Article with Les Ferdinand in the Evening Standard

[JJB]

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/les-ferdinand-the-owners-have-thrown-a-lot-of-money-at-qpr-but-have-realised-that-they-have-got-it-wrong-10246497.html

[IsleworthRanger]

Article with Les Ferdinand in the Evening Standard

Les Ferdinand has been talking for 15 minutes and completely forgotten there are a stack of photos in his hand still waiting to be signed.

Among the many tasks Ferdinand has been given since returning to his beloved QPR in October, adding a simple autograph to his picture is by far the easiest.

However, the 48-year-old is discussing the job he has to do to turn the club around. It is no wonder he's a little distracted. There are few people in the game right now with a harder role than QPR's director of football.

On Sunday, Ferdinand sat stoney faced at the Etihad Stadium as he saw the team relegated from the Premier League in humiliating fashion following a 6-0 defeat to Manchester City.

The chances of making a swift return to the top flight next year are already looking slim.

QPR are under threat of a £60m fine from the Football League for failing Financial Fair Play rules, have as many as 13 players out of contract in the summer and are probably going to lose prize assets like top scorer Charlie Austin to another club.

These are hardly the criteria for a team with a bright future. One would understand if Ferdinand was starting to have some regrets about choosing Loftus Road for his first big senior role in the game, a minor coaching role at Tottenham aside, even if it is where he spent the opening eight years of his professional playing career.

But in his first interview since QPR's demotion, Ferdinand told Standard Sport: "I understood what I was coming into. To say I am excited about the prospect after being relegated might not be the right words to choose, but I know what this club needs.

"We need to make sure the next time we come back into the Premier League, we are strong and ready for it. We need a plan. A house can't be built on sand.

"The owners have thrown a lot of money at this club and are taking a lot of stick over what they've done and how they've done it. I think they're realising they have done it wrong.

"This club attracted players for the wrong reasons and we have done for a number of years, but the owners have simply backed the managers.

"No youth player has come through the academy for 16 years - how demoralising is that for the coaches and players at that level?

"I won't have time for a summer holiday this year. It's going to be non-stop. I have been busy since I arrived (initially as head of football operations), but it will be even worse due to the number of players out of contract and building a squad that can challenge next season.

"Due to the fact the owners are in Asia eight hours ahead of me, my days starts very early and finish pretty late. There are some days where it's just non-stop calls."

For any long-suffering QPR fan, it must feel like a worrying case of history repeating itself.

When the club were relegated from the top flight in 1996, a year after Ferdinand was sold to Newcastle, it kickstarted over a decade of uncertainty on and off the pitch.

By 2001 they were in League One and facing all sorts of financial difficulties. It took time and a lot of graft to bounce back - a fate that could lie in store for them again now.

But Ferdinand added: "We will be doing our utmost to make sure we don't have a downward spiral like before.

"I remember leaving QPR in 1995 and how they got relegated the next season. It hurt me a lot. I thought they'd bounce back straight away but it took them a long time.

"Sometimes you have to cut your cloth accordingly. You look at Burnley - they didn't spend a lot. But they are still in a sound financial position to perhaps bounce back next year. That is where we need to get this club to.

"We have a lot of obstacles. On paper the squad looks like it will be decimated. But players will come - it may have to be free transfers, it may have to be loans. Whoever it is, we will have a squad for the start of next season.

"Can we bounce straight back? That has to be the aim. But we need to build foundations so that we not only stay in the division, but progress as well."

There is still the issue of who the manager is going to be to lead the revival. Chris Ramsey has been in charge since replacing Harry Redknapp in February and while he is expected to be given the role permanently, Ferdinand claims such talk is still 'premature'.

That hasn't stopped former managers Redknapp and Neil Warnock from arguing Ramsey, who is in his first head coach position, is too raw for such a role.

But Ferdinand said: "A lot of people say to me we need experience. But my answer to that is we had the most experienced manager (Redknapp) in the League and the club was still in the predicament they were in.

"Why does an experienced manager get the sack? Because he's failed. Why does an inexperienced manager get the sack? Because he's failed. It doesn't make any difference. So Chris' so-called lack of experience won't rule him out, most definitely.

"He's done a good job under very difficult circumstances. He came in without having a chance to buy anyone.

"I have had many names thrown at me. Mark Warburton being one. He's done a fantastic job at Brentford, but he was given an opportunity somewhere and allowed to develop his squad.

"There are loads of names that are becoming available, but what we will do is sit down and decide who we think is the best person to take this club forward."

By the time our interview ends, Ferdinand has managed to pen a signature on all the cards in his hand.

Just a few lucky individuals will receive the memorabilia, now it is the club who need to benefit from all his hard work.

[Rangersw12]

Les Ferdinand has been talking for 15 minutes and completely forgotten there are a stack of photos in his hand still waiting to be signed.

Among the many tasks Ferdinand has been given since returning to his beloved QPR in October, adding a simple autograph to his picture is by far the easiest.

However, the 48-year-old is discussing the job he has to do to turn the club around. It is no wonder he's a little distracted. There are few people in the game right now with a harder role than QPR's director of football.

