This week, QPR assistant manager John Eustace has snubbed an offer from Blackpool to stay put in west London – and that speaks volumes of the project at hand.
The former Watford midfielder allegedly has big ambitions within the game, and is looking to make a jump into management within the Football League, as per reports from West London Sport.
However, with the coach not seeing as Blackpool – a team in the Premier League as recently as 2010 – as a side worth moving to, then he must really see a lot within both Mark Warburton and the job he is doing for Rangers.
With Simon Grayson departing the club, it is said that Eustace was approached after having approaches for Karl Robinson from Oxford United turned down, as well as Richie Wellens from Swindon Town, yet they both also rejected a move.
Since Eustace opted to stay at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, Neil Critchley, Liverpool’s U23 manager, has taken the job at Bloomfield Road.
Eustace, 40-years-old, has already managed but only at non-league level, doing a two-year stint at Kidderminster Harriers before leaving to give Steve McLaren a hand in 2018. Given that the reports state that he is looking to enter Football League management, then it is interesting to see that he would reject a side as established as Blackpool.
Is there any chance of keeping Eze in the summer?
He's as good as gone
We can keep him
If we offer him big terms
Not sure
Sure, right now they are hardly the most exciting prospect: 13th in League One with 44 points from 33 games, 13 points shy of the play-offs, 19 clear of the relegation zone. But when you look at the clubs in that division, you would certainly identify them as one which is more likely to be at the top than at the bottom, and he’d have a good portion of time to instil his philosophy and decide on players for next season.
The details for staying are unclear. Perhaps he didn’t fancy a move so far away, but it’s nice for QPR that they have an assistant coach who is that committed to the club that he wouldn’t take a potentially huge opportunity, as he obviously doesn’t see it as worthwhile and must be happy where he is.
There’s a bit of a feel-good vibe at the R’s at the moment with some of the attacking prowess they have at their disposal. You never know, maybe he wants to see out the season first and see what else this team has to offer. The chances of the play-offs aren’t over, just yet.
