Attack is best form of defence: Angry Hollow gets his wish
“I work with all my team together, there’s not a ‘them’ and an ‘us’,” he said, just seconds after revealing “we play each other in training – reserve versus first team – and they’ve won a couple”.
Ian Holloway’s contradiction here may offer the Premier League the leeway they needed to fine Blackpool for ringing the changes at Villa Park last week. The Blackpool boss has put himself in a tricky situation here by claiming he has a reserve side whereas his previous comments were quite the contrary.
The manager may have fiercely defended his decisions after the 3-2 defeat last Wednesday but normal selection service resumed yesterday for the goalless draw at West Ham as his regulars returned to action.
Holloway’s starting line-up at Upton Park, after 11 changes, was virtually the same as the one which drew with Everton last weekend and he confessed: ‘I took a gamble in midweek.
“Just because nobody knew the players I used at Villa did not mean they were no good.
“What I have now are 25 players all committed to this club and, hopefully, wanting to stay with me.”
He stated his team always aimed to win, the 47-year-old said: “The new rules should let me pick whoever I like.
“I have got some good players. Because you don’t know them and you have not seen them, don’t judge. How dare you?”
He has a point too. The new Premier League 25-man squad ruling should allow managers to select any member of their squad and should outlaw Rule E20 or the ‘not full strength’ ruling.
The Premier League are stuck between a rock and a hard place after the brilliance of Ian Holloway’s second string at Villa Park in midweek. The rock has Blackpool running right through it (no, not that sort of rock) – who would have contemplated the Seasiders could assemble two whole teams capable of surprising supposedly superior opponents? – and the hard place is having to offer Wolves some sort of consolation in the form of a letter of apology to Mick McCarthy to accept that Wolves were at liberty to make 10 changes at Manchester United last year.
Despite Holloway’s claims, the circumstances are analogous. The majority of people believe Blackpool’s hard-fought performance, going down to a last-minute winner after twice coming back from behind to equalise, means Ian Holloway can get away with ringing the changes. The Blackpool boss has gone on the attack to defend his club from a Premier League fine and has even threatened to resign if the league hits him with a punishment similar to Wolves’ suspended £25,000 fine.
Just because Holloway’s rascally and comical character is more interesting than McCarthy’s strenuous and sombre personality does not mean one should get away with what the other could not.
The Premier League will do all they can to avoid chastising Blackpool but with a congested fixture list during Christmas means a lot of changes will be made then too and will those teams who make wholesale changes be under scrutiny too? Not likely.
That was what happened to Wolves at United last December. McCarthy did not put out a side of unrecognisable stiffs and no-hopers, there were plenty of internationals on show as well as players who featured in the first team before and since, but the quality gap was too great. That, and the manager’s none-too-subtle admission that he felt he had a more winnable game coming up at the weekend, was what did it for them.
But he was right as Wolves went on to beat Burnley and to stay up at the expense of their opponents on that day. The Premier League will tell you that they were obliged to take action because the product it is selling, both around the world and to spectators stumping up Old Trafford prices, is tarnished by even a suspicion of managers picking their matches and teams not turning up.
But with the new squad ruling it seemed it was the end to this weakened team argument. It appears it isn’t. So Scudamore and co should clear up the ruling once and for all or, better still, outlaw it completely. Holloway also backtracked from his threats to leave the game and stated: “I have made some mistakes in the past and I don’t want to make too many now, because I love my job and don’t want to leave it.
“I should shut my face and stop threatening to do all sorts of things, because I get emotional when I lost 3-2 and didn’t think my team should have. I am going to duck under the radar and just get on with my job.
But good old Ollie couldn’t help himself, the Tangerines boss hinted he would be making more changes next time out. It seems this issue will run and run.