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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The QPR Managerial DeathWatch...Paul Hart and Mick Harford?...QPR's Ephraim Hogan Speaks Out, Defends Magilton and Calls for Stability at QPR

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- QPR REPORT Available on TWITTER! ...QPR Report Messageboard - with latest updates and posts throughout the day!

- For Earlier Posts from today and yesterday re QPR, scroll down or click on QPR Report

- Notts County Manager Resigns!

- QPR Heart-Wrenching Draw against WBA: Match Reports and Managerial Comments

- From Suart Houston to Jim Magilton: QPR Arrival and Departure Announcements

Fans are expecting the announcement of Magilton's Departure and supposedly the appointment of YET ANOTHER MANAGER Under the current QPR "Regime" - (Reportedly Paul Hart and Mick Harford. Both Mail and Sun Join others in saying: Paul Hart) Harts's Managerial Record


The Sun/Paul Jiggins - Hart Hart lined up to be QPR boss By PAUL JIGGINS
QPR hope to confirm Paul Hart as their new boss within the next 48hrs - if their lawyers let them.
SunSport revealed last week that Rangers want the former Portsmouth chief to take over for the rest of the season after Jim Magilton's alleged dressing-room bust-up with Akos Buzsaky.
But the move will only be made if Loftus Road's legal eagles can agree a settlement with Magilton.
The former Northern Ireland star was suspended for allegedly butting Buzsaky after last Monday's 3-1 defeat at Watford.
QPR confirmed yesterday their lawyers are trying to thrash out a pay-off.
Hart would be offered a contract until the summer with a view to extending it if he does well.
Gareth Southgate and Alan Curbishley were other names in the frame.
And former Luton boss Mick Harford is lined up to be Hart's No 2.
Harford managed QPR for six months after John Gregory left in June 2007. The Sun


Mail/Neil Moxley - West Bromwich Albion 2 QPR 2: Last-gasp Simon Cox equaliser saves Albion at the death as Rangers line up Paul Hart
- Jim Magilton will have smiled to himself at the irony of it all as the latest manager to leave Loftus Road, soon to be confirmed, saw his troubled team come within seconds of upsetting one of the promotion favourites.
- After a first half in which the most free-scoring team in the Championship were restricted to two clear chances, the west Londoners soon took advantage of a huge dollop of good fortune to hand stand-in coaches Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham a welcome advantage...
Yes, Magilton would have enjoyed that. His fate will be sealed in the next 24 hours. It is understood that the club’s powerbrokers are some way towards lining up a replacement.
Recently deposed from his position at Fratton Park — some would say unluckily — Paul Hart is in line to take over from Magilton following his fracas with Akos Buzsaky....Mick Harford, who somehow avoided being initiated into Wimbledon’s ‘Crazy Gang’, is being lined up as Hart’s number two...
Mail

London Informer/Yann Tear - Hogan pleads for Magilton's future
- HOGAN Ephraim has issued a plea to the Rangers hierarchy to stand by Jim Magilton and says there is no question of the dressing room turning against the Ulsterman.
- The QPR winger – who is currently on loan to Leeds United until the end of the month – also believes that the chopping and changing of managers threatens to derail the club's future.
- The plea looks likely to fall on deaf ears but Rangers will make an announcement on Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.
“There hasn't been any problem with the manager,” Ephraim told the Gazette.
- “He's passionate and a winner and when you play badly two games in a row, you can understand he is going to be upset and that you are going to get a rollicking.
- “He could have been silent but told the players it was unacceptable and I would rather have a manager do that than one that feels the need to walk on egg-shells. You should respect that if you've got anything about you as a player.
-“Obviously, I don't know exactly what happened at Watford last week. I don't know all the rights and wrongs. But I feel it shouldn't be made into a big issue. We have a lot of passionate characters at the club, but I think that's a good thing.”
-Ephraim, who asked for the temporary switch to the League One leaders in order to fast-track his recovery from ankle surgery, added: “It's not helping us, starting again every five or six months with a new manager.
- “What we all want is a bit of stability and I'm expecting and hoping I won't be coming back in time for another change of boss.” London Informer


