Warnock sacked

[Neil Young]

Yes, he was. I met someone once who claimed Colin had looked after his feet. It was in Nottingham I think.

[Chazza]

Not surprising

SkySports Sky Sports
Mark Hughes and his representative Kia Joorabchian have arrived at #QPR to hold talks about replacing Neil Warnock. More on site soon.
1 minute ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Alex]

Kia Joorabchain is a ****ing Cancer on this game.

[Chazza]

He's not bitter or anything

Neil Warnock says his reputation was 'slowly poisoned' at QPR

Neil Warnock says he lost his Queens Park Rangers job as his reputation was 'slowly poisoned' by critics from within and outside the club.

He claimed a "lack of football experience" in the hierarchy left QPR open to "manipulative" people.

The 63-year-old said he was unhappy fans and players were able to talk to owner Tony Fernandes through Twitter.

Warnock told BBC Sport his achievements at the club were "almost a miracle" given what "I've had to contend with".

"Even the owner Tony...I know the influence he'll have had from certain people over the past few weeks," Warnock said.

"It would have been difficult to resist because people get on the phone and tweet and it's almost like slowly poisoning somebody from outside the club and no doubt from within the club as well.

"It's a dangerous precedent if you let players talk to the chairman but, you know, you can't stop tweeting."

QPR sacked Warnock 11 days ago and he has spoken about his dismissal at length for the first time, saying:

he was disappointed Fernandes did not sack him face-to-face - instead chief executive Philip Beard delivered the news;
he was surprised at the decision but has no bitterness towards QPR;
his successor Mark Hughes is a "good manager", but Warnock "wished he had [Hughes's] agent";
football had become "immoral" because of players' wages, and the manager's role was not as enjoyable anymore;
he did not want to discuss midfielder Joey Barton as he "just wants to talk about positive things at the club".

After guiding the London club to the Premier League during the 2010-11 season, the former Sheffield United and Crystal Palace boss was initially backed by Fernandes.

But despite a poor run of results, Warnock says that "he didn't see [being sacked] coming," and believes the Caterham F1 team boss should have told him personally.

"I received a text saying the owners had been talking long into the night and Phil Beard, the new chief executive, asked if he could come and see me so I told him to come to our house and when I saw him I felt sorry for him and said, 'don't worry - it's nothing to do with you, this'.

"I think you get used to a certain way of doing things but he [Fernandes] is so far away, all over the world. I'm not a communicator by tweet, I'm afraid, so I was always going to be the last to know," he added.

Warnock believes luck was not on his side during the 22 months that he spent at Loftus Road, saying: "You look back and think 'nine points that we dropped in matches we should have won and we'd have been in the top 10'.

"But I love this club and always will. It's been a big part of my life even though it has only been 22 months and it's been the biggest career success I have had in my life..

"The club will need restructuring over the next few years and there are a number of owners now and there's not a lot of football experience around.

"When you have a run of results like we had and you're not involved in football and you've got people in your ear, agents, for example, tweeting him and speaking to him and talking about players...there's some clever and manipulative people. I've no bitterness towards it it's just how things go."

Warnock also went on to rue the fact he "wished I'd had [Hughes's] agent at times over the last few years," referring to Hughes's representative Kia Joorabchian - who also represents Rangers targets Alex of Chelsea and Manchester City's Nedum Onuoha.

"I want Mark to do well. He's got a good agent too, and between them they'll bring some good players into the club," Warnock said.

However, the Yorkshireman does not envy young managers coming into the game and said that, from a manager's point of view, the game was no longer enjoyable because "players are the ones with all the power now".

He added: "My chairman tweets a lot and some of my players tweet and players only look after themselves so it's quite easy to start rumours with this new modern media and I don't think it helps anybody."

When asked about the influence of captain Barton on the team, Warnock would not be drawn: "I don't think I want to get into talking about Joey Barton. Joey talks about himself enough and I think we'll let Joey talk about Joey.

"I just want to talk about positive things about the club and I think there are too many positive things to talk about without going into detail on individual players."

When asked about his future, Warnock talked only of spending time with friends and family but he did reveal that he did "like the idea of saying what I want to say - but we'll have to wait and see".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16634917.stm

[Craig_H]

That article must be incomplete, i couldnt see any mention of it being Rafa's fault.

[Muddled]

Think he's got something against Tweet?

Anyhoo, he's a **** - always got lots to say and it usually involves blaming some one else.

[lfcred]

I think its harsh sacking warnock! had he been given the money that Hughes is about to spend, i think he would do ok. Interesting to see that kia joorabchian is the friend of fernandez the qpr owner as well as Mark Hughes and ohuauh's agent!

[Kenneth]

Think he's got something against Tweet?

Anyhoo, he's a **** - always got lots to say and it usually involves blaming some one else.

I don't really mind him. He's preferable to Mark Hughes anyway.

[ChesterDave]

I cant stand warnock. Have hated him since we drew Sheffield United in the Coca Cola or whatever it was called back then cup. CAme to Anfield with a right bunch of thugs and loved that they spent more time kicking men than the ball.

[Shaggy]

Warnock signed Barton in the summer. This was inevitable, although Warnock started this the other day by saying "I only want to talk about positive things so it's best I don't talk about Barton"

Joey7Barton Joseph Barton
Neil Warnock saying I talk to much. Now that is funny #mikebassett

Joey7Barton Joseph Barton
If I talked about Neil, he'd do well to get another job. Twitter cost him his job???? I can think of a million other things! #shutitwarnock

Joey7Barton Joseph Barton
Looking forward to the game against Wigan tomo. 1st time in a while we actually have a plan and seem organised. #3ptsneeded

Joey7Barton Joseph Barton
Lost his job and the guy is blaming everyone but himself! Embarrassing, time to look in the mirror mate. Last thing we need right. Big week

[Rich]

Barton must be a right handful for managers.

[Shaggy]

You can imagine he's spot on though. Warnock's proper old school, shouting and bawling is enough to do well in the lower leagues but in the Prem you'll be found out.

[Liverpool]

ssn has turned into qpr news last few weeks

[Shaggy]

I've been actual LOLing at my timeline on Twitter - a sequence of grown men faking indignation about Barton's remarks. An absolute ****storm ...what a joke.

[Rich]

You can imagine he's spot on though. Warnock's proper old school, shouting and bawling is enough to do well in the lower leagues but in the Prem you'll be found out.

Oh yeah, I'm not arguing about that. Warnock's methods probably include running up and down the stadium steps while dragging a tyre.

My point was more a general one about Joseph Barton.