Ollie backs Rangers to beat the drop

28 February 2007

FORMER QPR boss Ian Holloway backed his old club to survive in the Championship this season following their 1-1 draw with Plymouth.

The Pilgrims manager, returning to Loftus Road for the first time since Rangers suspended him a year ago, said: "John [Gregory] is a very good manager, he always has been and he can keep QPR up.

"I wish them the very best and if they play with that spirit they won't have any problems - all those players have got to do is recreate what they did today."

Holloway was afforded a generous round of applause from the Rangers fans when he took his seat at the start of Saturday's game - ironically the same spot he occupied for five years after Gregory's recent decision to switch the home and away dugouts.

"It was quite a surreal feeling," Holloway admitted. "QPR was part of my life for five years and I'd never have been able to last five years, in the circumstances I did, without the fans' support.

"I thanked the players who played for me - it was great to see some of them. I had some fantastic times and I'm eternally grateful for that. "There's always a little bit of me that will belong to the Rs, but right now I'm a Pilgrim.