Holloway - I'm no liar

Ian Holloway remains unhappy about the alleged illegal approach for Matt Phillips

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has fiercely defended the club's position over Matt Phillips and appeared to criticise Southampton's actions.

Phillips is a target for several clubs with Southampton believed to have been reported for an alleged illegal approach for the 21-year-old winger.

Saints manager Nigel Adkins insists the club have acted in a proper way but, while not naming the club in question, Holloway is sticking to the claim that his player has been tapped up.

"No-one calls me a liar."
Ian Holloway Quotes of the week

"No-one calls me a liar," Holloway told the Blackpool Gazette.

"I changed my phone number about seven months ago and one of my players told me that I don't answer my calls. How did he know a manager was calling me on a wrong number?

"You are going to have to get up early to get past me.

Phone calls

"When the manager did eventually ring me, I asked him if he's been trying to ring my other number and he said, 'Oh yes, I have'. So well done, well played.

"But that's fine, we'll go down the right course. No-one calls me a liar, thank you very much."

Holloway added: "I've spoken to the chairman and he hasn't had any phone calls, so the media are telling us about one of our players.

"The game stinks sometimes - parts of the game anyway.

"It's all cooked up to try to upset people and I think it's a poor show, a very poor show."

Distraction

Phillips is expected to be in the squad for Saturday's Championship opener against Millwall and Holloway hopes the Scotland international will not be distracted by the rumours.

"Matt is a football player and transfer talk is part of it," he said. "What might affect him is if an offer doesn't come in, or if one does and it's not acceptable to our club and he has to stay.

"That could have an impact on everyone and that's the last thing we want.

"We are a very well-run company and will continue to be very well run by a very clever person.

"Karl (Oyston, Blackpool's chairman) is normally two or three steps ahead. This time he's got the lad on a two-year contract, with an option of another year.

"So we are in the driving seat here, that's just the way it is. It will be cleared up very quickly.

"He will be playing with us until anything changes. He was happy to sign his contract, so he has to keep coming to work until we say we don't want him and he's going somewhere else."

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