I don’t like to concentrate on other teams too much but it has all come crashing down at Millwall and I will be honest; it is extremely pleasant viewing.
However the one man I do have some sympathy for is our former manager Ian Holloway, who has just lost his job at the helm of the Championship strugglers. In football the infectious character of Mr Holloway is either loved or loathed and I think the Palace fans are very much split on him too. I for one got stuck into the Holloway era and pretty much disagreed with most decisions he made but it never stopped me liking him as a person.
In hindsight the appointment probably wasn’t the right one in the first place but on paper it seemed a magnificent capture for the club. It signaled intent and really showed everyone that we meant business and believed we could gain promotion against all odds. The transition of the Freedman stewardship to Holloway wasn’t the smoothest and I don’t think the players bought into the new style that was brought to them by Holloway. The Palace players were so well drilled and disciplined under Freedman and Holloway was the complete opposite. He created a different culture at the club when the players were at their best and successful under the Freedman regime. They had gone from a stern Dougie to a laughing and joking Holloway.
He very nearly derailed us from gaining promotion and transformed us from the best side in the league to arguably one of the worst! Olly had one of the best squads at his disposal and still so nearly ruined it for everyone. He did the one thing everyone always says not to do and he changed the winning formula, he tried to adapt what had been created and what was flourishing and that was so nearly fatal but ultimately he did what he was brought into do; get us promoted.
Once he got us up he completely ripped the heart out of our side and left the team in tatters. To put all the blame on Holloway in that situation would be harsh, as I know Steve Parish has learnt a hell of a lot from that window. The naivety of both Parish and Holloway was a disaster and I think Parish would agree that the Pulis era has improved him as a chairman a hell of a lot.
That start to the Premier League season was just horrific, 1 win in 10 games was a disastrous start and a massive underachievement for the squad we had. I am certainly not saying we should have won 10 out of 10 but we should’ve been more competitive than just the 1 win! Don’t forget that squad still had the likes of Mile Jedinak, Joel Ward and Yannick Bolasie who are all now comfortable mid table Premiership players at the least.
I have a lot of respect for Olly as a person but to take the job at Millwall was an accident waiting to happen. He took the job to soon after leaving Palace; having been there and witnessed Holloway’s departure it was clear the man needed a break. The pressures of the Premier League were too much and he was broken. After losing the dressing room at Palace It appears once again that Holloway has lost the faith and belief of the players at The Den.
When Holloway left us he was honest, graceful and showed everyone what a great guy he was. He had come to the realisation that he was out of his depth and the chances of him keeping us in the Premier League were all but impossible. The heartfelt press conference with Parish and Holloway was extremely difficult to watch as I looked at a man who was defeated, fatigued and completely distraught. That press conference taught me a lot about Ian though, he had three years remaining on his contract and he could’ve easily waited for the sack to take a healthy pay off but he wanted to do what was best for the club and I hold upmost respect for a man willing to do that for this club, a real rarity in football. After all you can forget the part that he played in getting Tony Pulis to the club – Holloway told Parish to go for Pulis and helped convince the Welshman to take the job that he had just given up.
You can question the ability of Holloway as a manager but you can’t knock the passion and desire he has for the game. After managing us for just a short while his celebrations at Brighton and Wembley will stick in my mind forever, he provided two of the best moments I have ever witnessed being a Palace fan.
If you love him or if you hate him, Ian Holloway is a great man and a man that all Palace fans should hold in high regard. If you enjoy his characteristics or loathe them he is a man with such integrity.
I hold the upmost respect for Ian and I hope we haven’t seen the last of him.
All the best Olly.
