QPR Snippets: Managerial Sack & Promotion Odds---Ledesma Praised --- Di Carmine View --- Gorkss Perspective---Langley Search---Nardiello Update

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Managerial "Sack Race"
EDP24 "...The bookmakers don't rate [Norwich] City's chances for promotion this season - and one company has him down as a 16-1 shot to be the first Championship manager to be sacked this season.
Roeder is rated at 16-1 to get the elbow from Carrow Road, although it's another former West Ham manager, Alan Pardew, who SkyBet reckon could be the first to pick up his P45.
Charlton boss Pardew is rated a 5-1 joint favourite with Southampton's new man Jan Poortvliet to win this season's Championship sack race.
Iain Dowie, whose new role as manager of money club Queens Park Rangers has begun with a win and a defeat, is third favourite at 11-2, while Derby boss Paul Jewell is rated at 6-1.
Dowie has been the subject of much speculation since taking over at Loftus Road, with reports of a row with joint owner Flavio Briatore, while Jewell's start to the season has been interrupted by similar claims. The heat is on them both to produce, given the finances available.
He is among the dark horses, behind Owen Coyle, Brian Laws, Colin Calderwood and Paul Sturrock, although he will be none too pleased at being judged on his rebuilt team's performances just two matches into the campaign." EDP24


Meanwhile QPR's Promotion Odds have taken a slight drop (after two games!) - Championship Odds


Dave McIntyre Praise for Emmanuel Ledesma (Written Prior to the Sheffield United game):

Ealing Gazette/Dave McIntyre (August 15) - Dazzling Manu looks in mood to thrill
IF HIS display at Swindon is anything to go by, Emmanuel Ledesma will take the Championship by storm this season.
The midfielder, on a year-long loan at QPR from Genoa, was simply brilliant at times as Rangers won 3-2 at the County Ground to secure a place in the Carling Cup second round, where they will face League One Carlisle at home.
On-loan Real Madrid starlet Dani Parejo made his debut in the centre of midfield and showed his class, but it was Ledesma, playing on the right flank, who stole the show.
Only wayward finishing spoilt an otherwise outstanding performance from the Argentine. He missed two good chances in a first half Rangers somehow ended 2-1 down after creating a host of chances and going ahead with a goal from youngster Angelo Balanta.
Ledesma will undergo a real test of his Championship credentials when Rangers visit Sheffield United this weekend.
If he fares well in that type of away game, there may be no stopping him.
Rangers have the option of buying Ledesma for around £2.2million at the end of the season and boss Iain Dowie has no doubt he will have made a major impact in west London by then.
Dowie said: "Ledesma has great charisma and is a fans' favourite already, and rightly so because he's so great to watch - such great ability.
"He was the most special player I saw when I went to Italy to watch a tournament in the summer and thankfully Flavio Briatore then managed to get that one over the line and bring the player here.
"As for Dani Parejo, you don't play for Real Madrid without being a good player and his set-piece delivery was sensational..."
. Ealing Gazette


Dave McIntyre/BBC 606 - A star is born? (August 16)
There were signs at Swindon that Emmanuel Ledesma could take the Championship by storm this season.
For a 20-minute spell in the first-half, he was sensational.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say I haven’t seen a QPR player tear a defence to shreds in that manner since Roy Wegerle against Everton at Loftus Road shortly after his move to Rangers.
That’s not to say Ledesma is anywhere near the class of some of the players Rangers have had since then.
Ferdinand on his day was electrifying, Sinton in his prime reaped havoc and Sinclair was also an exciting player – especially during a spell in 1995 playing behind the front two, when he was superb.
More recently, Buzsaky showed his class last season and in my view remains Rangers' best player by some distance.
But for a while on Tuesday night, Ledesma was untouchable and would have beaten Swindon virtually by himself had his finishing been better. It was brilliant stuff and did remind me of Wegerle on that December day in 1989.
But for Ledesma and Rangers’ promotion credentials, the game at Sheffield United is the first real test of the season.
It’s a much stiffer examination than Barnsley at home or facing a League One team that tried to play open football.
Sheffield United at Bramall Lane is a big step up and if Ledesma excels in this type of away game, he may well be impossible to stop this season.
You can be sure the reports United manager Kevin Blackwell has received in advance of this game will have flagged up two things.
The first will be how dangerous Ledesma is and what a dangerous side Rangers look generally with the likes of Parejo and Cook also posing a threat.
The second will be how easily this Rangers team – and Ledesma in particular – could be picked off defensively against strong opposition.
Ledesma, for all his appeal, lacks maturity and that could also be exploited in this type of match, so he’s likely to be shown no mercy by the home defence.
That’s what makes today’s game so interesting and why the outcome will tell us a lot.
Iain Dowie isn’t at all minded to compromise Rangers’ obvious attacking flair to avoid being left open defensively.
There is a real willingness to let the opposition have it with both barrels and play open, attractive football no matter what.
For many people, myself included, that’s what Rangers used to be and should be all about...." BBC606


