Rabu, 22 Agustus 2012

Blackpool v Leeds reaction

Holloway: Hoping to keep match-winner Phillips

Phillips hit the winner in Blackpool's 2-1 victory on Tuesday night while Leeds United boss Neil Warnock is unsure if he will be able to make any extra signings.

Phillips came off the bench to score the decisive goal in Tuesday night's 2-1 Championship win over Leeds at Bloomfield Road, three days after Holloway revealed the player had handed in a transfer request amid interest from Premier League newcomers Southampton.

He was dropped from Saturday's win at Millwall as a result but was reintroduced to the squad against Leeds to devastating effect, tapping in the winner after fellow substitute Nouha Dicko had cancelled out Tom Lees' opener.

And Holloway was quick to congratulate the former Wycombe man on his performance, while adding if Southampton or any other side do want to sign the latter before 31st August, they will have to change the mind of chairman Karl Oyston.

"I watched him in training and knew he could play," Holloway said. "I wa tched him on Friday and he didn't look right. Interest is interest and an opportunity is when a deal is agreed and that's the only time you (as a player) should know about it.

"Hopefully he'll settle back down and he'll get what he deserves one day with a really good team. I'm not saying Southampton aren't, because they are, but we can be too.

"We own him, my chairman owns him, but I have to say what a magnificent man he is to handle it the way he has."

Asked whether he expects Southampton to return with a bid, he said: "How do I know that? At the moment I have the most immovable object in Karl Oyston who doesn't want to talk to them, take the money or negotiate.

"Southampton might not care anymore. Who knows? He's my player who played really well."

For Leeds, the result quickly burst the bubble they had blown up with Saturday's season-opening win over Wolves, as Neil Warnock's side threw away the chance to move to the top of the table.

"Blackpool are a good side. They're better than us. If we finish one place below them, I'll be very happy," said Warnock.

"Even then, after soaking up all their pressure, basic errors cost us the game and that's disappointing. We didn't hold the ball up. The front four were poor at that and it meant Blackpool could sustain pressure."

Warnock is known to want to add to the 11 new signings he has already drafted in over the summer but is currently being held up by the ongoing financial uncertainty at Elland Road.

Current owner Ken Bates has been in negotiations with potential investors over a takeover since 26th June, and representatives of a major private equity firm in the Middle East were at the Wolves games.

Concrete news remains thin on the ground, though, as Warnock explained: "We have to work on the assumption we're not bringing anyone in and go on with that.

"Every manager wants more players and we don't have options off the bench and that takes time. We have to muck on do what we can."

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar