The Blackpool skipper requested a transfer this morning after it was confirmed Liverpool had received a firm no to their £4million offer.

Whilst Adam's demand has not been turned down, neither has it been accepted on the basis that Liverpool's offer comes nowhere close to Blackpool's valuation of a player Holloway feels could be the difference between the Seasiders confounding the odds to remain in the Premier League or dropping straight back into the Championship.

Holloway has been bombarded with questions about Adam's future over the last few days and, on the eve of his side's eagerly-anticipated tussle with Manchester United, the only conclusion he can draw is that Liverpool do not rate him highly enough.

"If the player is good enough they should sign him. Either put up or shut up," said Holloway.

"They are mad not to want to buy him off us. He could replace Xabi Alonso, which is something they have still not done.

"They don't have that passer. Charlie is their man and I don't want to stand in his way. But Liverpool's offer is totally unacceptable."

There is a school of thought that Blackpool are in a tricky position because if Adam is not granted his wish to leave, he may become completely disaffected.

The argument goes that if the former Rangers star is not granted his dream move now, it will never happen because by the summer Liverpool will have turned their attentions elsewhere.

It is a theory Holloway rejects completely.

"Will I ever have the same Charlie Adam? I don't know.

"But this is his first season in this division. And before our game on Saturday we were 10th even though our total budget is less than Carlos Tevez earns in a year. Charlie has been a major part of that.

"If he loses his spirit it would be a crying shame."

Adam's team-mates are certainly not giving him the cold shoulder.

A rather amusing rendition of 'You'll never walk alone" serenaded him into training and unlike David Moyes, who left Steven Pienaar out of his Everton line-up once it became obvious his head was being turned by outside influences, Holloway has no intention of asking Adam to sidestep a meeting with the leaders.

"There is no chance of me leaving him out," said Holloway.

"If I tried to stop him playing against Manchester United, he would probably kill me.

"He loves this club. Just because he has put a transfer request in, that doesn't change. And it doesn't mean he is greedy either."

Holloway is anxious to excuse Adam from any blame over the present status.

That belongs to the Merseyside giants, who did not clarify the situation with a phone call to chairman Karl Oyston from director of football Damien Comolli on Sunday evening.

"He rang my chairman last night and said I had told him to ring, which was nonsense. The situation is exactly as it was," said Holloway.

One senses Holloway would allow Adam to pursue his Anfield dream no matter how late an acceptable offer was received.

The same may not be true of Oyston, who, quite apart from Blackpool's survival prospects, is getting annoyed by a transfer seemingly being conducted through the media.

"My chairman feels things are being dictated through the press," he said.

"People started to call about this transfer request so quickly, they are either better than the FBI or someone's told them.

"I have always cared for my players and this is messing with Charlie's head. But my chairman doesn't give a hoot."

It appears surprising that Manchester United's first top flight visit to Bloomfield Road for four decades should be overshadowed.

Yet that is exactly what has happened, so much so that Sir Alex Ferguson can only expect wine from either Tesco's or Sainsbury's tomorrow evening rather than the vintage reds he prefers.

"I am bursting with pride because Manchester United are coming to Blackpool," said Holloway.

"They have just won 5-0. When we were supposed to play them originally it was 7-1, so it is a bit better.

"If we are not a couple down in the first 10 minutes I would be delighted."