While the exact identity of QPR’s next manager remains a mystery it seems increasingly likely that a foreign candidate will be appointed, and soon, if you believe the media and rumour mongers.

A management appointment is likely to be made this week and while much of the talk has been surrounding several, not particularly exciting, British candidates press reports today suggest Rangers will again look overseas. With Steve Coppell looking for a break from football, Neil Warnock staying with Crystal Palace and Kevin Blackwell staying with Sheff Utd only uninspiring candidates like Aidy Boothroyd, Alan Pardew and, dear God save us, Jim Magilton remain.

Many are taking this and the delay in appointment until after the end of the Italian and Spanish seasons as a sign that the new man will follow in the footsteps of Luigi De Canio and Paulo Sousa as a foreign coach at QPR. De Canio himself has been linked and he left Lecce at the weekend when he failed to keep them in Serie A after taking over late in the day. Gianluca Vialli is another Italian mentioned while the Kilburn Times claims that an outlandish move for Paulo Maldini could be afoot. Malaga coach Antonio Tapia has also been mentioned – he himself claims to have been approached by QPR in the past and he resigned at the weekend after leading the minnows to eighth in la Liga on a shoestring budget following promotion. Brazilian legend Zico, who is currently with CSKA Moscow and has them playing splendid football AS Aston Villa will testify to, was linked with the job in the News of the World on Sunday.

LoftforWords certainly won’t be egotistical enough to pretend to know who the new man is, or when he will be appointed, but universal opinion seems to be that he will be in place by the end of this week. Watch this space as they say.

Whether the new man, whoever he may be, will have Dexter Blackstock in his squad remains to be seen. Despite it being suggested at the time that his loan move to Nottingham Forest came with a permanent transfer agreed he remains at Loftus Road. Nottingham Forest, today linked with a £1m move for Southampton’s David McGoldrick, are keen on Blackstock and Vital Forest claim that a deal to take him to the City ground has now been agreed – meanwhile the Nottingham Evening Post says the player may yet have a future at Loftus Road and Forest are looking elsewhere. Clear as mud.

Elsewhere Damion Stewart was involved from the start as Jamaica drew 0-0 with El Salvador in Washington DC.

Negotiations to take Jake Cole to Barnet on a permanent deal after a loan there last season are ongoing although Bees’ boss Ian Hendon says Cole’s Championship wages could be a problem. Hendon told Sky Sports: "We have spoken to Jake and his advisers, but that is still ongoing. We would like to bring him in, but he has been in the Championship on a decent wage, so that could be a stumbling block. However, we are battling away and would like to sort things out so that we can have him on board next season."

In former QPR news Big Bad Bob Malcolm is set for a move to Brisbane despite a reasonable SPL season with Motherwell. The 28 year old Scot blames sectarian abuse that follows him around Scotland, possibly relating to his propensity to sign his autograph followed by ‘Fuck the Pope’. Malcolm only recently got his driving license back after a drunken incident on the M1 after QPR’s Boxing Day defeat at Plymouth the season before last. Malcolm said: “ I've had enough of walking along a street in Glasgow and someone screaming 'ya dirty Orange bastard' in myface. Since I got my driver's licence back, I've been pulled up by the police seven times in three months, all because of the make of my car. When I was last stopped the policeman asked me what I was doing. I told him I was moving to Australia because I'd had enough of life here.”

Former R’s junior Dean Parrett was a late sub for England Under 19 as they beat Slovakia 4-1 at Valley Parade in the U19 European Championships qualifying.

Elsewhere in the Championship today Crystal Palace have been deducted a point for fielding Arsenal’s Rui Coster for 35 minutes against Sheff United on the final day of the season despite his loan deal coming to an end prior to the match. The point deduction does not alter the league at all, palace remain in 15th, and thankfully Birmingham’s win at Reading spares us yet another Sheff Utd court case as they wouldn’t have made second spot anyway.

League chairman Brian Mawhinney has rubbished plans for a new two tier Premiership, Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson who has often been linked with the vacant job at QPR has been denied permission to talk to Reading about succeeding Steve Coppell and Swansea have also told Celtic they will not be allowed to speak to their manager Roberto Martinez who is also being linked with Wigan.

And finally QPR legend Rodney Marsh has registered on the QPR Report message board and is answering fans’ questions. It’s quite a coup for the fledgling board, albeit on one of the longest running and most viewed QPR sites around, and is well worth a look at the following link.

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