Warnock: England are boring, if I had the job I'd make it a lot more fun! By Neil Ashton Last updated at 7:50 AM on 13th October 2011 Neil Warnock's England team are a mirror image of the manager, making the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end with a blood-curdling approach to the game. England - his England - will play without fear, given the freedom to rip off the mask and scrub the faces of second-rate opposition. Warnock wants a change of direction after Fabio Capello quits next year, and to equip the team with a manager who can move quickly through the gears. The 62-year-old is fed up with 'tippy-tappy football' and '25 passes just to get to the halfway line', demanding enthusiasm from a team who are in the entertainment industry. Bore draw: Warnock struggles to stay awake during England games 'I could do the England job, no problem,' he said. 'But there's not a cat in hell's chance of them giving me the job because I've got a sense of humour.' QPR's manager has not been laughing during the international breaks, slumped in his armchair at the family home in Cornwall and drifting in and out of consciousness. He wants an up-and-at-'em approach to international football, trading on the qualities that have earned Warnock seven promotions in a 30-year managerial career. The Rangers boss has identified the failings with the national team, focusing on man-management and motivational techniques under an Italian coach. Warnock is convinced that England's players have been suppressed by the iron fist of Fabio Capello, afraid to express themselves when they pull on the Three Lions jersey. He added: 'An Englishman could get far more passion and enthusiasm from England's players than Fabio Capello. Same old England: Capello's side failed to impress in throwing a way a 2-0 lead 'The dressing room would have more understanding. England's players don't look as though they enjoy playing for England and I can't understand that. 'For a manager it would be the pinnacle to manage England and it should be the same for the players. 'There is no humour in that dressing room and as good a manager as Fabio Capello is meant to be, it's difficult to motivate players and get more out of them if you don't have a sense of humour. 'I give a lot out and I get a lot back from the lads. That connection is so important. I get on with my players. Yes, they call me "Colin" behind my back (Warnock's nickname given to him by fans based on an anagram of his name), but I can assure you I call them far worse than that. 'It's about having a bit of fun and I don't see that with England. We were having the QPR team photo done and Anton Ferdinand looked at it and said, "Gaffer, no one could ever accuse you of being racist you've signed every black player going". The lads loved that, it's fun to be a part of my teams.' Warnock is fed up with the waiting game at international level, with England's players coasting through matches and failing to generate excitement in the stands. Change of tack: England's obsession with foreign coaches looks set to end He is calling it as he sees it, taking international football and the men who run it apart with some typically forthright opinions. These past two weeks have been torturous for Warnock, tough to take now that he is managing a side in the Premier League again. He added: 'I don't enjoy watching a team that takes 25 passes to get to the halfway line, it's not excitement. At the moment we see tippy-tappy football with passes across the back four because players are afraid to make a mistake. Enjoy it lads, that's why you're out there. 'I'm a fan at heart and I like to be in a stadium where there are "oohs" and "aahs", keepers making saves, headers, chances and corners. 'That's excitement, sending people away happy and believing they have just seen something that gets the blood pumping. I'm not sure people walk away from Wembley after an international feeling the same way. 'International football is such a patient game, but I don't understand why we are indulging the opposition from game to game. In September, we changed the team from Bulgaria to accommodate a player playing for Wales. Come on, it's Wales. Capello didn't learn anything from that game. 'I know I'm in an armchair watching the matches and the manager will always get criticism, but it needs to change for football's sake.' Rollercoaster: QPR's topsy-turvy season hit a low in the 6-0 defeat to Fulham Capello will be the manager of the national team until Euro 2012 finishes on July 1 and then the scramble will be on to replace him. The FA would prefer an Englishman, taking a patriotic stance after huge financial outlays on Sven Goran Eriksson (2001-2006) and Capello (2007-2012). Warnock has been championing the cause of Harry Redknapp, but there are five English managers in charge of Premier League clubs. It is a diminishing talent pool, but Roy Hodgson (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Pardew (Newcastle United) and Steve Bruce (Sunderland) will argue that they have the pedigree and the experience to take the Impossible Job. Warnock added: 'If QPR were top two or three at Christmas then maybe they would start thinking of me, but the FA will give it to whoever is fashionable or flavour of the month at the time. No Englishman could turn down the call from the country, but Harry Redknapp's the main man at the minute. 