Ian After Another ‘Ollie-Day’ in the Sun

A little over a year ago I left the Keepmoat Stadium on a Tuesday night a disgruntled fellow – local rivals Barnsley had eased to a 2-0 win over Doncaster Rovers.

The only solace was to be found, of all places, in Blackpool. At Bloomfield Road to be precise, where the Tangerines had thrown away a two goal lead against Manchester United to lose 3-2.

It was consoling for the fact that, as very much an anti-Manchester United fan, I was also in the miniscule minority of the footballing world who also wanted Blackpool to struggle and accordingly had struck a £5 bet with my father that they would be relegated despite their lofty – and comfortable – position of twelfth.

Why?

From a hazy recollection I was watching Match of the Day while inebriated and said that I thought the Seasiders were the sort of side who were either red hot or ice cold – far too inconsistent, and therefore said “These lot will go down.” My dad, who does not part with money easily, smelled a bet – and one that went right until the final day.

Part of my musings and reasoning though seemed to also focus upon the Blackpool manager Ian Holloway (top). A maverick boss who impresses team spirit among all his sides and even endears himself to the general public by, despite appearing ‘off-the-wall’, tending to have a serious point.

Holloway though, was too serious when it came to the Premier League. The increased media attention portrayed him as a joker in charge of a pub team just in the top flight for the laugh. Riled that many had predicted Blackpool could be the worst team of the Premier League era and would fail to even reach a points tally in double figures, the Bristolian took many an agenda in to press conferences with him.

Regular criticisms of the FA and threats to walk out if he didn’t get his own way isolated him off the pitch as a man who had lost that common touch and ultimately blurred his player’s heads on the pitch as they mustered only two wins in their final 18 games.

Yes, Blackpool had had a go, their 4-3-3 formation a regular trait in which they aimed to outscore the opposition. Holloway was naive to an extent though and didn’t take note of what his fellow west-countryman Tony Pulis had done with Stoke City. Paul Lambert and Brendan Rodgers of Norwich City and Swansea City respectively, have followed in Holloway’s footsteps but taken observed wisely as to not repeat similar mistakes.

Holloway takes his side to 23^rd placed Doncaster Rovers tonight looking to build on an impressive run of a single defeat in 14 outings and challenge for another promotion to the big time.

My welcome back to ‘Ollie’ could be viewed as long overdue, however I wish him all the best after tonight and hope he regains that Premier League place where hopefully he would cease to dance to the tune of the media puppeteers.