| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 21:22 - May 10 with 6661 views | daveB |
that was absolutely brilliant |  | |  |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 21:32 - May 10 with 6622 views | Greenbay |
Clive - that was a stunning piece.
Thanks for the background info and your very well balanced thoughts on Warbs.
Not a single swear word in sight - not required - ever - certainly with that quality of delivery.
You summed up Warbs well.
Many of us will miss him.
He wasn't perfect - who is?
But he gave us a year of pure joy.
And I'm sure he could have done more for our club.
Many may disagree but Warbs will be a hell of an act to follow.
Someone better than Warbs - then I'll be thrilled. |  | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 21:38 - May 10 with 6584 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
That's a really balanced piece that acknowledges his shortcomings, while recognising what a good manager he has mostly been. The Andre Gray stuff is interesting - why was he unavailable? Also, I didn't know the powers that be were lining up Nahki to come back to replace him in January. If Warburton was the one that stopped that from happening, why did he not play Gray more?
I still feel there are so many unanswered questions about the drop-off post-January. Who wanted whom in the window? Was the ill-feeling between the upper management and Warburton already affecting things by then - or did the window accentuate things? Ferdinand was very quick to make that comment about Warburton being offered a striker, which seemed odd then but makes more sense now. | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 21:40 - May 10 with 6598 views | Noelmc |
Thanks Clive. Superb piece.
Well balanced assessment, with some telling insights into the character of the man. I can see where and why it went wrong, but he certainly leaves the Club in a much better place than he found it.
Like you and I'm sure most of the fan base, I'll miss him too. |  | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 22:09 - May 10 with 6505 views | daveB |
I keep coming back to could we have done better with the players we have. I thought his first season 13th was good but should have been better with the likes of Eze, Hugil, Wells, Bright etc If we'd had a decent goalkeeper we'd have made the playoffs imo
Second season he over achieved in some ways but still managed to lose games we should have won which would have put us in the playoffs.
This season been done to death but I look at Luton, huddersfield, Millwall and Blackburn all above us and am not convinced any of them have a better squad than us (all better teams arguably which comes back to the manager)
Although it is all doom and gloom at the moment I look at our team/squad and do think there is an opportunity to build and do a lot better next season, we were 3 wins off the top 6 this year despite not really playing well that often.
Key signings this summer will of course be the manager but also the wing/full backs and forwards, if we get those right we should be able to do well | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 22:44 - May 10 with 6402 views | bosh67 |
Terrible piece, Clive! Only joking. One of the best ever. Who knows what went on behind the scenes but bar a few dreadful and sometimes inexplicable runs we played highly entertaining ‘we’ll score more goals than you’ football that reminded me of some of the Doherty Venables era. It was glorious madness when it went right, even elegant at times, and fairly bizarrely hideous when it didn’t. But some of us live in a world where QPR is a second division underdog team that punches above its weight whilst others, perhaps including some of our owners, think you should sack the gaffer if we can’t mirror Man City’s winning streak year on year. For what Warbs had to work with financially and with the ongoing crippling ffp restrictions he almost worked a flipping miracle. Had Luton and Huddersfield not had insane seasons given their budgets we’d probably have judged the season differently. If Eustace doesn’t get the job I really do fear for us. Does anyone have Warnock’s number? |  |
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| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 00:04 - May 11 with 6253 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Phenomenal.
I've read it through twice and I can't think of anything to add. |  |
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| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 02:14 - May 11 with 6162 views | SydneyRs |
I can't help thinking in the same way we have about players, that if they didn't have the faults noted they wouldn't have been here in the first place.
I too think its something we'll regret. | | | |
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| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 08:10 - May 11 with 5906 views | thehat |
Mega Clive both sides summed up perfectly!! | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 08:48 - May 11 with 5799 views | Lblock |
This, and everything else I read, confirms my conflicted position.
The filling in the sandwich was lovely, not entirely sure who made it but it was lovely, the big issue is the bread either side of it.
I was massively behind Warbs getting the job ahead of McClown, very pleased when he finally did. That was all based on how I'd seen him conduct himself off the pitch, his commercial background and the journey at Bentford, didn't really know much else.
Came then to learn of the intransigence, the distain and odd approach to squad building. I'm very surprised the racking and stacking of keepers (even before rattlesnake bites went through that camp) wasn't mentioned. Some very odd things have happened under his tenure on the signings front such as Ramkilde, which may have zero to do with him, but also obscure GK's joining who were always a million miles from playing for us. The Andre Gray position another I could not get my head around and I'm even more pissed off with that hearing that Nik Nak could've come back instead.
He was amazingly lucky to have kept his job post lockdown - my drunken rant on the record and hilariously dug up by one regular here; the spiral we went into this season had to do for him and I can only wish him well in the future apart from when we play him. |  |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 08:55 - May 11 with 5791 views | Northernr |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 08:48 - May 11 by Lblock |
This, and everything else I read, confirms my conflicted position.
