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COYLE HAILS YOUNG GUNNERS

Coyle - impressed by Arsenal.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle admitted he was so impressed at watching Arsenal's young Gunners he almost switched off the DVD.

Coyle already knew about the massive impression Arsene Wenger's second-string side had made in the Carling Cup before the Clarets were paired with them in Tuesday's quarter-final.

Now the Scot knows just what to expect at Turf Moor.

In Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, Coyle is convinced Arsenal have a pair of teenagers capable of going to the very top of the game.

The assessment is easy, finding a way to stop them is the hard part.

"I watched their games against Sheffield United and Wigan," he said.

"At one point I thought about turning it off because I couldn't bear it any more.

"They are the yardstick for everyone who is aspiring to play a passing game."

At 17, Ramsey has already won full international honours for Wales. One year his junior, Wilshere has caught the eye of Fabio Capello, who expects him to be handed an England Under-21 call before the season's end.

The sudden elevation is not a surprise to Coyle, and he is not expecting the rise to stop there either.

"Four or five of that team will reach the very highest level," he said.

"I am not talking about good international players, I mean beyond that.

"Ramsey is unbelievable. At 16, the world is Wilshere's oyster.

"The maturity they show is way beyond their years.

"I played with people for 15 years who were still not experienced in the game. These kids have that.

"The relationship they have with one another in terms of interchange of passing and movement is exceptional."

When asked what positives he took from Arsenal's six-goal mauling of Sheffield United and the three that followed against Wigan in the last round, the best Coyle could come up with was: "Both games were 0-0 before the start."

Not that he is worried about the visitors.

Having eliminated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last month, he sees no need for that, especially as the success was totally deserved.

But Coyle, who has made a positive impression at Burnley and has guided his small squad to fourth in the Championship table, realises his side must climb another mountain to make the last four.

"We are being spoken about in nice terms but we are under no illusions about how difficult this will be," he said.

"We will have to be totally concentrated and focused.

"But we will also look to commit players forward and make a game of it. When we do have the ball I want my players to express themselves.

"We have reached where we are by playing good football and I see no reason to change."

For a club with such a rich tradition and history, Burnley have been in the doldrums for far too long.

The success of neighbours Blackburn has only made their fans even more desperate for some of their own, ensuring Turf Moor will be packed to its 22,000-capacity for the first time in Coyle's tenure when Wenger brings his team north for the second time in a year.

On the last occasion, a full-strength Arsenal side registered a two-goal triumph in the FA Cup. Coyle is about to discover how much progress they have made.

"We are an improved team from then," said Coyle.

"How far can be judged tomorrow night.

"This is a very traditional club but to even be talking about reaching the semi-finals shows how far we have come."