QPR appoint Chris Ramsey as permanent head coach until 2018

Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2015 by theguardian.com

QPR appoint Chris Ramsey as permanent head coach until 2018
Chris Ramsey chats with QPR fans after their final home game before their return to the Championship.

Chris Ramsey has been charged with overseeing the long-term rebuilding of Queens Park Rangers following his permanent appointment as head coach, but will do so without the club’s leading goalscorer this term, Charlie Austin, as Southampton lead the race for his signature.

The QPR chairman, Tony Fernandes, confirmed on Tuesday that Ramsey has signed a three-year deal, having overseen the first team on an interim basis since Harry Redknapp’s resignation in February. Ramsey had been unable to prevent the club slipping back into the Championship a year after promotion, with their second relegation in three years confirmed by a 6-0 thrashing at Manchester City with two games still to play.

However, the 53-year-old has impressed the hierarchy, not least with his eagerness to offer younger fringe players an opportunity in the first team. He remains a close confidant of Les Ferdinand, the director of football, and is considered a key part of a process aimed at building the infrastructure and bolstering the academy at the club.

''Chris has impressed everyone here in his short time in charge,” said Ferdinand. “His coaching methods and techniques are second to none and, with an opportunity to work with his own squad going forward, he is the ideal candidate for the role in terms of our new philosophy of nurturing young talent and promoting from within.

''Rebuilding the club is our first target. If we can make an immediate return to the Premier League, then great, but we have to focus on re-establishing the traditions of QPR. That will take time, but in Chris we have a man who is relishing the challenge that lies ahead.”

The club have already appointed Perry Suckling, another former coach at Tottenham Hotspur, as the academy manager and want to move to a new purpose-built training facility at Warren Farm in Ealing.

A summer of upheaval still awaits at Loftus Road, with nine senior players out of contract and other key members of the side expected to seek moves back to the top flight. Austin, who has scored 17 Premier League goals in his first campaign at that level, has only a year of his contract remaining and is coveted by Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United. He is understood to favour a move to the south coast club and QPR are braced to receive an offer of around £10m for him. Fernandes may initially seek more but Ramsey is planning for life without Austin.

The same will apply to the vast majority of the players out of contract – deals for Joey Barton, Bobby Zamora, Richard Dunne, Clint Hill, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Karl Henry, Brian Murphy, Rio Ferdinand and Alejandro Faurlín expire on 30 June – while offers will be invited for Adel Taarabt, Armand Traoré, Samba Diakite, Sandro Raniere and perhaps Nedum Onuoha. The futures of Rob Green, Leroy Fer and Matt Phillips will also be discussed once the campaign concludes at Leicester City on Sunday.

QPR are still in legal discussions with the Football League over alleged breaches of the governing body’s financial fair play regulations during their one-season stay in the second tier in 2013-14. While they do not expect to be hit with the £58m fine that may technically apply, and will receive parachute payments of around £25m, the sale of some first-team members should offer Ramsey leeway in the transfer market.

''When Chris took over the role we were already in a very difficult position, yet despite our relegation, we – as a board – have been impressed with the professionalism and attention to detail he has demonstrated since becoming head coach,” said Fernandes. “He lives and breathes management and coaching, and I am sure he will flourish in this role as we look to bounce back from this season’s disappointments. This is a new start for us and one I am confident Chris will relish playing a major part in.”

''This is a fantastic opportunity for me and one I am tremendously excited about,” added Ramsey, who will add to his backroom staff before the new campaign. “I enjoyed my time in temporary charge, despite the way the season panned out, and now I’m looking forward to the challenge of helping rebuild this club over the coming years. I am fully aware of what this club means to its supporters and I intend to do everything possible to help build a QPR team they can be proud of.”