Beale exit won’t derail our season, insist QPR pair

Jimmy Dunne admits QPR players were disappointed to see Mick Beale leave the club after less than five months in charge, but said the squad have vowed not to let his exit derail their promotion charge.

Beale quit Loftus Road last week to return to Glasgow Rangers having recently vowed to stay at the club after rejecting the chance to take the Wolves job.

QPR B team manager Paul Hall will take charge of the team for Sunday’s game against Dunne’s former club and league leaders Burnley until a permanent replacement for Beale is confirmed.

Speaking at a sports challenge event organised by Copy Bet, the club’s official betting partner, alongside team-mates Jake Clarke-Salter, Lyndon Dykes and George Thomas on Monday, Dunne insisted Beale’s departure has bonded the players.

“With the manager situation the lads have had to deal with it and regroup,” Dunne said.

“But what it has done is bring individuals closer together and it means we have to figure things out ourselves with the help of Hally.

“But training has been really good and we have a plan for Burnley and we are fit with Stefan Johansen now back in training and some other lads back from injury.”

Beale conducted training at Heston just 24 hours before being announced as the new boss at Ibrox, taking coaching staff Neil Banfield, Damian Matthew and Harry Watling with him.

Dunne said the players only knew of Beale’s departure when they were told by club officials but said there held no hard feelings towards their former boss.

“It was similar to the fans, there was no inside information, the opportunity came up for Mick and he felt he had to take it,” he said.

“Individually he contacted us all to wish us the best, but as a group it all happened too quickly for him to address us all.

“No-one is bitter inside the club, we are thankful for the efforts and wisdom he gave us and I think he improved a lot of us, and we are grateful for that.

“Obviously we are going to miss him, but since he has gone Hally has been great.”

Clarke-Salter, who was Beale’s first signing when he arrived at the club, having coached him at Chelsea’s academy, said the players had sat down together after Beale quit and reinforced to one another that it can’t disrupt their season.

“It’s football at the end of the day and these things can happen,” Clarke-Salter said.

“The players gathered together and we all said that the most important thing is we stick together and look ahead.

“We need to get the points on the board for ourselves and the fans.

“We all want to go places in our careers and the main thing for us is to be focused, regardless of whoever is in charge.”

“It will be nice to be back playing on Sunday in front of our own fans and it is a good game for us against the team that is top of the league.”

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