This could be Neils last games as reported in the press.It states that Briatore has lined up either Ranieri or Lippi once these games are done and dusted(old news i know). I was talking to my mate and he seems to think that maybe if they move Neil on then that would then open up the purse strings for the next manager,as Ranieri or Lippi wouldnt consider a move without a substantial budget. and thats why Neils been having to recruit free-transfers,bosmans etc,as they wont want to be saddled with Neils players.What worries me is if his assesment is correct then that probably means that the goons plan to stay!So what would fellow QPR supporters think if this was true? lose Neil but gain a better squad or stick with Neil and see how it pans out? personally i think stick with Neil and wait for the take-over..comments?
Without hesitation I'd take Warnock and the current squad over an new manager and a bunch of mercenaries.
Sir Neil is the man, but if you can believe anything you read, we have to assume that they're trying to squeeze him out
I have read through most of what has been written in the last 48 hours (much of it courtesy of Northolt) and have come to the conclusion that most of what has been written has been done so by selecting pieces from Warnock's interview and the QPR statement (probably a Paladini effort) and trawling back through what has been written before and making connections that probably aren't there. Don't get me wrong, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Warnock was asked to attend Loftus Road to clear out his desk the moment the plane touches down from Italy in a week or so. Nothing has surprised me over the last 15 years. It could be that Briatore has lined up Lippi or Ranieri and it is he (whichever) who has said "keep Adel Taarabt". Maybe they have been told that there will be X millions to spend ... once they have got rid of Warnock. If the latter is true I would have expected to hear rumours coming out that either Ranieri or Lippi has been approaching certain players' agents and sounding them out. There have been so many rumours that the press have had a field day. A player or agent only has to be seen on a central line train for the press to surmise that they are off to White City. Gradually these players are signed by other clubs, sign new contracts ... or retire! Yet there are no rumours, no big mouth agent or player has said anything about an approach (unless they are absolute no-hopers that Warnock, Lippi or Ranieri wouldn't touch with a barge pole). I think the more likely scenario can be summed up by the age-old chant from the terraces "You, don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you're doing." There is one thing that Briatore needs to think about (and when I say Briatore, I mean just Briatore as I believe that Ecclestone has very little to do with the club and gives Briatore carte blanche to do what he likes) and that is that if he removes Warnock - whether by winding him up, letting him sound off and then sacking him or by buying out his contract (sacking him with a payoff) - he will destroy the team. I don't think Raniri or Lippi would be able to control Taarabt (something that Neil only just manages to do). A new manager would need to bring in a number of players and, although they might be seen to be great players, I don't think that the dressing room would gel. Mark Hughes had some great players at Manchester City, but they didn't gel and it took a while after he had gone for Mancini to oust some very good players and bring in others to get the balance right. Briatore is not that patient. HOWEVER ... Briatore's thoughts might be working along the lines that NW has two years left on his contract and will probably not seek a new one (or rather his wife will put her foot down and tell him that he is not to seek a new one!) no matter how successful he is. Briatore doesn't want to wait that long before he brings in a new man. Lippi will be 65 and Ranieri 62 by then. If he is going to make a change then now seems like the right time ... for him. The danger is, or course, that it could all be acedemic as the Rs have been relagted. I doubt whether Lippi or Ranieri would fancy a spell trying to get a team back out of the Championship. For either of them QPR would be one last hurrah and a final payday. (Which is similar to Neil Warnock.) The best way forward would be to give Warnock time to try to gain a foothold in the Premiership and then move onwards with someone else. That needs money - which the club and the owners have access to - but it also needs patience and that is something that Briatore does not have. I have come around to the opinion that Briatore does not want to sell (even though all the shares are in Eclestone's name ... probably to prevent the FA/Prem having any concerns under the fit and proper person clause). Briatore wants to be able to say that he took this club from a very bad place and turned it into a team that is challenging in Europe. The only exception to this would be if someone offered the ludicrous price that he and Ecclestone have put on the club. Then he could go round and say "look, I didn't make my dream happen, but I conned X million pounds out of so-and-so!" Only time will tell what is really going to happen and what everyone's true motives have been. Whether the family that is QPR will be in a better place in five years time is debatable.
I think the more likely scenario can be summed up by the age-old chant from the terraces "You, don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you're doing." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS
As ever, a well reasoned piece Eamon. My biggest fear is that Briatore is not a logical as you. The Latin blood is clearly more volatile. Do you think he would have to get Ecclestone’s explicit approval to sack Warnock? We all know he controls the day to day running, but for a big decision like that, wouldn’t Ecclestone want involvement? I’m tending to think that the latest “Warnock to be sacked” stories are just to get him back into line, just a warning about his behaviour.
To be fair to Briatore at least he has shown some passion, albeit misguided and reckless.Ecclestone always comes across as passionless and couldnt give a toss.The ar**-h**e couldnt even be bothered to travel from london to Watford to see his team win the championship.sooner he leaves the better.
Well rounded up there Eamon. Very enjoyable read. Thank you. Seems though that Briatore has encroached on the transfer responsibilities in Neil's contract and as their statement shows, he's now both been gagged and demoted to 'coach'... That cannot help his efforts to bond the squad and keep spirits up - something Warnock is particularly good at. This makes the 'you don't know what you're doing' chant all the more poignant.
Mussolini had a surfeit of misguided and reckless passion, Deano, and look where it got the Italians. Ecclestone, at least, has said all along he'll be guided by NW on football matters. On the other hand, Briatore thinks he knows better than Neil and all the managers he's sacked since coming to the club - that makes him dangerous.
For ****'s sake!! A friend of mine was told by his aunt who knew the tea lady, who's sister was seeing the brother of a bloke who had a "source" that said TOO MUCH BOLLOCKS IS BEING WRITTEN AND SAID!!!!
read the post properly mate,i said it was a friends view and opinion..thats what football is all about,well it is in my eyes and we dont live in china so anyone anyone can have there opinion..take the circumspect rumour, and the intrigue out of it and you lose a lot of the banter that is being a football fan..if i think that this site becomes dominated by "too much bollocks" etc then i will cease to log-in.
Wasn't meant as a slur against you Northy, or anyone come to that. Perhaps it's the red wine talking, but it just seems that we're given so much rumour and comments from "sources" that never comes to anything!!
