Tuesday 9 March 2010

Warnock has the Hart of A Freed man.

Much like ripping off a scabby old plaster, Warnock leaving didn’t hurt as much as I anticipated, and that was my reaction before we’d poetically turned over his all time favourtie team. No more Mick Jones’ blog though, that does hurt!
The QPR rumours had somehow been rumbling on and on for days and days with no real comment from any involved party, yet the next thing we knew, Warnock had swapped stripes for hoops.
The circumstances were murky; QPR announced it, Palace responded it wasn’t a done deal (which it clearly was,) and suddenly, the vast majority of Palace fans were looking to the sky, praying for the clouds to part and in turn, reveal the Archangel Coppell looking over SE25.

Well, in a move that was almost as left field as Shaun Derry’s position in the 2003 play-off final, we were presented with Paul Hart, Dougie Freedman and John Pemberton. At one point, just as I turned my tellybox onto the press conference, I thought we had somehow secured an un-spectacled Fabio Capello for the months between now and the World Cup. However, when I finally put on my glasses, it turned out to be Brendan “just an accountant” Guilfoyle. How much is the VAT on a Palace tie?

Now, I’ve always thought Paul Hart comes across really well whenever I’ve seen him on the TV. Modest, focused and he clearly has the guts for tough times (just look at his C.V). However, when he was unveiled as our new gaffer, I did seriously pose the question- is he the man to come in, grab the bull by the horns and shake the players up the table? My heart said no, and my head said the same. Yet, upon hearing what he had to say about the situation, that suspicion was made abundantly clear. Paul Hart won’t come in, grab the bull by the horns and shake the players up the table. What he WILL do is come in, reassure the players that they are more than capable of avoiding the drop and in a very calm, dignified manner, steady the boat. That’s all we need right now. Nothing more, definitely nothing less.

He was also savvy enough to know that 85% of Palace fans wouldn’t be over the moon with his appointment, and that they preferred a Coppell/Southgate/Kolinko type legend’s return.
Well, bringing Mr Dougie Freedman back in the supporting role (and Pembo) has gone a fair way to quench that thirst and in turn, created a very wise, sensible management team, showcasing both head AND heart appointments. And they got off to a bit of a flyer-

The new-ish faces in the dugout were the only real notable differences on Saturday.
The team was set-up pretty much the same-not that Hart & co. have loads of other options, yet they seemed fresh and invigorated with no signs of any FA Cup/too many fixtures hangover. Still no Neil Danns, so in went Calvin; 2 big’uns up front and that was it! We were off!
Calvin Andrew impressed from the start and with his and Lee’s persistence up front, we really looked game for a fight. Quite literally at times! You had Palace showing the guts and spirit of a “typical Warnock side” and you had Sheffield United showing the uglier, more mainstream view of a “typical Warnock side” It was like he hadn’t left either club.
There were a few moans in various match reports that Alan Lee should have seen red for an elbow. Well, in a truly Wenger-like statement- I didn’t see it. However, I did see Lee Williamson blatantly thrust an elbow into Claude’s face… I also saw him make at least 3 other yellow card “challenges”, yet only receive a booking on 68 minutes and was subbed shortly after (quit whilst your ahead perhaps?)
That being one of only 2 yellow cards that their whole team gathered. Which is a joke when you hear that we received 3! Neil Warnock isn’t here anymore, so I’ll assume his mantle for this week- the officiating was an absolute fahking shambles! It gets worse and worse each week-which seems ever more impossible as the weeks go on. That refereeing would’ve tipped him over the edge.

Luckily, the players grabbed a well-worked goal and then threw everything on the line to protect it. Nick Carle was demonstrating why he was brought to the club in the first place and I can see him particularly benefiting from Freedman’s guidance. A similar sized player with very similar feet. Let’s hope so.


Much like when Steve Bruce left, nobody really knows what brought about the Warnock/Hart switcheroo.

1. Brendan claimed Warnock had said to him “I don’t have the stomach for this anymore.” And a suitable compensation fee with QPR was negotiated.

2. Warnock said it was a contractual security/insecurity issue and he needed to protect his family.

3. Unsurprisingly, Simon Jordan has come out with his opinion on the whole thing. Surprisingly though, he has sided with the administrator rather than his old friend.



Now I’m no Vorderman - but adding the above 1, 2 and 3 together does not make 6. There’s a lot of grey between those lines and a consortium of Poirot, Marple, Creek & Holmes would do well to conjure the truth.
Warnock? No fight? Sounds unlikely. And let’s face it; he has gone to 'the biggest shambles of a club ‘09/10'… hardly a ‘cushy number’ is it?
Contract insecurity? Well, the players that Neil always managed to motivate are all in the same boat, so that excuse seems a tad rich (if true.)
Warnock’s and Guilfoyle’s versions were always going to conflict but it’s Jordan’s comments that really throw everything out.


“There is one reason and one reason only that Neil Warnock went to QPR. It is nothing to do with the administrator.”


His recent QPR interviews seem to be full of a man grinning, smiling and buoyant. No sign of the stern, frank and blunt statements of harsh realism that littered his last few weeks of Palace interviews. And who can blame him? A great burden has been taken from him. (A great big contract replaces it.)

Could it be all 3 individuals are speaking a certain degree of truth?

There’s no doubt he loved his time here, but administrators and dirty rumours of your best players being pimped out behind everyone’s back (Danns to Swansea apparently) is something no manager of his experience and caliber should be expected to deal with.
The guy loves football and he’s gone to a job where he’s got 2 of the manager’s favourite tools- money and time. Time meaning at least a month or two in QPR terms.
He’s been very complimentary towards us both during and after his Selhurst tenure; I can only reciprocate and wish him the best.

Whatever happened is irrelevant, and we will never know the truth- we are only the fans after all. But the song remains the same- we’re a club in administration with a small squad who are in a very real, very tight relegation battle which continues tonight against Bristol.


In the words of Theakston and co.-

“give it some Hart”


PTTP

P.S - yes Gary, we are sure the game is on- scout’s honour!


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1 comment:

  1. May i say an absolutely excellent article, a very very well written interesting read indeed!!

    ReplyDelete