Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

On Friday, in the midst of the breaking news that Paul Hart was leaving QPR, I mistakenly jumped to the assumption that he had been dismissed from the club. Indefensible really, though managers do come and go from QPR at such a rate that you can't help but feel the club's owners are the agents of each departure. Officially then, Hart resigned from his position and for once, Flavio Briatore can say with some confidence that this wasn't a sacking.

Then again, though he clearly wasn't asked to leave, there must have been one hell of a breakdown between manager and owner for a man of Hart's experience to decide to walk out after five games.

Though his managerial record doesn't sparkle and top clubs won't knock down his door, Hart still has enough clout within the game not to jump at the first job offer he receives. So when QPR came calling, you have to believe that he put some serious thought into his next move. What is going on behind the scenes at Loftus Road then for him to be unable to bear even a month in the hot seat?

Hart's explanation, proffered through the League Manager's Association, is vague to say the least, hinting only that "he was very unhappy with certain situations".

Three alternative theories have done the rounds since Friday and each offer possibly a small chunk of the truth.

Firstly, it was widely quoted that he had a falling-out with Adel Taarabt who was unhappy to start so few games since his arrival. When brought on in the 3-2 FA Cup defeat to Sheffield United (Hart's final game), Taarabt (pictured below) didn't exactly cover himself in glory with his application and commitment to the cause.


But that comes with the territory right? Taarabt's hero is Zinedine Zidane - he has far from matched Zizou on the ball, but he could certainly challenge his mentor in the moody aloofness stakes. To blame Hart's leaving solely on Taarabt seems a bit too easy and again, I'd like to believe that any manager with his experience would have enough confidence to deal with a narked young loanee.

Theory two is that Briatore and company were distinctly unimpressed with Hart's brand of anti-football. How QPR play is unsurprisingly an issue for Briatore - you don't build a life around fast cars, smart clothes and beautiful women and then take your buddies to watch the footballing equivalent of the Pit of Despair. A attacking 4-4-2 formation is believed to be his preference and its a brave manager who deviates from that, so Hart's 6-3-1 formation against Bristol City wouldn't have unlocked the door to Briatore's heart.

Finally and I think closest to the truth, Hart's desire to more radically shake up the QPR team met with little enthusiasm from his paymasters. In some reports, Hart was keen to get rid of as many as six players from the squad and replace them. A lot of the impetus behind loan moves for Daniel Cousin and Caleb Folan certainly seems to have dissipated since his departure. Appointed as a man to steady the ship, he may not have realised the limits of his managerial remit.

The image of Briatore as the all-seeing, all-demanding chairman could be a little off the mark though. In the last few months, he has dealt with his possible expulsion from Formula One not to mention the demands of his various business interests from fashion to restaurants. So, clearly there is a great degree of delegation to Gianni Paladini (pictured below), QPR's sporting director.


The most accurate interpretation for Hart's exit could then be that Briatore didn't have the strongest hand in his appointment in the first place. That when he finally got round to talking with the new manager, he found that their ideas were far from compatible.

Whatever the real reason and despite the protestations in Briatore's interview with The Mirror, there is clearly something wrong with the system QPR use to appoint their managers. Paulo Sousa, the club's fourth permanent manager under Briatore, has guided unfancied Swansea to fourth in the table this season. Where could QPR be if he had remained in the job?

It is too casual to pretend that the chopping and changing of managers isn't hurting the club. Hopefully they will put some deeper thought into the next appointment.