QPR have today confirmed the appointment of former Ipswich Town gaffer Jim Magilton as their new manager on a two year contract.

Magilton was sacked as Ipswich manager two games before the end of last season after just under three years in charge at Portman Road. In that time he led them to two top half finishes but was unable to break into the play offs despite the substantial investment in players from new owner Marcus Evans halfway through his reign. This failure to make the top six was cited as the reason for his removal and makes his appointment at QPR, a club supposedly aiming for the play offs at least next season, all the more mystifying.

Owner Flavio Briatore, now onto the fifth permanent manager of his 18 month reign, told the club’s official website: “We had an incredibly high number of applicants but Jim was the stand out candidate for the role. We sat down with him on four separate occasions over the last month to discuss our goals and ambitions and he has really impressed myself, Mr Ecclestone, Mr Mittal and Mr Bhatia with his knowledge, understanding and passion for football. He did a very good job at Ipswich Town playing some fine, attacking football and he has ambition to achieve in this next chapter of his career. We are all really looking forward to working with him.”

Not for the first time LFW wonders just how stupid Mr Briatore thinks we are?

Magilton himself told the club’s official website: “I am really looking forward to the challenge of managing this great football club. The board are highly ambitious but they are realistic at the same time. I have huge ambitions to succeed as a manager though and our aim is to keep progressing year after year. There is a very strong group of players at the club and with one or two additions over the summer we can expect to be in a position to drastically improve upon the eleventh placed finish secured last season.”

Magilton will retain Gareth Ainsworth as part of his coaching staff and is rumoured to be keen on former Wycombe manager John Gorman as his assistant.

As a player Magilton began life in the junior ranks at Liverpool before enjoying successful spells with Oxford, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town. A cultured central midfield ball player with a superb eye for a pass, Magilton won 52 caps for Northern Ireland and moved into management at Portman Road following the departure of Joe Royle in the summer of 2006. Ipswich finished 14th, eighth and ninth during his three seasons in charge and did always try to play a decent passing game much in the style of their manager - it was his failure to make the top six despite being given ample funds with which to do so that eventually saw him fall on his sword after an ugly campaign among some sections of the Ipswich support and local press.

Full reaction to the appointment will be online later today but in the meantime, despite greeting this appointment with head in hands, we welcome Jim Magilton to Loftus Road and wish him all the luck in the world. Which may still not be enough.

Photo: Action Images

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