On Sunday, Ferdinand sat stoney faced at the Etihad Stadium as he saw the team relegated from the Premier League in humiliating fashion following a 6-0 defeat to Manchester City.

The chances of making a swift return to the top flight next year are already looking slim.

QPR are under threat of a £60m fine from the Football League for failing Financial Fair Play rules, have as many as 13 players out of contract in the summer and are probably going to lose prize assets like top scorer Charlie Austin to another club.

These are hardly the criteria for a team with a bright future. One would understand if Ferdinand was starting to have some regrets about choosing Loftus Road for his first big senior role in the game, a minor coaching role at Tottenham aside, even if it is where he spent the opening eight years of his professional playing career.

But in his first interview since QPR's demotion, Ferdinand told Standard Sport: "I understood what I was coming into. To say I am excited about the prospect after being relegated might not be the right words to choose, but I know what this club needs.

"We need to make sure the next time we come back into the Premier League, we are strong and ready for it. We need a plan. A house can't be built on sand.

"The owners have thrown a lot of money at this club and are taking a lot of stick over what they've done and how they've done it. I think they're realising they have done it wrong.

"This club attracted players for the wrong reasons and we have done for a number of years, but the owners have simply backed the managers.

"No youth player has come through the academy for 16 years - how demoralising is that for the coaches and players at that level?

"I won't have time for a summer holiday this year. It's going to be non-stop. I have been busy since I arrived (initially as head of football operations), but it will be even worse due to the number of players out of contract and building a squad that can challenge next season.

"Due to the fact the owners are in Asia eight hours ahead of me, my days starts very early and finish pretty late. There are some days where it's just non-stop calls."

For any long-suffering QPR fan, it must feel like a worrying case of history repeating itself.

When the club were relegated from the top flight in 1996, a year after Ferdinand was sold to Newcastle, it kickstarted over a decade of uncertainty on and off the pitch.

By 2001 they were in League One and facing all sorts of financial difficulties. It took time and a lot of graft to bounce back - a fate that could lie in store for them again now.

But Ferdinand added: "We will be doing our utmost to make sure we don't have a downward spiral like before.

"I remember leaving QPR in 1995 and how they got relegated the next season. It hurt me a lot. I thought they'd bounce back straight away but it took them a long time.

"Sometimes you have to cut your cloth accordingly. You look at Burnley - they didn't spend a lot. But they are still in a sound financial position to perhaps bounce back next year. That is where we need to get this club to.

"We have a lot of obstacles. On paper the squad looks like it will be decimated. But players will come - it may have to be free transfers, it may have to be loans. Whoever it is, we will have a squad for the start of next season.

"Can we bounce straight back? That has to be the aim. But we need to build foundations so that we not only stay in the division, but progress as well."

There is still the issue of who the manager is going to be to lead the revival. Chris Ramsey has been in charge since replacing Harry Redknapp in February and while he is expected to be given the role permanently, Ferdinand claims such talk is still 'premature'.

That hasn't stopped former managers Redknapp and Neil Warnock from arguing Ramsey, who is in his first head coach position, is too raw for such a role.

But Ferdinand said: "A lot of people say to me we need experience. But my answer to that is we had the most experienced manager (Redknapp) in the League and the club was still in the predicament they were in.

"Why does an experienced manager get the sack? Because he's failed. Why does an inexperienced manager get the sack? Because he's failed. It doesn't make any difference. So Chris' so-called lack of experience won't rule him out, most definitely.

"He's done a good job under very difficult circumstances. He came in without having a chance to buy anyone.

"I have had many names thrown at me. Mark Warburton being one. He's done a fantastic job at Brentford, but he was given an opportunity somewhere and allowed to develop his squad.

"There are loads of names that are becoming available, but what we will do is sit down and decide who we think is the best person to take this club forward."

By the time our interview ends, Ferdinand has managed to pen a signature on all the cards in his hand.

Just a few lucky individuals will receive the memorabilia, now it is the club who need to benefit from all his hard work.

A decent article I just hope Ferdinand is given the time to turn things around

[Jeems]

This article could have been written when we went down 2 years ago.

Fact is, players we bought in last year and this year WERE the "right sort". Young and hungry. No one argued at the time with the signings of Austin and Phillips last season and Fer, Mutch (hindsight etc), Caulker, McCarthy etc this and a nice mix of experience with Dunne last year and Rio this year. I dont believe the mantra of they arent good enough because is some games they have been outstanding. It was HR's p*ss poor coaching/tactics/whatever which sent us down.

The players who were overpaid/couldnt care less/crap were all from last time out - Hoilet, Adel, SWP etc.

For the past 2 seasons the club has been banging on about "right sort" and "we've learned" and every player who has come in has talked about ambition, playing for the club, we r together and all that stuff.

I'm going to have to ignore the summer of media speculation about how we're going to implode, be the next Portsmouth etc cos the fact is, we were in a 10x worse position last time than we are this. We managed to get through that fairly comfortably in the end.