Holloway’s Phones Are Red Hot!

After being out of the game for a year, Pool manager Ian Holloway is finding himself to now be a man in demand.

Since being appointed manager at Bloomfield Road, he claims that he has been offered a plethora of players, but has again reiterated his plans to play a patient game in the transfer market and wait for the right players to become available.

Holloway said: ‘I am getting 80 to 100 calls a day from agents telling me their players are brilliant.

‘It’s ridiculous. I sat at home for a year (before getting this job) and no-one called.

‘Now all of a sudden I’ve got two phones that are red hot, but I must admit there isn’t a lot of interest from my end.

‘I am going to take my time, try and get people on trial if I can and make sure they are right for us.Even if we are being offered players who have had an illustrious career, I want to see what they can add to the squad.

‘I want to see what they are like when they turn up and find out they have to wash their own kit.

‘We can’t make any mistakes. If you have less money than everyone else, it puts you at a disadvantage but I believe you can turn that to your advantage provided you get the right people.

‘What I’ve got to do is keep bad players off the training ground because it would be easy to get it wrong.’

Holloway has also spoken about the new ruling from the Football League for next season that will see clubs able to name seven substitutes, although only three will still be allowed to be used.

‘Normally there would be a few long faces when you told people they weren’t in the 16,’ said the boss. ‘They’d have faces like cows’ backsides!

‘But at least now we will have a few more options and that is good.

‘I think if you ask any manager, they would have 10 or 11 substitutes if possible to give them cover everywhere on the pitch.

‘So I’m happy, though I don’t think the chairman is. It means we will have to take a couple of extra players with us for overnight hotel stops!

‘But it is a bonus for me. When I started playing there was only one substitute and no-one wanted to be it.

‘When they brought squad numbers out for the first time, anyone who was allocated the no.12 shirt was gutted.

‘So it will be much better, although it will kill clubs that pay their substitutes full appearance money for sitting on the bench. But we don’t make that mistake!’