'Look how things change, though. Roy Hodgson was nailed on for it when he went to Liverpool and then he was sacked after a few months. Pardew's too young to do it, he's got too much to offer on the training ground at the moment. 'The problem with the job is that half the country would want you, half would say you don't have any international experience, half would say I've got seven promotions and half would say it doesn't count. 'They would come up with something for me, a turnip or a wally or whatever, but I could take all that, it doesn't bother me.' Next in line? Warnock has sung Pardew and Redknapp's praises With more than 30 years' managerial experience, Warnock has heard it all before. He wants to pass on the benefit to up and coming coaches, but claims young managers think a clipboard and a few manuals will take them to the top. Warnock added: 'The qualification I have for the England job is experience. It made me laugh when I told the LMA I'd be happy to mentor some young coaches and I had every Sunday League manager in the world get in contact. 'For a time it was popular for clubs to appoint ex-internationals, then it was foreign managers and then it was young men with clipboards. 'I'm fascinated by what they write down - "don't forget to put cat out and two pints of milk, please". 'Apart from managing England, managing a Premier League team is the pinnacle of my career. I couldn't manage abroad because they wouldn't get my humour, but I don't suppose I've had as many jobs offered to me as I have now.' The big one may be beyond reach, but the passion of the Premier League suits his style. iReader http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2048392/Neil-Warnock-England-boring.html
Don't believe they hype, Barton is much smarter than people think, says Warnock By Neil Ashton Joey Barton has finally met his match, according to QPR boss Neil Warnock. The Rangers boss, preparing for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Blackburn, claims Barton has been on his best behaviour since arriving at Loftus Road. 'Training has improved 50 per cent since he's been at the club,' said Warnock. 'He's far more articulate and clever than people give him credit for and I think he will have a career in the media when he's finished playing. 'He's come on so much in such a short space of time that I think he might be ready for my autobiography now, but I think we'll start him off on the pictures first, the words later.' Barton appreciates Warnock's humour but the QPR boss has spent the past two weeks brooding after they were beaten 6-0 by Fulham. He loves life in London and admits walking around Covent Garden, where he often spends time in the afternoons clearing his mind. He is on a big bonus to keep Rangers in the Premier League, but he knows how tough it will be after that defeat at Craven Cottage. 'I used to think London was the pits, but now the CD sellers busking in the streets around Covent Garden know my family's first names,' said Warnock. 'It helps me relax. I know we can compete in the Premier League and I don't give two hoots what people think about me or my team. 'I will get a bonus for keeping the team in the Premier League, but I don't earn anything like what my players earn and I find that difficult.' Mail
Warnock: Takeover gives us a chance (FIFA.com) Thursday 13 October 2011 Honesty is a quality that Neil Warnock has become somewhat renowned for during his three decades of management in England. While often a refreshing change to some of the more bland personalities in the game, it is a character trait that has not always served the Queens Park Rangers manager well in the eyes of authority. Having worked his way up from semi-professional coaching to the heights of the Premier League for a second time, following a season in the top flight back in 2006/07 with hometown club Sheffield United, it is maybe no surprise that he retains a sense of pragmatism. However, having seen frank reflections on refereeing decisions in the past lead to lengthy touchline bans, the south Yorkshireman intends to curb his outbursts and keep himself in check this time around. He felt QPR’s recent 1-1 draw with Aston Villa was a perfect example, where, after the game, he revealed a number of penalty area incidents had caused him some ire. On his comments, he said: “I think you just have to be careful. I think myself of a few years ago would have got fined due to the circumstances and situation [of the Aston Villa match]. I’ve had meetings with the FA on what I can say and what I can’t say.” The FA responded to his comments by only handing him a warning. The former Crystal Palace manager added: “I think some of the questions I’m asked at press conferences are really a way to get you in trouble – that’s their story. So as long as you don’t talk about the integrity of the referee you are fine giving constructive criticism.” Since [the takeover] we’ve managed to get experienced Premiership players in and it’s given us a fighting chance. Neil Warnock, Queens Park Rangers manager However, the changes that are really exciting Warnock are those happening around Loftus Road, following the takeover by Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, in particular their raft of signings in the final days of the transfer window. QPR brought in five players in the shape of Shaun Wright-Philips, Joey Barton, Luke Young, Anton Ferdinand and Armand Traore to bolster their squad with Premier League talent at the 11th hour. Since then Warnock has found the drive in his new recruits cause for celebration. “All the lads we’ve signed have things to prove in their own way, so I’ve been delighted as you need hungry players. Even at their age, people like Ferdinand, Traore, Luke Young have it, so I’ve been pleased with that. “Until the takeover happened we were a bit thin on the ground in terms of signings, but since then we’ve managed to get experienced Premiership players in and it’s given us a fighting chance. I did feel we’d struggle if we hadn’t had the takeover.” There is also the prospect of further forays into the transfer market, with Fernandes hinting that there are funds available. As a result Warnock is expecting to be active in the January window, saying: “I would think we definitely will be, the chairman’s very positive and he’s enjoyed the new signings, so it all bodes well really. If we can hang in there until January we can improve the squad further.” The influx of experience led him to instantly promote Barton to captain, a move which Championship Player of the Season Adel Taarabt – the former wearer of the armband – was happy to see. “It was an easy decision as [Barton’s] a captain anyhow. I spoke to Adel about it, I think he’s revelled in not being a captain if I’m honest, seeing these players come in. [Barton’s] a born winner really, and I think when I looked at the situation it was only natural to give him the position.” [Barton’s] a born winner really, and I think when I looked at the situation it was only natural to give him the position. Warnock on making new signing Joey Barton captain Results have been inconsistent, however, with an opening-day 4-0 defeat by Bolton Wanderers followed recently by a humbling 6-0 loss at local rivals Fulham. Warnock maintains, though, that performances, as well as impressive away wins at Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers provide grounds for optimism. “We played quite well against Bolton for an hour, but at Everton we were super. “I was a bit disappointed we hadn’t got the new players in before we played Wigan [Athletic], as we hit the bar and post three times, and we only had the old lads. I feel we’d have had at least a half chance, if I’m honest, with the new signings in tow. “I think all the promoted clubs have struggled to score goals when they first came up, and I think we have all had that period, but we’ve all got decent results and can all feel positive about competing. There’s some big clubs down at the bottom at the moment and it will be interesting to see how it develops.” Things are not likely to get any easier, however, now the international break is over. Though Warnock will be replenished somewhat by the return of injured and suspended players to his rearguard, which he attributed the Fulham defeat to, beyond Saturday’s match with Blackburn Rovers they have a daunting schedule. Chelsea at home, Tottenham Hotspur away, Manchester City at home and then Stoke City away is how the fixture list reads, but Warnock is remaining upbeat, happy more than anything to be entertaining sides of this stature. “They’re difficult games, quite rightly so as there are no easy matches at this level, but I think every game at the minute we’re looking forward to,” he said. “They’re all also different teams playing different systems and when you’re playing all the top teams no one expects anything but we’re quite capable of taking points off them.” iReader
QPR to buy foreign players - QPR FC - Sport - Fulham Chronicle NEIL Warnock will look to Europe in the January transfer window to boost his QPR squad. The Rs boss has been notoriously cautious over signing foreigners in the past, especially anyone without English league experience, but after talks with chairman Tony Fernandes this week, admits he might try his luck further afield. The manager said: “We don’t want to look just in England, and there is no manager in the Premiership who doesn’t want to improve what he’s already got.” Warnock revealed he needs a striker and a central defender as a priority, but has laughed off speculation he may be forced to sell star midfielder Adel Tarrabt (pic) over a wages row. The Moroccan international was reported as wanting more money while on international duty this week - ‘allegedly’ countered Warnock. He added: “I take all this with a pinch of salt. “Six weeks he was never going to play for his country again, but this week he scores a goal and kisses the coach – that’s Adel for you.” Warnock insisted there has never been a big-money offer for the mercurial talent, and for the first time lifted the lid of an abandoned move to Paris St Germain for the former Spurs player in the summer. He said: “I know what PSG offered, and by the time we had paid Tottenham off we’d have been left with peanuts.”
Bill Baileys striking a bit of a funky "OOH-EER Madame!" post in your sig there! Would love to see him down Loftus road screaming his head off holding a lit flare ala Serie A
