Source: Team_Talk
Holloway cools promotion talk
Gary Taylor-Fletcher's first-half double gave the Seasiders a well-deserved lead at the Riverside on Tuesday night, before Charlie Adam pounced on hesitant defending to wrap up the visitors' eighth win of the season.[LNB]The result moves Blackpool into the Championship play-offs and, despite saying it was the best any of his sides have performed since he was manager of Bristol Rovers, Holloway insisted promotion is not on their agenda.[LNB]"Don't start talking about promotion," he said. "We need to stay up, that's what my chairman wants me to do.[LNB]"We've got a group of people who are enjoying what they are doing, trying to learn their jobs.[LNB]"I'm trying to tell them when they're in certain areas, what to do and why to do it.[LNB]"They're taking it on board. I'm encouraging them and even if we do go behind I don't get as emotional and horrible as I used to because when I don't get what I want I'm not very nice.[LNB]"After having a year out, I'm trying to stay calm.[LNB]"Bjorn Borg was always my hero but I was more like [John] McEnroe without the talent, if you know what I mean.[LNB]"But he was a genius whereas I was a ham-and-egger who used to get really angry.[LNB]"When you're little you need that but when you're manager and you get it you put people under pressure.[LNB]"I don't want to do that, I've got to handle the pressure and hope it goes down."[LNB]Middlesbrough came into the match on the back of a 5-1 thrashing of QPR but Tuesday night's defeat continues their poor home form.[LNB]And manager Gordon Strachan - who has yet to win at home since taking over in late October - expressed his surprise at both the result and the fans' patience.[LNB]"I think everybody is surprised to do so well the last couple of games," he said after the game.[LNB]"It was one of those games where you're not proud of your performance, that's the lot of us.[LNB]"It's not just the players, I need to go back, the coaching staff need to go back and see how we approached this game. Did we do everything we can?[LNB]"And the players need to ask did they do everything they can to win a game of football?[LNB]"We'll look at that and there has to be answers, and there has to be answers quick because it is becoming a trend now; doing well away from home and not doing so well at home.[LNB]"And I find it surprising because the supporters are absolutely fantastic. They're very, very patient.[LNB]"At other clubs you do not get that time, so it cannot be from the pressure fans put on you at some clubs. There's no real pressure there."[LNB]And Strachan moved to calm fears over skipper Gary O'Neil, who was brought off during the second half on a stretcher and in a neck brace during the 300th game of his career.[LNB]"Gary's better now," he added. "He got a knock which shocked him a bit and scared him a bit.[LNB]"He's fine. I spoke to him a wee while ago and he's fine."[LNB][LNB]
