After being involved in Sunday League
coaching Neil Warnock's first full managerial job was with Northern
Premier League side Gainsborough Trinity in 1981. Following this
he managed Burton Albion and Scarborough. At Scarborough he and
Paul Evans, his assistant, won the Football Conference title in
1987, making them the first team to win automatic promotion to the
Football League following the abolition of the re-election system. He had earlier spent time as a coach
at Peterborough United, where he met Posh assistant boss Mick Jones,
who would become his own long-time assistant. Warnock then became
manager of Notts County with Jones as his assistant and the pair
achieved successive promotions to get County into the top flight
in 1991 (with Warnock turning down lucrative offers to manage Chelsea
and Sunderland during this time), before Warnock left in the 1992-93
after County's relegation had cost them a place in the new Premier
League. In March 1993 he took over as 'consultant'
at Torquay United, saving the club from relegation from the Football
League. Warnock resumed his partnership with Jones at Huddersfield
Town, his appointment coming in July 1993. The run to the final of the Autoglass
Trophy coincided with an upturn in league form and a mass optimism
further bolstered by the move to the new Alfred McAlpine Stadium
for the 1994/95 season. Warnock's side were genuine contenders for
automatic promotion until falling away in the final few games to
finish 5th (the final Play-Off spot that season due to league re-structuring).
They triumphed on penalties over 2nd-placed Brentford after two
thrilling ties and went on to beat Bristol Rovers at Wembley. He quit Huddersfield just days after
their promotion, but made a swift and surprising return to management
at Plymouth Argyle, which had just been relegated to Division Three.
Warnock and Jones achieved yet another promotion to get the Pilgrims
into Division Two (via the playoffs). Warnock then left Plymouth, with Jones
taking over as Pilgrims boss. Warnock rounded out the 1990s with
Oldham Athletic and Bury. In 2005 Jones resumed the partnership
by taking up the assistant's post at Bramall Lane, and at the end
of the 2005-06 season the club were promoted to the Premiership
as runners-up in The Championship. The Blades performed well in their expected
relegation battle, and for a long time looked to be heading for
survival. However a turning point in the season occurred with victories
for both West Ham and Wigan on the final day of the season, condemning
Warnock's side to relegation. Simon Jordan spoke to Warnock about
taking over at Crystal Palace following the sacking of Peter Taylor
and, after initially not being keen over the job, he returned to
football management with Palace in 2007. Jones returned from his
own sabbatical to join Warnock's team as assistant. Under Warnock
and Jones Palace made a massive turn-around, moving from relegation
battlers to promotion contenders in the space of six months, with
Warnock's use of youngsters a major factor in the improved performances
and results. Palace made the play-offs in the end, but were beaten
at the semi-final stage by Bristol City. Warnock stayed on for the 2008-09 season,
but on taking the job a year earlier he had made it clear that the
Crystal Palace job would be his last managerial role in football,
with the club's finances beginning the take a turn for the worse.
The 2009-10 season saw Palace perform well despite being heavily
restricted by the club's poor financial position, which resulted
in the club being placed in administration late in January. A 10-point
deduction was imposed by the Football League for this. On 1 March 2010 Warnock joined Queens Park Rangers as manager on a three-and-a-half year deal after agreeing compensation with Crystal Palace.
It was another weird and wonderful season at
Loftus Road last year. We began with a draw against Blackpool and
few would have predicted that day that Blackpool would end the season
promoted and QPR would face a relegation battle. The need for a striker was as obvious at the
start of the season as it still is today and after struggling to
score in games and taking four games to register a win, Jim Magilton
moved to bring in jay Simpson. It was a move that changed our season
and his two goals at Cardiff saw the team click into life. We were unfortunate to lose by a single goal
at Chelsea in the League Cup before thrashing
Barnsley 5-2 and playing eventual Champions Newcastle off the park
in a 1-1 draw. October saw QPR peak with some unbelievable
performances. We thrashed Preston 4-0 before a 4-1 win at home to
reading which for me was one of the most perfect performances I've
seen in years. The goals kept coming as we put another four past
Derby and a win at Sheffield Wednesday saw us move to fourth. This was QPR though and it could not continue
to go so well. Rangers made some strange loan signings with Tommy
Williams and Steven Reid brought in by the clubs Sporting Director
and the result meant Rangers were very unbalanced and Magilton changed
his side around. He began to fall out with players and after a 5-1
defeat to Middleborough followed by a 3-1 defeat at Watford he had
a huge row with Buzsaky which saw him suspended then leave the club.
