BLACKPOOL boss Ian Holloway aimed a parting shot at the Premier League after claiming his club were unfairly handicapped in their fight for survival.

The Tangerines were consigned to a swift return to the Championship after losing a 2-1 lead to eventually fall to a 4-2 defeat at title winners Manchester United.

Holloway tried to raise a smile as he assessed the devastation but with half a dozen key men virtually certain to leave, he could not hold the bitterness back.

“The fat lady has finished singing and I do not like the tune,” he declared.

“The Premier League have rung me up and said ‘we really love you Ian Holloway’. But they have never helped me.

“It is a great league. But the people who run it shouldn’t. There should be people above them telling them what to do.

“Nobody has to hear from me for another 12 months but hopefully I will get the chance to tell them about how they do things.”

Holloway’s anger stems from being told he had to tell players by the third Saturday in May whether options on their contracts were being taken up.

In the instances of Richard Kingson, Marlon Harewood and Brett Ormerod, all of whom were on the bench yesterday, the answer was no.

Others like Ian Evatt and Keith Southern are being retained but are now condemned to vastly reduced terms due to Blackpool’s relegation.

“Ask yourself how you would have felt to be me on Monday morning,” said Holloway.

“The Football League give you five days after your last game. The Premier League told us we had to stick to the exact wording of the contracts.

“This was before the biggest game of my life. Surely common sense should have applied and I could have told them afterwards.”

Unfortunately for Blackpool, their hopes of making light of such difficulties were dashed by a typically robust fightback from United.

Charlie Adam and Gary Taylor-Fletcher, both of whom are now bound to be in demand from top-flight outfits, scored either side of the interval to overturn a Park Ji-sung opener.

At that stage, Blackpool were clear of trouble at the bottom.

But Holloway must have known the job was not done.

Anderson pulled the hosts level before Evatt turned Chris Smalling’s low cross into his own net.

Michael Owen stuck the boot in with a fourth near the end.

“You are famous for two seconds in football, then you are gone,” said Holloway.

“If you aim for the stars, you might hit the moon.

“I have nothing but pride for my players and the way they have performed.

“I am ready for the fight to get us back.”

Holloway played down suggestions Blackpool might have won a place in next season's Europa League, which would have his team starting the new campaign in June.

It is not thought a final decision will be confirmed until all the various referee’s reports are received, although with Fulham having a man sent off against Arsenal, it has to be a possibility.

“We need a break,” Holloway added.