Ian Holloway may quit Blackpool
When Blackpool, New Castle and West Brom were promoted to the top flight of English football at the end of last season all and sundry were happy about at least 3 things:
To see a club of Newcastle’s legacy back in the Premier League. (After all it just doesn’t sound right that the biggest football stadium in the Championship is the 52,000 capacity St James’s Park).
To see a manager as charismatic as Ian Holloway managing in the Premier League.
To have more competition in the bottom half of the table as all the teams that finished from 9th to 17 last season combined with the 3 added teams have almost the same quality and this year’s relegation battle will be a tough as ever.
The season has not even started yet and the fans are at the risk of losing one of the aforementioned joys.
After a series of bust ups with the club management over transfer budgets and wages, the position of Ian Holloway as the manager of Blackpool rests on a knife’s edge.
Although last night it appeared in the media the club have averted the problem by agreeing to compromise with the manager of various issues. But the situation for the fans is still gloomy as no details have been presented to the media neither has Holloway came out and confirmed that an agreement has been reached.
It was believed the 47-year old, Ian Holloway was considering quitting his post after one transfer disappointment after another left the man increasingly exasperated. But he only stayed at the club so far as the Club Chairman Karl Oyston had urged him to.
Holloway wanted to add to his side’s attacking impetus as he deemed it necessary if his side is to cope with the competitiveness of the Premier League. But players like Rob Hulse, Jon Stead and Robert Koren have all been proved out of the manager’s reach. His frustration went into overdrive when it appeared that Blackpool were in danger of being outbid by League 1 outfit, Huddersfield Town, for the services of free agent, Marlon Harewood.
Holloway missed his side’s training session yesterday and had returned home to Bristol. After having made it clear to the club that he will not be returning unless there is a change in stance by the Oyston management over their strict transfer budgets.
Huddersfield and Blackpool offered the ex-Hull striker the same wages of eight thousand per week but with one difference. His wages would go up to twelve thousand if the Terriers were promoted to Championship. While at Blackpool his wages would plummet to four thousand if the Tangerines were to be relegated back to the Championship.
Holloway has been handicapped by the club management with a pay ceiling of ten thousand per week. But his efforts to better equip the odds-on relegation favourites for the Premier League, are further restricted by the introduction of relegation clauses in the player contracts, that slash the wage levels into half in case the team is relegated.
Holloway has recently made moves for Derby Striker Hulse and Ipswich front man Stead only to find that their weekly wages are 12-14k, which is outside his modest limits.
Holloway also explored the market for West Brom midfielder Rob Koren. But with Hull offering a better contract it looks like the player is North-bound.
Holloway was also unhappy after his club failed to agree on a permanent deal for Leicester striker DJ Campbell, who scored 11 times for the Tangerines last season.
Oyston has tried to play down the fears that Holloway was to walk out on the club by announcing a press meet at Bloomfield Road later today. He claimed that the ex-Leicester manager will be by his side.
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