Meanwhile re Di Carmine - As Noted by QPR Italia:
'agente di Di Carmine: "nessun problema ai QPR"
Relativamente alle notizie diffuse da alcuni media inglesi, che vorrebbero l'allenatore del QPR, Iain Dowie, in rotta con la società per via di una campagna acquisti portata avanti dalla proprietà senza il consenso del tecnico, l'agente di Samuel Di Carmine, Giulio Dini, contattato da Firenzeviola.it, dichiara: "Il giocatore è stato visionato a Vasto durante le finali del campionato 'Primavera' dal ds Paladini, dal consulente Di Marzio e dallo stesso Dowie. La decisione del suo ingaggio è stata presa di comune accordo da tutto lo staff tecnico del Queens Park Ranger; per cui ogni eventuale dissidio tra tecnico e società non ha niente a che vedere con la campagna acquisti del club londinese ed in particolar modo con l'acquisto di Samuel Di Carmine". Firenzeviola.it QPR Italia


English Web 'Translation'
The agent of Carmine: "no problem to QPR"
With regard to the news disseminated by some media British, who would like the coach of QPR, Iain Dowie, en-route with the company because of a campaign carried out by buying property without the consent of technical, the actor Samuel Carmine Di Giulio Dini, contacted by Firenzeviola.it says: "The player was viewed at Vasto during the finals of the championship 'Spring' by ds Paladini, the consultant Di Marzio and the same Dowie. The decision of his engagement was taken by mutual agreement from all the technical staff of Queens Park Rangers, for which any dispute between technical and society has nothing to do with the campaign purchases of the London club and especially with the purchase of Samuel Di Carmine. " Web Translation


Ealing Gazette/Yann Tear - Kaspars Gorkss: Having best players won't be enoughAug 15 2008
Kaspar Gorkss has sounded a warning about Rangers' chances of promotion this year - even if he thinks his new club have the players to achieve it.
The Latvian central defender - one of six summer recruits who made their league debuts for the Rs in last Saturday's curtain-raiser against Barnsley - is certain his new club has the players to succeed but says having a talented squad will count for nothing unless it gels.
"I think when you look at the quality of the players we have, we surely should be up there but as we've seen before, it doesn't always work out like that in the Championship," Gorkss told the Gazette after his debut.
"It's not always the team who have the better players who win the league.
"Also, the league should be harder than it was last year because when you look at the teams who've come up with big ambitions, like Swansea, Nottingham Forest and Doncaster, and the teams who came down from the Premiership, it looks tougher than ever.
"But I think we just need to keep going and keep improving and at the end of the season, we'll see where we are. I think we're capable not only of top six, but winning the league."
Gorkss was happy to take a back-seat at Loftus Road as fellow central defender Fitz Hall hogged the headlines with two goals and a penalty miss in the opening day win.
Rangers drew some surprisingly unfair criticism in some national newspapers for a performance that leaves room for improvement.
But considering Iain Dowie is bedding in so many newcomers and is without the suspended captain Martin Rowlands and injured pair of Akos Buzsaky and Rowan Vine, it will do for starters.
There was also plenty to admire in the contributions of wingers Lee Cook on the left and Emmanuel Ledesma on the right - both of whom received rapturous receptions from appreciative fans.
Cook in particular seemed to revel in the atmosphere of adulation sweeping towards him from the stands.
Gorkss too thinks it is wrong to be too critical after a game in which the Rs did manage to overcome a shaky start, after all.
"I don't think we played the best football we can play with the quality we have in our squad," the 26-year-old conceded.
"I think we started really really nervously...all of us, including me. But as the game went on, we performed better and better.
"We have a lot of things to work on after this game but it's always nice to get the first game over with three points. That's the most important thing.
"I think it might be the case that big expectations played a part in the nerves but I think its always the case in the first game because you want to play as well as you can and sometimes that doesn't work and you get nervous."
One of the keys to a successful season for Rangers will be the ability of Gorkss to form a reliable barrier with fellow central defender Fitz Hall or Damion Stewart this season.
Gorkss was happy to take a back-seat as fellow defender Fitz Hall bagged the goals in the 2-1 win and believes it will not take long to strike up an understanding.
"I think it should be OK in the next couple of games," he said.
"The most important was the first game and Fitz scored two goals. Maybe next time, I can do something similar.
"I didn't go for corners today because they had three men up front all the time but hopefully in the next couple of games, I can improve that."
Just playing for Rangers is a relief for now. Gorkss' move from Blackpool may not have drawn the same headlines as Ronaldo's potential move to Real Madrid but it seemed equally protracted.
"I was confident I was going to end up at QPR but I was nervous about how long it was taking," Gorkss said.
"At first I thought it shouldn't be a problem but then it took longer and longer and somebody even told me I might miss the August dead-line and that wasn't a pleasant time for me.
"Obviously I was very frustrated. I can't say that I fell out with my old club but I was disappointed at how long they were taking to resolve it, but now it's behind me and I'm looking forward. .." Ealing Gazette


