Ian Holloway, who is a cult hero at the Memorial Stadium, was of interest to the Gas hierarchy, but ultimately they opted for Ian Holloway
With the somewhat new trend of bringing in young head coaches in the EFL in recent years, it has seen many experienced bosses left on the sidelines whilst looking for fresh opportunities.
And one of those is the charismatic Ian Holloway, who has now not had a job in football since December 2020, when he departed League Two outfit Grimsby Town.
Holloway has had a successful career in management, starting at Bristol Rovers as a player-manager in 1996, and he has promotions on his CV with Queens Park Rangers, Blackpool and Crystal Palace.
In 2021, Holloway claimed his appetite for management had somewhat diminished, but having been interviewed for the Motherwell job earlier this year, it appears that he wants to be back in the game – and he was on the radar of his favourite club in the form of Bristol Rovers last motnh.
Was Ian Holloway in consideration to return to Bristol Rovers?
Rovers considered a number of candidates before eventually opting for former Exeter City and Rotherham United manager Matt Taylor, but Holloway was one of the early names that was linked with the post.
Both the Gas board and fellow unemployed boss Garry Monk expressed interest in Holloway at the beginning of November, according to BristolLive. However, the former did not satisfy owner Hussain AlSaaed’s initial requirements for a young manager with experience moving clubs from League One to the Championship.
Now 60 years of age, Holloway is waiting for that next job, but it wasn’t to be a second stint as a manager at the Memorial Stadium as they got Taylor in last week instead.
Brett Ormerod reacts to Ian Holloway missing out on Bristol Rovers job
Brett Ormerod, who was managed by Holloway during a successful period at Blackpool where the Tangerines made it to the Premier League for the very first time, believes that a return to Bristol Rovers would have been good for Holloway to get his managerial career back on track, but ultimately the Gas went in another direction.
In football, there’s been a shift. Nowadays, younger managers are preferred by owners. It’s incredible that Lee Johnson, who is younger than me, has managed more than 500 league games, Ormerod told Stocklytics.
“At 47 years old, I believe I am older than the majority of ordinary managers that enter the field.
“I’d want to see Ian Holloway return to the pitch because, like Gordon Strachan, football needs Ian Holloway. They were both equally excited about the game and eager to improve your skills as a player.
“Ian did let me know that he was still hunting for work, but football is currently heading in a different route. Ian adds a rush and exciting element to football that isn’t usually there, so I’d love to see him back in the dugout.
Ian’s team is Bristol Rovers. He’s from Bristol and has visited the area a few times. He bleeds white and blue when you cut him in two.
“Holloway would be entering a fierce competition and has a solid connection with the supporters. Before I met him, I had no idea how big of an issue they were; he used to talk about them all the time. It would have been nice to see him at Bristol Rovers.”
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