Holloway column

Listen to Ollie sound off!

The Leicester manager gives his inimitable views on football and life in general in his weekly column.

This week he talks about the excellent 4-1 win at West Brom and the performance of Lee Hendrie.

He also talks about the King of Ghana in a spot of bother, Heather Mills and his love of Easter eggs.

GREAT WIN AGAINST WEST BROM

It felt really nice. We went one down, their keeper made a couple saves and then they had a man sent off.

To be fair, I was sat there thinking 'oh my gawd' because we played Watford the other week, who went down to 10 men when it was 0-0 and they ended up winning.

But against West Brom we scored within a couple of minutes, the lads managed to stick to what we talked about beforehand and I'm delighted we did so well.

I believe things are changing but words are no good - actions speak louder than words.

Steve Howard was the hat-trick hero

We've got Hull City on Saturday, who are bang in form, and I cannot wait. We're gonna have 30,000 people there for that one - 30,000 people who care for Leicester City, which is absolutely magnificent.

We got rid of one monkey on the back last week - the first time this season we have gone one down and turned it around - now we need to get rid of another by winning two in a row for the first time. Let's try and sort that out this weekend.

HENDRIE'S BLISTERING PERFORMANCE

Lee Hendrie had a great game. He was pumped up by the stick he was getting from West Brom fans, being an ex-Villa player, so he was like a man possessed.

I'd love to sign him permanently if I could. The amazing thing is that he ripped his heels to shreds in the game and his feet were covered in blisters, so he hasn't been able to train all week.

That must have been killing him but he didn't let it show and I think that shows he's made of the right stuff.

SMO-KING

According to the News of the World, stewards at QPR went to eject a supporter for smoking in the toilets - not realising it was actually the King of Ghana.

Ha ha - get out of it! Well if he's not allowed to smoke in the toilet then he should be thrown out anyway, whoever he is.

Why, just because he's the King of Ghana, should he be allowed to get away with it? He shouldn't be allowed to smoke where other people aren't allowed.

Rules is rules

That's a classic though - 'Don't you know who I am?' - 'Yeah you're a bloke who's smoking, now get out of our toilet and get out of our ground!'

It just goes to show QPR don't mess about - 'Sorry mate, I don't care if you're the king of Azerbaijan, you're still not allowed to smoke in QPR's toilets!' Fantastic.

MILLS v McCARTNEY

That was very messy, wasn't it? I'd like to know exactly how she helped him make all of those millions. Did she write Love Me Do or Yellow Submarine?

And what about his lawyer after she had that jug of water tipped over her?

Hair today, gone tomorrow

To be honest I thought her barnet looked much better when it was wet.

She definitely needs to wet it down and get a bit of gel on it in future.

But the next day it was back to that bouffant again. I hope she doesn't spend too long doing that because it's hardly worth it.

PUNTER'S QUESTION

Delboy-the-doughnut: "I hope your critics look good with egg on their faces after your result against high flying West Brom. Christ you must have buried that bloody guitar pick deep!"

You learn more from your critics than you do from anyone who gives you a pat on the back, so bring 'em on and let them keep coming.

606: DEBATE Ask Ollie a question

It was a nice day, things went our way and I was really pleased for the players and the supporters.

If I can unite them and make the lads realise who they're playing for and why they're doing it, I don't think we'll have any problem at Leicester City, but I do enjoy criticism because it makes you stronger.

As for that guitar pick, it's still in my house somewhere, in one tracksuit or another, but I can't make the rest of the season hinge on a plectrum - I can't make it that important!
nb: last week the fan who gave Ollie a lucky guitar pick asked him to bin it - Ed.

PUNTER'S QUESTION II

Barnparkpatsy: "Ollie, thank you for lending Plymouth your goalkeeper, Rab Douglas, for the Bristol City match. I didn't agree with the way you left Argyle or the abuse you received after, but that gesture last week was top class. You're a great bloke for football - hope you stay up."

Rab was fab

That's very, very kind of him. I'm just chuffed because there was one human being in my ranks who hasn't played for a while and was told he'd have to be paid up and leave the club - and that was Rab Douglas.

But he's stayed strong in his own belief and I was delighted to loan him to Plymouth.

He was a little bit concerned that he hadn't played for a little while but I told him they were great lads and apparently he was absolutely outstanding, which is brilliant.

PUNTER'S QUESTION III

ox_dogg: "Ollie! Top Boy! Dunno if you've been asked this before, but any thoughts on the band The Holloways?"

Er, I think I need to get hold of some of their stuff and have a listen to it.

I don't want to say I've never heard of them, but I have to say I haven't been fortunate enough to hear any of their material so I can't really comment. Watch this space.

Brilliant name, though!

PLANS FOR EASTER

We're big on family so we'll get together and do something.

We all still buy each other Easter eggs - that's my favourite chocolate in the world!

I used to hate my brother, John, when we were kids. There were three of us - he was nine years older than me - and he would make sure he still had his left by the time we'd finished ours.

He would then eat his in front of me and my sister. It was a joke.

Ollie doesn't need any egging on

He did it every year, but one year I'd had enough and jumped on top of it and smashed it to bits!

That Easter egg chocolate is something else. What is it about it that makes it taste much nicer? If you bang it in the fridge and then smash it up - lovely.

We got really childish with it when we were young because I swear someone used to nick some of mine. You've got to watch out for your brothers and sisters in this world, although it might have been my old man, nicking a bit of all of ours and thinking we wouldn't notice.

We actually took to doing a drawing of what shape it was so we could tell if someone had nicked any, which was a bit desperate!

Give me Easter egg chocolate and I'm in dreamland, but you must put it in the fridge. Snap a bit off and that 'crack!' is just brilliant.

It will taste even better if we get three points on Saturday. Happy Easter to everyone.

Ian Holloway was talking to Chris Charles.