Neil Warnock believes he lost his job as Queens Park Rangers manager because he was 'slowly poisoned' by critics from within and outside the club. He claimed a "lack of football experience" in the hierarchy left QPR open to "manipulative" people. The 63-year-old said he was unhappy fans and players were able to talk to owner Tony Fernandes through Twitter. Warnock said his achievements at the club were "almost a miracle" given what "I've had to contend with". "Even the owner Tony...I know the influence he'll have had from certain people over the past few weeks," Warnock said. "It would have been difficult to resist because people get on the phone and tweet and it's almost like slowly poisoning somebody from outside the club and no doubt from within the club as well. "It's a dangerous precedent. If you let players talk to the chairman but, you know, you can't stop tweeting." QPR sacked Warnock 11 days ago and Warnock has spoken about his dismissal at length for the first time, saying: he was disappointed Fernandes did not sack him face-to-face with chief executive Philip Beard delivering the news; he was surprised at the decision but has no bitterness towards QPR; his successor Mark Hughes is a "good manager", but Warnock "wished he had his agent"; football had become 'immoral' because of players' wages and the manager's role was not as enjoyable anymore; he did not want to discuss about midfielder Joey Barton as "he just wants to talk about positive things at the club". More to follow... ....here's the rest: After guiding the London club to the Premier League during the 2010-11 season, the former Sheffield United and Crystal Palace boss was initially backed by Fernandes. But, despite a poor run of results, Warnock says that "he didn't see [being sacked] coming," and believes the Caterham F1 team boss should have told him personally. "I received a text saying the owners had been talking long into the night and Phil Beard, the new chief executive, asked if he could come and see me so I told him to come to our house and when I saw him I felt sorry for him and said, 'don't worry - it's nothing to do with you, this'. "I think you get used to a certain way of doing things but he [Fernandes] is so far away, all over the world. I'm not a communicator by tweet, I'm afraid, so I was always going to be the last to know," he added. Warnock, who spent 22 months at Loftus Road, believed he was on track to keep the club up. "The club will need restructuring over the next few years and there are a number of owners now and there's not a lot of football experience around," he said. "When you have a run of results like we had and you're not involved in football and you get people in your ear - agents, for example - tweeting him and speaking to him and talking about players... there's some clever and manipulative people. I've no bitterness towards it. It's just how things go. "I love this club and always will. It's been a big part of my life even though it has only been 22 months and it's been the biggest career success I have had in my life." Warnock also went on to rue the fact he "wished I'd had [Hughes's] agent at times over the last few years," referring to Hughes's representative Kia Joorabchian - who also represents Rangers targets Alex of Chelsea and Manchester City's Nedum Onuoha. "I want Mark to do well. He's got a good agent too, and between them they'll bring some good players into the club," Warnock said. However, the Yorkshireman does not envy young managers coming into the game and said that, from a manager's point of view, the game was no longer enjoyable because "players are the ones with all the power now". He added: "My chairman tweets a lot and some of my players tweet and players only look after themselves so it's quite easy to start rumours with this new modern media and I don't think it helps anybody." When asked about the influence of captain Barton on the team, Warnock would not be drawn: "I don't think I want to get into talking about Joey Barton. Joey talks about himself enough and I think we'll let Joey talk about Joey. "I just want to talk about positive things about the club and I think there are too many positive things to talk about without going into detail on individual players." When asked about his future, Warnock talked only of spending time with friends and family but he did reveal that he did "like the idea of saying what I want to say - but we'll have to wait and see". http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16634917.stm
I just wonder whether NW really wanted Barton OR whether this was a decision made a little higher up the chain of command - especially in the light the goons left us with no time to do proper transfer business
Surprised Joey didn't tweet his wishes to Tony, as he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. He's a tool, no denying that.
The trouble is better players have had better managers the whole of their careers, then they come here and Warnock doesnt bother with tactics, prozone, DVDs of games, sports science, dietician etc They cant take him seriously. Thats why he will be remembered as a lower league manager because hes a relic and not willing to adjust. he cant even reply to an email.
As others have said that Barton comment is more than worrying. Im a bit on edge for the "more to follow" at the bottom of the article as it seems a lots about to be let loose.
Anyone else think NW's approach to pre-season is costing us fitness-wise? A gentle run-around in Cornwall isnt good enough in my opinion.
Feck me, wait 'til DT finds out. He's gonna go mental. He's been saying this about Barton all season.
NW may be remebered as a lower league manager by some, but for me, He was the one that stood up to a couple of complete prats and a parasite that could organise an orgy in a brothel. NW saved our club from relegation and managed to get a ramshackled side promoted and became one of our longest serving managers in the last decade, after Olly. The last thing the prats & parasite did was to tell him that the promoted side would be able to stay up in the premier league.........I mean, the're be saying the moon is made of cheese next!! NW is someone we should all be grateful for...including someone of those over paid players that have yet to justify their massive wages even though they claim to be international class. Just a shame they cannot infuence persceptions of themselves by doing their talking on the pitch for 90 minutes.....
Few if any managers could have done what he did to get us up. I think the problem was he didn't have the high-grade tactical expertise needed in the Prem
Not sure why fans are worried about the Barton comment at the end of the article? NW is gone. If Barton plays up again, he'll be gone.
who will pay a fee for Barton? We got him on a free as no one else wanted him? I would be pissed off if we then had to pay him to leave........
I like Warnock and am immensely grateful for what he achieved but this is a bit pot kettle black with the way he treated some of the squad players last year. Unfortunately it was a tough decision at a tough time by TF and I hope he moves on and gets another job quickly, he can still do well.
Doesn't matter what level of manager you think he is, he performed an amazing feat getting us out of the relegation zone (year 1); and promoting us as Champions (year 2). Great respect to the man. He changed my view of him 100%.
Neil spent a lot of time thanking all of us for our support, mails etc on the TV interview I just saw.
In my personal email to Sir Neil, I suggested I would look forward to reading, "Warnock - my time at QPR" IF he could get it past the lawyers!!
There's no doubt we are where we are because of him and I think all fans are appreciative of that. My respect for him certainly changed. But we have to move on. He has to move on. We all know why he was sacked. Lack of ability can only take you so far. Happens in all walks of life. No better way to put this argument to bed than MH winning some games for us...with the same squad!
Spot on! He was dealt with in the same way he dealt with squad players as we got promoted. Harsh but needed. Hope we can all move on positively!
