QPR Update - "One source...the incident had been exaggerated out of proportion ...may have been physical contact, the manager did not head-butt him

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- The Guardian and Four Four Two Interpretative Pieces re Today's Events

The Times/Tom Dart
QPR suspend Magilton after confrontation in dressing room
Manager’s future at club in doubt

Jim Magilton’s future as Queens Park Rangers manager looks bleak after the club suspended him yesterday for an alleged head-butt on Akos Buzsaky in the dressing room after the 3-1 defeat by Watford on Monday night.

QPR have launched an internal investigation into the incident. It is claimed that Magilton lost his temper during a rant at his team and clashed with the midfield player, causing Patrick Agyemang, the striker, to intervene and separate the pair, and then stand toe to toe with his manager, who backed down.

Buzsaky was then seen wandering around Vicarage Road still in his kit and looking shocked, although apparently uninjured.

He returned to the dressing room only about half an hour after the final whistle after John Gorman, Magilton’s assistant, had gone to retrieve him.

Gorman and Keith Ryan, the reserve-team manager, are staying away from work in support of Magilton. Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham, youth coaches at the club, have been placed in temporary charge and will manage the team to face West Bromwich Albion in the Coca-Cola Championship on Monday.

Magilton issued a statement protesting his innocence. “While passions can run high in football, especially after a poor performance, I categorically deny any allegation of wrongdoing following Monday’s fixture,” it said.

“I understand that the club has initiated an internal investigation, with which I will co-operate fully. This is an unfortunate situation and I look forward to resuming my responsibilities shortly.” After the game, he described his clash with Buzsaky as a “difference of opinion”.

The Hungarian denied yesterday that he had made a transfer request and said he was training normally for the trip to The Hawthorns, but declined to discuss last Monday’s events.

His representatives met Gianni Paladini, the QPR sporting director, on Tuesday to demand that action be taken against Magilton.

The 27-year-old has often been played out of position this season and his relationship with Magilton is understood to have been uneasy of late, while there have been other rumours of player unrest and Agyemang, curiously, did not celebrate after scoring against Watford.

One source told The Times that the incident had been exaggerated out of proportion and that while Magilton had stood eyeball-to-eyeball with Buzsaky and there may have been physical contact, the manager did not head-butt him.

The 40-year-old former Ipswich Town manager took charge at Loftus Road in June but QPR managers do not last long under the hands-on chairmanship of Flavio Briatore, the former Renault Formula One team principal.

If Magilton leaves the club will be seeking its fourth permanent manager since Luigi De Canio departed in May, 2008. De Canio, who left for personal reasons, is a leading contender to return if, as, expected, Magilton is sacked.

Paulo Sousa, Magilton’s predecessor, was forced out after only 26 matches after publicly revealing that he was only told about the board’s decision to send Dexter Blackstock on loan to Nottingham Forest once the deal had been done. Iain Dowie lasted 15 matches in 2008. After he left there were suggestions that Briatore had intervened in team selection.

Magilton was already under pressure because of a run of one win in seven games that has left the club twelfth in the Championship, though only three points from the play-off places.

Briatore was at Loftus Road last Saturday to see QPR lose 5-1 to Middlesbrough and Magilton admitted at Vicarage Road that the team is suffering a worrying loss of confidence.

QPR in chaos

August 2005 Gianni Paladini, a director, alleges he was held at gunpoint inside Loftus Road. At subsequent trial, six men are cleared February 2007 A mass brawl between QPR’s reserves and the China Olympic team results in a £20,000 fine. Richard Hill, the assistant manager, loses his job October 2007 John Gregory is sacked as manager. Luigi De Canio replaces him but leaves at the end of the season October 2008 Iain Dowie is sacked after 15 games in charge April 2009 Paulo Sousa is sacked after less than five months as manager for, according to the club, divulging “highly confidential and sensitive material” December 2009 Jim Magilton is suspended as manager after allegedly head-butting Akos Buzsaky after a 3-1 defeat by Watford

Teamtalk - Gallen considered leaving
- Steve Gallen admits that he did consider joining fellow coaches John Gorman and Keith Ryan in temporarily standing down from his duties at QPR.
- Gallen and Marc Bircham have been placed in charge of the Championship side after manager Jim Magilton was suspended on Wednesday pending an investigation into an alleged incident in Monday night's defeat at Watford.

Gorman and Ryan have both opted not to continue their work at Loftus Road until Magilton's situation is resolved, and Gallen was tempted to follow them until his loyalty to the club kicked in.

When asked by BBC Radio 5 Live if he had to think hard about responding to the club's request to take over he said: "Yes I did. The truth is I have been an QPR a long time as a coach. I was there as a player, but I've been there 13 seasons. I've been there a long time.

"Jim Magilton, I like him a lot. The manager and John Gorman have been brilliant to me and Keith Ryan is a personal friend of mine. It was in my mind (to leave) but I work for QPR and I will support QPR. I want to do well."

Gallen also said he "did not know the full facts" about what had happened with Magilton, but added that the club's players were "disappointed" by the situation" Teamtalk