Ferdinand hits back at ‘extremely frustrating’ rumours about his QPR role

Les Ferdinand has told QPR Player he finds rumours he interferes in first-team affairs “extremely frustrating”.

There has long been speculation among QPR fans on social media about Ferdinand’s involvement – as well as suggestions the director of football influences team selection.

Ferdinand added: “You get people on social media who wake up in the morning and decide they know what’s going on at the football club.

“Sometimes when people put something out there it snowballs into something that they don’t know what they’re talking about.

“This is probably why I’m not on social media; because you’d reply and get angry because people are talking about something they know absolutely nothing about.”

Ian Holloway will be the fourth manager at Loftus Road since former R’s and England striker Ferdinand was installed by the club’s owners.

Holloway has replaced Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who lasted less than a year in the job.

“As far as team selection is concerned, I had no influence on Jimmy. Jimmy picked the team that he wanted,” Ferdinand said.

“We spoke about football but I never, ever got involved in terms of what he selected as his team. My job is to assist him in terms of acquiring players.

“I do not have any influence on players the manager picks. I do have an influence on who he brings in here because we all have to feel he’s right for the club.

“Unfortunately there’s been a taint on directors of football in this country in terms of saying ‘they go out and buy the players and pick the team’.

“If I wanted to pick the team I would put myself forward to be the manager and I haven’t done that.”

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