Mad as a hatter but what a job he's doing

[PaulMcC]

How much tickets do you reckon we'll get at Blackpool?

 

I want to go but their ground doesn't hold much.

[FortressAnfield]

Ian Holloway.

 

 

I may hav had a few too many drinks today. Lovely weather but a slight bitter wind coming in off the sea. A huge contract in games from last weeks but the enjoyment was arguably just as great.

 

Anyone notice the genius of a commentator on Sky today talking about the wind from the North Sea whistling around the terraces on Bloomfield Road (or something similar)?

 

If that ever happens, Yorkshire and most of Lancashire will have been razed to the ground, and the outskirts of Blackpool town itself will look like a war zone.

[George Costanza]

Yeah he is king of the soundbite alright GC. His interviews next season should be much more interesting and fun than the dull predictable monotone shite you get from most Premier League managers nowadays.

 

and players too. If/when you catch the interview he goes on about the premiership beign negative and defensive. all he wants to do is attack. NP is right what he said earleir balckpool next year might concede 100 goals but they'll score 50+ in the process.

 

Today i didn't mind if they lost as i feel they have won enough plaudits already with there style of play and attitude under Holloway. Of course they are favourites to go down but quite frankly i don't think anyone in the town or region gives a shit. I've only just come back off holiday and the whole place is decked out in tangerine.

[WaltonRed]

Bloomfield Road is 12000, will they even be allowed in?!

[George Costanza]

How much tickets do you reckon we'll get at Blackpool?

 

I want to go but their ground doesn't hold much.

 

Blackpool will use the money they get to develop the north stand. In the mean time i expect they'll probably make the new Jimmy Armfield Stand available to away fans i expect or at least improve the current temporary stand for away fans.

 

Ticket allocation will be about 2k i reckon

[HornsOfJericho]

Don't know if anyone viewed Holloways post match speech in the dressing room, but it was probably the best interview man kind has ever given. Fuck your Hitlers and Mourinhos.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Romance of the Championship.

[Sangria]

Had twenty euros on 3 3 bit gutted but enjoyed the game.

 

Any spares for the away game next year, might as well get in early.

[Faustus]

Bloomfield Road is 12000, will they even be allowed in?!

 

I think 10,000 is the minimum capacity required, Mick.

 

Even if you don't have that, I think they give you a year to get your shit together anyway and do something about it.

 

Unbelievable achievement for Blackpool. They just showed the total cost of their side yesterday on SSN and it totalled £750k. £500k was of that was spent on the one player as well. Fantastic stuff.

[gkmacca]

When Olly was working for Setanta, I posted some rambling comments supposedly from him on their site, reflecting on his wife's cooking, his views on the new aisle divisions at his local Morrisons, etc etc, and always ending with how much he loved working for Setanta and how much he thought Rebecca Lowe was 'an absolute smasher (but don't tell the wife!)' The poor bloke had such a reputation the first post got put up by Setanta as really from Olly himself. How he's gone from being a David Brent to a genuine coach is a real testament to his genuine intelligence and open-mindedness. It's a fantastic and heartwarming story and I hope he has the most enjoyable year in the Premiership. He's as admirable as Allardyce is contemptible.

[Faustus]

When Olly was working for Setanta, I posted some rambling comments supposedly from him on their site, reflecting on his wife's cooking, his views on the new aisle divisions at his local Morrisons, etc etc, and always ending with how much he loved working for Setanta and how much he thought Rebecca Lowe was 'an absolute smasher (but don't tell the wife!)' The poor bloke had such a reputation the first post got put up by Setanta as really from Olly himself. How he's gone from being a David Brent to a genuine coach is a real testament to his genuine intelligence and open-mindedness. It's a fantastic and heartwarming story and I hope he has the most enjoyable year in the Premiership. He's as admirable as Allardyce is contemptible.

 

Totally agree, mate.

 

They've been playing interviews of him on SSN all morning and the presenters have been smiling and going on about how "it'll be good value to see him in the Premiership" in a slightly patronising manner, but the reality is he's proven himself to be a very good manager at that level. I think it's only really at Leicester where he's failed and he seems to have drawn on that experience to make him a better manager.

 

It's really hard not to warm to him as a bloke and I wish him all the best for next season. I can see Blackpool springing one or two surprises next year.

[gkmacca]

Holloway admits he took a good look at himself when he was out of work for a year. He realised he was managing with fear after watching the football he admired from the likes of Spain... and Swansea.

 

He decided he wanted to try the beautiful game and said: “I was sat above it and could see the overall picture and pattern. There were people doing things I didn’t do. I thought I’d rather be like that.

 

“I watched what Swansea did under Roberto Martinez and it was different. I watched Spain play England and we were *embarrassing. Spain were little, kept the ball and they passed around us for fun.

