Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce is a big fan of Blackpool counterpart Ian Holloway.

Allardyce admits he was surprised Blackpool earned promotion last season.

He told the Rovers website: "Ian's a very clever and experienced English manager.

"I think sometimes, because of his laid-back, jokey type of attitude, he's not taken seriously enough. But achieving what he's achieved at Blackpool shows what an outstanding manager he is.

"I was surprised they got promoted. Based on the budget that Ian has to work with and had to work to, it's an outstanding achievement. The thing for Ian is, will they be patient enough with him when things don't quite go their way.

"Their funding will not be as great as it probably needs to be to give him a better chance to stay in the Premier League, but you have to say it was an outstanding achievement by a very experienced manager, who used his experience by choosing the right players to come to Blackpool and then by making those players play as a team week-in and week-out and finally in the play-offs, making them play the best they've ever played."