QPR are on the hunt for their third permanent manager in less than a year following Monday’s departure of Steve McClaren who was sacked after a dismal run of form.
McClaren’s assistant, John Eustace, has been placed in charge of the first team while the club searches for a new boss, although given that there are only seven matches left until the season draws for a close, he could well see the club through to the summer.
But, what about the names in the frame for the permanent position?
The Sportsman casts its eye over four contenders to replace McClaren in the QPR dugout...
Tim Sherwood
"My record here is second to none," proclaimed Tim Sherwood. "My win percentage is the best of any Tottenham manager. I'm the best manager this club's ever seen!"
Oh those were the days. Unfortunately for “Tactics Tim” Spurs sacked him a month later, but is his eagerly anticipated managerial return on the horizon?
Sherwood, who then led Aston Villa to an FA Cup Final, has been out of work since that ill-fated spell as Swindon’s director of football two years ago, however he now finds himself installed as the smokin’ hot 2/7 favourite to take charge of QPR.
Sherwood may have become somewhat of a parody - in November he predicted that no Premier League managers would lose their jobs this season: Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked four days later - but go on, admit it, you’ve missed him. Let's not forget this is the man that gave Harry Kane his Spurs debut.
He’s a fond friend of QPR’s director of football Les Ferdinand, and has reportedly already held talks with the club (The Times), meaning he could soon be set to bring his pulsating passion and swashbuckling bravado to a Championship ground near you.
Darren Moore
The Championship was left gobsmacked last month when West Brom gave Darren Moore the boot, in arguably the most jaw-dropping sacking of the season so far. After all, Moore’s men were 4th in the second-tier table.
But it was not to be with Moore now stuck in the Job Centre alongside the likes of Alan Pardew, Mark Hughes, and David Moyes, while that man Sam Allardyce is the favourite to snatch his old job at the Hawthorns.
Moore now finds himself in the mix to return to the division with QPR who are reportedly considering him for the newly opened vacancy (Daily Mail). It was only a year ago that Moore bagged the ‘Premier League Manager of the Month’ award during his only full month in the top-flight during he stunned Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.
Gary Rowett
Gary Rowett caused quite the stir back in May when he ditched Derby for Stoke.
To the delight of Rams fans the switch didn’t quite work out for Rowett who was axed at the start of the New Year after only 29 games, although in fairness his replacement Nathan Jones has only recorded two wins from 14 games to date.
Rowett twice led Burton into the League Two play-offs and went on to manage Birmingham, then Derby, who missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season following a play-off defeat to Fulham.
A move QPR could work well for two parties that have somewhat stalled of late.
Gareth Ainsworth
Only Jim Bentley sits above Gareth Ainsworth in the list of the longest serving managers in English football (top four leagues).
Ainsworth ventured into management with Wycombe in 2012 and has remained there ever since. The 2014/15 LMA Manager of the Year led the club into League One last season and is currently attempting to preserve their status in what is proving to be an enthralling relegation scrap.
Ainsworth does, of course, have ties to QPR, having spent seven seasons at Loftus Road as a player while he twice stepped up as caretaker manager in 2008 and 2009; winning three of his 11 games.
An appointment right now is out of the question given Wycombe’s fight for survival, but come the summer he may be tempted by a fresh challenge in familiar surroundings.
