Holloway has failed in his attempts to sign former Manchester City forward Wright-Phillips from Plymouth Argyle. The Tangerines boss said: "I lost a target yesterday. Bradley-Wright Phillips is signing for Reading but such is life. We will have another look." Holloway, meanwhile, was criticised over the weekend for fielding an under-strength side for the FA Cup third-round defeat at Southampton. He made nine changes at St Mary's Stadium in order to rest players for their Premier League survival fight. Former Scotland international Craig Burley, working as a radio pundit, was one of the more outspoken critics and Holloway took the opportunity to hit back today. He said: "Craig Burley's gone off on one. Does he realise we had three games cancelled in December and two of them we have got to play in January, which is the busiest month anyway? "My lads are strapped to the front of the coach and having to gallop up a really tough hill. "That makes a huge difference to fitness and injury and all sorts of things. I couldn't risk them or take them. "We lost to a good team, who might have beaten us anyway, the form they are in. "I took that risk and now we are all ready for Liverpool at home. "I would have preferred to play them a couple of weeks ago, when the game was dashed by the weather. "Then we wouldn't have this huge backlog and I might have played some of the team against Southampton - instead of getting a load of stick when I listen on the radio to Craig Burley, the Scotsman."
