Coming Changes at Loftus Road

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Gregory's Loftus Road Spring Clean

By Tony Leighton/Football League

Queens Park Rangers manager John Gregory will waste no time in ringing the changes around Loftus Road after confirming the extension of his contract with the London club for a further two years.

Gregory was appointed last September with the task of keeping the R's in the Coca-Cola Championship. It was a task that at times looked extremely tough as the survival battle intensified at the foot of the table.

Rangers often looked in relegation danger, but a run of four wins from five matches ensured the club's safety and Gregory, looking ahead to the final weekend of the season, says: "I'll be sorting things out before our last match so we can get ready for next year.

"There have been so many issues up in the air - staff issues, playing staff issues, coaching staff issues. My own personal situation was the same, although that was sorted last September with the proviso of staying up and that's now kicked in.

"From a financial point of view it would have killed us if we'd got relegated - things like season ticket sales and funding from various sources would have been affected. But we've stayed up and we can start with a clean sheet of paper."

When his contract extension was announced last week Gregory said he was prepared to make changes "which will not always be popular ones." And the former QPR midfielder, a favourite with R's fans in the 1980's, looks set to keep his word.

"The club's had a tired look about it, right the way through," said the ex-Aston Villa and Derby County boss. "We need some young, hungry men - we need some energy, some fight and zip around the place.

"We've brought in two or three, but we need quite a few more as well. We need to change some faces and to give the club a bit of a Spring clean - and we'll do that this week and start to re-build." Football League