Murphy steps into managerial hot seat for first time as Hasselbaink leaves R's

Interesting developments at Loftus Road today. Recently appointed boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has resigned from his role as manager as Queens Park Rangers just days after making the switch from League One side Burton Albion.

The Dutchman, 43, had previously won promotion to League One with Burton which resulted in Championship outfit QPR hiring the former Chelsea and Leeds striker.

Hasselbaink has explained the reason behind his departure on the club's official website:

"I am very sorry to be leaving this club so soon. I had big plans for the future here but I've had to return home to Holland for the foreseeable future. There's some personal things going on for me and it's not fair for the club to have to suffer because of my divided attention.

The welcome I received here when I joined was incredible and I know that whoever comes in after me will be stepping into a wonderful environment. There is a good squad here and I think one that is capable of a return to the top flight.

I am looking to come back into management when all of my issues have settled, so who knows? Maybe one day I will cross paths with Queens Park Rangers again."



R's chairman Tony Fernandes has acted quickly to bring in a replacement for the outgoing Hasselbaink by announcing the appointment of Match of the Day pundit and ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy.

Murphy will leave his role at the BBC immediately as he looks to turn his attention to what will be his first managerial role since his retirement from football in 2013.

Many QPR fans have met the news of Murphy's appointment with optimism, with one supporter writing: "One of my favourite @BBCMOTD pundits. Knows a lot about the game. It's a risk but I think it's going to pay off! #QPR".

Murphy himself has been speaking to the media from Loftus Road this afternoon following his appointment, and has laid out his plan for the coming season.

"I want to be here for a while. This is a great opportunity I've been gifted by the club and I intend to repay their faith in me. I'm very confident of our chances this season. We've got one of the better squads in the division and I think we'll go up.

My aim is to get every single player in the squad to go out onto the pitch and give 110% week in week out. Consistency is so key and I'm relying on these lads to step it up this season. I'll do my part of course, but ultimately it's the performances that are going to matter."

good luck with this story

looking forward to this. good luck

I find QPR such a hard club to like... but best of luck regardless ha maybe you will change my mind!

Danish duo arrive in London as Danny Murphy looks to stamp his mark on Hoops

Sky Bet Championship side Queens Park Rangers have announced the signings of Danish pair Jens Jønsson and Nicolai Poulsen as they look to finalize their squad for the coming season.

Jønsson, 22, and Poulsen, 21, both have time on their side as they look to further their careers and the move to a more reputable league should earn them the recognition they are looking for, providing they cut it in England.

Versatile defender Jønsson was subject to interest from several other clubs around Europe, including QPR's Championship rivals Burnley and French side Nice but the former Aarhus man ultimately sealed a £475,000 move to London, citing the location as a major contributing factor behind his decision.

"I had a lot of offers from some good teams but England is a brilliant place for football. I hear things about the Championship and how competitive it is and it's exciting to be here.

Of course London played a big part in my decision. It is a wonderful city. I have visited a few times but I never thought I would end up living here. It's a dream."

Jønsson can play effectively in the heart of defence or slightly further forward in a midfield position and it will be interesting to see where new boss Danny Murphy plans to slot him into his team.

As part of his contract at Aarhus the 22-year-old had a release clause which allowed Murphy to prise him away from his club. Jønsson is an avid Manchester United fan and will no doubt be hoping his side can return to the Barclays Premier League next season so he can make a first appearance as a player at Old Trafford.



Nicolai Poulsen is most effective when played in midfield, though he can provide cover in the centre of the back four if necessary. Comparisons have been made between Poulsen and legendary Brøndby midfielder Kim Vilfort, who notched up a total of 77 appearances for Denmark over the course of his career.

Vilfort, who now oversees the development of the youth sides at his beloved Brøndby, has revealed his thoughts on Poulsen and the comparisons.

"Nicolai Poulsen looks to be a very talented young player. I understand the comparisons between him and myself but I think this move will shape a very different career for him.

I spent most of my time in Denmark as a player and that paid off for me - I developed an incredible relationship with the fans and was still able to play very regularly for the national side.

But Nicolai has taken a bold move and credit to him for that. It's a risk to move to such a competitive league at this early stage of his career but I hope it pays off for him."

