Ollie Speaks...

Having left Matt Williams and Steve Thompson to hold the fort for him over the Bank Holiday weekend (with both reporting that their phones have been in meltdown), Ian Holloway returned to work this week refreshed and ready to tackle the challenge of managing Blackpool in the Premier League.

With it being Friday today, I thought it was a good time to recap everything that Ollie has said this week just in case you've missed it.

First of all, a message for you guys - the fans.

'The most unbelievable thing for me is the passion our fans show.

'I think of how the fans made Charlie feel when he was on loan, how they made DJ feel. That was a key thing, and that's why it was easy for me to get those two back.

'So when people ask what the secret is - it is the passion the Blackpool fans have.

'When we are called a small club it really gets my goat because I haven't seen passion like that.

'I'm not saying other fans don't have passion - Plymouth's had, so did QPR's - but I think this lot are something else.'

What a nice guy, eh?

Anyway, Ollie spent his little holiday planning his moves in the transfer market this summer, although it is still not clear how much money he will have to play with, with some suggesting that he's yet to discuss budgets with chairman Karl Oyston, whilst others reporting that they have settled on a transfer budget of between £5 and £10 million.

Either way, Ollie's phone has been in meltdown as well, with agents from around the world trying to cash in on the 'Pool's promotion.

'I've got some of the most famous agents in the world ringing me.

'They've never bothered with me in the past, and they'll have a shock because I've told them we won't be spending the sort of money they're talking about.

'What they won't realise is that we'll do the thing we've always done.

'I'm looking for good people, quality people, not people who want to pick up a big wage.'

It is that ethos that has given Ben Burgess and Rob Edwards hope that they will be part of the Seasider's squad next season - their futures are currently in limbo with Ollie set to sit down and talk to them about signing new contracts in the coming days.

Another player in limbo according to the press is Charlie Adam, with Everton sniffing around the inspirational Scot.

However, Ollie says that the player is going nowhere:

'Just before the kick-off at Wembley, Charlie ran over to me and I gave him a bit of a hug and said in his ear 'You were born for this day'.

'If we hadn't got promoted, I think he'd have been gone already.

'But now we've gone up, I don't think wild horses would be able to drag him away.'

Keeping Adam is key to Ollie's plans to keep the Seasiders in the Premier League, and he has warned the prawn sandwich brigade not to underestimate his side:

'If you read the papers and listen to the bookies then we'll come straight back down, won't we?

'But have a look at what they were saying last year. They were saying we would end up in League One - so it's a good job we didn't listen to them isn't it?

'I can't wait for the Premier League and the more someone tells me we'll struggle and that I can't do something, the more I'm determined to bloody well do it, end of story.'

Finally, ex player Shaun Barker has praised Ollie for guiding the Seasiders to 'the promised land'... I wonder if he wishes he'd stayed at Bloomfield Road now?

'Ollie bought optimism and a little bit of confidence to the boys that was probably lacking in the last few seasons.

'He has done a fantastic job and he deserves all the credit he gets.'

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