The filling in the sandwich was lovely, not entirely sure who made it but it was lovely, the big issue is the bread either side of it.
I was massively behind Warbs getting the job ahead of McClown, very pleased when he finally did. That was all based on how I'd seen him conduct himself off the pitch, his commercial background and the journey at Bentford, didn't really know much else.
Came then to learn of the intransigence, the distain and odd approach to squad building. I'm very surprised the racking and stacking of keepers (even before rattlesnake bites went through that camp) wasn't mentioned. Some very odd things have happened under his tenure on the signings front such as Ramkilde, which may have zero to do with him, but also obscure GK's joining who were always a million miles from playing for us. The Andre Gray position another I could not get my head around and I'm even more pissed off with that hearing that Nik Nak could've come back instead.
He was amazingly lucky to have kept his job post lockdown - my drunken rant on the record and hilariously dug up by one regular here; the spiral we went into this season had to do for him and I can only wish him well in the future apart from when we play him. |
I'm uncomfortable with the goalkeeper situation as well mate, for all the reasons you are, but I'm not sure that's him.
I asked the head of recruitment about it in our interview with him earlier this season and he said the goalkeeper coach basically did it all which I found... bizarre, and worrying. |  | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 09:01 - May 11 with 5765 views | Rs_Holy |
Cheers Clive...brilliant as ever! I think Warbs should have been kept on for 1 more year but maybe the relationship was becoming too strained?... My biggest fear is getting a 'rank average' experienced manager who has been out of work for a while and is desperate for any job (similar to Hughes-less going to Bradford)... Adkins or Hughton would come into that category. |  | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 09:42 - May 11 with 5660 views | Lblock |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 08:55 - May 11 by Northernr |
I'm uncomfortable with the goalkeeper situation as well mate, for all the reasons you are, but I'm not sure that's him.
I asked the head of recruitment about it in our interview with him earlier this season and he said the goalkeeper coach basically did it all which I found... bizarre, and worrying. |
Mmmmmmmm.... that is odd.
In that respect then all roads lead back to the top.
Clear, delineated, guided policy for the WHOLE club should come from the DoF in my book.
He's had, what, five years to shape the place now hasn't he? We still seem a fractured, rudderless place that flip flops from policies and approaches at the drop of a hat.
For another time maybe......... | |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 09:55 - May 11 with 5614 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 09:42 - May 11 by Lblock |
Mmmmmmmm.... that is odd.
In that respect then all roads lead back to the top.
Clear, delineated, guided policy for the WHOLE club should come from the DoF in my book.
He's had, what, five years to shape the place now hasn't he? We still seem a fractured, rudderless place that flip flops from policies and approaches at the drop of a hat.
For another time maybe......... |
More than seven years now. | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 10:24 - May 11 with 5530 views | Burnleyhoop |
Great piece Clive that encapsulates all that has been good and bad about the club and how it is run.
It is clear that for all his integrity and professionalism, Warburton is not a team player and can perhaps best be described as a control freak. This is not necessarily a weakness, but for a club or a business to be truly successful there has to be a modus operandi of how an operation functions and that communication and integration across that business is effective in order to maintain stability and ensure that the ship is still sailing in the right direction.
I find it bizarre that Warburton, Ferdinand and Hoos were incapable of sitting down together and working through all the obvious issues. Just how and why did the people at the top allow the situation to drift to the point that working relationships became toxic across the various departments?
The decision to dismiss (or not re-new) Warburton appears to have been made without any attempt to recover the situation, although our collapse over recent months may be indicative of conversations having taken place and it becoming common knowledge amongst the staff that the relationships had completely broken down. This does seem to be a common theme with Warbs tenure at other clubs.
It’s a shame, but we have to move on. The club needs to get back on track and operate in a sustainable way in order to survive. I suspect we will have to sell either Dieng or Willock in the summer which will be a shame.
The next manager and his summer signings will determine how well the next season goes. Another couple of seasons of consolidation and mediocrity awaits me thinks. | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 10:28 - May 11 with 5518 views | ngbqpr |
I'll miss a lot more about Warbs than I won't miss - if that makes sense?
He will always be my Mr Taking Care of the Football.
I hope he reads this. I can picture that wry half smile, just a teeny bit of smoke coming out of his ears at one or two points...but in general, I think he'd come away thinking "job mostly well done" when it came to entertaining us. |  |
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| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 10:57 - May 11 with 5448 views | TheChef |
More quality output Clive - as you put it in the article, making a rod for your own back ;)
I too have mixed feelings about his departure, but ultimately if we are positioning ourselves as a development club for young players to sell on at a profit, then the manager/head coach has to buy into that.
When you put the Andy Belk signings against the MW signings (and hear the lovely Sam Field interview), I do then feel a bit more optimistic about the future. |  |
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| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 12:00 - May 11 with 5329 views | CroydonCaptJack |
Great article Clive and a superb summing up of the general unfathomness (it's probably not a word I know!) collapse post Jan.
