Aston Villa 3 Blackpool 2: Ian Holloway threatens to quit if Premier League fine Seasiders for making 10 changes



By Laura Williamson for MailOnline

Ian Holloway last night insisted he would walk out of Blackpool Football Club if the Premier League fine him for making 10 changes against Aston Villa.



Wolves received a £25,000 suspended fine when Mick McCarthy made 10 changes and lost 3-0 at Old Trafford last season, but Holloway refused to accept his selection was comparable.



When asked whether he risked sanction by the Premier League, Holloway said: ‘How dare you? You don’t know anything about my squad and the players.



Late show: James Collins (left) celebrates his winning goal

'I picked a squad good enough to win this game. Can’t you understand? You’re being so rude and disrespectful. I picked a team that I spent a lot of money on.

‘Let some person from the Premier League even tell me who I can pick. I am the manager of Blackpool and how dare you suggest I have more of a chance of beating Aston Villa than West Ham (on Saturday).

‘I wanted to win this game and I want to win at West Ham on Saturday. They’re not doing that to me.



Quit threat: Holloway will walk away from Blackpool if they are fined for making 10 changes

'Who is anybody to tell me who to pick in my team? I think I’m doing it rather well. I think it’s insulting – to me, Aston Villa and to West Ham.

‘I’d like to see them try. I would resign. They do not know what they’re talking about. They can fine me for that if you like. But I believe in what I do and I’m even more adamant that Blackpool Football Club represented itself brilliantly tonight.

‘Let them fine me It’s an absolute disgrace. They won’t fine me. It’s not a weakened team. It’s rubbish. Absolute nonsense.



Blackpool rocked: James Collins scores the winner through a crowd

‘We’re a credit to football. If I’m in trouble again I don’t care. It’s like a bloody circus.’



Those present at Villa Park so nearly saw the managerial masterstroke of the season as Holloway saw his side almost earn the most improbable point. Gerard Houllier’s team were so nearly embarrassed by the top flight’s new boys in every sense.



Six of Blackpool’s line-up had never started a Barclays Premier League match before last night. Stewart Downing put the hosts ahead before Marlon Harewood levelled in first-half injury time.



No stopping that: Stewart Downing (left) blasts in the opening goal

Nathan Delfouneso looked to have sealed the points after an hour until Blackpool equalised again, this time through substitute DJ Campbell.



But James Collins struck in the last minute of normal time, powering Downing’s corner past Richard Kingson.

MATCH FACTS

ASTON VILLA (4-5-1): Friedel 6;

L Young 7, Collins 6, Dunne 7,

Warnock 6; Albrighton 7 (Ireland

81min), Clark 6, A Young 7, Bannan 6,

Downing 7; Delfouneso 7

(Agbonlahor 64, 6). Subs not used:

Guzan, Lowry, Hogg, Lichaj,

Johnson. Booked: Clark, Warnock.

BLACKPOOL (4-4-2): Kingson 6;

Basham 6, Keinan 4 (Evatt 75, 6),

Edwards 6, Carney 6; Phillips 8,

Southern 7, Euell 6 (Adam 71, 6)

Sylvestre 7; Ormerod 6, Harewood 7

(Campbell 77). Subs not used: Gilks,

Eardley, Grandin, Varney.

Booked: Keinan, Basham, Euell.

Man of the match: Matt Phillips.

Referee: Anthony Taylor 5.

Holloway fielded a starting XI who have mustered just 12 Premier League starts between them this season and an open, entertaining first half saw Harewood waste a good pass from Matt Phillips, before Marc Albrighton tested Kingson with a 25-yard strike.



But Houllier’s side grew in confidence and they took the lead after 28 minutes when Downing’s shot was deflected past Kingson by Dekel Keinan. A delicious back heel from Phillips set 31-year-old Harewood free in first-half stoppage time and he rolled a right-foot shot into the bottom left-hand corner.



Blackpool failed to build on their first-half performance as Villa moved up a gear in the second period.



The visitors were lucky to see Delfouneso’s equaliser chalked off for a push on Keinan after 53 minutes, but the 19-year-old slipped through the Blackpool defence again six minutes later to put Villa ahead.



Yet Holloway’s men, strengthened by the introduction of substitutes Adam, Evatt and Campbell, battled on and Campbell danced around two Villa defenders before firing a shot past Friedel which took a healthy deflection off Collins.



But two minutes later, Collins headed in a Downing corner and Villa took all three points, setting the scene for some quite extraordinary post-match fireworks from Holloway.



