Ian Holloway slams Project Big Picture’s plans to reshape English football

"Who do they actually think they are?"

Ian Holloway has come out against 'Project Big Picture', a set of proposals drawn up by the owners of Liverpool and Manchester United that would reshape the finances of English football. The Grimsby manager called on culture secretary Oliver Dowden to step in and help preserve the sanctity of the footballing pyramid. The financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic has put a lot of EFL clubs in danger of going bust in the coming months if they do not receive more financial help from those at the top of the game, a situation which Project Big Picture would temporarily solve with a £250 million pledge to EFL clubs in exchange for more consolidated power among the 'Big Six'. Effectively, we'll save you from extinction but know your fucking place. Holloway described the scenario as EFL clubs having a gun to their head, during an impassioned rant on talkSPORT on Tuesday morning. "This cannot be right. This is not the way forward," Holloway said. "Basically they've got a gun to all of our heads. They're trying to take over football and make sure they will get richer and they will be safe. "That's not what football's about. Who do they actually think they are? It's embarrassing. Absolutely embarrassing. "I have never seen anything quite like it in my life. "I knew it was coming. It's absolutely horrendous. At a time when everybody's struggling the most, they've come up with this." https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1315915172108795905 "How are they the top six if Manchester United are 14th or 16th? "Please, make sure the people at the top don't take over, the greedy, manipulative, selfish, self-minded people don't win. "So I'm saying, Oliver Dowden, right now: stop this, step in and tell us what we've got to do and take over football. "Make sure that the pyramid is secure for the rest of however long this world lasts, because this game is too good for it to die."