The club never recovered, the players showed glimpses of good football but never looked confident again. Paul Hart came in for a five game run and produced some shocking football before being thankfully sacked. The club brought in more absolute rubbish in
January with Nigel Quashie, Matt Hill, Marcus Bent and Tamas Priskin
all signed. At one point we had so many loan players we couldn't
pick them all. Mick Harford was next in charge and he was rubbish
as well as the team tool until mid February to win in 2010. The
club pretended that Harford was a caretaker manager so let him go
and Neil Warnock came in to save the day. Within a week he won two matches and the team
suddenly looked good again. The poor form returned but Warnock was
getting performances out of Taarabt and a stunning 2-0 win at his
old club Palace made sure we not only stayed up but finished mid
table.
Well here we go again another season set to start and just as we did two years ago we set off with Barnsley at home and Sheffield United away. Year three of the project and at this stage we were supposed to be going to the San Siro rather than to Millwall on a Tuesday night.
The BBC TV series Bottom featured the character Edward Hitler (played by Adrian Edmondson) as a supporter of the team. In the show, he once asked the barman of his local (called "The Lamb and Flag,") if it was true he had a trial with the team. Dick Head, the landlord replied that he was decked by Les Ferdinand for kicking the ball in his own net. He was expecting to get applause from his team mates, as he was unaware he had scored an own goal. Also, in the BBC sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf, Holly the computer makes a gag about QPR's away fixtures. Kryten, upon seeing a group of people frozen by time, she comments "I've never seen such a thing! A group of people who show all the normal life signs, but seem totally incapable of movement!" to which Holly quips, "Never seen QPR play away then?!". Reference was also made to QPR in the BBC series Tucker. In the January 17, 1978 episode of M*A*S*H (Tea and Empathy) a group of soldiers are lying around reading letters from home and a conversation develops around football. One of the characters says "You're barmy mate, It's Queens Park Rangers all the way". The comedy detective series Boys From The Bush included the character Reg Toomer, an ardent QPR fan. Although set in Melbourne, the series ended in Hammersmith and included a scene inside Loftus Road.
I've asked around the editors of other QPR web sites and fanzines for views on the new season and here is the response. Thanks to Ron, Dave and Mike for your help
Dave Thomas How do you
think QPR will fare this season? Who are the key players to our season? Is Neil Warnock the right man for the job? Which area if any of the squad needs to be improved? Which three teams will be promoted this season? Which teams will be relegated? Ron
Norris How do you
think QPR will fare this season?
I hate predicting Rangers, it's nearly impossible. I always think we'll have a slightly better season then we do but I never feel like we're going to do that well either and this season isn’t that different. I think we'll undoubtedly improve on last season but I don’t think we've quite got enough to push for promotion. Who are the key players to our season?
Adel Taarabt can turn games on his own and now he has joined it'll be interesting to see what his mindset is now he is a full time QPR player. We obviously need a striker and who we get in (if we do) will be important of course. Also it will be interesting to see if Faurlin can continue his fine form of last season. Is Neil Warnock the right man for the job?
Yeh for sure, I've always had a sneaking admiration for him even when he was at his obnoxious best. I never thought for a second we'd end up with him at Rangers but I'm delighted he's here and just hope he is given all the freedom and support he needs for us to be successful.
Which area if any of the squad needs to be improved?
I mentioned strikers twice already so let's go for the hatrick. We need a striker. It's not quite the missing piece of the jigsaw as, whilst I think our team is good I believe our squad lacks some strength in depth and if we get injuries we could have a problem but if I could only sign one player now it would be a top class forward, or even just an decent class one!
Which three teams will be promoted this season?
This league is so hard to predict and things seem even tighter this season. I think there's at least ten teams who could all do well but since you've asked me to pick three I'll go for Middlesbrough, Leicester and Nottingham Forest.
Which teams will be relegated?
If I remember right Watford were one of my three to go down last year, they survived but I don’t see things getting any easier for them and I think they will find this season even tougher. I'll have them to go along with Scunthorpe who surely can't survive losing Hooper and Millwall.
Mike - QPR Report How do you
think QPR will fare this season?
First thanks to Dave for arranging this. Great site. Let me acknowledge my own "Status" vis-a-vis not having seen "too many" games over the last few years! Buzsaky. Derry, Buzsaky, Taarabt and the super goalscorer we're going to sign
Is Neil Warnock
the right man for the job? YES: FOR THIS JOB of Stability and promotion. (As Was Ian Holloway. As was Iain Dowie as would have been Coppell). Our problems have been off the field rather than more.
Need a New Chairman of QPR FC...Six years at the club is more than enough...Briatore should also move on. On the field: Two goalscorers (maybe by the time this is published, that will have occurred). And several players need to be moved on (difficult given their well-paid/long-term contracts)
Burnley, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest
Which teams
will be relegated? |
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