Foxes boss Ian Holloway is never short of an interesting opinion or two and this weekend proved no exception.
Be it on his respect for Darel Russell and his prospects of clinging onto the Foxes' job on a long-term basis – significant given that Glenn Roeder suddenly found himself on Milan Mandaric's reported 'wish-list' 24 hours later – Holloway duly made for good copy on the back of this weekend's 4-0 home win over the Canaries.
He had, you sensed, one or two scores to settle after clearly finding himself under pressure on the back of that three-game losing sequence that had left Leicester pinned down just two points above the drop zone before the gift-laden Canaries swanned into view.
“We got what we deserved to day which we haven't over the last ten days,” said Holloway, warming up with the gentle stuff after Saturday's success.
“I think the lads have read the sort of things that have been in the paper and showed what they're all about really. Looked a bit wobbly at first on a very, very tricky surface, to be honest with you.
“Then we scored a very good goal; great move; great finish. And all that I can now ask is that they use this as bit of a confidence boost and think about their effort, their work-rate and what sort of team that they want to be involved in,” he said.
The ex-Plymouth and QPR chief had his own use for that 4-0 win – as a stick to beat people with. Starting with all those in the East Midlands that had put the Leicester 'vacancy' next to Iain Dowie's name. A day later and Foxes' owner Mandaric was apparently lining up Roeder as his No1 target should Holloway stumble again.
“What I've had to do is cut a lot of this tree that is Leicester City off – with a big chain-saw,” said Holloway, insisting that his chairman was right behind him in terms of his long-term planning and pruning.
Most, as the old gag goes, would actually want someone of Mandaric's ilk right in front of them where they could see exactly what he was up to given that Holloway is already his third full-time appointment this season following the brief stints by first Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen and then a Bolton-bound Gary Megson.
“That's what I was brought here to do and it ain't going to be easy,” said Holloway, having now let 11 players go. It's the prospect of Manadaric letting his third manager go that was the talk of the Midlands media this week.
“I have to say that we are the most wobbly club in the world at the moment because our chairman has 'previous' for sacking managers,” said the Foxes' boss, who for all his post-Carrow Road talk of Roeder being 'bang out of order' in claiming that he tried to get Russell sent off could still be spotted shaking hands with the Canary boss immediately afterwards.
No sign of any lingering ill-will there. Sacked Coventry boss Dowie was more in his thoughts as everyone put two and two together – out of work local manager and a chairman of the hair-trigger variety in Mandaric. Therefore…
“What is really unfair is that not one day has he said one word about the fact that I'm going to be going. In fact, he said quite the opposite. So if he walked into a court of law, we'd already all have him guilty, wouldn't we?” said Holloway.
Cue some quiet nods from the gathered Press. He has, indeed, got 'previous'. Not exactly a record as long as your arm, but he's not the most patient of owners.
“I don't think that's right. I think sometimes you can learn from things and if you read what he said about how much he's invested, the last thing that he'd want to do is throw anything else down the drain.”
The other point worth making re Roeder is that having come out of first the Brown regime at West Ham United and then the Shepherd administration at Newcastle badly burnt reputation-wise on both occasions, the Canaries have proved something of a soothing balm; that be it on the board or on the terraces, in the space of three short months Roeder has found a club that is far more in tune to his own way of thinking. Becoming the fourth manager to work for Mandaric in the space of less than 12 months would not sit easily with the Canary chief.
Holloway, in the same breath as suggesting the chairman was right behind him, was well aware of the pressure mounting.
“If I'd have got beat 4-0 today then I probably wouldn't have expected to be still sat here would I?” he said.
“But the fact is that when you're out of work as a manager, your agent is paid to put things in papers. And that's exactly what happens.
“I've had it before at QPR and what a shock… I lasted five years. So I was brought here to trouble-shoot; to sort out a failing squad; to sort out a bit of a mess. The chairman understands that.”
Holloway also understands what makes Russell tick; there was no recrimination on his part after watching his full-back Richard Stearman exit on a stretcher after that two-foot lunge.
“I'm sure it's not as bad as it first looked,” he said. “It was a very committed challenge – which I used to do a few of myself.
“I think it's a man's game and without seeing it again, I don't want to comment on it. I've always been a Darel Russell admirer and nothing's changed from that. I think he's a wonderfully committed footballer. And maybe the modern day footballer – all these poncy people running about looking all nice in their kit with their red and blue shiny boots on – I ain't so sure that that's what it is all about.
“It was a bit muck and nettles when I played. And I think that we're losing that a bit in today's game. I like a good old-fashioned tackle – that was quite entertaining at times. All this skippy-doo and pass people. I ain't sure I like that.
“It's a man's game and you won't find me complaining.”
Leave a Reply