QPR’s manager search: as it stands

Almost a month after the sacking of Steve McClaren, QPR are yet to appoint a new manager.

Four front-runners, identified prior to McClaren’s exit, have become three, but the situation is otherwise not much different to four weeks ago despite plenty of speculation over who will take the job.

Here’s how things currently stand…

Tim Sherwood is director of football Les Ferdinand’s first choice and has been in discussions about the long-terms plans for the club, whose current financial limitations have been well documented.

See also: Four in the running for QPR job (1 April)

Mark Warburton, Gary Rowett and Michael Appleton were also initially identified as the four stand-out candidates Rangers were interested in. Rowett is out of the running.

Warburton and Appleton are very much in contention as it stands – they and Sherwood tick the box of having a background in coaching and developing players, which is QPR’s number one requirement.

Marc Bircham desperately wants the job and has been interviewed. As a former youth coach and assistant manager at QPR he can point to the fact that no other candidate knows more about the young players Rangers’ hopes are pinned on. But his lack of managerial experience is one of the factors counting against him.

Since the position became available, Darren Moore has expressed an interest and has spoken to the club. But his representatives believe the controversial nature of his recent sacking by West Brom means he could potentially land a more attractive job.

Nigel Pearson and Steve Cotterill have also spoken to Rangers, while Billy Davies is another to have shown an interest.

Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal has been heavily linked but is eyeing other jobs. Out-of-work managers often like to keep their name ‘out there’.

Former QPR winger Gareth Ainsworth was very much in the frame while McClaren was on thin ice at Rangers. Momentum behind him slowed, largely because his Wycombe side were on a terrible run. But keeping them in League One on a shoestring budget would definitely count in his favour should the R’s wait until the end of the season. So far though there has been no sign of an approach to Wycombe.

Waiting could also lead to Kenny Jackett being an option if Portsmouth don’t go up. But he has a stable job at Pompey regardless of whether they win promotion, and compensation could be a stumbling block. Jackett has admirers at QPR, where he was previously assistant boss, and was overlooked for the manager’s job in favour of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – a decision Rangers quickly regretted.

Lee Bowyer, whose Charlton side are also in the League One promotion race, and whose contract is due to expire at the end of the season, would be keen if QPR made an approach. But there has been no firm interest in him so far.

Ferdinand likes Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen manager, and was keen on him before Rangers’ owners appointed McClaren. Again, however, compensation would be a stumbling block.

Meanwhile, the CVs of a number of foreign coaches have been submitted – as they are for most Premier League and Championship jobs. None of them are under serious consideration at this stage.