Pundit Lee Hendrie believes the appointment of Ian Holloway was a masterstroke by Swindon Town as they continue to climb the League Two table. After almost four years out of management following his departure from Grimsby Town, Holloway made a shock return to football when he replaced Mark Kennedy at Swindon in October. The Robins were just outside the bottom two when Holloway arrived following a poor start to the season under Kennedy, and their relegation fears deepened after the 61-year-old failed to win any of his first four league games in charge. However, Holloway has inspired a remarkable turnaround over the past few months, and Swindon now sit 13th in the table, 17 points clear of the relegation zone and just 10 points from the play-off places. Holloway has won 12 of his 27 games in charge of the Robins so far, drawing seven and losing eight, and having initially only signed a contract until the end of the season, he confirmed last month that he was ready to commit his future to the club.

Lee Hendrie hails Ian Holloway amid Swindon Town turnaround

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie, who played under Holloway at Leicester City, praised Swindon for taking a chance on his former manager, and he insisted he was not surprised by the improvement in results that he has overseen. "Ian Holloway going into Swindon, was it a masterstroke? Of course it was," Hendrie said. "I've worked under Ollie at Leicester, and he is some character and some man. "He's old school and says it like it is on the tin, and I think he gets the best out of his players, he always has done. "He's such a great character and such a great guy, and it was just a no-brainer that Swindon were going to turn a corner after he went in. "They've steered away from that relegation zone. "With Ollie, he can get a good blend of players that he can work with, and they all buy into his style and methods because he's such a likeable guy. "I think he was an absolute masterstroke of an appointment."

Swindon Town must secure Ian Holloway's future as soon as possible

It is fair to say that Swindon's decision to appoint Holloway raised a few eyebrows, and after the club dropped to the bottom of the League Two table following a dismal 4-0 defeat at Colchester United in December in his fourth game in charge, it looked as though they were destined for the National League. However, the Robins' improvement under Holloway since then has been nothing short of remarkable, and after recovering from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 at third-placed Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, they have now lost just three of their last 18 league games. While the play-offs may be a little out of reach for Swindon with only 10 games remaining, the impressive form under Holloway has given supporters plenty of reason for optimism ahead of next season, and the club must tie him down to a new contract.