Former Bolton midfielder Jason McAteer believes Owen Coyle is still the right man to lead the club away from relegation trouble.

The Trotters currently sit 19th in the Premier League, with just nine points from 14 games, and fell to an 11th defeat of the season when they lost 3-0 to Spurs on Saturday.

Despite their alarming position in the table, McAteer believes Coyle has the ability to turn things around at the Reebok Stadium.

"It takes bottle to get out of a relegation battle and Owen will instil confidence in the team," he told BBC Sport.

"Knowing him, there will be no doom and gloom. The dressing room and training ground will be a good place to be."

McAteer continued: "Owen is a good manager, with great man-management skills, who definitely brings the best out of his players. He will make sure they go in with a positive attitude to every game."

Bolton return to Premier League action when they host Aston Villa at the Reebok Stadium this Saturday.