The Managers: Ian Holloway, 2007-2008

[davieG]

https://www.lcfc.com/news/1212021

 

Ian Holloway was Leicester City’s manager for the Club's relegation to the third tier of English football for the first and only time in its history.

 

As a player, Holloway had spent five seasons playing at the top level with Queens Park Rangers between 1991 and 1996, where he was as a teammate of former Fox, Andy Impey.

Prior to his move to Loftus Road, Holloway spent two spells, totalling eight seasons, at his hometown team, Bristol Rovers. He also played for Wimbledon, Brentford, and Torquay.

In August 1996, he went to Bristol Rovers for the third time, this time as player-manager, narrowly missing out on promotion to the Championship in 2000.

He returned to QPR as manager in February 2001. Although he failed to prevent them from being relegated from the Championship, he rebuilt the side in League 1, reaching the play-offs in 2003.

They were promoted automatically in 2004 and consolidated a healthy mid-table position in the Championship in 2005.

He was promoted with QPR in 2004. 

In February 2006, meanwhile, speculation was rife associating Holloway with Leicester’s vacant manager’s position.

Five months later, he headed to Plymouth Argyle, but left in November 2007 as chairman Milan Mandarić announced that Holloway was to become Leicester City’s new manager.

On his appointment, Holloway said: “It’s like being in Coronation Street all your life and then being asked to undertake a new role in King Lear.”

Following a difficult start to the season, which had already seen two managers (Martin Allen and Gary Megson) depart, the team was struggling in the Championship.

He became the first Leicester City manager to win his first game in over 50 years, beating Bristol City 2-0 at Ashton Gate.

Holloway signed the likes of Barry Hayles, Steve Howard, Gabi Bori, Zsolt Laczkó, Matt Oakley, Jamie Clapham, Lee Hendrie, Kelvin Etuhu, David Bell, Harry Worley and Ben Alnwick.

A Club record of 40 players made first team appearances that season.

Despite false dawns such as a Steve Howard hat-trick securing a 4-1 victory against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns, Holloway won nine of his 31 league games in charge.

Holloway was City's third manager of the 2007/08 season. 

A home defeat against Sheffield Wednesday in the penultimate game, in front of a 31,892-strong crowd, and a 0-0 draw at Stoke City on the last day of the season, sealed Leicester's fate.

It was little consolation that the team was relegated with the second-best defensive record in the division (45) and with the highest number of points (53) for any club relegated to the third tier.

Later that month, Holloway parted company with Leicester City by mutual consent.

He took a year out of football, before returning to manage Blackpool and Crystal Palace, leading them both into the Premier League in 2010 and 2013 respectively.

Holloway went on to manage Millwall, before returning to QPR for the third time in November 2016. He left Loftus Road at the end of last season.

[Corky]

Just not good enough. Had plenty of time to keep us up but couldn't win two games in a row and a fully deserved relegation after that awful capitulation at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

 

42 goals in a 46 game season is disgusting. 

[BoyJones]

6 minutes ago, Corky said:

Just not good enough. Had plenty of time to keep us up but couldn't win two games in a row and a fully deserved relegation after that awful capitulation at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

 

42 goals in a 46 game season is disgusting. 

I personally had some sympathy for Holloway.

 

We missed countless one on ones that year. Can remember Fryatt missing three in one match, late in the season, and Hume was not much better. He missed a sitter at Stoke away which sent us down, although McCauley's header against the post would have also kept us up if he had hit the target. 

 

Basically that year those two forwards were total crap. Not sure if Fryatt scored more than one goal all season. He was garbage. Was also pleased when Hume left, why the crowd took to him is beyond me. He helped get us relegated then cleared off. So my animosity is not against Holloway, but those two under performing forwards. 

[Aus Fox]

7 minutes ago, BoyJones said:

I personally had some sympathy for Holloway.

 

We missed countless one on ones that year. Can remember Fryatt missing three in one match, late in the season, and Hume was not much better. He missed a sitter at Stoke away which sent us down, although McCauley's header against the post would have also kept us up if he had hit the target. 

 

Basically that year those two forwards were total crap. Not sure if Fryatt scored more than one goal all season. He was garbage. Was also pleased when Hume left, why the crowd took to him is beyond me. He helped get us relegated then cleared off. So my animosity is not against Holloway, but those two under performing forwards. 

When a forward misses chance after chance like that you have to put it down to confidence.

Fryatt and Hume both proved they could score at that level, a players confidence comes directly from the manager and it’s his job to get the best out of his players.

Compare Fryatt under Holloway to Fryatt under Pearson - there is the difference a great manager makes.

Holloway was useless and down there with Pleat and Taylor as the worst manager in our history.

[BoyJones]

5 minutes ago, Aus Fox said:

When a forward misses chance after chance like that you have to put it down to confidence.

Fryatt and Hume both proved they could score at that level, a players confidence comes directly from the manager and it’s his job to get the best out of his players.

Compare Fryatt under Holloway to Fryatt under Pearson - there is the difference a great manager makes.

Holloway was useless and down there with Pleat and Taylor as the worst manager in our history.

Agree to a certain extent, but once you cross that line, it's down to the player. Blaming the manager is a bit of a cop out. Fryatt just proved that he was a top third division player, but found wanting in the higher leagues. Hume was just all huff and puff, but little talent. 

 

Players like Nugent and Wood were different class. I accept we couldn't afford decent strikers at the time and had to make do with what we could get, but let's not kid ourselves, whilst willing workers Fryatt and Hume were bang average. 

[HankMarvin]

[murphy]

Deadbeat. 

[Gamble92]

Difficult one. Always had sympathy with the conditions he was working under and the recent YouTube interview where he revealed Mandaric was indeed making him pick the likes of Bruno N'gotty only further emphasised that. The way he run our club (albeit after saving us) was a disgrace and that was the biggest factor in our relegation.

 

Having said that, Holloway had plenty of time to turn things around and on occasion it looked like we would. We were such a strange team that season. Hammering West Brom away 4-1 and I think I recall beating Norwich at home by a similar scoreline. We just had such a poor goalscoring record. Wasn't our defence actually one of the best? Also went down with a ridiculous amount of points. (I haven't checked any of this by the way, this kind of shit just sticks in my mind)

 

That recent YouTube interview he did, he pretty much blamed the running of the club and took little responsibility. Where as I agree with him that Mandaric being a loony was the main reason, I still think a better manager would and should have kept us up. Pearson proved it was possible to work under him and seemingly have non of them hindrances (although maybe milan realised by then).