Holloway outlines survival target

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has set a target of 39 points for his side as they aim to avoid relegation.

“We can have probably five defeats and two victories and we’d stay up, I believe,” said Holloway after a 3-0 defeat at Fulham.

“Whether I am right or wrong, you’ve asked me about it and 39 points might keep us up.

“If we do that it’ll be a fantastic achievement, better than last year when we were promoted.”

However, despite being easily beaten by Fulham, Holloway has urged his players to maintain a belief which he is worried deserted his players at Craven Cottage.

Blackpool striker James Beattie’s mistake allowed Bobby Zamora to put the home side ahead before the Fulham striker headed in a second for the Cottagers.

Dickson Etuhu grabbed a third for the west London outfit in a game in which Blackpool struggled for a breakthrough.

“The quality that the other people have got, the money that they are paying is quite frightening,” added Holloway.

“My lads’ spirit has got us there. Their ability has helped us this year and after we made the odd mistake it looked like their body language was horrible against Fulham.

“It’s not very nice when you reflect on the goals we have let in.

“You can have the ball and pass it around but it is all about putting it in the white thing at one end and not letting it in the white thing at your end.

“Unfortunately we didn’t do that very well at Fulham.”

Fulham boss Mark Hughes praised the contribution of Zamora as the forward made his first start since recovering from a broken leg sustained against Wolves on 11 September last year.

“Bobby had been under the weather, he just had a head cold and had not been sleeping particularly well,” said Hughes.

“He just wasn’t quite as lively during the week as he normally is. Normally you hear Bobby before you see him so he was a little bit quiet but I thought this was the perfect game for him, to be honest.

“I thought that he got over the last hurdle in his head after the injury in terms of starting games and really, in fairness, I couldn’t have hoped for a better impact from him.

“Straight from the off he showed qualities that we have missed and lacked for many games this season.

“For him to come in, the way he is thinking about his game and coming back from a serious injury, it was a perfect day for him.”

The win moved Fulham up to 10th and Hughes added: “We’ve been really, really strong and accomplished in the second half of the season, which I knew we would be.

“The players are really progressing as a group. They are really receptive and really getting the job at the moment. And that’s all you can ask.”