John Gregory Lays Out His Plans

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BBC - Gregory planning overhaul at QPR
By Andrew McKenzie

QPR's new manager John Gregory has vowed to make major changes to the playing staff at the Championship club.
He took over as boss at Loftus Road in September and one of his first tasks will be to trim the first-team squad.
"The squad is massive, it is too big for a club of this size. We can't carry 35 players, it's ridiculous and has got out of hand," he told BBC Sport.
"There will continue to be lots and lots of changes between now and the end of the season."
He added: "I have got about 35 players and they've all got to be paid and fed and clothed and, from time to time, some are staying in a hotel.
"I inherited a huge coaching staff and unfortunately on my second day we had to make some changes and I had to let some people go because we were vastly overstaffed and it was costing us a hell of a lot of money.
"The most important thing is we try to pick up as many points as we can and not worry too much about the off-the-field problems we have.
"But I'm having to address that side of it as well as trying to win matches on a Saturday
One player who will be not going anywhere is Marc Bircham, who has been taken off the transfer list at his own request following Gregory's arrival.
"It's great news for everybody," added Gregory. "He came to see me and wanted to be taken off it, which we've done.
"He's very much an integral part of the squad. He's my captain on the pitch, he has been outstanding for us in the last two matches, he's a great trainer and great lad to have around.
"He's a QPR freak, which helps when you are playing for the club you love, and he wears his heart on his sleeve every week - I just love having him around."
Gregory, who has a deal until the end of the season, added: "He's now playing for a new contract - the same as me, the same as Stevie Lomas and Marcus Bignot.
"Hopefully, all of us will get a new deal if we continue to impress."
Gregory failed in his bid to sign Lee Hendrie from former club Aston Villa on loan as QPR could not afford his wages, with the player moving to Stoke instead.
But, despite their financial struggles, Gregory is still hopeful of improving his squad.
He added: "We can only really loan players and we are up to our limit but if there is somebody who can help us I'm sure the board will do what they can to make it happen. We are looking for bargains here and there.
"We were very interested in Lee but it was going to be far too expensive for us. In the past we've gone ahead and done it but now if we can't afford to do it then we won't.
"We have to address the problems of the past of overspending. I think Lee was keen to come to QPR, but as it turns out, we have taken Jimmy Smith from Chelsea, who cost us a fraction of what Lee would have cost.
"So I'm delighted at getting Jimmy. He is never going to replace Frank Lampard or Claude Makelele or Michael Ballack or Michael Essien so it's probably more beneficial to him to come and play in our first team.
"He will be great for us. He came on for half-an-hour at the weekend and looked like he enjoyed himself and we certainly enjoyed having him.
"He's a smashing kid and he has a lot of potential and can do a very good job for us over the next month.
"Hopefully I can look to extend the loan to the end of the season. Whether it becomes permanent is down to Chelsea.
"Obviously they don't have to worry about the money but they might find it's in Jimmy's best interests to let him go and get a career elsewhere and might let him go for nothing - but we will have to wait and see."
BBC

