Just read this after finding the link from the BBC's Thursday gossip column: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...urn-with-QPR-article740847.html#ixzz1NPJ8VNsF and for those who cant follow the link: Carlo Ancelotti is set to be offered an immediate Premier League return with QPR. Rangers boss Neil Warnock's leading boardroom ally vice-chairman Amit Bhatia walked out of the Loftus Road outfit yesterday after his bid to buy the club was rejected. That left Warnock exposed, despite his superb achievement in steering the Rs from the foot of the Championship to Premier League status in the space of 15 months. Now chairman and former Formula One magnate Flavio Briatore, who has looked at one sacked former Chelsea boss in Claudio Ranieri, is poised to make a move for Ancelotti, who was axed by Blues an hour after the Premier League season finished. Bhatia's abrupt departure came as the club announced an effective season ticket price rise of 67 per cent for next season. The former vice-chairman, son-in-law on Indian billionaire and minority Rangers shareholder Lakshmi Mittal, walked out after revealing his efforts to take over full control had been stymied by the board. Bhatia said: "My vision and strategy for the club is very different from other shareholders and other board members. "The recent decisions to sack club CEO and chairman Ishan Saksena and significantly increase season-ticket prices are just two of the decisions I disagree with. "While it saddens me to leave QPR after such a successful season and at the beginning of an exciting new phase, I do not wish to be associated with or take responsibility for decisions made by the board and with which I disagree so strongly. "I shall look forward to supporting the club as a fan next season and would like to thank Neil Warnock for his leadership and friendship over the past 14 months. "It has been my pleasure to work with him and be part of the club's recent success and wish the club every success in the Premiership." Fans groups were angered by Bhatia's departure, with Briatore and partner Bernie Ecclestone branded "an absolute disgrace" who had shown "total contempt" towards supporters. But public promises about Warnock's future now appear less credible, with Briatore having his London base close to Ancelotti's home in Chelsea. While it is thought the former Juventus and Milan manager has his targets elsewhere, his departure terms from Chelsea saw the previous clause preventing him from joining another Premier League club within 12 months rescinded. why does this sort of drama always happen to us??? anyway, what do you guys think? credible, or just rumour-mongering by the press?
Nobody at the club has ever said that Warnock is leaving - everyone has said he's the manager next season. That includes those still there and those who have stepped aside. So no - I don't see there being any truth in this one whatsoever.
Ancelotti won't be cheap - Warnock is. For those reasons alone, I can't see it being entertained by our board.
Not gonna happen while (thank heavens), the Mittals still have an interest in the club. I can see an aggresive takeover coming up.
Mittals may still have an interest in the club, but as they have no representation on the board, the decision making part of the company, they will not have any say in its running until they appoint a new representative. Even then the would still probably be outvoted by the Flav and Bernie. at the moment, Bernie can make any decision he wants, who's going to stop him. Scarey!!
I hope and pray that is true Shefford. Right now it looks like the Mittals are limping away without putting up much of a fight. They say that ticket prices is at the heart of the issue but their walking out at board level does nothing to get us supporters a more reasonable deal. Quite the opposite in fact.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...rtures-leave-neil-warnocks-future-in-doubt.do this is mostly just a rewriting of other articles, except for the following line: "The manager's position is now under threat again, as Bhatia and Saksena were Warnock's two biggest allies in the boardroom, with Ecclestone and Briatore both known to favour appointing a continental coach. Standard Sport understands, though, that Bhatia will continue his fight to gain overall control of the club. His next move will be to nominate Saksena for a seat on the board as a director. This will be of some comfort to Warnock, who has forged a successful close working relationship with the Mittals."
I'm with the others on this, so hope you're right Sheff. However, pudding-faced Briatore is the anti-Christ of my nightmares in a world where any manager will do - as long as its Italian - and with Pelicoris all over the pitch getting thumped 10-0 by Wigan...
Agressive takeover? Will never happen. If Ecclestone doesn't want to sell there is absolutely nothing that the Mittals can do about it. All they can do is make trouble ... which is what they have been doing recently. They have been working at getting the fans on their side for ages (not a hard job considering what most think about Briatore). They announced that they were buying the club AFTER Ecclestone said that he would only sell for £100m - which is his way of saying that he wasn't going to sell. They thought that by going public that they could force Ecclestone's hand. It didn't work. Ecclestone knows that he can't have his company run by Saksena (someone heavily involved with the faction trying to oust Ecclestone) and so he sacks him. The Mittals have not got what they wanted - control of the club - and so things become very difficult in the boardroom. Bhatia CHOSE to go in a blaze of publicity (although he wants someone else to sit on the board to look after the Mittals interests.) I believe that his decision to RESIGN was more out of a fit of pique when he realized that the coup had failed and Saksena had been removed. The ticket price fiasco has just given him more ammunition in his bid to get the undying support of the fans against those that he wanted to depose. The whole thing is about one thing and one thing only ... getting control of a money maker. To think that the Mittals camp has the fans at heart is plain stupid. Neither side do. This is BUSINESS, purely business.
There's a contradiction in there somewhere Eamon: QPR a money maker? The club are heavily in debt and despite imminent prem / tv income are unlikely to be able to turn things round.
we will just have to wait for Bernie to croak he's 80 odd now he surely can't last much longer and then the young Amit Bhattia can take over
I'm thinking if someone jumps out at him from behind a parked car and blows a raspberry, that might just do it...
His girlfriend is in her twenties I believe, obviously it was the size of his........... wallet Perhaps he'll fall off it!....
Fall off what?, his wallet or his girlfriend!! - Perhaps he needs a bit of mountaineering experience for the latter, will need to keep his helmet on!
