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I really liked Warbs but there's a lot of revisionism going on in that interview.
We were playing very poorly and starting to slip before the injuries took over.
We'd lost at Peterborough in the cup, lost meekly at Barnsley and Millwall, drawn at home to Hull all with a fit Dieng, Willock and Dickie.
When we went up to Blackburn we had 1 win in 6 (a lucky last minute winner v Blackpool) and the consensus was that things weren't going well at all. We then were crap at Blackburn and worse at home to Cardiff.
Forest was a bit of a make or break game which is when we had the Willock blow. However we followed that up with absolute shite against Peterborough (h), Preston (a), Stoke (a)
The ending to last season was atrocious and make no bones about it we blew it from a position of strength. Had we managed to beat Cardiff, Hull and P'boro at home we likely would've made the Play Off's. As it were we caved in at the business end of the season after the boat was pushed out to bring in Austin, Gray, Johansen, De Wijs in order to get into Play Off's. We didn't so the manager went.
Are you honestly suggesting that we were consistent under McClaren and Holloway? Not to mention JFH and Ramsey.
I’ll give you a hint, we weren’t! McClaren had us top six at one point before it all fell apart and Holloway had a run of six losses on the spin before just about steadying the ship.
Consistency is difficult to achieve in the Championship, unless we’re talking consistently sh1t which isn’t so difficult as we found out last season!
It’s particularly challenging to be consistent on a tight budget which we've had for years. And ultimately, Warburton had us closer to some kind of upward trajectory than any other manager since we were relegated from the Premiership.
[Post edited 6 Jun 2023 7:50]
No, you're suggesting that. I'm not talking about general inconsistency but the feast and famine that we've witnessed in recent seasons. Promotion form one half of the season and relegation form the other.
Last season was particularly draining given the fall from 1st to 20th. There were, of course, mitigating circumstances with Beale-gate but this ying and yang was evident during Warburton's reign.
In 2020-21 QPR won only 4 matches in the first half of the season to sit 19th by the turn of the year. Warburton faced calls to be sacked but instead the board backed him with the acquisitions of Stefan and Charlie. The team subsequently won 13 matches in the second half of the season to eventually finish 9th. This raised expectations for 2021-22 and, sure enough, QPR started strong. Come January 2022, QPR were 4th having won 15 matches. From that point on they only won another 3 to eventually finish 10th.
FWIW I liked Warburton and felt that he deserved another season. However, I also understand why the board decided against giving him a new contract. The capitulation of 2022-23 wasn't unique to last season. There were signs of it the previous season under Mark. Had Beale actually practised what he preached and shown loyalty to QPR, I doubt we'd even be mentioning Warburton now.
I really liked Warbs but there's a lot of revisionism going on in that interview.
We were playing very poorly and starting to slip before the injuries took over.
We'd lost at Peterborough in the cup, lost meekly at Barnsley and Millwall, drawn at home to Hull all with a fit Dieng, Willock and Dickie.
When we went up to Blackburn we had 1 win in 6 (a lucky last minute winner v Blackpool) and the consensus was that things weren't going well at all. We then were crap at Blackburn and worse at home to Cardiff.
Forest was a bit of a make or break game which is when we had the Willock blow. However we followed that up with absolute shite against Peterborough (h), Preston (a), Stoke (a)
The ending to last season was atrocious and make no bones about it we blew it from a position of strength. Had we managed to beat Cardiff, Hull and P'boro at home we likely would've made the Play Off's. As it were we caved in at the business end of the season after the boat was pushed out to bring in Austin, Gray, Johansen, De Wijs in order to get into Play Off's. We didn't so the manager went.
I would've kept him FWIW
Pretty much my thoughts too.
Would have been interesting to see how he would have done in the season just gone.
No, you're suggesting that. I'm not talking about general inconsistency but the feast and famine that we've witnessed in recent seasons. Promotion form one half of the season and relegation form the other.
Last season was particularly draining given the fall from 1st to 20th. There were, of course, mitigating circumstances with Beale-gate but this ying and yang was evident during Warburton's reign.
In 2020-21 QPR won only 4 matches in the first half of the season to sit 19th by the turn of the year. Warburton faced calls to be sacked but instead the board backed him with the acquisitions of Stefan and Charlie. The team subsequently won 13 matches in the second half of the season to eventually finish 9th. This raised expectations for 2021-22 and, sure enough, QPR started strong. Come January 2022, QPR were 4th having won 15 matches. From that point on they only won another 3 to eventually finish 10th.
FWIW I liked Warburton and felt that he deserved another season. However, I also understand why the board decided against giving him a new contract. The capitulation of 2022-23 wasn't unique to last season. There were signs of it the previous season under Mark. Had Beale actually practised what he preached and shown loyalty to QPR, I doubt we'd even be mentioning Warburton now.
