Ian Holloway full of praise for Leicester City

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway said it was great to see Leicester City in such good shape and believes they could challenge for a second consecutive promotion this season.

Holloway was at the helm at the Walkers Stadium when City dropped into League One, but he is now doing a good job with the Seasiders and he congratulated his former club – and current manager Nigel Pearson – for completing the first league double over Blackpool in 74 years.

"Leicester had a rough ride a couple of years ago, and I was part of that," said Holloway.

"They now have a solid, hard-working unit and well done to Nigel.

"They are used to winning and they are used to keeping a good defensive shape. That won them the game.

"Well done to the Leicester fans and I hope they enjoy it. I didn't deliberately do it (relegation). That was circumstances at the time.

"Now it is nice to see they are solid and doing well and they might even challenge for promotion this year if they win their two games in hand."

Holloway believes City's organisation and resilience were the key to their victory at Bloomfield Road, but he also thought his side should have had a last-minute penalty when captain Charlie Adam went down under the challenge of Dany N'Guessan.

"Their shape was solid and I thought they defended exceptionally well all afternoon," added Holloway.

"We created a lot of chances and had a lot of the ball but, every time the ball went into their box, their back four headed it away. They had someone there who was strong, big and he headed it out.

"They got one opportunity in the first half from a cross-field ball and the player (N'Guessan) took it down and smacked it into our net. None of my back four were anywhere near him. I will look at the video and have a bit of a go at my boys.

"Everything comes off shape and, when they didn't have the ball, Leicester's was excellent. That is what won them the game in the end and they could have won it by more on a few breakaways.

"We had a lifeline at the end of it when we got a goal and looked like we might get an equaliser with that last-minute penalty appeal. I think Adam was just going to strike it.

"That is just the way things are going for us."