Struggling QPR Eye Up Former Reggae Boy
Moore in the mix to land manager role in London
DARREN MOORE, controversially sacked as manager of West Bromwich Albion in early March, could soon be back at the helm of a Championship club.
The former Reggae Boyz ace is allegedly on the shortlist to replace Steve McClaren, who was axed as manager of stuttering London-based Queen’s Park Rangers.
While Moore was pushing for promotion to the Premier League (PL) with WBA, if he lands the job then it will be at the other end of the table that he will be concentrating on as QPR are in the relegation mix.
However, 44-year-old Moore, deemed to be one of the most exciting young managers in the Championship, has one flaw and that was his inability to hole up WBA’s leaky defence. That ultimately cost him his contract at the Hawthorns, despite the club lying fourth when he was dismissed.
Given the blatant lack of black, Asian or ethnic minority managers at the upper level of the British game this is potentially a chance for Moore to prove his worth.
During his impressive nine-month stint at WBA he won the coveted Manager of the Month award three times, and galvanised a squad that was failing before he took the reins.
Moore was initially thown in at the deep end as interim boss after the Birmingham-based club’s parting with manager Alan Pardew in April 2018, and despite suffering the drop to the Championship he was appointed manager the following month.
He guided WBA, an outfit he had played for 116 times, to an unexpected unbeaten run last April to win the prestigious PL Manager of the Month award.
Moore, popular with players and fans alike, represented Jamaica twice in 1999 and became only the second manager from the CONCACAF region to take the helm in the PL, following in the footsteps of ex-US national coach Bob Bradley who was briefly Swansea City boss.
With a 47.9% win percentage record at WBA, winning 23 of 48 games, he could be the ideal man to spearhead QPR’s survival.
McClaren, a former England manager, was unable to halt a shockingly poor run and was sacked this week having registered just one win in their past 15 games.
Whoever QPR select to be manager will be given the initial task of securing their Championship status this season before strengthening their squad before a promotion push next term.
And Moore has already tasted promotion to the PL as a player with WBA, so will be ticking many – if not all – of the boxes for the QPR vacancy.
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