FULHAM go to Blackpool to Saturday with boss Mark Hughes insisting his side take Ian Holloway seriously.
The manager whose humour and unique views on football that has detractors deriding him as a clown doesn't find any favour with Hughes - although the Whites man wasn't so sure Olly's character has gone down so well with some club chief executives.
Hughes said: "Maybe it's gone against him in the past - but he's been around a long time, and he's been successful most of the time as well.
"He shouldn't be unerestimated, and underneath he's got a very shrewd football brain."
Hughes revealed Holloway's unique character has already had effect at managers' Premier League meetings - surely the province of all that's po-faced and sombre.
The Fulham manager said: "It's actually quite refreshing.
"And in there (the meetings) he's the same old Olly - what you see is what you get at all times."
Fulham raised eyebrows by playing almost a full first team to see off Port Vale in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night - not least surprised was Vale boss Mickey Adams.
But Hughes insisted the easy win was a game down the road towards the new attacking tactics he's laid out for his squad.
He added: "And Mickey's already beaten me before at this stage when he was at Brighton. We wanted to make sure of the win."
Fulham have Mark Schwarzer (back) and Paul Konchesky (ankle) as injury doubts, with both players linked heavily with moves to Arsenal and Liverpool respectively.
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