Queens Park Rangers are set to take on Aston Villa tomorrow evening at Villa Park.
Steve Bruce’s appointment at Aston Villa appears to have changed Ian Holloway’s opinion on the claret and blues, judging by his comments on Queens Park Rangers’ official website.
Holloway spoke very highly of Villa, prior to his QPR side’s match against the Midlands club later this evening.
The Rangers boss said: “They are full of talent, have spent a lot of money, and Steve Bruce is trying to build their spirit,” he said.
“Steve is a very, very experienced manager and the best at getting teams promoted from this division.
“It’s a huge challenge for him but the players have certainly got his way now, and they are playing the way he wants them to.”
Holloway’s words read very differently to what he said about Villa at the start of the season.
In his pre-season preview, while he was working as a pundit at Sky Sports, Holloway claimed that Villa would finish in 16th place in the Championship table.
“They’re lucky I’ve put them this high,” he said to Sky Sports. “Last season Villa’s players felt the weight of the shirt, but not the importance of it. They didn’t respect the badge enough. I’m worried nothing will change.
“They could easily get relegated again, with the lack of investment and the lack of unity within the playing squad. They’ve got Roberto Di Matteo, who is a wonderful man, but it’s a huge job to carry that expectation. It’s going to take something special to turn it around.”
The comments sparked controversy at the time, but Holloway’s prediction that Villa would struggle this season has not been far off the truth.
Although the claret and blues have outperformed Holloway’s expectations, they still have disappointed.
Villa are currently in 10th place in the Championship table, and their play off hopes look all but over.
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