No matter what happens this weekend Ian Holloway should already be a certainty for the Championship's manager of the season award.
For Blackpool to be within one victory over Bristol City of making the play-offs is a fairytale, really, and the secret of their success is Holloway.
It's a match made in heaven. A club with limited resources needs a boss who can get the absolute best from his group of players, and the Seasiders have one of the best man-managers around.
Ian Holloway: Verve for life
There's a story doing the rounds at the minute about the teamtalk Holloway gave at Derby over the Christmas period using 22 teddy bears he'd bought from a local charity.
Blackpool won the game, and the story sums up his style. No doubt it's one of many many tales which the players he's worked with can recount no matter where their careers take them.
It's a match made in heaven. A club with limited resources needs a boss who can get the absolute best from his group of players, and Blackpool have one of the best man-managers around.
Peter Beagrie
Quotes of the week
Blackpool v Bristol City
Sun, 12.30pm, Sky Sports HD 2
Holloway has a perspective on life which helps him in his management - he desperately wants to win and has been genuinely hurt when it hasn't worked out for him elsewhere, but he knows football is a game to be enjoyed.
He's a marvellous storyteller and, while he might hate being out of work, I love it when he's between jobs and can pop into the Sky studios to join the panel! But his sense of humour should never be allowed to mask his abilities as a manager, and the belief he has given his players this season is incredible.
Bravery
Self-belief and bravery - they are the qualities which have got Blackpool where they are. He's gone away from home and set his team up in an attacking 4-3-3 and that approach has reaped its rewards.
His record in the transfer market is impressive too - he's used the loan system to his advantage to bring in the likes of DJ Campbell, Stephen Dobbie and Barry Bannan. And Charlie Adam must be the buy of the year at £500,000.
To outsiders Adam has almost single-handedly carried his team at times, and he's a leading candidate for player of the year. But he'd be the first to say that without his team-mates giving him the ball in the right areas he wouldn't have been the star of any show.
It's 18 points from 21 for Blackpool, and just one more big performance will get them into that top six. I said last week I expected them to win their remaining games and I stand by that, though Bristol City have lost just one in eight since Keith Millen took the reins temporarily and they're a match for anyone on their day.
The bottom line, though, is that the game means very little to the Robins and everything to their hosts. And there'll be plenty of people inside and outside football who will hope Blackpool get the result, go through the play-offs and end up rubbing shoulders with the Premier League elite.
If that happens, it will no more than their manager deserves.
Survival shoot-out
At the bottom, as predicted, it's all come down to a final-day shoot-out between Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace to decide who stays up, and the visitors have to be favourites.
A draw will do them and that plays into the way they like to play away from home, with the emphasis on defence and their quick lads joining in on the counter-attack when gaps appear.
But Neil Danns will be missing through his own stupidity after his red card against West Brom, and he will be a big loss in the engine room.
Wednesday have to go for it, and their best hope of salvation could be Marcus Tudgay. I'd like to see him play down the middle because he's a good finisher and his aerial ability could work well with the pace of Luke Varney.
There'll be a bumper crowd, which could help or hinder Wednesday depending on how the game is going, and there's a bit of bad blood after Owls chairman Lee Strafford claimed Palace deserve to be relegated.
He might be hoping the players buy into his sense of grievance, but I don't really see that being an issue for them.
League One Look
There's another fascinating set of fixtures this week and I can't see the second automatic promotion spot being settled until the final game.
Leeds' trip to Charlton could well end up a draw, you'd expect Millwall to beat a Tranmere side admittedly fighting for their lives and, while Brentford can give anyone a game, Swindon should win that one.
Six points span five teams at the minute, and by the end of the weekend the division could concertina even more.
The recent run of games which has seen the top 10 playing each other and jostling for position has been thrilling, and there are more twists and turns to come yet.
League Two View
Shrewsbury - the team in 12th - are still in with a slim chance of making the play-offs with two matches left, and that shows you just how tight this division is.
Notts County are champions - Steve Cotterill has got the best squad in the division over the line - and the other two automatic promtion spots have gone to Rochdale and Bournemouth, who deserve an awful lot of credit after recovering from their 17-point deduction last season.
But there is still plenty of excitement and any four from nine could make the play-offs.
At the bottom Accrington's first win in 10 games last week put Barnet back in trouble. They go to Grimsby on Saturday and there is just a glimmer of hope for the Mariners now.