Poulsen had been in good form in the early parts of the Danish season for Randers FC prior to his £400,000 move to Loftus Road, making seven appearances in both the Danish Superliga and the UEFA Europa League before sealing his switch to England and held a 7.36 average rating in all competitions across the seven games according to Squawka.

Poulsen has only made three appearances at U21 level for Denmark but he and Jønsson will be hoping to impress Denmark boss Åge Hareide now that they have both moved to a bigger club.

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Diakité joins Owls as Murphy looks to get rid of dead wood

Queens Park Rangers' Malian midfielder Samba Diakité has joined Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday in a £500,000 deal as new boss Danny Murphy looks to restructure the squad at Loftus Road.

Diakité starred in QPR's 3-0 home win against League Two outfit Barnet during the week but it is thought that the deal was agreed prior to his inclusion in the squad.

His last appearance for the London club was only his 26th in all competitions since his original loan spell from French side Nancy in 2012 before then manager Mark Hughes decided to make the switch permanent by splashing out £3.5m on the Mali international.

Diakité, 26, is the first player to be shipped out of the club permanently by Danny Murphy since his arrival in July - but Murphy isn't finished just yet it seems, after announcing his plans to sell several other high earning members of the first team squad.

"The wage structure at this club is a problem. That's been well documented in recent years. There are players here that are earning far, far too much and that's not necessarily a dig at their abilities because they are good players.

But the reality of it is that we're a Championship club and these players I'm mentioning are on Premier League wages. Something needs to be done and if I need to get rid of some to rework this wage structure then so be it.

Samba is a great player but we've got some brilliant midfielders in the squad and I don't think he would have started many games at all this season. Going by that, he would have been a backup player for us - a backup player on £20k per week."

Diakité is thought to have accepted a slightly lower wage at Hillsborough but the defensive midfielder will be looking to get his career back on track after disappointing loan spells with Watford and Al-Ittihad while at QPR.

Sky sources are also telling us that ex-England international Rob Green is another player who could be on his way out of Loftus Road. However, the shot stopper's huge £40k wages have reportedly put potential suitors off.

A clause in his contract means that Green, 35, will automatically extend his contract by an extra year should he play 30 games for QPR in the Sky Bet Championship this season.

Nice update there. Hopefully you are able to add some quality players in this window

Looks good so far, good luck with the rest of your story

Shakhtar striker arrives in London but R's fail to bring in other targets

Shakhtar Donetsk's Argentine striker Facundo Ferrerya has joined Championship side Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the season.

Ferrerya, 24, spent last season on loan at Premier League club Newcastle United but didn't play a single game for them and admitted that he struggled with the physical side of English football: "When I got here [Newcastle] I struggled to adapt ... it is a very physical league."

This is perhaps a bold move by QPR boss Danny Murphy then, but the former Vélez Sarsfield man has proven in the past that he can score goals.

In his one season with Vélez he scored sixteen goals in twenty-one league appearances before sealing a £5.75m move to Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk where he scored four goals in eleven games.

Ferrerya is thought to be earning around £24,000 per week but it is understood that QPR will be paying just a fraction of that during the loan spell.

Murphy has plenty of options available to him in attack, with Jamie Mackie, Jay-Emmanuel Thomas and Sebastian Polter and now Ferrerya all vying for a place in his squad.



QPR have also been unsuccessful in their pursuit of Álvaro Vadillo and Luka Milunović. Vadillo, 20, was expected to join The Hoops on loan and the club had planned to unveil the winger alongside Ferrerya at Loftus Road.

Real Betis accepted the loan offer from QPR which included a future fee of £4m to make the move permanent and everything was set for the Spaniard to make the switch but he rejected the offer.

22-year-old midfielder Luka Milunović accepted a contract offer from Queens Park Rangers but ultimately is was his failure to obtain a work permit which killed the deal.

QPR had a £275k bid accepted by Greek side Platanias for the Serbian, but Murphy will have to turn his attention elsewhere if he wants to bring in some new faces.

There have been unconfirmed reports that QPR are planning on returning with another loan bid in an attempt to convince Vadillo to join them.

