Holloway admits he was not the right man for Palace

IAN HOLLOWAY admitted he could not keep Crystal Palace up as he left the club yesterday.

Holloway and Palace co-chairman Steve Parish announced the split by mutual consent at a hastily-arranged press conference.

The former Blackpool boss said he did not have the energy for the relegation fight, claiming the club had lost the spirit that helped them win promotion to the Barclays Premier League last season.

Holloway said: “This club needs an impetus of energy, but I just feel tired to be honest. I’m worn out.

“I want to give them the chance to stay in this division.

“They didn’t want me to do this. They’ve got a great chance, they’ve got 30 more games.

“The best chance they’ve got is if they use some of the money this big division gives them to get someone they couldn’t afford when they chose me, and if that happens, sitting at home in my front room, no one is going to jump higher than me.”

Parish added: “He felt things weren’t working for him, he felt that he wasn’t getting the support that he wanted to get and a different approach might keep us in the division.”

Holloway only took over at Selhurst Park last November and led them to promotion via the play-offs.

But this season only Sunderland’s woeful form has kept them off the foot of the table.

Palace signed enough players for an entire new team over the summer.

Holloway said: “I didn’t value enough the spirit of the group that helped us get to the Premier League.

“I’ve lost the spirit of that group. I owe it to the lads to admit that.”

Parish emphasised that he never had any intention of sacking Holloway, praising the 50-year-old for doing the “honourable thing” and admitting he was not the man for the job.

He said: “He leaves our club with his head held very high.”

PA. Ian Holloway.