IAN Holloway returns to St Mary’s tomorrow for the first time since labelling Saints fans ‘disrespectful’ for jeering his Blackpool side during last January’s FA Cup defeat.

Holloway, pictured, was angry after home supporters mocked his below-strength team during Saints’ 2-0 third round victory.

The Seasiders boss had chosen to play a weakened side at St Mary’s in order to rest his first teamers for the next Premiership game.

That certainly won’t be the case tomorrow, though, with Blackpool on the edge of the play-offs and Saints two points clear at the top of the Championship.

Saints will be searching for a 20th straight home league win, 22 in all competitions.

It’s almost a year since Nigel Adkins and co last tasted defeat at St Mary’s in a league game. It was on December 11 last year that Saints lost 2-0 at home to Brentford.

Holloway is sure Blackpool won’t be fearing the trip to fortress St Mary’s.

He said: “The fact they have been doing so well makes me even more excited about it.

“They have been blazing a trail. They have all that momentum.

“They have been really consistent, which is hard to do in this league because it is so competitive.

“They might have had the odd defeat lately but their bandwagon doesn’t really look like coming off the tracks.

“Their home record is fantastic.

“But this is the kind of challenge my players and I thrive on.

“We think we are a pretty good side ourselves and we will love going there.

“We have to keep nicking points and staying up and around the top, and we think we can.”

At the time of the FA Cup game, though, Holloway had made no pretences about what he was going to do and where his priorities lie.

“It’s a fantastic competition. I’m not going to belittle it. We’d love to win it but we have no chance with the squad we’ve got,” he said before the tie.

“I don’t care about anyone else. What am I worried about anyone else for?

“I am doing my job, and I am trying to make Blackpool a Premier League team.

“We have got an FA Cup game every week - Man United at home or Tottenham away.

“That’s a dream come true - an FA Cup game every week. That’s what it feels like to us and we want a lot more of it.”

Afterwards, with Saints having picked up a 2-0 win and the St Mary’s faithful mocking Blackpool, Holloway hit back: “It’s an unbelievable turnaround to have their fans singing ‘Premier League, you’re having a laugh’ at us.

“Well I am having a laugh, I am loving every minute of it, because my team has earned the right to be there.

“I don’t think they should be quite so disrespectful, maybe they’re a little bit jealous of the fact a little club like Blackpool can do it and Southampton have fallen from grace.”

However, Holloway did add: “But I’m sure they’ll be back.”

Tomorrow Saints can take another big step towards fulfilling that prediction.