ABOVE: Ian Holloway is back in the Premier League with Crystal Palace
His enthusiasm is incredible. He is one
of the most enthusiastic managers I have ever worked under and it rubs
off on players... it rubs off on me
Kevin Phillips
KEVIN PHILLIPS has told Crystal Palace’s critics: Don’t be fooled by Ian Holloway – he is no clown.
The Eagles boss is the king of the crazy soundbite
but Phillips feels his side’s chances of survival in the Premier League
next season are not being taken seriously.
Bookies installed Palace as odds-on favourites to go back down shortly after Phillips fired them into the top flight at Wembley on Monday.
Some of that is down to Holloway, who has a reputation as a joker with a flair for a whacky one-liner and who failed to keep Blackpool up after promotion in 2010.
But Phillips claims he is just as canny as any of the other 19 managers he has worked with in his long and illustrious career.
The 39-year-old reckons all those “Ollie-isms” actually hide a mastermind at work.
That is why he has complete faith in Holloway’s ability to make sure Palace survive in the Premier League next season after their play-off final win over Watford.
Phillips, who scored the winner from the penalty spot, said: “He likes to be the joker sometimes but he knows the game inside out.
“His press conferences and the things he says – he’s clever. You might see that daftness sometimes. But he is clever and there’s purpose behind everything he says.
“He will have learnt from his Blackpool days that maybe they were a bit too gung-ho.
“We’ve shown this year that when we’re on the attack, we’re also a bit more solid while Blackpool were open to the counter-attack. Since he’s been here, he’s worked on that.
“You will never take that attacking style out of him. But when you are attacking, the old cliche is that you are at your most vulnerable,” the striker added.
“Organisation is a big part of his coaching. We work on structure and team play every day. If you watched the play-off games, that showed.
“We looked hard to break down and you will certainly have to be that in the Premier League next year.”
Holloway’s Blackpool came up in a blaze of glory but went straight back down again playing some of most cavalier football ever seen in the top flight. But his Palace side promises to be a different beast. They didn’t concede a goal in either leg of their playoff semi-final win over Brighton, or in the final.
And Phillips claims they have a secret weapon Holloway’s boundless enthusiasm, especially considering what he’s been through in life. The Palace boss had to cope with the death of his father aged 59, nursing his wife through her battle with cancer, bringing up his profoundly deaf daughters and having to go to anger management classes for stress.
Phillips said: “His enthusiasm is incredible. He is one of the most enthusiastic managers I have ever worked under and it rubs off on players... it rubs off on me.
“His outlook on life is so positive because he’s had so many setbacks in his career and his personal life. It makes you feel positive. He will certainly be looking forward to next year without a doubt.”
Phillips is only on loan at Palace from Blackpool and is shortly to be a free agent. He turns 40 this summer, but would love one last crack at the Premier League, albeit in a reduced role.
He said: “I still feel I have a lot to offer. But whatever I do next year, it will be as a bit-part player.
“I’ve been offered a couple of things already, one of them is a player/coach role.
“It would be one last one crack at it. It would be great to experience it again because it’s the place to play football.”
Bookies installed Palace as odds-on favourites to go back down shortly after Phillips fired them into the top flight at Wembley on Monday.
Some of that is down to Holloway, who has a reputation as a joker with a flair for a whacky one-liner and who failed to keep Blackpool up after promotion in 2010.
But Phillips claims he is just as canny as any of the other 19 managers he has worked with in his long and illustrious career.
The 39-year-old reckons all those “Ollie-isms” actually hide a mastermind at work.
That is why he has complete faith in Holloway’s ability to make sure Palace survive in the Premier League next season after their play-off final win over Watford.
Phillips, who scored the winner from the penalty spot, said: “He likes to be the joker sometimes but he knows the game inside out.
“His press conferences and the things he says – he’s clever. You might see that daftness sometimes. But he is clever and there’s purpose behind everything he says.
“He will have learnt from his Blackpool days that maybe they were a bit too gung-ho.
“We’ve shown this year that when we’re on the attack, we’re also a bit more solid while Blackpool were open to the counter-attack. Since he’s been here, he’s worked on that.
“You will never take that attacking style out of him. But when you are attacking, the old cliche is that you are at your most vulnerable,” the striker added.
“Organisation is a big part of his coaching. We work on structure and team play every day. If you watched the play-off games, that showed.
“We looked hard to break down and you will certainly have to be that in the Premier League next year.”
Holloway’s Blackpool came up in a blaze of glory but went straight back down again playing some of most cavalier football ever seen in the top flight. But his Palace side promises to be a different beast. They didn’t concede a goal in either leg of their playoff semi-final win over Brighton, or in the final.
And Phillips claims they have a secret weapon Holloway’s boundless enthusiasm, especially considering what he’s been through in life. The Palace boss had to cope with the death of his father aged 59, nursing his wife through her battle with cancer, bringing up his profoundly deaf daughters and having to go to anger management classes for stress.
Phillips said: “His enthusiasm is incredible. He is one of the most enthusiastic managers I have ever worked under and it rubs off on players... it rubs off on me.
“His outlook on life is so positive because he’s had so many setbacks in his career and his personal life. It makes you feel positive. He will certainly be looking forward to next year without a doubt.”
Phillips is only on loan at Palace from Blackpool and is shortly to be a free agent. He turns 40 this summer, but would love one last crack at the Premier League, albeit in a reduced role.
He said: “I still feel I have a lot to offer. But whatever I do next year, it will be as a bit-part player.
“I’ve been offered a couple of things already, one of them is a player/coach role.
“It would be one last one crack at it. It would be great to experience it again because it’s the place to play football.”
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