Well, I have just finished 'The Gaffer' which I have been saving for my summer hols. Absolutely riveting and I just could not put it down. I know there was a thread about it a while back but I did not think folks would mind another, especially since it is so quiet without any news of substance. For those who follow QPR news as avidly as most on this board do, there was little that we had not heard about buhere adding about it first hand from 'The Gaffer' added further joy to the main happy moment ie promotion to the PL and caused me to re-live the gloom of the more depressing moments - sadly much more of those. Here are a few points which particularly struck me: "New signings cared only about themselves". I guess we knew this though some of us wanted to believe they were professionals who would do as good a job as they were able to. He describes the team spirit after the 2 all draw at Derby when Mackie slotted home in the dying second of the game. This is one of my all time favourite games since previously we were always the ones throwing away a lead and that time we did it to them for a change. Warnock describes that he had to hold them back after that since confidence was so high. How we missed that team spirit in the years to come. So there we are in the Jan 11 transfer window with NW needing key positions strengthened and where is Flavio? On safari in Africa and out of contact. That would be fine except Warnock spills the beans on how controlling Flavio was and there was no business done without his say so. Again, we knew that but Warnock describes in vivid detail just how challenging it was working for that regime and how disappointed he was that Amit and Mittal did not become sole owners as he had been promised would happen when he agreed to take the job. We were all disappointed about that!! He states that he was able to 'get shot of Rowan Vine'. Pretty straight talking. The whole book is full of NW not pulling punches though he does draw a line eg stating there are two or three managers he does not like but not naming them. Warnock confirms that Heider went because Flavio refused him a 2 yr (I think) contract. He goes on to rue the goals that Heider scored for Cardiff that he very likely would have scored for us. Blast that Flavio. To be fair to Flavio (which I am not all that inclined to be), Flavio insisted on a Kieron Dyer contract that stated we could be shot of him if he got injured before Christmas / Jan transfer window. A good idea but not actually put into effect so Dyer was with us longer that he would have been. Warnock also describes his wife Sharon meeting Flavio and, effectively, saying to Flavio, "you're nicer than I was expecting from what people say about you". NW also states that Flavio was good company - just a terrible chairman! Taarabt. It's all true. Enough said?! His description of promotion, Faurlingate and the points deduction that never materialised literally brought a tear to my eye. What a day that was! No one was willing to pay for our promotion bus tour! So sad really. If we had known that was the reason, we might have paid for it ourselves! I guess that was an omen of things to come since it was followed by an embargo on transfers while Tango and Cash were negotiating the sale of the club. Warnock painfully describes the players he was after that went to Norwich, Swansea etc though not all shone in the PL eg Danny Graham. He has little good to say about SWP, apart from scoring the winning goal against Chelsea. After reading this account, the sooner that poisonous creature leaves, the better IMO. There is a wonderful feel good story when they discover that a scan suggesting that Paddy Kenny had kidney cancer was infact misread by the doctor and there was nothing wrong with him. The relief and the tears testify to Warnock's big heart for people and how he actually does care for them. There is, of course, a dig at Mark Hughes and his record at QPR which was significantly worse than Warnock's. Warnock actually states that he still intends to respond to the thousands of messages we sent him when he left QPR. Good luck with that but I'm not expecting mine any time soon! This was a compulsive read into the intriguing, complex, underhand, frustrating, joy filled and despairing world of football management and, I would say, with a particular focus on his QPR experience. My estimation of the man has gone up since reading it. I wish Flavio had sold to Mittal and Amit as per plan; I wish Warnock was still our manager; I wish we were still in the Premier League still. I also wish Neil Warnock a long happy and healthy retirement. In my eyes a QPR legend.
Got my copy yesterday. Started reading it in the evening, and just couldn't put it down either. Read half way through, have to finish it after work today. I'll give my 2cents after I'm done.
Great summary RTID. Going on holidays with my lot in a few weeks- will defo have that as holiday reading. I miss the old git!
More positive than negative. Main negative was about Twitter. Mentioned the Norwich red card but focused more on the fouls by them, missed by the officials, that caused Joey to see red.
Not sure whether I want to read his ramblings. after the crap he said about us when he left, why should we have any belief or sympathy for him. He had plenty of negative stuff to say but now, because he wants people to buy his book, why is he suddenly a good guy again. for the record, I have never liked Colin & said so at the time; but I did say that he was what we needed at the time & what he achieved was fantastic. for our promotion I will always be eternally greatfull...even if we were hopelessly outgunned.. Still don't like the bloke though & don't really care about his money driven ramblings.....Anyone got a repkly e-mail yet? thought not....bulls**tter!
Queens, as a QPR fan - actually even just as a footie fan, I guarantee you would enjoy reading this book! Do it and tell me if I'm wrong. And no, I am not NW, his publisher, publicist etc and have no monetary gain from it!!
Yeh, for me that olgit Colin is a legend for what he did for us. Don't really give a f*k what he's said or done before or after he was with us, and he don't have to reply to my mail! From my time only Sexton and Venables have been as good Managers as Colin, and like him or hate him, he's a character as well. I look forward to reading his book.
was a very interesting read. Particularly on the players we narrowly missed out on. But what struck me most was the stuff Adel got up to. No idea how Neil or any of the other experienced pros put up with his exploits - going missing, not turning up for training and generally being a massive prima donna. Fair play to Warnock, his hunch that it was worth putting up with as he'd get us promoted was spot on. But I can't see any other manager wanting to touch Adel after reading this
I decided not to focus too much on Adel since we've debated him ad nauseam on here and most of what's been posted appears to be true! The startling, and frustrating, fact is that Warnock identified him as player with skill the likes he had never managed before, built the team around him, controlled those who wanted to deck him for his selfishness and petulance yet Adel let him down on multiple occasions. Personally I hope Adel is still a Hoop next year but a hell of a more mature one would be nice.
I have read it as well and find some of it very bitter ... Th ebook itself makes you warm to NW and he really does care about QPR. He did however muck the bloody lot up. He was very fair to Adel Taarabt but FFS why oh why can he not admit that he signed the trouble players ... SWP and Barton even by his own account blew the club apart. Adel it seemed was a wild card however you take Adel away then you had nothing and NW admits that. I haven't changed my mind and that was he is a likeable character, Adel won us the league, he made a massive error letting Kasper go as the defence kept 26 cleans sheets. His purchases were crap and the club is being run by idiots ... nothing has changed except Tony will build the QPR brand I am very confident of that. NW is a very nice man but a very naive football manager and I hope he retires and has a nice time
But HH played for us in the pre for a while before being let go, so how did flav have anything to do with that?
Not sure which page in paper copy but p369 ebook on iPad NW states he tried to re-sign HH with contract for 20 games and then a further year independent of which league we found ourselves in. It was this contract that was vetoed by Briatore. Apologies for lack of clarity.
OK RTID, I will read it against all my desires and i'll give an honest un-biased opinion. like I say i'll try and forget my dislike for the guy & see what he has to say, purely as a thank you for getting us promoted. I owe him that much. if I think its good ( as many others do) i'll be honest and say so, if I think its S**t i'll also say that. Honestly ; i'll give it a fair go.
