Give Gareth Ainsworth his chance at QPR - Briatore
Flavio Briatore is trying to convince his business partners at Queens Park Rangers that Gareth Ainsworth should become the club’s manager until the end of the season. Ainsworth became the caretaker manager when Iain Dowie left Loftus Road on Friday and the 35-year-old player-coach was in charge for QPR’s goalless draw away to Reading on Saturday.
“We have everything,” Briatore said. “We have the players and we have the coach. There was no argument with Iain Dowie, it was just a decision of the board because we were not happy, it’s as simple as that.”
The former Crystal Palace manager effectively resigned when he refused to allow Briatore to pick the team for the match at the Madejski Stadium. The Italian co-owns the club with Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal and was frustrated that Dowie would not pick players such as Samuel Di Carmine and Daniel Parejo, who are there on loan.
Dowie, who had little say over the club’s transfer policy, lost his job when he refused to drop Dexter Blackstock, the club’s leading goalscorer, and start with Di Carmine and Parejo in attack. Both players were in Ainsworth’s starting XI on Saturday.
“There are lots of talks and discussions about players with various people at the club and of course that includes Flavio Briatore,” Ainsworth said. “He’s the chief investor and he loves taking an active part in how his investment is going.”
Ainsworth will be in charge for QPR’s home match against Birmingham City tomorrow while his employers decide whether to keep faith with him until the end of the season. Terry Venables, Darren Ferguson, Kenny Jackett and Italian managers such as Roberto Mancini and Roberto Donadoni have been linked with the post.