The Times/Peter Lansley - December 15, 2009 Late collapse adds to the QPR drama West Bromwich 2 Queens Park Rangers 2
- It is said there is only one way to go after hitting the floor and Queens Park Rangers, after the shenanigans of last week when Jim Magilton was suspended for allegedly flooring one of his own players, showed great resolve last night to pick themselves up and earn a deserved point.
- "...Rangers are expected to make an announcement about Magilton’s future as manager within the next 48 hours. Legal discussions have followed last Monday’s 3-1 defeat away to Watford and it appears only a matter of time — and money — before Magilton, who is alleged to have headbutted Akos Buzsaky in the dressing room at Vicarage Road, formalises his departure from the club.
- Steve Gallen, assisted by Marc Bircham, stepped up from managing the youth team to act as interim manager last night and he welcomed the prospect of a swift resolution. “I just got told last week [to take charge of the first team],” Gallen said. “The last week seems to have lasted a month. I don’t know if I’ll be in charge for Saturday’s game [at home to Sheffield United]. I’ll start preparing for that. If not, I’ll gladly go back to managing the youth team; we’ve got Northampton Town on Saturday.
- “I hear the club are meeting with the manager, Jim Magilton, over the next 48 hours and I welcome that. I’m sure everyone concerned with QPR will. I also saw something about chaos at the QPR training ground; that’s nonsense. The training has been very organised and professional.”
- Gallen refused to take sides over the manager’s dispute with the club. “Jim was great to me as a coach,” he said. “John Gorman [the assistant manager] is a very nice man and Keith Ryan [first-team coach] is a personal friend.” Buzsaky was left out of last night’s squad, purportedly with a knee injury.
- The furore over Magilton’s future has overshadowed the fact QPR have collected just two points from five games. In the world according to Flavio Briatore, the co-owner and chairman, some would say that represents a sackable offence....
The Times


London Informer/Yann Tear -Late goal thwarts defiant Rangers
Dec 14 2009 West Brom 2-2 QPR
- Rangers say they expect to announce the findings of their internal inquiry into Headbuttgate in the next 48 hours - and the fate of boss Jim Magilton.
- Given that suspended managers seldom return from gardening leave to resume their duties, the odds do not favour the Ulsterman making a quiet return to the fold, although normal rules do not seem to apply to troubled Hoops.
- And as if to prove the point, the Rs gave a performance full of bloody-minded resolve at the Hawthorns on Monday night that was made in the image of temporary boss Marc Bircham – who, as a player, liked nothing better than to roll up his sleeves in a battle against the odds.
- How else to explain this tale of the unexpected which would have been closer to inspiring high-fives rather than alleged head butts in the dressing room.
- This was the day Rangers were supposed to signal a quiet withdrawal from the promotion race after last week's implosion at Watford. Instead, they gave promotion favourites Albion a bloody nose and came within seconds of an unlikely win.
- Two goals in the space of seven minutes at the start of the second half almost did the trick for Rangers - an own goal and a Kaspars Gorkss header the catalyst for a thrilling second half. London Informer

Soccernet - QPR management picture still unclear
- Steve Gallen insists he does not know how long he will remain in temporary charge of Queens Park Rangers but has hit back at suggestions the Championship club is in chaos.
- Manager Jim Magilton is currently suspended by QPR pending an internal investigation into an incident involving midfielder Akos Buzsaky at Watford last week.
- Magilton himself has denied any wrongdoing but admits the pair shared "a difference of opinion''.
- Gallen was in joint charge with Marc Bircham for the first time on Monday night at The Hawthorns as Rangers were denied a headline-grabbing victory at high-flying West Brom by Simon Cox's 94th-minute equaliser - a goal which salvaged a 2-2 draw for the hosts. But an in-the-dark Gallen pointed to media reports a decision at Loftus Road could be made over the next 48 hours.
- "I don't know what is going to happen,'' he said. "I just got told last week, and it feels like the longest week ever, that I would be in charge for this game. I don't know if I'm charge for Saturday's game (at home to Sheffield United).

"I don't know when I'll find out. I saw something on Sky Sports yesterday and it said the club are meeting with Jim and something will be decided over the next 48 hours. I welcome that, definitely. I'm sure people on the outside at QPR want to see things resolved quickly - we all do on the inside.''
- "I also saw some things during the week about chaos at QPR - that's absolute nonsense. I've not seen any chaos at the training ground.''
-Speaking about the game, Gallen added: "I think we've dropped two points, it feels like a loss. We were 20 seconds away from winning the match. When you're 2-0 up you feel you deserve to win.
- "Did we pass the ball as good as West Brom? No. Did we have as much possession as West Brom? No. But that was the game plan, to sit in and be disciplined, patient and organised.''
- The late equaliser ensured second-placed Albion did not go down to back-to-back home defeats and left them four points clear of the chasing pack.
- Manager Roberto Di Matteo said: "The way the game went a point is better than nothing. I'm trying to look at the positive side of it. The players fought really hard for the point. I thought we deserved a little bit more as well, we had some very good chances but didn't quite manage to score. We've definitely been leaking too many goals in the last three games.'' Soccernet


- David Webb Today (and "Yesterday"): Webb Speaking about Chelsea, QPR and his Life Today
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- Anthony Giraudo Sentenced to Prison