The Times Headline -"Sack race hits farcical proportions"

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The Times - Sack race hits farcical proportions
By Bill Edgar
THE recent managerial cull intensified yesterday on a bizarre day north and south of the border. Queens Park Rangers have not dismissed Ian Holloway but have said that he will not get his job back, Walsall were revealed to have dismissed Paul Merson days after rejecting his offer to resign and, at Heart of Midlothian, a farce developed that was more Brian Rix than Graham Rix as the latter remained in charge without being allowed to pick the team for last night’s match against Dundee United....
Holloway’s five-year reign at Loftus Road has ended after Gianni Paladini, the QPR chairman, said yesterday that there was no way back for a man who has held talks over the vacant position at Leicester City. Those discussions prompted the London club to place their manager on “gardening leave” on Monday in the belief that the uncertainty was affecting the players, but Paladini has now given the job to Gary Waddock, the reserve-team coach, until the end of the season, while insisting that he would not dismiss Holloway, whose contract has two years to run.
“He hasn’t been sacked — we will honour his contract until the end,” Paladini said, before explaining why Holloway will not stay in his post. “If a man is happily married, why would he look for another woman? If you get the opportunity to speak to someone, it’s your choice whether to go or to stay. But maybe it’s better for him to move. Once he applied for the job at Leicester, we felt he couldn’ t concentrate on our team. Ian has had a rollercoaster time here under very difficult circumstances. He’s done a tremendous job.”
Holloway could not prevent QPR’s relegation from the second tier when he took over towards the end of the 2000-01 season, but he has since taken them up to mid-table in the Coca-Cola Championship. Jim Smith, a former manager of the club, has rejected the chance to assist Waddock, feeling that it would be inappropriate, given Holloway’s state of limbo....
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-2030016,00.html