Diouf primed for English football return

Ian Holloway is a man who likes to come across as being a little bit different. You could tell that from listening to just two minutes of the average press conference he gave last season while Blackpool were in the Premier League. Now, though, Holloway has arguably turned from a man with a tendency to come across as slightly strange, to one who may be putting at risk the long-term stability of the club he manages.

This judgment comes on the back of just one piece of news, and that is the rumour that the Blackpool boss is seriously considering making a bid for El Hadji Diouf, a man who has made more enemies in football across Europe during his relatively short career than Sepp Blatter. Anyone following the football latest odds will be wondering what Holloway is thinking.

Although you can understand the desire of Holloway to bring an experienced head into the squad, after Blackpool lost many of their best players including Charlie Adam over the summer following their relegation to the Championship, if that experienced name is also one who has in the past degraded the name of English football, and a man who was also paid off by Blackburn as those in charge of the club were so keen not to be identified with him anymore, you can start to see that some things aren’t worth the cost that goes along with them. People who place football bets will know what a liability he is.

Should Holloway decide that Diouf has what it takes to join fellow football veterans Barry Ferguson and Kevin Phillips at the club as they seek promotion this season, Blackpool fans could well start to grow disillusioned with a man they once hailed as a hero.