BBC - Gregory in dreamland at QPR By Andrew McKenzie

John Gregory ended three years in the management wilderness when he agreed to take over as boss of Championship strugglers QPR last month.
Two games later and Gregory has got the club buzzing again, dragging them off the foot of the table on the back of two straight victories.
He upset the national press by refusing to do interviews after QPR beat Southampton at the weekend but BBC Sport has since spoken to the former Aston Villa and Derby manager about life at Loftus Road.
THREE YEARS AWAY FROM MANAGEMENT
It wasn't deliberate by any stretch of the imagination.
I went for one or two jobs that I wasn't successful in getting and I turned down a couple abroad - one in Ireland and one in Israel - as it would have meant being away from London.
I was doing lots of stuff for TV and radio and was pretty well stacked up at the start of this season.
But I was not doing what I wanted to do and I had my doubts whether I would go back to work.
HOW THE QPR MOVE CAME ABOUT
I got a phone call on the Sunday and had a meeting with the chairman on the Monday - we sorted out the finer details, which took about 15 minutes.
I came to work on Wednesday, had my first training session on Thursday and we played Hull on the Saturday - it was pretty straightforward really.
I never had a meeting with the players, I just went to the training ground and got on with it.
LOFTUS ROAD IN 2006
I was a little bit taken aback that the office at Loftus Road was basically how I remember it as a player 20 years ago. It has not really changed at all so that was a bit of an eye-opener.
The wallpaper is not very nice, the desk is the same and the chair has seen better days but there are far more important things to be done first and we can't afford to get the decorators in anyway.
WHAT HE HAS MISSED ABOUT MANAGEMENT
I thoroughly enjoy the coaching side and the atmosphere. You miss the training ground and everything that goes on there.
Coming in, the whole place has been pretty shambolic so getting everything organised and running smoothly and efficiently is something I enjoy.
I like attention to details and that's one of things I've tried to do - so everyone knows exactly what is going on all of the time. It is habit-forming, which you take on to the pitch on a weekend.
WHAT HE HAS DONE TO GET QPR GOING AGAIN
We won two football matches - that gets people buzzing straight away.
We have had a positive attitude on the training ground and I've thrown a bit back at the players and given them the opportunity to make some decisions.
On Friday we trained in the afternoon at Portsmouth. I rang their manager Harry Redknapp and we used Pompey's training ground, which I was grateful for.
I asked the captain Marc Bircham to get the general consensus and everyone wanted to train on Friday afternoon so that's what we did.
If they feel it's more beneficial to train on a Friday afternoon we will support them all the way.
Generally, we have got a few rules - turn up on time, work bloody hard when you get here and look after yourself when you leave.
Then we will see you tomorrow.
NOT SPEAKING TO THE PRESS ON SATURDAY
I didn't have any complaints from anyone at QPR, which is all that matters. I spoke to our people but didn't want to talk to the tabloid journalists - there was no point.
On that particular day I thought the result spoke for itself. Why do I need to add to it? We actually got far more coverage on Sunday and Monday than if I had said anything.
HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHAIRMAN
When I went to Aston Villa in 1994, Gianni Paladini was a football agent and based in Birmingham so I've got to know him over the years.
I know what he's about and his heart is 100% in this role - he only wants success for the club and he's prepared to work as hard as he can to get it.
He knows how I operate and he was very willing to get me in to try and do the same sort of job I did at Villa and Wycombe.
He has a football head on, even though sometimes he acts like a supporter and gets carried away - like he has over the last two weeks with two wins - but only in a good way.
AMBITIONS
The chairman is looking at survival this year, then who knows what might happen.
We can all dream. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan had a dream for his club to be playing in the Premiership when they were playing at Springfield Park in the Fourth Division.
It was a dream but it was a dream he realised and when you look at that kind of situation then there's no reason why the rest of us can't dream.
For some of us it will remain a dream but for others it will come true.
We can sit here thinking that maybe we can get there but there is a lot of work to do between now and then.
Watford have done it and I'd like to think we're a bigger club than Watford, with our fanbase there's no reason why we can't dream about doing it as well one day.
When I was a player here we got to the Cup final in 1982, in 1983 we won the Second Division and in 1984 we finished fifth in the top flight and qualified for the Uefa Cup.
I'd settle for that - and why not? Why shouldn't you think that way? There's a lot of work to be done but I'm thoroughly enjoying every day so far.
BBC

Gregory Wants Lomas and Bignot to Stay
BBC -QPR manager rates Bignot & Lomas
QPR boss John Gregory says defender Marcus Bignot and midfielder Steve Lomas are part of his plans but have not been removed from transfer list.
"Marcus is in the team, and Steve has been on the bench and has been involved in both my matches in charge," Gregory told the club's official website.
"Both Marcus and Steve are very much part of my plans.
"They are certainly not two players whom I am trying to offload, and they are not available for transfer."
BBC