Ian Holloway is proud of the young team he's assembled at Blackpool.

Blackpool face another Championship campaign after yesterday's promotion playoff defeat to West Ham United.

The 49-year-old said: "When we dust ourselves down there were lots of fantastic developments - young players, I was proud of the two boys today they've come on an awful long way.

"I'm proud of Kevin Phillips and Barry Ferguson for joining us. I'm absolutely ecstatic with my lads who have been with me on this three-year journey.

"I thought they were absolutely terrific. Every one of them looked a better player now than when I started.

"The likes of Brett Ormerod and Keith Southern, I couldn't even give them a game today.

"We lost Fletch (Gary Taylor-Fletcher through injury). He may have fancied sticking one of them away. But we're trying to grow, we're trying to get better.

"Today I saw my team playing the way I wanted them to and in a game like this that's all you can take with you."