[Post edited 6 Jun 2023 15:26]
Well McClaren had us sitting eighth in the league on Boxing Day before losing six on the spin and getting sacked. He also started the season with four losses including the 7-1 away at WBA so pick the bones out of that season.
Holloway had similar runs of defeats and JFH was flavour of the month before we went on a losing run including the 6-0 home loss to Newcastle.
We’ve been wildly inconsistent for years and it started well before Warburton arrived. Not saying that he’s immune from criticism but I think it’s a stretch to say that our feast or famine problems started under him.
The reason he was getting calls panicking that we'd fallen out of the top six was because he'd insisted on signing Austin, Johansen, De Wijs, Gray for a promotion push that was falling apart. We couldn't afford those players then, we still can't.
He was a good manager, a huge improvement on what had been in place before, but he gambled with the club's finances, he broke the model and we are seriously paying for it now (having foolishly doubled down on it last season with Beale). He cannot now act with wide-eyed surprise at how it played out when injury-prone players then got injured and his big-time signings dropped off. It was a shame, but he knew the cost of those gambles and was merely being reminded of them.
The whole point of having a DOF and CEO is that the manager isnt allowed to take financial gambles without Executive and Board approval. So to claim MW, by himself, was financially reckless is rewriting history.
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I would be interested to know (not that it will be possible) what effect his departure had on some of the playing staff in terms of loyalty to the club.
He was a great cheerleader for Willock for example and seemed to think the sky was the limit for him- I remember him saying something along the lines of ' Chris doesn't know how good he is'.
So the 21-22 Willock as opposed to the 22-23 Willock - as well as the managerial management of injuries seemed to be very different and have significant consequences.
I would be interested to know (not that it will be possible) what effect his departure had on some of the playing staff in terms of loyalty to the club.
He was a great cheerleader for Willock for example and seemed to think the sky was the limit for him- I remember him saying something along the lines of ' Chris doesn't know how good he is'.
So the 21-22 Willock as opposed to the 22-23 Willock - as well as the managerial management of injuries seemed to be very different and have significant consequences.
I think Neil Banford leaving would have had a bigger impact on Willock
Highlights the poor man management above the head coach role.
Regarding the inconsistent seasons we've had over the past 8 years surely highlights that this isn't solely a head coach's fault as its been an issue since JFH but more an issue in recruitment , academy's ,budget etc. Basically a Dof issue.
Warburton was a decent Head Coach for us. Is Beale doing any better at Glasgow Rangers than Warburtons time ? Time will tell I guess. We sacked an experienced championship manager for a new kid on the block. In fact we got rid of Warburton with zero plans for his replacement. Shoddy.
Warburton has fallen out with the leadership / owners in every club he has had. QPR was his longest role. If relationships become toxic in an org its easier to remove one than many. Can completely understand the decision at the time and up until January it looked the right decision
Very revealing interview. Clearly, Warbs is still angry that his contract was not renewed, and last season's shenanigans only add weight to his arguement. I had a feeling that we would regret letting him go - was last season a karmic response to poor treatment of a good man and a good coach, genuinely committed to the club?
He might be angry, but it would be misplaced anger imo. Despite the groundswell of support for him here, he, and his team, had clearly lost the plot in the last few months of his tenure, and it wasn't the first time, even though we'd looked promising to very promising some of the rest of the time. Unfortunately, such was the depth and length of our slump, with no signs he knew how to turn it around, the Board really had to act, and I think the decision was the right one.
He's clearly a committed, thoughtful and professional guy, but, for me, was also hamstrung by his own cliches, and his recruitment, or re-recruitment (Johansen, Austin, Gray, Sanderson, Hendrick), basically helped cook his goose. Those post-match interviews also needed serious lexicographic surgery.
Good luck, Mark - you had a decent innings, but you and your players couldn't deliver, and we move on with the circus that's still here. Gulp!
It's amazing how much Warbs' stock has risen post horror show 22/23.
We didn't achieve anything under his stewardship, and saw a the same old capitulation.
I wouldn't have moaned had he stayed, and I didn't moan when he left, but all the 'kicking ourselves' and 'what were we thinking?' talk - whilst a byproduct of the season we just endured - is Warbwashing the history books a bit.
I know that there are fans that always backed him and never wanted him to leave, and I understand that his mid table mediocrity is looking pretty appealing right now, but there's no evidence to suggest that we wouldn't knocking around mid table if he was in charge today.
You're being unfair. Les and the PE teachers brought a load of duty free back from Europe last season.
It was suggested Les may have been out scouting the Ronaldo/Messi love child in Hong Kong when the wisdom of him making speeches at the business end of the season, whilst we were staring down the barrel of relegation, was raised. Can’t wait for this kid to be announced and sold for £1bn by Christmas; possibly a little facetious, although about as likely as him getting anything right.
