Neil Warnock: If more people at QPR knew the game, I'd still be there

Neil Warnock: If more people at QPR knew the game, I'd still be there


Getting the sack is a fact of life in football management and I should know. I've now been fired by Burton Albion, Notts County, Plymouth Argyle, Oldham Athletic and Queen's Park Rangers. They say it is a results business. It is, but only up to a point. At three of those clubs, including QPR, I'd won promotion.

The problem with that is it raises expectations that a club isn't always geared up to meet. At QPR we probably went up a year too early. In March 2010, when I arrived, we were fighting relegation to League One. By May 2011 we were celebrating promotion to the Premier League after winning the Championship.

Unfortunately, because of the uncertainty over the ownership, we were not able to get into in the transfer market early enough or well enough to build on that in the summer. The bulk of my squad is last year's team – several of them were in the side that nearly went down. When the new owners arrived in the third week of August they told me my remit was to get some players signed in a rush before the deadline, then get to the new year with QPR outside the bottom three. We could then bring in three or four players in the January window.

I feel I have kept to that. We have not been in the bottom three all season. When I look at how managers at other clubs in the Premier League have been given unequivocal support by their board it is an understatement to say I am very disappointed.

We knew we had a tough run of fixtures – we've played Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal in the last six matches – but there were winnable games coming up and I feel we had been playing well enough to win them. Look at our last three League matches. We played very well at Swansea, dominating the second half, held our own at Arsenal, and were leading Norwich. But you can't legislate for Shaun Wright-Phillips giving the ball straight to Arshavin with half an hour left, or Joey Barton getting sent off. A few more points and we'd be mid-table, which is where I feel our football deserves us to be.

While I accept the owner's decision, I do feel if there were more people at the club in positions of power with experience in the game they would have understood how well we have done in the circumstances, and they would've realised that once we brought in the players I had identified there would have been no problem securing a Premier League future.

But no doubt the chairman has had a string of agents in touch telling them their man could do a better job. It looks like it might be Mark Hughes, though I heard around Christmas they were thinking of Zola and Wilkins. Will a new manager make a difference? Not as much as new players will. If you haven't got the players you can't win games, that's another fact of life in football management. I just wish I had the chance to bring in the ones I wanted, both in the summer, and this month.

 

Did he seriously write this? I don't think its enough to say we're out of the bottom three so we're on target. Never look at the position in absolute terms, look at the trend. Which direction are we heading? Its very possible we'll be in the bottom three after Sunday. Can't blame the fixtures either. Yes, we played some top teams but we also played the two promoted sides and a then struggling Sunderland at home. Besides, we've played each team once, like everyone else so blaming recent fixtures is bollocks.

Given his recent post match interviews, I really can't take his assessments seriously. Just keep quiet Neil and leave with your status intact.

 

its from the independent

 

So it's written by his ghost writer then.

 

Looks like this was on the cards a few weeks ago.

if Neil knew, then the players would know.

 

gotta be glad its not zola and wilkins

 

That would explain much of the body language from Neil and the players. I wonder if the board knew that Warnock knew?

 

Chelsea have not been the same since they sacked Wilkins as no. 2. Might have worked as a no.2 here but never, never, never as a no.1.
Mark Hughes has the right credentials just hope that if he comes he doesn't bankrupt the club with his demands. We only have 18,000 capacity.

 

No guarantee of success with Hughes. Sheff Utd didnt do much better with Bryan Robson and Warnock had the last laugh there. We may well end up getting beaten by Warnock's new team next year in the Championship. Even entertaining the idea of Zola and Wilkins I find deeply disturbing.

 

Totally agree! A huge mistake has been made. Neil did what he was asked to do, and got fired anyway. Not good, and not a good sign for the future either.

 

Have to say, I wouldn't be averse to Wilkins as a number two to Hughes. Won't happen, but he proved he is a good foil between the manager and the players and has the demeanour to provide players someone to come to. You hear from many old players how important a role the #2 plays for the players - and that was proven when Wilkins left Chelsea (Gorman was a similar character when Mr Magilton was with us). But Zola would have been a BIG mistake in my eyes.

 

I think if more people at qpr knew the game, you'd have been a lot sooner Neil.........!!

Dont spoil it, you are a legend.....Leave quietly with your head held high and you're always welcome at LR...anytime !!

 

Ditto

 

Sorry but that article seems like it has been written by a third hand, its too calm and sympathetic. Mind you he is blaming others. Amit tweeted yesterday that due to overwhelming requests he will ask Neil to set up an email account for the fans to write to him.

 

Gotta say, I'm with Oslo and 999 on this. I think his dismissal was not justified at all and that he should have been given at least a season to see what he could do.
As for replacing him with Zola and Wilkins.... The very idea sends a chill down my spine.

 

Me to as you can see from my posts I am utterly disgusted at my football club for this decision and to be honest I feel further away than ever, I would like to say Hughes has not formally agreed yet so watch out you Zola/Wilkins fans it might still happen!?

 

could you imagine it..wilkins in charge of the cash again

 

As I have said on many other strands he should definitely have been given the entire season to make it work. But there is big, big money at stake here (both in terms on investment needed and income) and it is no surprise the Board have jumped the gun. I also agree that we could very easily have been mid table if a few things had gone our way and we have been decidedly unlucky in the last couple of months. But the tactics and decisions we have seen from NW have not been in keeping with a squad that already has enough quality to make a good fist of the PL and already represents a major invesment for the Board. Sooner or later the chickens would have come home to roost IMO.

 

Come on Neil, keep it dignified, or at least save it for your autobiography update. Lots of IFs, including if you been able to beat Blackburn, Villa, Newcastle at home you would still be in post. Don't think non football savvy owners were responsible for those results. NW will always speak his mind, but agree with several above, those aren't his words.