The results of our most recent QPR MAD poll are out. The question posed to Rangers fans asked whether they backed Ian Holloway’s new revamped coaching system.
Ollie has given the system a total overhaul following promotion and Kenny Jackett’s departure as assistant manager. The new system will see coaches assigned to positions. A striker’s coach will work closely with the striker’s, defensive coach with the defenders and so on. There will be no new assistant manager, simply position specific coaches that train al members of the squad. There will be no 1st team and reserve team training, all players whatever ability will be training together in their positions with the aim of improving their ability.
Gary Penrice is set to be unveiled, as the new striker’s coach in the coming week and Tim Breacker is set to step into the role as defensive coach. Tony Roberts will stay as the R’s goalkeeping coach with a position vacant for a possible new coach to work with the midfielders. Ollie himself has been widely tipped for the role but is more likely to want to take a back seat and watch how training develops rather than be in the centre of it.
Ollie has said that he has been thinking of a change for some time now and it was not Jackett’s departure that made him switch to a radically different system. In fact he admitted he was inspired by rugby side London Wasps who train on the pitch next-door to Rangers at Twyford Avenue. Wasps have had a similar system in place for some time and have enjoyed major success.
So when the Rangers fans were asked to speak for themselves over what they thought about the new ideas from the boss, they spoke overwhelmingly in favour of the new regime.
92% of voters agreed to give the boss their backing or offered him time to see how the system translated onto the pitch, with only 8% not trusting enough.
It is a huge boost for Ollie to know he has a massive backing from fans willing to let him experiment on the training ground in the hope of grinding out results in next season’s Championship. After guiding the club back to Britain’s second tier of English football he was rewarded with a new contract by the club eager to consolidate and build on last season’s success. Ollie is without doubt the man for the job at Rangers and long may he continue to take the reigns of the blue and white army. But with the season kicking-off at Loftus Road on August 7th against Rotherham United, Ollie has limited time to get his new system up and running so who knows how the player’s will take to the new structure. Time will tell and as QPR MAD viewers have voted, time is on the manager’s side.