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- Ex-Chairman Bill Power (BP) Update
- The Big Unanswered Question: How Much of a Change Really Took Place? What Percentage of QPR is Now Owned By the Mittals?
- QPR vs Doncaster Match Reports
- Other Saksena Photos
Telegraph/ By Julian Bennetts - QPR 2 Doncaster 1
- Queens Park Rangers started life without Flavio Briatore in style as they moved four points clear of the relegation zone in what is likely to be Mick Harford's final game in caretaker charge.
- The controversial Italian resigned from his role as Chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd on Friday, leaving a legacy of ten managerial changes and 47 signings in just 29 months in charge.
- He has been replaced by Ishan Saksena, who Telegraph Sport understands has stepped up the search for a permanent manager to replace Harford, who has won just one of his seven games in charge.
- The favourite is Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock, although QPR would have to wait until after Palace's FA Cup fifth round replay with Aston Villa on Wednesday to make an offer.
- Alan Curbishley has also been considered for the job in the past, but it is understood that he has been ruled out on this occasion. - Gianni Paladini has reverted back to his role as Chairman of QPR FC, which is in turn owned by the Holdings company, but it is Saksena who will make the final decision on the new manager.
- Briatore has also sold the majority of his shares to the Mittal family, who are represented by Amit Bhatia, vice-chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd, but they are expected to be far less hands-on than the previous regime.
- Briatore interfered with selection and transfer policy, but the new men in charge recognise that the new manager must be given complete control.
- That is likely to mean the end of Harford's temporary reign at the club - a scenario he is well prepared for.
- "The football club need to appoint a new manager. If it's me then great, if not then they should bring someone in to take this great club forward," said Harford.
- "My remit is simply to look after the team. I've been given no assurances and I don't know if I'll be in charge against Middlesbrough next Saturday."
- Yet if this was Harford's final game in charge it was a fine way to bow out as 18-year-old striker Antonio German took the game by storm, scoring his first professional goal from close range in the first-half after Neil Sullivan had parried Jay Simpson's shot.
- QPR's achilles heel is their defence, and James Hayter made it 20 games without a clean sheet for the hosts as he converted Billy Sharp's low cross. But QPR were the better side - "we were awful," admitted Doncaster's manager, Sean O'Driscoll, afterwards - and Simpson won the game with 14 minutes left as he chested down Akos Buzsaky's through-ball and volleyed past an over-exposed Sullivan." Telegraph
SPORTING LIFE - By Andy Sims, Press Association Sport - Harford in The Dark
- QPR's first victory of 2010 is unlikely to be enough to keep Mick Harford in the manager's job at Loftus Road.
- Harford, who was put in charge until the end of the season after Paul Hart walked out in January, broke his win duck at the seventh attempt with a 2-1 success against Doncaster.
- But despite the resignation of chairman Flavio Briatore last night, Rangers are believed to be on the look-out for a new permanent boss - their seventh in less than two-and-a-half years since the controversial Italian arrived at the club.
- Briatore's replacement Ishan Saksena spoke to the players in the dressing room at Loftus Road before the game and will have the final say on who the new manager will be.
- Crystal Palace's Neil Warnock is rumoured to be top of the list but Rangers will have to wait until after their FA Cup replay at Aston Villa next week.
- When asked if he expects to be in charge against Middlesbrough next weekend, Harford said: "I don't know."
- He added: "The club needs to appoint a football manager. If it's me, great. If it's not me then they need to bring someone in, long-term, back him and give him the opportunity to take the club forward.
- "My remit is just to look after the team. There was no timescale, just look after the team until they appoint a permanent manager.
- "If the results had been better I would have been in a stronger position, make no bones about it.
- "What I'm bothered about is this club. Whatever they decide has to be for the good of this football club."
- Goals from Antonio German and Jay Simpson did at least ensure Rangers began life after Briatore in style.
- Rangers had signed an incredible 47 players since Briatore took charge, so it was heartening to see local lad German given his full debut in attack.
- And the 18-year-old grabbed his big chance with his first professional goal.
- "I thought he was the best player on the pitch," added Harford.
- "He's technically very good and if he continues to improve he's got a good future."
- Rangers' familiar jitters kicked in after the break - they have not kept a clean sheet in 22 games - and Doncaster levelled through James Hayter's close-range strike.
- But Arsenal loanee Simpson popped up to tuck away a fine winner.
- "We were awful, we never got going," said Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll.
- "Our two centre-halves played like it was only their second game together - which it was.
- "But you have to give some credit to QPR, and the young boy was excellent." Sporting Life
Local Guardian/Graham Moody -Warnock silent on QPR
- Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock has refused to talk about speculation linking him with the manager's job at Queens Park Rangers....- The former Sheffield United boss would not be drawn on the link though. - “I don't even want to mention it,” he said. “No comment and you can make a story about that. “I won't be talking about that tonight, I'm talking about my players, I thought they were super against Coventry today. “I'm looking forward to the cup game.” Local Guardian
- WArnock Silent on Speculation Skysports
