In Warnock We Trusted....
With the rumours continuing to spread today, just after 6.30pm this evening, QPR announced that they had parted company with Manager, Neil Warnock.
Before I add my opinions, I will post the statement from the Official QPR Website;
Queens Park Rangers Football Club has today (Sunday 8th January 2012) parted company with Manager Neil Warnock.
Warnock joined the Club in March 2010, overseeing 84 matches in charge, winning 33, drawing 27 and losing 24. Last season, he successfully guided the Club back to the Premier League for the first time in 15 years.
The Board's commitment to retaining our Premier League status ultimately led to this decision. QPR Assistant Manager Mick Jones and First Team Coach Keith Curle have also left the Club.
The Board's QPR Chairman, Tony Fernandes, said: "This decision has been made in the best interests of the Club and I can assure everyone that this is not a decision that was made lightly.
"Sadly, our recent run of poor form has seen us slip alarmingly down the table and the Board felt it was the right time to make a change.
"Neil has acted with honesty, professionalism and integrity throughout his time at the Club, and I would personally like to thank him for his significant contribution to QPR over the last 22 months.
"I genuinely wish him all the very best for the future and he will always be welcome back at Loftus Road."
QPR Vice-Chairman, Amit Bhatia, added: "It is with a very heavy heart that we make this announcement.
"I played a key role in bringing Neil to Loftus Road and consider him to be a close personal friend and a great professional.
"I would like to place on the record my thanks to him for transforming us from a Championship Club to a Premier League Club.
"As a Club we have gained enormously from Neil's wisdom, experience and leadership. He has always performed his managerial duties to the very highest of standards.
"I wish Neil every success going forward and he will always be welcome at QPR.
"I now look forward to the future and the rest of the season as we work towards stabilising our position in the Premier League."
Neil Warnock said: "Obviously I'm very disappointed, but having achieved so much, I leave the Club with a great sense of pride.
"I have enjoyed my time here more than anywhere else and the QPR fans have been brilliant with me - they deserve success.
"My biggest regret is that the takeover didn't happen earlier, because that would have given me the opportunity to bring in the targets I'd pinpointed all last summer and probably given us a better chance to succeed in the Premier League."
He added: "The board at QPR are hugely ambitious and I wish them every success for the future.
"I've been involved in the game a long time and I will be spending the immediate future with my family and friends before deciding my next career move."
The Club will now begin its search for a new Manager and will make a further announcement in due course.
I really do not know what to say to this one as I am absolutely gutted. Neil Warnock did an amazing job for us and made all our dreams come true by returning us to the promised land. The only thing is with that, is that the Premier League brought supporters out of the woodwork and when all is not going well, they begin to call for the Manager's head. No doubt, the people I am referring too will be delighted with tonight's news!
Yes, we are on a bad run, but we have had an awful lot of bad luck along the way. Mr Warnock referred to Heidar's last minute equaliser at MK Dons yeterday, as something that could kick start our season. It's just a shame that he now won't be around to find out...
On behalf on everyone involved with Lofty Heights, I would like to thank Neil Warnock for everything and I mean, everything... and for making our dreams come true.
A QPR LEGEND!!!
Sources tell me that Mark Hughes is to be announced as Neil's replacement tomorrow and with Keith Curle and Mick Jones also leaving today, I expect Tony Fernandes and co have already sourced a new Manager? However, this is QPR we are talking about...
Come on You R'sssssssssssss!!!
posted by LOFTY @ 1/08/2012
12 Comments:
At 8:46 pm,
Stedders said…
As I said before, I thin it is a real shame and he deserved more time, but that doesn't mean he was good enough to get more time. I don't think he was. However he has been a legend for us, and I hope he goes elsewhere and gets a Premier league crack at it. Stedders
At 8:52 pm,
Anonymous said…
I've had a season ticket for over 10 years so I'm certainaly not "one of those fans" that you refer to.
I will also be forever greatful to Warnick for what he has done but I am someone who thinks a change needed to be made and I applaud the board for a brave brave decision.