 

“And I think that’s what it’s all about, to inspire someone to get in the game with movement and understanding, to keep the ball and cherish it.

 

“But in England we send it from our keeper up in the air, 50-50. Why? Why don’t we let our goalie have a choice to spray it anywhere he likes on the pitch and then support that particular player?

 

“Why do we all crowd over here and say here it goes, boom. And when it drops, if one of my midfield players gets it and no one’s out wide then who’s he going to pass it to? It’s crazy.

 

“I thought. ‘This is how I want to do it and what I want to talk about’. I’ve been consistent with it and the players have flourished. They’ve enjoyed it and played lovely stuff.”

 

Ian Holloway interview: How my lads and me made Blackpool rock ahead of Cardiff play-off date at Wembley - MirrorFootball.co.uk

 

That's just a wonderful attitude. How many other managers have reacted like that to time out of the game? The likes of Bryan Robson have just sat around waiting for the next phone call, then done more of the same. This bloke really deserves all the good luck he gets, because he's going for it.

[Juan Galonso]

Brilliant interview with him then on Talksport with Jeremy Kyle. Jeremy was trying to get him off the phone a few times but Olly just wanted to talk football.

[Guest simon]

I heard what he said yesterday and he made me proud that a team like Blackpool were coming up to the Prem. Managers like him dont come often. What a guy.

[mni]

Ian Holloway post play off win v Cardiff Video

[mni]

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Here's some of the post match interview. Holloway and Blackpool are more than welcome in the PL.

[George Costanza]

That interview is just as good today as it was yesterday. Brilliant.

 

Couple of quality quotes from the man in the papers yesterday too

 

Holloway on Neil Warnock:

“After the game, we’re walking off the pitch. We’ve just won, 2-1. The ref’s given us a goal that was blatantly offside, so I’m absolutely elated. Neil Warnock, the Sheffield United manager, is going ballistic. Anyhow, I am shouting at Neil, as we walk off: ‘I always supported you. But now I see I was wrong. Everybody else in football is right. You are a t**t.’”

 

&

 

Holloway on Cristiano Ronaldo:

"He's six foot something, fit as a flea, good looking - he's got to have something wrong with him. Hopefully he's hung like a hamster - that would make us all feel better. Having said that, me missus has got a pet hamster at home, and his cock's massive."

 

 

 

Top post by Faustus too

[Antynwa]

He seems very humble as well, talking what it would do for Blackpool.

 

What a guy

[RobbieOR]

I dont know whether it would be in his best interests getting Blackpool up. I hope to god they dont start shite and sack him in December when things are going bad.

[Juan Galonso]

Interview with him on Call Collymore yesterday:

 

talkSPORT - Live Sports Radio | Live Premier League | Live Scores

[Trumo]

I dont know whether it would be in his best interests getting Blackpool up. I hope to god they dont start shite and sack him in December when things are going bad.

 

And then put Iain Dowie in charge.

[lifetime fan]

[Antynwa]

[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMf9Ov_O-qY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMf9Ov_O-qY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" [/YOUTUBE]

 

Shit quality but brilliant

[RedBrian84]

He's an absolute legend. Good luck to him and to Blackpool. I wasn't a fan of the manner in which they were talking about both him and the club on Sky after the game, suggesting that they'll be refreshing in the Prem, but with an air of 'but they'll get dicked everywhere'. Typical fucking Sky, as usual.

 

The thing is, no team is going to enjoy going to Bloomfield Road- I don't even think Blackpool enjoy going to Bloomfield Road! The wind rips through it something fierce and the fans are lively, like Stoke or Portsmouth. It's going to be a difficult place to play, I'm sure of it. Having said that, I'm not suggesting that Blackpool play Bolton/Blackburn/Allardyce 'football', because in each of the games I've seen Blackpool play this season under Holloway, they've always tried to get the ball down and play it around. Obviously whether or not they can do it in the Prem is a different matter.

 

I read yesterday that their entire wage bill- including coaching and admin staff- came to less than 5 million a year, that's less than what John Terry earns in the same time. It's an unbelivable achievement. to do what they've done.

 

And Holloway's get DJ Campbell and Brett Ormerod looking like footballers; that's almost miraculous.

 

I'm really made up for Holloway, he's a football man through and through and will be a breath of fresh air in the Premier League. I for one am looking forward to press conferences and post-match interviews, you never know what he's going to do or say.

 

Good luck to them both, I hope they stay up next season.

[George Costanza]

quality stuff from holloway today. Very complimentary about us but love his attitude that he's coming to attack as its the best form of defence.

 

slightly more worrying is that an opposition manager is giving our star striker more public encouragement than our manager.