Coventry City owner Ray Ranson has claimed QPR made an approach for their manager Chris Coleman. Meanwhile the man that did get the job is less than keen to sell Damien Delaney to his former club.
Flavio Briatore was keen to state last week that Jim Magilton was his first choice and outstanding candidate for the job at Loftus Road however Coventry chairman ray Ransom claims the R’s made a play for his manager Chris Coleman before naming Magilton as number one. Coleman is currently the favourite to takeover at Swansea City where highly rated manager Roberto Martinez is being linked with a move to former club Wigan.
Ranson told the Coventry Evening Telegraph: “QPR’s chairman Gianni Paladini approached us last week and asked for permission to speak to Chris and I said ‘no’. I spoke to Chris and he said he wasn’t interested in going anywhere. It just goes to show what a good manager we have got here – I said when I first appointed Chris that our problem would be keeping hold of him. The interest from other clubs and speculation shows what a good job he is doing – he is a top-class manager and a great bloke.”
Getting on with the job in W12 Magilton is apparently, as reported on LFW last week keen to bring his assistant John Gorman manager with him from Ipswich which, according to the BBC, could place the future of Gareth Ainsworth at Loftus Road into doubt. Ainsworth is well liked by players, fans and board at Loftus Road and his departure would certainly not help Magilton’s transition into a job where many are still very unsure he is the right man. Ainsworth was removed from the club’s staff directory three days ago but no announcement has been made by the club.
One man who may not be going the other way after all is left back Damien Delaney. The Irish left back was linked with a £600k move to Portman Road last week but the transfer of him, Lee Camp’s proposed £200k move to Nottingham Forest and Dexter Blacktock’s seven figure transfer to the same club are all on hold pending Magilton’s opinion. The new man has come in under the title of ‘manager’ rather than coach but it remains to be seen whether that means buying and selling will be ultimately down to him or Gianni Paladini.
Delaney told the London Informer: “There's not much you can say extra about Roy Keane is there? He's Roy Keane and a bit of a legend - but we've only met a couple of times. I don't want to go shooting my mouth off about Ipswich without knowing whether they really want me - and whether Rangers want to let me go. It's one thing to be wanted - it's another for clubs to agree a transfer.”
Elsewhere Rowan Vine has been talking about his hopes for the Magilton era at Loftus Road. Vine told the club’s official website: “I think this is a good appointment, and it's nice for the guessing games to be over. Jim has got a lot of experience; he's played loads of games in this league as well as in the Premiership, and I think it's got all the ingredients of a good decision. Jim knows this division inside-out, so he knows most of the players as well as the teams. He'll have a great understanding of what the Championship is all about. He's got everything you need to be a success here. That knowledge he's got is vital.
“It's important that he's come in now because it gives him time to set everything up as he wants it before we all come back. It's vital to have that structure in place from the start. He's got plenty of time to really stamp his authority on the place, and I think we'll be well prepared come August. I am really looking forward to meeting him and any staff he brings in, to see what they want and expect from us. Hopefully we can kick on straight away.”
The rumour mill has linked Rangers with Man Utd defenders Craig Cathcart, 20, and Corry Evans, 18, and while Cathcart certainly impressed at Plymouth last season QPR are very strong in the heart of the defence.
Elsewhere in the Championship there is something of a managerial merry-go-round underway. Despite claiming he would stay at Swansea for as long as they wanted him it seems Roberto Martinez is about to replace Steve Bruce at Premiership side Wigan. Coventry’s Chris Coleman is the favourite to replace him there but Falkirk’s John Hughes has also been linked. West Brom’s Tony Mowbray remains the favourite to take over at Celtic while Watford’s Brendan Rodgers has left after just six months at Vicarage Road to succeed Steve Coppell at Reading. On the playing side West Ham’s Freddy Sears has been denied permission to join newly promoted Peterborough on loan and could be set for Sheff Wed, Sheff Utd are keen to take advantage of the mess at Southampton by picking up Andrew Surman on the cheap.