Dog-tired Oliie is a yappy chappy

A jubilant Ian Holloway will celebrate Blackpool's staggering start to Premier League life by getting introduced to a new family poodle. While the Tangerine supporters prepared to celebrate a totally unexpected rise to the top of the table following their 4-0 defeat of Wigan with a party on the seaside, Holloway was preparing to drive back to the family home in Bath.He hopes it is a short-term situation as, having been given assurances about his future by Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston, Holloway is preparing to resettle his family on the north-west coast."I am going to Bath to see my kids and my wife's new dog," he revealed. "A little poodle called Teddy."Hopefully we can come back up on Monday and find a semi-permanent home. I am going to try and move my family up here because I can't stand how far it is and I want to stay here a long time."As he makes his way down the M6, Holloway will hear about the totally unexpected outcome at the DW Stadium.A first-half opener from Gary Taylor-Fletcher was followed by two from new arrival Marlon Harewood that secured maximum points by the break.Alex Baptiste's bizarre goal in the second period completed the rout, leaving Holloway to reflect on the sight of his team starring down at the rest of the league."I will take a photograph of the table and then retire," he said."It has been a horrible summer and I am quite worn out. This is quite a scary place to be."A week that began with rumours of Holloway walking out of Bloomfield Road ended with a joyous return to the top flight, which Blackpool departed in 1971.Harewood's contribution just about summed it up.Released by Aston Villa at the end of last season, the 31-year-old was linked with a series of clubs but ended up at Blackpool after a short trial period."Little Blackpool asked him to come on trial and he wanted to play for us," said Holloway."Hopefully the chairman might help us out with a few more because reality tells me we need so many new players it is scary."Marlon has signed a two-year deal and is going to be pivotal for us."I need a big, powerful unit up front and when we go to the huge places with tradition, Marlon has been there, seen it and done it. That is vital for my young lads."Not that it gets easier for Holloway and his team as a trip to Arsenal is looming.Despite the result he just hopes "we don't get embarrassed".That is exactly what happened to Wigan, whose performance was branded "unacceptable" by manager Roberto Martinez."I don't question myself," he said."We have to find solutions within the squad but it was quite clear we never had the simple ingredients you require when you go onto the football field."There is also the Charles N'Zogbia issue to address.Called into the France squad by Laurent Blanc last week, N'Zogbia is apparently set on a move away from the DW Stadium.He did not merit a place amongst Martinez's 18-man squad on Saturday, with the Wigan boss claiming he was not in the right mental state to play."We have to resolve the situation internally," he said."The squad and the team are more important than any other individuals and it is too early to tell what will happen."After being mauled by the team tipped to finish bottom, Wigan must now prepare for a meeting with the champions as Chelsea are next week's opponents.Martinez insists he is not fearful of such a daunting game, although he did concede he needs some new players."We have not finished in the market because we are very light in numbers," he said."The demands of the Premier League are really high and we will work extremely hard to get our squad completed before September 1."

Source: Team_Talk