Ian Holloway: They call it performance-related pay at other places. Why not in football?

You'd have thought I was the bloke at RBS getting a nearly £1 million bonus

Profit motive: I bought striker Barry Hayles for £200,000 and he was sold for £2m, which was a nice little earner for Bristol Rovers but not for the poor manager (Getty)

There isn't anything mysterious or shady about the way football managers are paid. We are like anyone else in the world – when we take a job we sign a contract and work to those rules.

I hit the headlines last year when it emerged I would receive a percentage of the money Blackpool got for Charlie Adam. It wasn't even an issue for me but the way it was pounced on by some people, you'd have thought I was the bloke at RBS getting a nearly £1 million bonus.

But why the fuss? This kind of thing is in the contract of a lot of managers and is completely above board and legitimate. And besides, I deserved a cut. I spotted Charlie's potential and took the gamble of bringing him to the club.

If you think it is wrong, here is an example of why I totally disagree. In my first job at Bristol Rovers I paid £200,000 for 26-year-old Barry Hayles. There was an immense amount of pressure on me with that transfer. Barry had broken his leg earlier in his career and he was a non-League player. But I did the deal because I thought he was a great player and would be terrific for us.

He was, and 18 months later he was sold for £2m. I got nothing, apart from a worse team, and I think that is absolutely diabolical.

If you own a company and you come up with something that earns it a load of money, you expect some financial reward. They call it performance-related pay at other places, so why should football be any different? If I discover a player, sign him and he's later sold for a huge sum – earning my employer millions – I should get something out of it.

Some might argue there is a conflict of interest, that I might want to sell someone just to earn myself a bit of cash.

But that is rubbish on two fronts. Number one, a manager would never willingly sell his star player because it leads to an inferior team, poorer results and ultimately the sack.

Number two – and most importantly – managers do not have any say in whether a player is sold. It is all down to the owner.

When Liverpool were chasing Charlie Adam last January, my chairman wouldn't sell. I didn't want him to sell either. I was desperately trying to stay in the Premier League. But the point is, it wasn't down to me.

When we got relegated, the chairman did sell him. So what if I got a few quid out of it? I don't see any issue. It is a standard clause in a manager's contract.

The chairman wants the club to grow and to make money, and if I help him do that, he is happy to give me a share to make up my wages.

I am proud of the way I coach, the way I spot young players and try to improve both them and the club I am working for. Money isn't my motive, never has been and never will be. But if I am successful, then, like any individual at any company, I don't see why I shouldn't be rewarded.

It's enough to make you cry

Kenny Dalglish in tears after reaching the Carling Cup final almost made me cry too.

It was a fantastic, emotional moment and why shouldn't he get a bit teary? It shows passion, it shows how much he cares for Liverpool and anyone who belittles him because of it is an idiot. I read an article which claimed it was sad to see because it is only the Carling Cup and shows how far a once-mighty club had fallen. Give me a break. Whoever thinks that has no understanding of the game.

Football is super-competitive these days, and to win any trophy is no mean feat. The Carling Cup is a bona fide piece of silverware which everyone fights for.

And it is easy to understand why Kenny is emotional. It is years since he last had to cope with the kind of pressure he is under at the moment. There is expectation because he was brave enough to buy a couple of players for big money. But if Liverpool can win a trophy, it will prove Kenny can do it.

They got a bit lucky with that penalty in the semi-final, mind. The ball bounced off Micah Richard's leg and on to his arm, it was a shocker of a decision by the ref and no wonder City were upset. But before Roberto Mancini gets too carried away, I'd just like to remind him that when he beat my Blackpool 3-2 last season, all three of his goals were incorrectly awarded,yet he wasn't too unhappy that day. Just thought I'd get that in.

Murray: secret Blackpool fan?

Let's get one thing straight – Andy Murray isn't a choker.

As someone who works in sport and recognises who has bottle and who doesn't, the way Murray played on Friday proved he has everything required to win a major.

The lad is just exceptionally unfortunate to be playing in an era where the top three in the world are better than any other player of any time. I used to love watching McEnroe, Borg and Connors, but the standard has gone up at least a couple of notches.

But I think Andy can do it and I hope so because I like the lad... though there is a reason for that. When Blackpool were in the Premier League last season, he used to Tweet all the time about how much he enjoyed watching us. I think he became a little bit of a fan, so when he does win his first major I'll send him a message back saying, "Well done son, always had faith in you – now put your racket down and get yourself to Bloomfield Road to watch a match!"

Our domestic game needs characters like Mourinho and Di Canio

Get ready for Jose Mourinho's return to English football next season. Apparently, he has been told by Real Madrid he has to win La Liga and the Champions' League to keep his job – talk about pressure!

I think the bloke has had enough in Spain and I hope so, because I badly want to see him back over here. He is a complete law unto himself but he is unique, and we want people like that in the game. We are in the entertainment industry, we need characters.

Paolo Di Canio is another. I thought his touchline rant at Swindon the other week was fantastic.

He got a bit ridiculed for it but he has since come out and said he will never change. Quite right. We don't want everyone the same, stood there like robots, showing no emotion.

Besides, Di Canio is an Italian and that is the way they are. They look as if they're having a massive row but they are not. He would behave the same if his family did something he didn't like.

It takes all sorts and the more variety we have in the game,the better.

Mario's no Messi

How dare Mario Balotelli claim he feels persecuted? The bloke kicked someone in the head, for God's sake. He is lucky he's only got a four-match ban and not longer.

Balotelli has talent but he's got a long way to go if he's going to be one of the best out there because it is all about how you behave yourself as well as how you play.

If he wants an example of how to do it, look at Lionel Messi. The lad is probably the best player of all time and yet he never seems to be involved in any controversy. He has a terrific attitude and works his socks off for the team. Let's be clear about one thing: Mr Balotelli is no Messi. So instead of giving himself and football a bad name, he should get his head down and show us what he can do – not bleat about being picked on.

Six Nations still thrills

My memories of playing rugby are going in for tackles and getting swatted away like a fly. I remember lying on the ground with a black eye thinking,"How did that happen?" I was just too small to be any good.

But I love the sport and I can't wait for the start of the Six Nations next weekend. It will be interesting to see how England do under Stuart Lancaster and how much time he'll get, because our media seem to think we have a god-given right to win at anything.

That was why everyone went off on one about how we did at the World Cup. You'd have thought the world was about to end. But just because we won the thing in 2003 – one of the best moments of my life by the way; Jonny Wilkinson I love you! – doesn't mean we are going to do it every time.

The standard of other teams has risen and so it becomes more difficult. But there is nothing as thrilling as a Six Nations game. I'll be glued to my screen like everyone else.