Blackpool boss Ian Holloway admits he faces a daunting task recruiting a side capable of competing in the Premier League. The Tangerines boss warned supporters not to expect a raft of new faces at Bloomfield Road over the summer, despite perceptions of riches brought about by the club's play-off final victory over Cardiff in May - a game dubbed the 'richest match in football'.
"We're a Premier League side who hasn't really got the youth set-up that we really need so we cannot even draw from a pool - it says you can draw from your pool of under 21 players if you get injuries," explained the 47-year-old to Sky Sports News.
"By August 31st I've got to have 25 named players in my squad that I can use from then until January. Last year if I had some injuries I could use the emergency loan system. I'm not allowed to do that now so we have got all sorts of problems.
"People think we've got £90million hanging out of our back pocket that all the wages and transfer fees we used to pay before, they think we can suddenly join the big boys, which would be suicidal if we did and we're not going to do that.
"You've only got to look at Hull and the problems they've now got. All of a sudden the wheels come off - we can't afford to do that for our club so we've got to be really careful what we do. It's learning new things and we've got to learn very quickly."
Holloway was also frank about the prospects of his team avoiding an immediate return to the second tier.
And Holloway said he would allow the stars of their famous Wembley victory the chance to tussle against some of the biggest names in the game - firing a warning to the naysayers who tipped his team to be relegated last season.
He added: "Out of seven teams who have been promoted in the same position as myself, only two have ever stayed up and they went down the following year after that. Stats will tell you it's not looking good.
"Stats told us that and bookmakers told us that we wouldn't do it this year and what I do know is that I've got a fantastic group of lads who really want to prove themselves.
"They did it last year and no matter what happens, what the score was, they kept together, stuck together and I've got to make sure I reward that and the chairman understands this.
"And then I try and add some fancy, tricky people in wide areas who can actually help us unlock a few defences. The thing is I'm still going to try attack these teams, I don't care what happens really, to be honest. I want to enjoy the chance.
"The bookmakers this time have even got us not getting 10 points which is pretty infuriating to me and I'm going to use these things to stick around the dressing room and remind the lads what people think of us."
"My players will have to get used to getting beat a few times," he added. "It's fantastic, isn't it? Has it really sunk in with anyone (yet)? Blackpool are in a league fixture against some of these teams.
"We've got a complete culture shock. We've got a complete change in everything we ever thought about as a football club. The most exciting thing for all of us is that it's such a challenge."