We were in freefall and we can't bury our heads in the sand because of someone's past achievements. I think Warnick accepts that himself
At 8:56 pm,
Anonymous said…
i think in the long run its a good move . mr warnock has done a fantastic job and should hold his head high . but is he a premier manager? lets hope we dont have 5 managers in 2years .
At 8:57 pm,
LOFTY said…
Fair point, Stedders
Anon, the people in question know who they are and I am not digging anybody out in particular. I agree with your comment and I do see myself, as sentimental... but as it's often proved, there is no room for sentiment in football! thanks for your comment!
At 8:59 pm,
ant said…
Also gutted... Just doesn't seem right... It an ugly game! Smacks of the Houghton sacking last term... Warnock is a hero for what he's done!
At 9:12 pm,
Anonymous said…
When does it ever work sacking a manager with half a season left , paulo sousa , paul hart etc especially to save us from almost certain relegation .Now we will go down anyway but he would have got us back up and where were we going when he took over , league one , discraceful decision and now we deserve to be relegated , what descent players are we going to attract now . Chelsea in the next round of the cup ? we wont even get past mk dons !
At 9:21 pm,
Anonymous said…
Firstly, the mission statement for this season was to avoid relegation. QPR have never been in the bottom 3 apart from first game of season.
In recent weeks it has become obvious that Neil probably didnt know his strongest team. Maybe thats due to added injuries but please let's rembember Rob Hulse never made our 25 man squad and suddenly last week he was on the subs bench. Add to that the loan signing of Puncheon which quite honestly was a poor decision and you have to question a few of Neils decisions.
What I am wondering is whether Tony F is true to his word with transfer money. The mad few weeks of August did see Ferdinand and Young purchased for about 5M. Barton was a free and his wages amount to about 3M a year. A lot of pundits say we spent heavily in the summer....thats tosh.
This Jan we supposdely have 15M to spend. I hope to be proved wrong but I don't believe we will spend anywhere near that figure. Lets be honest, offering 5M for Samba was never going to be accepted and now Warnock has gone that transfer can be forgotten about with a smoke screen that the board had good intentions.
Watch this space. But lets appreciate Neil warnoch for the great success he bought us in the last 18 months.
And Lofty....great article as always.
At 9:41 pm,
qprvancouver said…
It is what it is. We either decide we want to remain a Premier League club or we be satisfied with being a good Championship club that makes the jump periodically. NW did great, playing to his strength of elevating mediocre squads to a higher division. The EPL is a step too far not only for NW but many of the players we brought along for the ride. It may already be too late but being relieved of the tilting at authority and blaming everyone else for our "bad breaks" will be refreshing. Maybe we can quietly start building a club on the move not a poor us organization. I think we are fortunate with the ownership we have and with the right leader in the club house we have a chance. Hell we might even get a Premier League grade of football to watch rather than the hump and hope stuff we started to resort to. Go Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs
At 10:24 pm,
Anonymous said…
I think it's significant that we were talking about 4/5 new signings and now the board are saying 1 or 2. It's true that his signings haven't all worked out but then they didn't all come good last year and we still got promoted. Which manager has ever had a 100% success rate with transfers?
At 10:48 pm,
Anonymous said…
thanks neil but you were becoming bigger than the club and your rantings were not helping this is the right decision
At 4:33 pm,
Anonymous said…
Very difficult decison by the Board, but that is what directors are for. Part of me would have liked to have seen Mr Warnock bring in 'his' good/solid targets in the January window (with possibly one or two more risky players, e.g. Macheda) and perhaps refresh the coaching team - because somewhere something is not quite right! However Mr Fernandes and colleagues must be given their chance - let's hope they have made the correct call. I shall always remember Mr Warnock as one of the great QPR managers and let's hope he has a wonderful future ahead whatever he decides to do!
At 6:29 pm,
PBSport27 said…
Considering QPR have replaced him in what seems like seconds the board were obviously going to sack Warnock regardless of results which seems a bit backwards to me. Good luck to Hughes hopefully for Rs fans he won't leave you in the lurch if there's a possibility in a better job like he did to Fulham.
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