Holloway upset by March madness

Ian Holloway is struggling to understand why his Blackpool team will play just twice in March after a torrid start to 2011.

Blackpool, promoted to the English Premier League last season via the Championship playoffs, had to squeeze seven matches into the first 25 days of the year.

The busy run of fixtures left an already threadbare squad pushed to the limit, but they now find themselves with just two games in all of March.

“It is absolute madness, just crazy,” Holloway said.

“My lads are already fighting an uphill battle.”

“To try to win any game in this division they must have their pedal to the metal every time they step out on a pitch.”

“But how hard was that for us during January? It was almost impossible for my lads and we struggled to deal with all those games.”

“Now it’s the opposite extreme – we’ve got a game on Monday, then another in two weeks … and that’s it.”

Blackpool, who are 15th in the table and just two points clear of the relegation zone, host reigning champions Chelsea on Monday, before a trip to Blackburn Rovers on March 19.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Holloway said in regards to the lack of games.

“It seems a bit odd to me to say the least, and I think we are suffering a bit more than most because of what we had to go through last season.”

“Teams who go up through the play-offs don’t get such a long rest.”

“It is brilliant when you win it and I wouldn’t change it for the world, but you have that extra month while everyone else is on holiday with their feet up.”

“The euphoria carries you through for a while, but then reality kicks in and it starts to take its toll.”

“The lads are shattered physically and mentally because this is such a tough level to play at.”