Ex-QPR in the News: Sunday: Smith, Allen, Dichio

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May 27: Recent QPR faceoffs Ian Evatt (and maybe Marcus Bean) for Blackpool versus Darrel Forbes (and maybe Matt Rose) for Yeovil - In the League One Playoff Final at Wembley! Both Evatt and Rose were in the QPR squad at the very begining of the 2006-07 season. Final

Jim Smith says staying on as Oxford United Manager

Oxford United -Official Site
Jim Smith has confirmed to Yellow World that he will remain as manager at Oxford United, and that United's play-off semi final defeat has only served to fuel his hunger for the game.
Jim retains the same energy and drive which have made him a legend in English football, and revealed that the discussion as to whether he would stay as manager of the U's was a short one:
"We didn't really have too many discussions about it. Nick wanted me to stay and be the manager and I probably want to be manager more now than ever, because I am even more determined to get Oxford back into the Football League. We were all disappointed and down, and it was hard to take, but that is football and over all we had a great season. We just didn't put the icing on the cake like we should have.
"People will leave, people will come in, and then we will start again in what I'm sure will be a very tough league."
After a season in the Conference the United boss now feels the club may be better equipped for the challenge of the Blue Square Premier League:
"You do get over the culture shock a bit, and we know what to expect. We know that teams will come and double their efforts here, and we know that we have got to get more consistent. Dagenham never had a bad spell, and that made it nigh on impossible for any of us to catch them.
"We know you need to take your chances: over the two legs of the play-offs we missed three open goals which would have put us at Wembley. We have to try and rectify that, although it's the hardest position to fill. But there have been good finishers at non-league and maybe we have to look at that a little bit: players who know the non-league rather than those you think are better players because they are 'league' players. "

As far as Jim is concerned, resilience is the key as United fight back:

"Football, life even, is all about disappointment round one corner and having to get over it and get on with it. But we are better equipped for next year: we know what we are facing, we know where we are training, we know our game plan and we are all looking forward to it. We come back on July 3rd for pre-season but the hard work starts now to get things right for next time.

"The most important thing I have to do is find and sign the four or five players we need to get it right. Then Darren Patterson and Jordan Milsom can sort the training out and I'll just stand and watch!" Oxford Site
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BBC - MARTIN ALLEN
Allen confident over Dons future
MK Dons boss Martin Allen is confident his side can bounce back from their play-off defeat by Shrewsbury.
The Dons lost their League Two semi-final 2-1 and Allen said: "It has not been a great first year in charge for me but it was certainly a good one.

"We are looking forward to playing in the new stadium and there is definitely a mood of optimism about the place now.

"We have converted a lot of fans which will only continue at the new ground. Things will get better and better." BBC

Danny Dichio returned from suspension to play for Toronto against DC United (in Toronto). Toronto lost 2-1 and Dichio was substitute after 72 minutes. Report

DANNY DICHIO
Dichio brings new attitude to Toronto; Rugged forward returns after suspension

Danny Dichio is large and menacing, and his club resume includes a stint with an English club reputed to be meaner than most.

But appearances can be deceiving, argues the Toronto FC striker.

Dichio returns from a one-game suspension today when Toronto hosts D.C. United.

The shaven-headed forward, most recently with Preston North End but once of infamous Millwall, has a pair of Toronto franchise firsts after just one game: first goal and red card.

Dichio says he plays hard, but fair.

"I'm six foot four and a big strong ugly giant,"Dichio said. "But I'm a family man, I just go out on the field and do my job for the team. If that causes unrest in the defence of the opposing team, then so be it."

Toronto goes for its third straight victory at BMO Field, a streak sparked by Dichio when he scored the team's first goal last Saturday in a 3-1 win over Chicago. Dichio was ejected after 44 minutes for a goalmouth melee.

D.C. United midfielder Kasali Yinka Casal, who shares the same hometown as Dichio - the London borough of Hammersmith - said he wasn't surprised to see the 32-year-old Toronto player sent off.
"He comes from Millwall. That's got to be the most vicious team in all of England," Casal told reporters in Washington. "No one wants to go play at Millwall. They're tough, and they've got the craziest fans. That's just natural for him, really."
Dichio laughed at Casal's remarks.
"Millwall kind of has a reputation about it," he said. "But I don't really have a mean streak back in England. I think I have to adapt to the referees decisions over here, and, not calm my game down but try to be a bit more clever in certain situations."
Toronto (2-4-0) has surged past D.C. United (1-3-1) in the Eastern Conference standings. But coach Mo Johnston was concerned about the aches and pains of some of his players heading into heir third game in eight days and fourth straight on the artificial turf of BMO Field. Dichio

[NB: Dichio was at Millwall in 2004-05 See Wikipedia/Dichio]