Richard Langley continues his search for a new club, with a trial at Southend.

It's just five years ago that QPR sold Richard Langley to Cardiff for 250,000 pounds
BBC -August 15, 2003 - Bluebirds sign Langley
Cardiff have completed the signing of midfielder Richard Langley from Queens Park Rangers.
The 23-year-old Jamaican international has moved to Ninian Park for an initial fee of £200,000 with significant further payments linked to appearances and Cardiff's survival in the First Division.
His departure will enable Rangers to sign at least two new players.
Langley's Loftus Road contract was due to expire at the end of the season and he has repeatedly refused to sign a new deal.
Langley has called time on his international career with Jamaica for the short term so that he can establish himself at Ninian Park.
His exit from QPR has been on the cards since the west London side were beaten in last season's Second Division play-off final, ironically, by Cardiff.
Rangers had hoped to quell disappointment among their fans at Langley's exit by announcing a double signing, but were unable to complete the deals in time.
Langley's sale will almost certainly mean that R's defender Clarke Carlisle, whose has also not signed a new deal, will not be sold despite interest from a number of clubs...." BBC

[Note: LEON KNIGHT: It's also five years ago that QPR were trying to sign Leon Knight who was then on loan at Brighton.) And QPR were set to play Brighton. (And this was the QPR lineup - Day, Forbes, Padula, Palmer, Carlisle, Shittu, Bircham, Sabin, Rowlands, Furlong, Williams. Subs: Culkin, Bean, Oli, Walshe, McLeod.] Knight chose Brighton over QPR!


Southend Official Site - LANGLEY IN RESERVE TRIAL
Former QPR midfielder Richard Langley will feature for the Blues in today's reserve game against Northampton Town.
Jamaican Langley will trial for United in their first reserve game of the season as Southend boss Steve Tilson runs the rule over the 28-year-old.
Langley spent last two seasons with Luton Town where he made 28 appearances for the Kenilworth Road outfit.
However, it was at Queens Park Rangers where he made his name making 133 appearances before moving to Cardiff City for £250,000 in 2003.
Boss Steve Tilson told southendunited.co.uk: "Richard is available on a free and we will take a look at him in today's reserve game.
"We need another midfielder and he comes with experience so this is an opportunity for us to run the rule over him."....Southend


Nardiello Injury Update and Rumour Pool short on strikers for rest of month
THE Seasiders striking problems won't be resolved before the end of the month.
Stephen McPhee has been ruled out of the clashes with Sheffield United and Southampton, while Daniel Nardiello can't shake off a sciatic nerve problem affecting his hamstring.
Nardiello, signed from QPR as part of the Kaspars Gorkss deal, thought he was winning his fitness battle and resumed training at the end of last week.
However, he is understood to have pulled up at the end of the session and is back on the treatment table.
....said boss Grayson.
"Daniel Nardiello joined in training on Thursday but we can't rush him back."
However The Gazette understands Nardiello has still not recovered from the sciatic nerve injury which forced him off just six minutes into his debut, in the final pre-season fixture at Tranmere.
The 25-year-old, who has won two caps for Wales, is receiving treatment from physio Phil Horner but is believed to be some distance from full fitness.
Meanwhile, the Seasiders have denied rumours that Nardiello has had a bust-up with Grayson. "There's absolutely no truth in it and we've no idea where these rumours come from," said a club spokesman. Blackpool Gazette


Reminder: Australia vs South Africa Tonight at Loftus Road:

QPR Official Site - AUSTRALIA v SOUTH AFRICA TICKET NEWS
QPR Season Ticket holders and Members will receive a £3 discount on tickets for Tuesday's international between Australia and South Africa at Loftus Road.
The fixture, which takes place in W12 tonight, kicks off at 8.00pm.
Tickets details are as follows..." QPR