From the Independant "" Mark Hughes refuses 'QPR request to resign' QPR manager is adamant he can turn the clubâs fortunes around Loftus Road Stadium Mark Hughes has told Queens Park Rangersâ board members he will not walk away from the club after he was asked to resign as manager. The Evening Standard says Hughes met senior figures including chief executive Philip Beard and other influential figures in a meeting at which the Welshman was asked whether he would stand down after just 10 months in charge. With the club willing to allow Hughes to depart, rumours quickly circulated last night that the 49-year-old had been sacked. However, once Hughes indicated he was not prepared to walk away, the club stopped short of terminating his contract without chairman Tony Fernandes in attendance. Fernandes is currently out of the country but is expected to return sometime this week before Saturdayâs match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. It is thought that Hughes would be entitled to pay-off in the region of £5million were the club to sack him and Fernandesâ approval is required to sanction that lump sum. Fernandes is reluctant to release Hughes because of the work he has done installing an infrastructure around the club. Hughes helped the QPR hierarchy draw up a club âcode of conductâ while overseeing improvements to the clubâs medical department and training facilities. But there is only so long such advice can offset poor performance on the pitch and concerns are growing that their current plight is beyond salvation. Hughes is adamant he can turn the clubâs fortunes around despite failing to register a single victory in their opening 12 Premier League games. Another defeat would heap further pressure on Hughes with certain members of the QPR board understood to be keen on luring Harry Redknapp to Loftus Road as his replacement. Hughesâ meeting lasted around 30 minutes and he was absent from training yesterday, although the club insist this was simply because yesterdayâs session only involved minimal work. The players were not told anything yesterday about Hughesâ future and asked to train âas normalâ. Two away trips to United and then Sunderland in the space of four days may give Hughes a last attempt to save his job but those within the club pressing for a change in manager are keen to instigate it before their relegation battle becomes unwinnable. Furthermore, the new manager would need time to identify targets in the January transfer window but any funds available would be reduced by the clubâs need to pay Hughes off. He publicly confirmed last weekend he had no intention of quitting and privately that stance was firmly reiterated last night. Hughesâ task is complicated further by striker Bobby Zamora admitting he is unable to continue playing through pain from a hip injury. Zamora has been playing despite the problem for six weeks and is now likely to be sidelined for around three months with the prospect of surgery which would considerably lengthen that timeframe. Supporters voiced their anger at Hughes during last weekendâs 3-1 home defeat to Southampton and winger Junior Hoilett said: âI can understand the fansâ frustrations. Weâre as frustrated as they are because we want to change this around and climb the table." ""
Interesting! See, even if MH gets some better performances and starts getting some wins I fear that his team will never be good enough to get us the points we need for staying up. A few wins here and there is not good enough any more. We need to start beating pretty much every team in the bottom half and a few from the top!! This is why I don't think we can keep MH, because even if he turns things around I don't think it's possible for him to turn them around enough to avoid relegation.
Did I read somewhere that Fernandes arrives in London this Friday? If so, we play Man Yoo on Saturday. I would expect the deed to be done by 7pm Saturday evening. £5M pay off. Nice work if you can get it.
With what's at stake,i'd expect Fernandes to drop everything and get back to HQ ****ing immediately.The longer things go on like this,the worse it's going to get for everyone.Whatever's going to happen,it needs to be sorted out before the Utd game.A bunch of disparate players playing for someone who they no longer believe in,is no good for anyone.Not knowing if he is going to be in charge from one game to the next is also going to kill what little morale is left in the squad.Things really can't get any grimmer than they are right now,Tony should get his arse back here NOW!
If Hughes is disingenuous and is just holding out for the money, the board should get him out of there pronto, particularly with three games coming up in quick succession. If he genuinely thinks he can still turn things around, it's possible he may try to negotiate a conditional agreement with TF - eg "if I don't get four points from the next three games, I'll leave and only take (fixed amount, less than legal entitlement) in compensation". In other words, MH may try to buy the opportunity to roll the dice for the next three games
If they've asked him to resign its not much of a vote of confidence is it? Just a matter of time, which we don't actually have to start getting points on the board Look at what we do know - - Hughes has 'lost' the fans - The board have asked him to resign (according to the above) - Its evident he can't motivate the playing squad - Not won all season - Never won away under Hughes What else is there to build on other than a resounding win over Man U, Sunderland...............................................................
Maybe they are sacrificing him in the Man U game, we get hammered and his rep is destroyed forever. A new man comes in with a different attitude and we get a result at Sunderland. Thats certainly better than a new man coming in and losing 4-0 at Man U and the players thinking here we go again.
Also, on the assumption this article is correct, I can't believe they'd ask him to resign without having someone lined up which again suggests a replacement waiting in the wings. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement either. Maybe (again) Flyer & Northy are right and its a done deal
I look at these articles written in the papers and wonder where they get their infomation from. The Independent seems to have named its "source" as The Evening Standard. The Evening Standard article they quote comes from one ... James Olley. Wasn't he the one who tweeted "Think story is this. Board met, asked Hughes to step down (hence first tweet). Hughes said no (hence second tweet). Apologies for confusion." His first tweet, stating that Hughes had been sacked but awaiting confirmation, was sent out an hour after QPR999 posted the "He's gone!" thread on here. Strangely the @JamesOlley "Think story is ..." tweet was posted by Not606er JamesMarlow. One and the same maybe? So the article has been written on what he "thinks" but nowhere does it says he knows (from a good source or otherwise). Seems his source might be Not606 and twitter! It's all guesswork and people will believe what they want. Frankly, I don't know and I don't suppose anyone who wasn't actually there knows ... unless there is a mole in the boardroom.
I asked that yesterday but no one has posted and no journo has made a story about it, it would be the clearest indication of him going if he wasnt there this morning.
I can see why Hughes is hanging on, it's his only hope.If he stays and things pick up his reputation survives but if he quits now he won't get a job in the Conference.It's not really fair on you chaps though,he is putting himself first.
To be honest, if he got sacked today I could imagine him getting a job in at least league 1 but I think a few championship teams would be eager to have him. I don't think an epl team would have him at this stage, though. Plus, he could always sell himself by saying that he had everything against him here. He could say anything, really.
The comments about Zamora are interesting and help explain his truly dire performances. But again this should bounce straight back on MH who sold HH and ignored the need to supplement our strikers and left us only with two aging and injury prone ex-Cottagers. At the end of the day the game is about goals and our 98-man midfield can neither score or prevent them.
Its not about that, its about the money. He wont get a job no matter what because the choice is be sacked or resign and a sacking is worse than a resignation.
There's a lot of talk here, all of it assuming that the Evening Standard story is based on fact.. But it's got to be BS, surely?? What the hell is a "request to resign"? It's self defeating and bad business and I don't think the board are that dumb. It also smacks of cowardise and penny pincing. If the board don't think he's good enough for the job then surely they would tell him that and give him the sack? Hughes has already stated that he won't walk away, so I can't see that a "request to resign" would do anything other than further damage the Manager's morale and in turn the team's chances.. And why would MH turn down a bumper severance package that would result from his sacking? He wouldn't. If my boss issued me with a "request to resign" I'd tell him to stick it. He'd have to pay me off if he wanted rid of me. The whole thing doesn't smell right to me..
Yes, Martin Jol did a nice piece of business dealing Zamora & Johnson over to us. Helguson is still able to manage playing 90 mins for Cardiff and continues to notch up the goals. We should have invested in a younger fitter striker like Jordan Rhodes.
