Sir Ian of Holloway

[Trav Le Bleu]

People mention the Warnocks and the Roeders who are doing well, but conveniently forget about managers who've came in at a similar time i.e Alan Irvine at Preston who isnt doing great, Di Canio at QPR who should be doing better with the money spent, Southamptons manager i dont think has won a game yet.

Its the luck of the draw, some manage to get the players firing straight away, others take longer to impress their footballing ways upon the players. Unfortunately, its taking Holloway longer than we thought, thats football, thats life, we'll have to be patient, and hopefully it'll pay off.

A very good point Rev and one which most people don't seem to get what you are saying - that you are using these as examples of other clubs that were struggling and who have sacked their managers to "improve" their standing... to no effect.

The mind boggles as to the mentality of people who think that getting a new manager in is a magic cure-all, but it's not a panacea, it's a placebo! *shoves dictionary back on shelf* Some times it works, or seems to work. For an example I give you Rob Kelly. He miraculously saved us... or did he? Evidence suggests that he just got lucky (Likeable chap and a good coach I believe, but no great manager)

I myself have doubts about Ollie - what I don't doubt however is that sacking him would create further unease in the club that can do us no good whatsoever!

[Chromophobia]

It's funny that some people just assume any kind of even vaguely negative critique of Holloway means they're calling for him to be sacked... grow a brain! :thumbsup:

[l444ry]

People keep saying give Ian Holloway time...but how much exactly? Alright, 20 odd games ain't that many but where's the improvement? Surely, some green shoots should be appearing by now. I doubt very many people think that he's the long term answer to this club's decline. So if he's not improving matters in the short term...what's the point?

Anyway, giving someone "time" for the sake of it is a bloody poor reason to keep someone on. It's more about hope than judgement. My memory of David Pleat and Craig Levein bleating for time haunts me because those two would have been here until doomsday and still failed the club.

Unless things start to show some improvement very quickly I can't see Mandaric putting up with much more... despite what he says in public.

[Chromophobia]

very sensible post mr.l4444ry.

[Thracian]

People keep saying give Ian Holloway time...but how much exactly? Alright, 20 odd games ain't that many but where's the improvement? Surely, some green shoots should be appearing by now. I doubt very many people think that he's the long term answer to this club's decline. So if he's not improving matters in the short term...what's the point?

Anyway, giving someone "time" for the sake of it is a bloody poor reason to keep someone on. It's more about hope than judgement. My memory of David Pleat and Craig Levein bleating for time haunts me because those two would have been here until doomsday and still failed the club.

Unless things start to show some improvement very quickly I can't see Mandaric putting up with much more... despite what he says in public.

If it's affecting meals with his family you're damn right he'll lose patience.

[James.]

If we go down he will get sacked.

If we stay up, WHATEVER the circumstances, we should give him the summer and the start of next season to prove his worth.

[p.po40]

that's a Holloway/Partridge-esque title there for the funnies.

Down to business, yeah yeah yet another Holloway thread you're all screaming, but I'm just chucking my thruppence worth in.

When he came to Leicester, alarm bells were ringing ever so slightly about what he had said while still manager of Plymouth. 'Loving' the place, definitely not leaving, etc. we all know what he said... I think this showed before he even came to us that the man has no integrity or honesty. Obviously I'm well aware of the lack of honesty in professional football, especially the higher up the leagues you go, it get's more and more dishonest/unloyal, etc.

However any good football manager worth their salt surely would've have just made no comment on the speculation, instead of baffingly denying anything, only to go against what you've said days later. Fair enough you don't know what's going on behind the scenes of these things, but still a 'no comment' would have sufficed and would have saved Holloway from at least a third of the abuse he's recieved from Plymouth fans. I know this might sound a bit naive to expect this from a football manager, but personally for a team that I support I'd like to at least have a modicum of respect for the manager.

I did actually like Holloway when he came to Leicester, I thought he was exactly what the club needed. A motivational relatively young and enthusiastic manager. It's becoming increasingly clear however that he is a chancer, and not just a chancer but a complete and utter chancer. He has columns left right and centre, the most high profile one being the BBC one (which is getting worse and worse by the week might I add) and I believe he has others too? In shoddy red top newspapers? Anyways, the point is, he clearly loves the attention this get's him. As everyone has become aware of, the last month or so, he seems to say the right things (passing the ball, not hoofing it, etc.) yet we don't see the fruits of any of his talk on the pitch(bearing Norwich), surely it can't just be the players who aren't listening to a word he says? My guess is that he is tactically clueless and motivationally vacant. It's not a guess though really is it, the proof has been there for all to see. He's had long enough to get his team motivated i'm afraid. Look at Roeder and Warnock, Norwich and CrysPal aren't significantly better teams than us, they're not worse either, and despite their poor starts with those teams that weren't doing well, they both quickly impressed their ideologies on their teams and went on long unbeaten runs. Holloway has had long enough to do this.

Another thing is how much emphasis he placed on the transfer window, a good manager would've kept their mouth shut and done the best with what they had and quietly gone about improving with additional players, I'd have thought. The fuss Holloway made over this was a bit odd and puerile to say the least. And another thing people are mentioning about how he never takes on board any of the blame for a bad performance. You have to wonder wether the players actually like him and wether he's giving them any kind of tactical instructions whatsoever, other than "play some good football lads."

In conclusion, I don't like Holloway anymore, not just because Leicester aren't doing well, if we suddenly start winning, I woulnd't jump on any kind of "I loved Holloway all along" bandwagon, I've just realised what a chancer he is. He is all mouth and no football I'm afraid to say. I don't think he'll get us to the premiership, not that he should of course, but it's what we all want to see. The best I can see him doing is upper middle table next season if he's still here.

If Mandaric does sack him though, he's going to have to get a serious straight up manager in, not Ian Dowie, or Billy Davies but someone who has a clear ideology when it comes to playing football, and someone who has some godamn tactical knowledge and inspires the players. Someone like Steve McClaren perhaps?

*incoherent rant over*

Have to agree with all this guy has posted but please not Maclaren!!