Holloway launched an impassioned defence of his choice to make 10 changes for the midweek defeat at Aston Villa, which is now being investigated by the Premier League despite the Tangerines boss declaring he would resign if sanctioned.

Blackpool then fielded a completely different starting XI for yesterday's goalless draw at bottom club West Ham as Holloway restored the likes of captain Charlie Adam, Ian Evatt, David Vaughan and Gary Taylor-Fletcher along with strikers Luke Varney and DJ Campbell.

And although Holloway admits he perhaps has to keep himself in check, he would have no qualms about doing the same thing again.

"I should be able to do it whenever I want," the Blackpool manager said. "Before Christmas we have got three games in seven days.

"We are finding that there is the physical side of it, but there is also the mental pressure of it, just dealing with missing a chance.

"I am very proud of them because it is a big adjustment and some teams can't cope with it.

"Luckily we are out of the bottom three, otherwise the pressure would be even more immense. I want to keep that pressure off my lads."

Despite vowing to try to be more serious, Holloway will continue to speak out if necessary.

"I am delighted to be at this level and we are playing some brilliant stuff. I don't want my lads ridiculed, I take it personally," Holloway added.

"It is very easy to ignore how we are playing the game and write about other things. I have got to learn. I should be calm at all times, but I am not and I am a horrible little bugger when I don't get what I want.

"I didn't feel my lads deserved the stick they got [after the Villa game] and I took it as an insult. I should have said things calmly."

Holloway firmly believes his squad is capable of pulling off more shock results to earn another season among the elite clubs of English football.

"I see them day in, day out and have been promising them that if they keep doing what they are doing they will get a chance," he said.

"We play each other in training, reserves versus first team, and they have won a couple, so how bad are they?

"I have been working them for 12 weeks and I work all my team together. There is not a 'them' and an 'us'.

"I work every one of them so they are all part of it and I have to disappoint them by picking the same ones every time because results were going so well.

"I wanted to be loyal to my lads because they are loyal to me. Every day I go in they are brilliant.

"I have been a man of my word now because I have given them a chance and they have surprised everyone, except me, because I knew how good they were."