It's amazing how much Warbs' stock has risen post horror show 22/23.
We didn't achieve anything under his stewardship, and saw a the same old capitulation.
I wouldn't have moaned had he stayed, and I didn't moan when he left, but all the 'kicking ourselves' and 'what were we thinking?' talk - whilst a byproduct of the season we just endured - is Warbwashing the history books a bit.
I know that there are fans that always backed him and never wanted him to leave, and I understand that his mid table mediocrity is looking pretty appealing right now, but there's no evidence to suggest that we wouldn't knocking around mid table if he was in charge today.
I would take his three seasons over last season every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I don’t think any of our other managers have coached a Premier League side, much less one that’s been successful in Europe. JFH is an England coach now I suppose though 🤣
It's amazing how much Warbs' stock has risen post horror show 22/23.
We didn't achieve anything under his stewardship, and saw a the same old capitulation.
I wouldn't have moaned had he stayed, and I didn't moan when he left, but all the 'kicking ourselves' and 'what were we thinking?' talk - whilst a byproduct of the season we just endured - is Warbwashing the history books a bit.
I know that there are fans that always backed him and never wanted him to leave, and I understand that his mid table mediocrity is looking pretty appealing right now, but there's no evidence to suggest that we wouldn't knocking around mid table if he was in charge today.
Totally agree Monkey one of the most overated QPR managers Never got a sniff of the play offs , out of the cups early , and wasted our budget on Gray, Hendricks and Sanderson
And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
Well McClaren had us sitting eighth in the league on Boxing Day before losing six on the spin and getting sacked. He also started the season with four losses including the 7-1 away at WBA so pick the bones out of that season.
Holloway had similar runs of defeats and JFH was flavour of the month before we went on a losing run including the 6-0 home loss to Newcastle.
We’ve been wildly inconsistent for years and it started well before Warburton arrived. Not saying that he’s immune from criticism but I think it’s a stretch to say that our feast or famine problems started under him.
General inconsistency (win a few, lose a few, draw a few) is not the same as a season of 2 completely contrasting halves. Under McClaren, Holloway and JFH we generally bobbed around the same area of the table. We didn't go from 1st to 20th or visa-versa. That feast or famine pattern started under Warburton.
As I stated earlier, I liked Mark and personally felt that he deserved another year. However, I can also appreciate why the board decided not to offer him a new contract as they backed him and he blew a play-off spot. Had Beale stuck around, the board would probably have been vindicated and Warburton would be but a distant memory. As it is, nipple face absconded, the team capitulated and we're now pining for an ex.
Totally agree Monkey one of the most overated QPR managers Never got a sniff of the play offs , out of the cups early , and wasted our budget on Gray, Hendricks and Sanderson
The team with Eze, Bright, Wells in should have finished higher. The defence was terrible. And he was slow to fix it.
But with the money we spend, finishes of 13th, 9th and 11th is exactly where we should be, and it'll be a while before we manage to even get back to that level.
The team with Eze, Bright, Wells in should have finished higher. The defence was terrible. And he was slow to fix it.
But with the money we spend, finishes of 13th, 9th and 11th is exactly where we should be, and it'll be a while before we manage to even get back to that level.
in each of his 3 seasons he went on terrible runs that we struggled to get out of, he's not the only manager here who has had runs like that so you'd assume the issue runs deeper than the manager but as much as I liked him we had some very good players in those 3 years and probably should have finished higher in all 3 seasons.
Should also be said if we had crowds in the stadium for the 2020/21 season he'd have been sacked before we signed Austin and co
Warburton is certainly open to criticism - overly stubborn, made some dodgy signings (like every manager) and we absolutely fell apart last season when it should have been a piece of cake to get in the play-offs. However, look at what he was having to deal with - an academy that produces absolutely nothing and can't even produce a reserve striker for a few weeks.
Our 'model' is dependent on bringing young players through and making decent signings from the lower leagues. He certainly improved several of the players while he was here (including Dickie) but he had nothing coming through from the academy to complement this. For example, Hendrick was an appalling signing at that point of the season but we now know that we got him for free so there was probably pressure from the Newcastle supporters on the board like Bhatia and Les, plus he literally had no one coming through.
With hindsight (and witnessing last season's debacle, never mind what's ahead), he did a great job and played (mostly) decent football.
Totally agree Monkey one of the most overated QPR managers Never got a sniff of the play offs , out of the cups early , and wasted our budget on Gray, Hendricks and Sanderson
Reuben? 😉
Seriously though, the absolute car crash since he left, coupled with the mess he inherited, suggests he did a bl00dy good job, imo of course.