Whether this is the right move seems to entirely depend on who comes and what happens next...... |  | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 12:08 - May 11 with 5306 views | ParkRoyalR |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 10:57 - May 11 by TheChef |
More quality output Clive - as you put it in the article, making a rod for your own back ;)
I too have mixed feelings about his departure, but ultimately if we are positioning ourselves as a development club for young players to sell on at a profit, then the manager/head coach has to buy into that.
When you put the Andy Belk signings against the MW signings (and hear the lovely Sam Field interview), I do then feel a bit more optimistic about the future. |
In fairness to Warburton on signings, its Belks full-time job and I can see the logic in Ball, Wallace, Odubajo etc as all the right type you'd want around you in what was, when he took over, a team struggling to stay in the championship.
I was unsure on Gray and thought doubling up on the Austin model (both lacking 1st team football when coming in and their career earnings maybe diminishing their previous hunger) was a risk, which I still think was his ultimate undoing, but others will argue Gray's goals return off the bench was another tick in the box for Warburton.
Hopefully Belk can find a LWB and another Centre Forward of the calibre of the Field and Dunne signings asap, otherwise I fear a season of struggle. | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 14:05 - May 11 with 5044 views | MungoJezza |
Thanks Clive for your finely balanced appraisal of Warb's tenure at the club. It's interesting, perhaps telling, that both McLaren and Warbs (both coaches with a well deserved reputation for being able to work well with young players) should choose to opt for older, expensive, more experienced players when the club had a sniff of success. Austin's comments on the success rate of the Academy in a recent podcast suggest that it was not only the first team coaches that were none too impressed with the work of Ramsey et al.
I will miss Warbs as much for his 'old school' approach (decent, respectful, honest, play the game the right way, never take the fans for granted etc) as for the, at times, sublime attacking football and the hope and positivity he gave us all. I'm finding it hard to get enthused about next season! | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 14:26 - May 11 with 5013 views | THEBUSH |
Excellent article, as usual. I think you explained your position, regarding MW plainly.
My position initially was to stick with him, but knowing what Ive read recently, I think it was correct, not to renew his contract.
In his interviews, I always felt there was no fun, in what he was doing, which is a shame. |  | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 15:07 - May 11 with 4920 views | DannytheR |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 14:05 - May 11 by MungoJezza |
Thanks Clive for your finely balanced appraisal of Warb's tenure at the club. It's interesting, perhaps telling, that both McLaren and Warbs (both coaches with a well deserved reputation for being able to work well with young players) should choose to opt for older, expensive, more experienced players when the club had a sniff of success. Austin's comments on the success rate of the Academy in a recent podcast suggest that it was not only the first team coaches that were none too impressed with the work of Ramsey et al.
I will miss Warbs as much for his 'old school' approach (decent, respectful, honest, play the game the right way, never take the fans for granted etc) as for the, at times, sublime attacking football and the hope and positivity he gave us all. I'm finding it hard to get enthused about next season! |
McClaren getting the club to bring in Tomer Hamed while sending Manning and Chair out on loan and never playing Osayi Samuel is certainly pretty telling.
Not sure what it says about Chris Ramsey though. |  | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 15:18 - May 11 with 4895 views | MungoJezza |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 15:07 - May 11 by DannytheR |
McClaren getting the club to bring in Tomer Hamed while sending Manning and Chair out on loan and never playing Osayi Samuel is certainly pretty telling.
Not sure what it says about Chris Ramsey though. |
The point I am making is that neither McLaren nor Warburton seemed keen to use some of the players coming through the Academy, a decision which itself is a comment on the work carried out by Ramsey and his coaches. | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 15:28 - May 11 with 4872 views | DannytheR |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 15:18 - May 11 by MungoJezza |
The point I am making is that neither McLaren nor Warburton seemed keen to use some of the players coming through the Academy, a decision which itself is a comment on the work carried out by Ramsey and his coaches. |
But is that point not a little undermined by one of the people you're talking about being an absolute disaster and laughing stock, whose decision-making while manager not only failed to take the club forwards, but actually damaged it even after he left? (And who hasn't managed another club since.) | | | |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 15:30 - May 11 with 4861 views | Nushnool |
| Not in a disrespectful way, far from it - Three years with Warbs on 15:18 - May 11 by MungoJezza |
The point I am making is that neither McLaren nor Warburton seemed keen to use some of the players coming through the Academy, a decision which itself is a comment on the work carried out by Ramsey and his coaches. |
I also see it as managers get sacked after a poor run of results, and just don’t feel secure enough to rely on untested youth players. What we need is a structure in place where the manager is supported enough when young players are blooded, and maybe results aren’t as good as they would be with loaned-in known quantities. I thought we had that structure and security with Warburton, but maybe not as much as we’d been led to believe. |  | | |
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