Dowie's QPR Axing - Analysis and Reactions

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UPDATED 8:45 pm GMT

Telegraph Huw Turbervill Blog - It is a wonder he lasted this long.
- That is no insult to Iain Dowie, who has been sacked by QPR after taking them into ninth place in the Championship, just a point behind the play-off spots, after 12 games.
- Dowie is a bright, well-organised and articulate manager who was popular at Crystal Palace, leading them to a memorable play-off win in 2003-4.
- They were relegated instantly, however, and he made an acrimonious exit to Charlton, even though he had stated a preference for moving back to the North-West, where his family are based. He made minimal impression at The Valley, but there was sympathy for him in that he had big shoes to fill - those of Alan Curbishley - and was not given long enough to build a side in his own image. And he was a better appointment than his short-lived successor, Les Reed ...
- His appointment at QPR, however, came as a complete surprise. Luigi De Canio had taken over from John Gregory when they were struggling at the foot of the Championship. He introduced a pleasing style of football. His English was practically non-existent and he used an interpreter to speak to the press, but his warmth, style and charm shone through. There had been a tale that Zinedine Zidane was on his way, but it seemed fanciful.
- QPR's form under De Canio was very nearly of play-off standard - 12 wins, 12 defeats and 11 draws. As the season wound down, he was talking about the hopes and challenges of the following season.
- Then, all of a sudden, he was gone, "by mutual consent".
-It seemed strange. Outside the Mourinhos, Capellos and Ancelottis, he seemed the right man to work for the club's wealthy owners, Formula One tycoons Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, and London-based Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal.
- At that stage it seemed obvious that a ‘Galactico' was going to be targeted instead.
- And then came Dowie. He surely cannot have been on anyone's shortlist.
- There was a spat with Briatore, reportedly about transfer policy, even before the season opener, against Barnsley. Dowie called the stories "hogwash". After winning six of his first eight league games in charge, however, it was starting to look a sound, pragmatic choice.
- After all, there were no language barriers, and he had already taken a club - Palace - into the top flight.
- Then they hit the rails - four league games without a win. Even the 2-1 home victory over Nottingham Forest that arrested the sequence failed to earn him much of a reprieve.
- There had been a story linking Terry Venables with a return to Loftus Road. The shutters had seemingly gone up among the playing and coaching staff. Dowie, who always insisted he could handle the pressure, failed to appear at the post-match press conference. His assistant, Tim Flowers, and midfielder Akos Buzsaky were defensive when asked about him. They insisted he was doing a grand job. They said they were not feeling undue stress at the continual media speculation. They appeared to protest too much.- Stories followed that Briatore was unhappy with the direction of the team, and was taking a more hands-on role.
- Dowie was critical himself of the 0-0 draw at Swansea that followed, and seemingly that performance was the final straw for Briatore and Co.
- Now former Inter manager Roberto Mancini is leading the race to take charge.
- If it is him, let's hope he is a speedy worker. Briatore, who is also in charge of the Renault F1 team, is not one for hanging around. Telegraph


Setanta/tom Kell - Parker questions QPR's lack of patience
- Former Queens Park Rangers defender Paul Parker has told Setanta Sports News that the club could be making a rod for its own back by opting to dispense with the services of Iain Dowie so early on in the season.
- Dowie’s contract was terminated on Friday morning, just 15 games into his tenure at Loftus Road.
- He is the latest in a rapidly growing line of managers to be given the boot from West London in recent years, most notably since Flavio Briatore et al arrived on the scene.
- The club’s new owners have made no secret of their ‘five-year Champions League plan’ and it seems that ninth in The Championship after 12 games is not enough.
- “They’re only seven points off an automatic spot so they are in no bad position at the moment, it’s only October,” said former England international Parker.
- “QPR are a club that still means a lot to me and have plenty of money at the moment. But one of the things you can’t buy with money is automatic promotion.
- “It takes time, it takes a lot of work and it takes planning. You can’t just look to be top of the league with maximum points.
- “You need time to build towards it. It does worry me that at Queens Park Rangers they’ve got themselves into a better state than they were in 12 months ago but are now chasing what they see as a dream.
- “They’re doing it a little bit too quick without enough patience.” Setanta


Peter Beagrie/Sky Sports - No smoke without fire
Dowie didn't have the glamour factor for billionaire owners
Dowie: Under pressure from the off
Mick Harford didn't have the glamour factor as far as the owners were concerned and, clearly, neither did Dowie.
I had hoped that the murmurings about Iain Dowie being axed from the QPR hotseat would be just that. Unfortunately for Ian, there was indeed no smoke without fire.
But to sack your manager barely 24 hours before a big game against Reading I find quite incredible.
It's unbelievable timing, although sod's law would dictate QPR will now go on to win at the Madejski.
I think Iain has been harshly treated but it wouldn't surprise me if he was actually relieved by events on Friday lunchtime.
He's been under pressure all season; seeing people sitting in the stands watching the game, hearing different names being mooted for the job.
Contradiction
When Luigi Di Canio left, Mick Harford stepped into the breach and went four out of his five games unbeaten.
A most other clubs, he would have been favourite to take the job permanently but he wasn't a big enough name. He didn't have the glamour factor as far as the owners were concerned.
And that clearly goes for Dowie, too.
Considering the wealth of their mega rich owners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, QPR have been a bit of a contradiction.
They've not gone out and done a Manchester City: bought players to deliver a real statement of intent. Dowie only really bought Championship players and I think that says something.
Something certainly stinks, in my opinion.
Despite what everyone was saying pre-season, the Rs weren't among my favourite for promotion, and yet they're up there in ninth position in the Championship.
Managing in extreme conditions, with the squad that he had, I thought Iain had held it together well. He's been dealt a cruel blow. Sky Sports


Daily Mirror - Opinion: Sacking Iain Dowie was the wrong thing to do
By Andy Rudd, Mirror.co.uk news editor and QPR season ticket holder [Who knew?!]
Sacking Iain Dowie 24 hours before an away game to Reading is not a good move for the team.
Surely it would have been better to have axed Dowie on the Sunday – whatever the result?
At least the players could have then fully focused on what was always going to be a tough game – which has now been made even tougher.
Many of my mates laughed in my face when we announced Dowie as first team coach. I was surprised at his appointment, but willing to give him a chance. My mates said he wouldn’t last….I’m now getting the “told you so” calls.
However, at the time I thought that if he could recreate the magic of 2003/04 when he got Crystal Palace into the playoffs then we all would be happy.
Sure, his formations at times have been puzzling and cost us, but then we had a confident start to the season – compared to others.
But it seems Tuesday night’s draw away to Swansea was the final straw for Briatore and Co but I just don’t get it.
If at the start of the season you had said to me that after 12 games QPR would be sitting in 9th position, a point away from the play-offs having had five wins, four loses and three draws I would have taken it.
Yes, the last few results haven't been great but personally I would have given him until after Christmas.
But it seems, as many fans thought, Briatore’s “four-year plan” to reach the Premier League was a load of codswallop, a safety net to save grace should he not reach his real target: Premier League status at the end of this season and woe betide any manager that gets in the way of that.
Sure, I’m grateful for Briatore and Co from pulling us out of the quagmire we were in last season and am fully aware that without their intervention there might not be a QPR today, heaven forbid.
But having invested all that money why not start spending all those millions instead of blaming the manager all the time? And anyway, if reports are true, how can Dowie be blamed for a team that he doesn’t pick or buy.
The boy done good - many have done worse.
The simple fact of the matter is that the QPR job is a poisoned chalice at the moment.
The job application form should simply read: “Only puppets need apply" Daily Mirror


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