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Pre-Season Spotlight: Queens Park Rangers

Sky Bet Championship side Queens Park Rangers are the team in BT Sport's Pre-Season Spotlight today as new they enjoyed a steady start to life under new coach Danny Murphy.

New signings Jens Jønsson and Nicolai Poulsen both featured throughout pre-season as Murphy led his side to three wins from five friendlies, losing once to Serie A opposition Atalanta.

If this period is anything to go by, Queens Park Rangers will operate with a lone striker this season in what looks to be a 4-3-3 (Wide) formation.

QPR began their pre-season with a comfortable 3-0 victory against their reserve side in a behind closed doors friendly.

While he isn't one of Murphy's signings, Sebastian Polter is still a new signing at Loftus Road and it was the big German striker who finished the pre-season as top scorer for the R's with three goals from the five games played.

QPR's first competitive game under Murphy comes at The Valley next week against Charlton Athletic, who lost twice to Scottish opposition (Ayr United and Ross County) as they looked to settle into José Riga's regime.

good luck against Charlton

This story is looking good so far mate, keep it up!

Good luck for the season ahead!

DEADLINE DAY: Hoops successful in Vadillo return before sealing late deal for Aberdeen winger Hayes

With just three hours to go until the English transfer window slams shut, Championship side Queens Park Rangers have announced a double signing of the wingers Alvaro Vadillo and Jonny Hayes.

Some major moves have already been made so far on deadline day - Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Barbosa has sealed a move to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur snapping up the highly sought-after striker for a fee estimated to be around £10m.

Meanwhile Spurs' divisional rivals Newcastle United have given 31-year-old Robinho a three year contract at St James' Park, thought to be worth around £44,000 per week. Magpies boss Steve McClaren has been heavily criticized for his decision to sign the former Manchester City and Real Madrid attacker, who joins on a free transfer after his contract with Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande expired.

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The Brazilian had previously played for Manchester City in the Premier League after becoming the first signing of Sheikh Mansour's regime in the North West, joining The Citizens for £32.5m from Spanish giants Real Madrid. Robinho went on to score fourteen league goals for the club that season but struggled in his second season due to injury and was largely deemed an expensive flop.

He spent five years in Italy after signing for Milan in 2010 before moving to China in 2015. He has told Newcastle's official website that he is delighted to be back in England. "I really liked playing in England so I'm very pleased to be back here. I feel as though I didn't get a good enough run with Manchester City. I had a good first season and I'm determined to prove that I can do it again."

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The latest developments on Deadline Day are happening at Loftus Road where Queens Park Rangers have finally got their man, with Alvaro Vadillo making a loan switch to join up with Danny Murphy's side.

The 20-year-old winger had previously rejected an offer from The R's which included a £4m future fee and many thought that the deal was dead. But Murphy persisted and put in a revised bid for the Real Betis youngster which removed their right to buy the Spaniard at any point during the loan.

And this, Vadillo explains, is what convinced him to join. "I was told I would be leaving on loan and was happy to go out and get some experience - but right now I have no interest in leaving Betis permanently. I want to believe I still have a future back home with the club who made me. So that is why I turned QPR down the first time. It was nothing to do with the team or the manager and that's clear now that I've joined."

QPR will not pay a fee and Real Betis will be paying Vadillo's wages in full during his season-long spell in London where he will provide competition for Scotland international Matt Phillips on the right flank.



Aberdeen's Irish winger Jonny Hayes is likely to be Murphy's last signing in the first transfer window of his managerial career with time running out. Hayes, 28, has penned a two-year deal after making the switch from the Scottish Premiership for £400,000.

The left winger rejected an offer to drop down a division and stay in Scotland with Mark Warburton's Rangers to sign for QPR.

Tjarron Cherry will be fighting to keep his place following Hayes' arrival but the uncapped Irishman is only expected to provide cover for the former Groningen man.

Hayes began his professional career in England, playing for the likes of Reading and Leicester City before moving to Scotland with Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2009. He racked up 85 appearances for The Jags before sealing a move to Aberdeen.

The majority of Aberdeen fans are unhappy with the transfer according to a Twitter poll conducted by the SPFL account. 68% of voters thought that Derek McInnes should have kept Hayes, clearly feeling that he still had something to offer the team.

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