What to expect from QPR's next manager as deal finally 'agreed' - Pep Guardiola influence and transfer hint
QPR are said to be closing in on their managerial announcement after weeks of searching.
QPR are finally said to have reached an agreement over a managerial appointment after weeks of searching. The Hoops placed Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave after the season following his courtship with West Brom, although ne was never given the job at The Hawthorns.
The West London side were hoping not to have to start over ahead of next season, but their decision to cast aside Cifuentes means they now have little choice. In recent weeks, former Rennes boss Julien Stephan has been the most likely candidate, and it’s now being claimed that a deal has been agreed with the Frenchman.
According to West London Sport, QPR have agreed a deal in principle with Stephan, and it’s reported that it is a two-year deal. The 44-year-old boss started his career with Rennes and went on to manage Strasbourg. He then returned to Rennes and won the Coupe de France in 2019, beating Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
A poor run of results saw him depart last year, and he said upon his departure: “I leave Rennes with a heavy heart but with the feeling to have always given the best of myself for the good of the club. This decision, difficult to take, was deeply thought through. I feel that I have done everything that I could.”
Stephan now looks set to take over at Loftus Road for his first experience working in England, but according to pundit Don Goodman, the appointment has taken too long. He told Football League World: “I do think any club currently at this stage in proceedings without a manager is really leaving it a bit late. Players will be back in what? Three weeks for pre-season? So this is a period where planning should be getting done, rubber-stamped and finalised. So the fact that QPR haven’t managed to sort that isn’t great.”
Stephan’s style
Stephan is known to have a possession-based style, seeing Pep Guardiola as an influence, while he is also a self-confessed fan of Mauricio Sarri. Stephan’s preferred formation at Rennes was 4-1-4-1 with a high-quality holding midfielder, but he has also regularly played with 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2. You can expect a holding midfielder to be a priority for Stephan.
The good news for QPR fans is that Stephan is also a realist, and that’s a quality that is vital in the Championship. The Frenchman once admitted: “It is not possible to play Guardiola everywhere.” A short passing game is how Stephan likes his teams to operate, while they can be cautious in nature. QPR fans can expect a patient approach and not one that is gung-ho in the pursuit of goals. Stephan clearly weighs the risks of being aggressive in each game and is very opponent-specific in his approach.
Though, when he senses his team are on top, he does like them to press aggressively, and he once credited the Coupe de France final win to ‘pressing on’ and seizing momentum against PSG.
Your next QPR read, QPR hint on Cifuentes future as Preston applauded for Charlton coup