CHUCKLE VISION ... Ian Holloway hopes the joke is on City at
Bloomfield Road
And the Blackpool boss insists the animals offering beach rides
will not be the only asses in town if his side follow their 2-1 win
at Liverpool with their first Premier League home triumph.
He grinned: "I'd like to get that first home victory. And if we
get it against Man City, it would be absolutely laughable, wouldn't
it? Look at them donkey-lashers - go on!
"We have the best scenario of anyone in the league. No one is
expecting anything of us, apart from ourselves.
"Liverpool found that when we turned up there. We're not really
expected to beat anyone and when we do, watch out.
"The fans aren't going to accept that because you have just been
beaten by Blackpool - that bunch down there, them Seasiders, that
tangerine mob.
"But what was nice was the Liverpool fans stayed and clapped us,
because they appreciated how well we played."
Blackpool and City move in different universes financially.
Holloway has an annual wage bill of £6million compared to £133m at
Eastlands.
Yaya Toure - signed by City chief Roberto Mancini from Barcelona
for £24m - is on £220,000 a week and in six months will rake in
almost as much as the entire Blackpool squad earn in a year.
The Seasiders' top earner, skipper Charlie Adam, is on a mere
£10,000 a week. But Holloway insisted: "I suppose to outsiders this
will be the biggest mismatch in the history of football but let's
see what we can do.
"It's live on TV, which will suit them but may not be so good
for us. Their players will be used to being on telly but I'd rather
it were nice and sneaky, so we could catch them on an off-day.
"When that boxer's ready, he's the favourite and already has the
title. It's hard for us underdogs to land a punch.
"And if it is a fighting thing, then how big is that bloke we're
up against? Well, he's a giant and we're this little bloke saying
'Come here, we're going to kill you'.
"We're like a leprechaun. We're going to be hitting him around
the ankles and hopefully we'll get him down a bit so we can hit him
on the knees and, eventually, the chin."
Holloway will serve a one-match touchline ban tomorrow.
But he feels that has its perks, adding: "At least I won't be
outdressed by Mancini!
"I was a bit worried by the style of his clothes the other day
and now you won't be comparing me to him.
"You can tell his coat is Italian and expensive, so I'm glad I'm
not going to be outdone with my Burton mac."
