Blackpool vs Manchester United preview - Holloway warning to Liverpool - 7M sport

Blackpool vs Manchester United preview - Holloway warning to Liverpool



I have a say

Posted Tuesday, January 25, 2011 by PA

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has told Liverpool to "put up or shut up" over their pursuit of Charlie Adam.

Holloway confirmed Adam had put in a transfer request on Monday but said there was no issue to discuss because Liverpool's offer of #4million does not meet his club's valuation.

"If I was the Liverpool manager I would want to buy him because they have never replaced Xabi Alonso," said Holloway.

"But you have to come up with the right amount of money. I don't want to stand in his way, but they have to put up or shut up."

Holloway revealed chairman Karl Oyston had taken a call from the Reds' director of football strategy Damian Comolli on Sunday night which merely left the picture even more confused.

"He ummed and aahed and apparently did not make much sense," said Holloway.

The Seasiders chief also confirmed he had given no thought to leaving Adam out of the high-profile encounter with Manchester United.

"Not a chance," he said. "If I tried to stop that boy playing against Manchester United he would probably kill me.

"Charlie loves this club and just because he puts a transfer request in doesn't change that."

Meanwhile, Holloway has confirmed defender Stephen Crainey will miss the game with an ankle injury, but striker DJ Campbell will play having missed Saturday's home defeat to Sunderland after being struck down by a bout of food poisoning.

Goalkeeper Richard Kingson is also fit after being forced out of the weekend encounter as he needed stitches in a head wound.

"I am realistic about this game," Holloway said.

"When we were supposed to play Manchester United, they had just beaten Blackburn 7-1. They only won 5-0 against Birmingham, so that is a bit better.

"If we are not two goals down after 10 minutes I think we will have done well."

Manchester United are ready to welcome Rafael back into the fold at Bloomfield Road with Ryan Giggs hailing the youngster's new-found maturity.

Although the Brazilian full-back was forced to apologise for his behaviour after being sent off at Tottenham last week, an #8,000 fine suggested the Football Association did not view his exchange with referee Mike Dean to be the most heinous of crimes.

The punishment cleared Rafael to face Blackpool and prove once again the class Giggs sees on a regular basis.

"Rafael has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few months," said the veteran Welshman.

"I have seen a massive improvement, not only in the way he plays but within him as a person.

"I come up against him in a lot of training sessions because we play in opposite positions and I have seen the maturity develop over the last three or four months.

"If he keeps developing he is going to be a brilliant player."

In addition to making a choice between Rafael and John O'Shea at right-back, Ferguson will also need to take a fitness check on Rio Ferdinand's groin injury and the knock to an already sore ankle that Michael Carrick suffered in Saturday's five-goal hammering of Birmingham before finalising his line-up.

Sir Alex Ferguson has already stated Giggs will start, and then be rested for Saturday's FA Cup tie at Southampton, and he is likely to be joined by fellow veteran Paul Scholes.



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