Neil Warnock: Set For QPR?

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Times February 24, 2010 - Neil Warnock set to say farewell to Crystal Palace after FA Cup tie
Crystal Palace manager expected to leave for Queens Park Rangers after FA Cup fifth-round replay with Aston VillaGary Jacob
- Neil Warnock is expected to try to take players and backroom staff from Crystal Palace should he resign from his managerial post after tonight’s FA Cup fifth-round replay against Aston Villa.
- Queens Park Rangers, Palace’s fellow Coca-Cola Championship side, are willing to offer Warnock up to £1.25 million a year, including bonuses, about £500,000 more than he earns at present. Warnock fears for the future of Palace, who are in administration. “It’s disappointing and frustrating but it’s gone now,” he said. “We are in administration and we are in a mess, and now I can’t bring any players in.”
- Aston Villa (possible; 4-4-2): B Friedel — C Cuéllar, J Collins, R Dunne, L Young — A Young, J Milner, F Delph, S Downing — N Delfouneso, E Heskey.
- Crystal Palace (possible; 4-5-1): J Speroni — N Clyne, M Lawrence, C Hill, D Butterfield — D Ambrose, S Derry, J Ertl, N Carle, N Danns — A Lee. ... Times


Four Four Two - Warnock on Way to QPR
- Cash-strapped Crystal Palace look set to lose their manager as Neil Warnock’s move to QPR looms.
- The Eagles boss stormed out of his post-match press conference on Saturday when asked if he had spoken to Queens Park Rangers about becoming their new manager.
- Reports have been circulating in recent weeks that Warnock had spoken to the Loftus Road outfit even before the season started.
- Although Warnock has insisted publicly that he is staying at Selhurst Park despite the club going into administration, a Palace insider involved with the administration process told FourFourTwo: “He has spoken with QPR twice.
- "Compensation hasn't been agreed with Palace and Steve Parish [the club's prospective buyer] has personally spoken with Warnock to ask him to stay.
- "For certain, he met with QPR before Jim Magilton got the job. Parish believes that Warnock will almost certainly go.”
- Palace’s desperation for cash is such that they may even let the man who has kept the team going under such difficult circumstances, leave on the cheap.
- One source told FourFourTwo: “There is definitely a £1 million compensation clause in his contract, but I doubt the club would hold out for that much.”
- Now 61-years-old, Warnock has often said that he wants to manage in the Premier League one last time before he retires, and he is now far more likely to achieve that goal with the financial backing available at Loftus Road than at Palace.
- Warnock has become somewhat of a cult hero amongst Palace fans since his arrival in October 2007, and the message from the Selhurst Park faithful was loud and clear.
- A statement from one noted Palace supporter states: “The Palace fans really want Neil Warnock to stay and help us stay up and give us some hope in the FA Cup. We know it is hard but he has done so much for the club and we need him now more than ever.”
- In the meantime Palace have a midweek FA Cup replay at Aston Villa. A win will go a long way to ensuring that the club has the necessary funds to see out the rest of the season – with or without Warnock.
- Reporting by Kieran Lovelock FourFourTwo


[And Pointing a Little in the Direction towards a Crystal Palace Stay...]
Streatham Guardian/GRaham Moody - Warnock saga takes another turn
23rd February 2010
- If Neil Warnock is on the brink of going to Queens Park Rangers he has done a good job keeping everyone guessing.
- The Crystal Palace manager refused to speak about stories linking him with the West London club on Saturday and the press present were certain he would be joining the Hoops after tomorrow's FA Cup game.
- However, the 61-year-old was in a much more flamboyant and upbeat mood in his press conference today and certainly did not seem like someone about to walk out on the club, leaving journalists in complete bewilderment at what the future holds.
- Although press were barred from asking him about QPR, Warnock did reveal he already has his hotel room booked for Saturday's league trip to Doncaster Rovers.
- "There's nought we can do about the speculation really," he said.

"I'm seeing my best mate on Friday night at the hotel in Doncaster if that's any consolation, it's all booked."

Warnock's new found commitment to the Palace cause was highlighted even further when he revealed he had asked the Football League for special dispensation to sign someone on loan as he had just 19 fit players left.

The league refused because the Eagles are under embargo and need to have less than 14 fit professionals to get the loan, leaving Warnock to contemplated whether or not to rest players against Aston Villa.

