Money doesn’t guarantee success. Just ask QPR.

If ever anyone needed proof that money doesn’t necessarily buy success they need look no further than Championship club Queens Park Rangers.

Delighted

The QPR fans must have been delighted when the former Renault Formula One boss Flavio Briatore and his mate, the head of Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone began to invest in the club back in September 2007. The future certainly looked bright.

More excitement and more money arrived when the family of the world’s fifth richest man, Lakshmi Mittal, bought a 20% stake in the club.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, current manager Jim Magilton was suspended yesterday with immediate effect following an incident after the club’s defeat at Watford on Monday evening. An interesting story certainly, but it isn’t that unusual. The more interesting and unusual aspect is that Magilton is the seventh different man to lead QPR in the two years since the take-over. It appears they may be looking for an eighth but I can’t imagine the queue of applicants will be too long.

Investigation

There will be an internal investigation into the events of Monday evening. QPR were defeated 3-1 by Watford and after the match, Magilton admitted he had a “difference of opinion” with midfielder Akos Buzsaky.

The former Ipswich boss Magilton was only appointed in June after they had dismissed Paulo Sousa who only managed twenty-six games in charge. So far, Magilton has overseen just twenty league games and his side is placed twelfth, some eleven points off the lead but only three points short of the play-offs.

Promising

Early season looked promising for QPR but they have won only one of their last seven matches and the loss to Watford followed a 5-1 home defeat by Middlesbrough on Saturday. They lost only one of their opening nine games, beating Preston 4-0, Reading 4-1 and Derby 4-2 to move into the playoff places on 24th October but their only victory since then came at Sheffield Wednesday on 7th November.

It is clear that nothing short of a play-off finish will satisfy the owners but when you look at the quality of sides in this season’s championship you have to ask if that is a realistic target. Perhaps more importantly, you have to ask if changing your manager every twenty games or so is likely to achieve your aim.

Disillusioned

There is no doubt that the fans at QPR are becoming disillusioned with what they are seeing on the pitch. Magilton has used many different players and doesn’t seem to have any idea what his best side is. When he took off Wayne Routledge on Monday evening the chant of, “You don’t know what you’re doing” could clearly be heard coming from the QPR end and once that starts, a manager’s position is often untenable.

When Magilton faced the media after the game at Watford he said, “Do you want to talk about the game. I don’t.”

It may be that whatever happened between him and Buzsaky will be the convenient incident that the owners use to move Magilton on before the situation becomes even worse. If that is the case, then another manager will try to fulfil the dreams of the owners. The expectations of the owners and the fans will be tough to live up to. I’m sure we would all wish them well. It will be a desperately difficult job.