CARDIFF PRETTY?
Peter, Do you think Cardiff City are looking the strongest candidate to go up through the play-offs with their squad and rapidly growing fanbase with the new stadium? Let's not forget new investment is on its way.Cardiff fan, via email
PETER SAYS:When the new stadium was built I think a few people wondered if it might be a bit of a white elephant, but there's been a bit of a transformation there and the future appears bright whether they go up this season or not. Dave Jones has done a great job - just look at the wonders he has worked with Jay Bothroyd, who was a bit of a nomad before - and Peter Whittingham has performed miracles to get as many goals as he has from midfield. They have a chance in the play-offs, but if it doesn't go for them and they can get the investment right they'll have a terrific chance of an automatic spot next year.
SUNNY FOR SCUNNY
Peter, how come you never seem to have any praise for Scunthorpe? Considering you played here for many years. To stay in the Championship is a massive achievement for a club of our size. You never seem to give a mention to a team that has fans that love you. Repay the faith and give us a mention Beagz! Scunny fan, via email
PETER SAYS: I sat on a panel at the start of the season and said 'Scunthorpe will defnitely stay up because of the goals they score' and that has been proved correct. I'm forever praising what is a fantastic club and I'm sorry you've missed that, but I'm more than happy to do so again. Professor Adkins has waved his magic wand there - it's a magnificent achievement for a club of Scunthorpe's resources to stay up and they will carry on operating in exactly the same way. There'll be another year of finding talent, polishing it up and selling it on. It worked with the likes of Martin Paterson, Andy Keogh and Billy Sharp and the club have followed the same road with Gary Hooper. It's an old-fashioned lower-league way of doing things and Iron must be one of the best-run clubs there is. It just shows what can be achieved if you get the basics right. On the pitch quick, incisive football has earned them enough success at home to survive and, while their defensive record doesn't look great that is because they go away from home, refuse to compromise their principles and back themselves to beat anybody on their day.
Comments (5)
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Harry Capstick (Leeds United fan) says...
What does it say about Simon Grayson that Blackpool have improved so much without him whilst he's made Leeds much worse than they were under Gary McAllister?
Posted 02:25 5th May 2010
David Waterworth (Blackpool fan) says...
Holloways' man management skills must be second to none. This group of players give everything for the manager and the fans. Charlie Adam does stand out as the quality player, although Holloway didn't actually buy him. The budget at Blackpool is extremely small, and that even extends to pitch maintenance. It is hoped promotion is achieved to provide the influx of funding which will be needed to avoid annihilation in the premiership. Staying in the championship for next season will not see things automatically progress for the team to them becoming one of the promotion favourites. Blackpool are a low budget, low crowds team that really can't compete on a medium or long term basis with teams receiving parachute payments and benefiting from the income big home crowds generate. Its now or never for Blackpool, I wish them well.
Posted 11:40 4th May 2010
Dirk Smith (Leicester City fan) says...
Sorry Olly (the guy who got us relegated to the 3rd tier for the first time in our history) - MOTY should go to Pearson.
Posted 11:04 1st May 2010
Karl Birch (Reading fan) says...
Hi Peter, How do you think Reading will get on next season?? I think we have had a great second part of the season and was very unlucky not to keep the momentum going to reach the play-offs. While I have a lot of respect for Brendan Rodgers he should never off been appointed manager in the first place, the chairman just went for the easy option and it never paid off, now he has got someone who knows the club inside and out and McDermott has got the best out of players who looked verry average and Andy Griffin and Ryan Bertrand I think have been amazing this year. Also out of the play-off teams who do you think will go up? I hope Blackpool but think Nottingham forest.
Posted 06:33 1st May 2010
Craig Middleton (Newcastle United fan) says...
peter, i am a newcastle supporter trying not to be biased but surely chris hughton deserves manager of the season? he took a job which anyone else would have been scared to take. He was coming into a split dressing room with too many big ego's and overpaid stiffs. A lot of people expected Hughton to take newcastle to where Leeds, Charlton and Norwich have ended up. Our team had been relagated and just been beaten 6-1 in a match against Leyton oreint! i will admit Ian Holloway has done a marvelous job and should be right up there for the award, but he has had the experience of management, we all know how good of a manger he is. I just think for Chris Hughton to take the toon job as his first real managerial job was a very brave decision and he has done the opposite of what everyone expected.
Posted 16:58 30th April 2010
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