"If there is any doubt over anybody tomorrow I don't want to play them if I can as I want them all for Saturday," he said.

"The players know that I think Doncaster is far more important.

"There is one particular player who am I thinking of leaving out who has given so much over the last few months I just feel he needs a rest."

He may not be the only one needing a rest if the Warnock will-he-won't-he saga goes on much longer. Streatham Guardian


News Shopper/Paul O'Meara- Warnock: Relegation battle more important than cup Tuesday 23rd February 2010
- NEIL Warnock has dropped a hint he may stay in SE25 a bit longer after admitting Saturday’s clash at Doncaster is more important than tomorrow’s cup replay at Villa Park.
- The Crystal Palace manager fuelled speculation earlier this week linking him with a switch to QPR after refusing to comment when asked about his future plans after Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat by Coventry.

But today Warnock appeared more concerned with picking up three points at the Keepmoat this weekend when Crystal Palace visit Doncaster Rovers in the Championship.

He said: “The lads have done fantastic, they know that I think Doncaster is far more important but Villa is far more important for the financials.

“If we could get through, we have got to play another game like the first one and Villa have to be below average for us to get through.

“I think we are taking 2,500 it will be a good atmosphere.

“Young Clyne and one or two other lads that might not get these games very often might have something to prove really and to enjoy it.

“We want to give them a game, we don't want to get beat heavily like Burnley on Sunday, I wouldn't want to see us go under like that.”

Warnock added: “I just want a bit of luck, a decision or something to drop for us because we are not going to score many goals.

“But in my eyes, Doncaster is far more important this week.

“We have got stay up and we have to gear up for that.”

A further possible indicator Warnock may be about to stick with Palace came when he revealed he wants to make an emergency loan signing to boost the ranks at Selhurst Park, a plea which has been rejected by the football authorities.

Warnock said: “We are down to 19 players for the minute and I have just asked the Football League if we can have some players on loan.

“They have just come back to me and said we can't.

“The 20 number is for pre-season when you are putting the squad together.

“I thought if you go below 20 players, they would let you bring somebody in.

“But because we are embargoed and are down to 19 players, you know we have just got to get on with what we have got.

“We have just got to get goals from somewhere and we are not prolific as we saw on Saturday, though we did well without scoring. We have got to try and find it from somewhere else.” News Shopper


SKY SPORTS
Palace denied loan boost
Cash-strapped Eagles refused loan request ahead of Villa replay
By Ben Collins Last updated: 23rd February 2010

..Crystal Palace have been denied special dispensation to make an emergency loan signing.

Manager Neil Warnock was hoping to boost his threadbare squad ahead of Wednesday night's FA Cup fifth-round replay at Aston Villa.

But the Football League refused the request as the transfer embargo from going into administration also applies to loan deals.

"We're a bit depleted," said Warnock. "We're down to 19 players and that includes Paddy McCarthy, who is a long-term injury.

"I've asked the league about a loan but disappointingly I've just found out we can't.

"I thought if you were below 20 players they'd let you bring someone in, but we couldn't because of the embargo."

Warnock, 61, has been strongly linked with the QPR job since Palace went into administration, which saw the Eagles hit with a 10-point deduction and plummet towards the relegation zone.

But Warnock is determined not to let his players get affected by his own frustrations and the speculation surrounding his future.

Frustrating
"It's disappointing and frustrating but it's gone now," he said. "We are in administration and we are in a mess, and now I can't bring any players in.

"But we have got to get enough points to stay up. That's the challenge now.

"There are a lot of times when I am down, but not around the players. I want something to drop for us, maybe a decision going for us.

"We're all in the same boat. We're all feeling a bit sorry for ourselves. We are disappointed to be down where we are in the league but we've got to get into our mindset that we are not going for promotion, we are scrapping to stay in the league."

Palace are currently a point from safety in the Championship but while they face a scrap in the league, their cup run has offered some encouragement.


Potential buyers
Warnock still expects to be in charge for Saturday's league trip to Doncaster and revealed administrator Brendan Guilfoyle is in talks with three "serious" potential buyers, with their FA Cup progress having made the club a more attractive proposition.

"The cup is icing on the cake," Warnock said. "To get Villa and then a replay is all good news for the club.

"The lads have done fantastic. They know I think Doncaster is far more important, but Villa is important because of the finances.

"We'll have to play as well as we did in the first leg, and Villa play average, if we are going to get through. We want to give them a game." Skysports