"How Long Has Magilton Got?"...Delaney's Future Unknown

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Chris Charles/BBC Blog How long has Magilton got?

Breaking news...Jim Magilton sacked. Thought I'd get that in now to save me writing it at Christmas.

The QPR messageboards are awash with sweepstakes taking a punt on which date the new boss will be fired - ranging from Aug 14 all the way to mid-December. Although one optimist suggested it would be the summer of 2011, when Jimbo will be poached by Manchester United as Sir Alex Ferguson's replacement.

Meanwhile, Dan the fan from Great Yarmouth wrote on the Daily Mail website: "This is how I see this appointment panning out... July 18th Friendly: QPR 0-2 Juventus; July 25th Friendly: QPR 0-2 Bolton; Aug 1st Friendly: QPR 0-2 Celtic; Aug 5th Friendly: QPR 0-2 Ipswich Town Res; Aug 8th Friendly: QPR 0-2 Formula 1 Drivers' X1; Aug 11th Friendly: QPR 1-2 Shepherd's Bush under-14's; Aug 17th MAGILTON SACKED."

I can't say I'm overwhelmed with the appointment - in fact I'm not even whelmed. When Paulo Sousa was curiously shown the door, the names being bandied about as his replacement included Sven-Goran Eriksson, Big Phil Scolari and, latterly, Zico (stop sniggering at the back).

In the event we get the bloke who was deemed not good enough for Ipswich, after failing to lead them into the play-offs in three attempts - and the time it took to appoint him was only a little less than Iain Dowie lasted in his first full season at the helm.
Jim Magilton
As one wag pointed out on a fan site: "It takes two months to appoint a manager, so should the board start the interviews around now?"

Meanwhile when Sky Sports news ran the story, they produced an alarming list of stats which showed the average tenure of a QPR manager (including caretakers) since Briatore et al took control was a whole 14 games. Sir Alex Ferguson, since you ask, has presided over 1276 at Manchester United.

Still, I'm prepared to give Magsy a go - he knows the Championship inside out and you never know, he might just have all his knockers eating humble pie come May next year.

In fact I'm even prepared to do a Gareth Barry and write an open letter to our new messiah: 'Dear Jim, please can you fix it for me to be watching Premier League football at Championship prices next season? All my love, Chris'.

Incidentally, I'm still awaiting a reply to the request I sent to the other Jim back in 1977 to spend a day with Gerry Francis, Stan Bowles et al. Maybe it got lost in the post.

Whether I fork out £600 to see Magilton weave his magic in the flesh will depend on the chances of me finding the key to the padlock on my credit card which the other half has wisely squirreled away.

In the meantime I'll look on enviously as the club immediately below us in the owners' rich list compete with Real Madrid for the services of Kaka, while the only one above us snap up Gareth Barry and continue to be linked with just about every player on the planet.

Not that I'm bitter, of course. I just hope that we can improve on this assessment from another QPR fan last season - "We must be the only club in the world that have got worse since we became owned by billionaires." BBC


Delaney in limbo over £1m switch to ipswich town
Jun 3 2009 By Paul Warburton, London Informer

DAMIEN DELANEY was in limbo this morning over a prospective £1million move to Ipswich Town.

The QPR left-back admitted he "didn't know what was happening" - but was hopeful a new manager would be appointed as soon as possible, to let the Republic of Ireland international get a clearer idea of whether he was coming or literally going.

Your favourite local paper learned Ipswich have been in touch to ask about Delaney's availability but were told final decisions over his or anyone's move would only be decided when a new team supremo was appointed.

Ipswich boss Roy Keane and Delaney both come from Cork - but the Rangers defender knows little else about the Irish folk hero.

He said: "There's not much you can say extra about Roy Keane is there? He's Roy Keane and a bit of a legend - but we've only met a couple of times.

"I don't want to go shooting my mouth off about Ipswich without knowing whether they really want me - and whether Rangers want to let me go.

"It's one thing to be wanted, it's another for clubs to agree a transfer."

Delaney struggled to hold down his place at the end of the season, when Matt Connolly was converted from his preferred central defend-er's berth to play at left-back.

But the hitch in any lucrative switch for Delaney is Rs will try to recoup as much as they can of the

£1.2m they paid Hull for him in January 2008, when the 27-year-old signed a three-and-a-half year contract.

Meanwhile, Rs insiders insist paper talk linking the club with Paolo Maldini, former Brazilian ace Zico, and ex-Malaga boss Antonio

Tapia as the much-awaited new manager is wide of the mark.

Chairman Flavio Briatore arrived back from other business in Rome on Tuesday and was expected to announce one from Jim Magilton, Aidy Boothroyd, Steve Cotterill, or Lugi Di Canio in the next few days - although there have been two false alarms already over the appointment in the last three weeks alone.

A source said: "It's complicated, with all the usual difficulty over length of contract, budget and expectations all rolled into one." London Informer