Queens Park Rangers were rocked by the news this week that Michael Beale had completed a move to Scotland, having spoken about his loyalty to the Hoops just a few weeks ago.
After the former Aston Villa assistant turned down a move to Premier League side Wolves, it seemed as if he would commit to a full season at Loftus Road with the aim of earning promotion back to the top flight, having only joined in the summer.
However, the 44-year-old emphasised that loyalty within football is well and truly dead, as he returned to his old side Rangers after a run of poor form, which leaves the Hoops just outside the playoffs ahead of the Championship’s return later this month.
While he won’t be remembered fondly by QPR fans after his actions, it is worth remembering that he was earning a lot of plaudits for the way his side were playing at Loftus Road, especially after they briefly went to the top of the league after a 3-0 win over Cardiff City.
Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see those on the board at QPR target another highly-rated coach from a Premier League side, in the hope that he can have a similar impact to Beale for the rest of the season.
One man who has been linked with the vacant post at Loftus Road is Chelsea coach Anthony Barry, with The Mirror (via Football League World) claiming that he is on the list of potential candidates.
The 36-year-old, who previously spent time with Wigan Athletic, is also a coach with Belgium at the World Cup, although he will be heading home from Qatar after the Red Devils crashed out in the group stages on Thursday.
During Barry’s time as assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland, he earned a huge amount of praise from manager Stephen Kenny.
He said:
“The biggest thing I noticed about Anthony was the work ethic. The transition from a player to a coach can be difficult. Instead of having lots of free time, you now have to work a lot of hours.
“But I’d rock up at 6am and he’d already be there. Then he’d ask to come with me to a night game, so he’d be getting home at midnight. He was a sponge. I thought there’s someone special here who is prepared to work hard.”
Barry certainly sounds like he would put in the hard yards as QPR manager and given the Hoops’ arguable success in looking towards inexperienced Premier League coaches with Beale, the Irishman could be another good fit at Loftus Road.
