley boss Owen Coyle is backing good pal Tony Mowbray to keep West Brom up - but wants to knock his side out of the FA Cup tonight.
Coyle and Mowbray struck up a close friendship in Scotland, first as playing rivals and then as managers at St Johnstone and Hibernian.
They shared the honours in a 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns 10 days ago but Coyle now wants to add Mowbray to his list of Premier League victims in the fourth-round replay.
Coyle said: "Tony is a fantastic man. I just love the way his team goes about it and plays good football - that speaks volumes for him.
"He has done an unbelievable job at West Brom. In his first year they just missed out in the play-offs, last year they won the Championship and this year, after a difficult start, they have picked up and I really believe they will stay in the Premier League."
Despite that, Coyle insists there will be no room for sentiment at Turf Moor as he looks to place Mowbray's name alongside those of Luis Felipe Scolari, Arsene Wenger, Roy Hodgson and Harry Redknapp, who all lost to Burnley in the Carling Cup.
Coyle added: "Tony will be the same as me. As much as we are friends, that will go out of the window for 90 minutes because we are focussed on winning the tie.
"We want to get into the next round - this is the glamour competition of world football and getting through would bring us important financial rewards."
On-loan Middlesbrough defender Rhys Williams can't play for Burnley and defender Stephen Jordan is still out injured.
West Brom assistant manager Mark Venus has shrugged off the club's growing casualty list ahead of the tie.
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Albion now have 12 players under treatment and boss Mowbray has to decide whether to gamble and play some of them in the cup tie or try to get them fully fit for Saturday's crucial league game against Newcastle.
It is a tough decision but Venus has no doubt that, whatever side Albion put out, the team will give a good account of themselves.
Venus, who stepped in to face the media while Mowbray chased down last-minute transfer deals, said: "We have a lot of confidence in all of the players in our squad. So, if they get their chance at Burnley, they will do all right.
"Other players have come in and done fine in the past and it is up to any player who gets in the side to grab that chance when it comes along."
Success against Burnley could set Albion up for a meeting with Arsenal - if the Gunners can get past Cardiff in their own replay.
"Whether it is an incentive to beat Burnley and meet Arsenal in the next round I'm not so sure as I would have preferred a better draw," admitted Venus.
"But Cardiff may beat them in the replay. You never know as other teams have gone away and won at the big clubs. It has happened before on many occasions."
Albion will make late fitness decisions on defenders Abdoulaye Meite and Ryan Donk (both groin), as well as midfielders Borja Valero (hamstring) and Robert Koren (calf).
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