Jones ‘shocked’ by Warnock sacking

Mick Jones says it came as a shock to lose his job at QPR but insists he left the club on good terms.

Neil Warnock’s sacking as Rangers manager on Sunday led to assistant boss Jones and first-team coach Keith Curle also being shown the door.

It ended a memorable 22-month spell at Loftus Road for the trio, who led the R’s to promotion last season but were recently under pressure after a run of nine matches without a win.

“It came as a shock, but in fairness maybe it shouldn’t have done because there are only a few managers in the country who’d be safe after a run of bad results,” Jones told West London Sport.

“They [the owners] are good people, which is why the news did come as a surprise. But there’s no animosity. I wish them all the best I really do.

“I tell you, it’s the best club I’ve ever worked at. And I do feel sorry for Neil because I know how much he loved it there.

“When we went there we had to keep the club in the Championship as it looked at one stage like we might go down.

“To go from that to winning the title in one season was a great achievement and I’m very proud of what we did. We’re sad to be going, but it’s amicable.”

Warnock is considering his next move, while Jones has already received two job offers from abroad.

But the 64-year-old, who has managed in Canada and Brunei, now plans to take a break from the game.

“I’ve already had a couple of offers but it’s just not the right time at the moment,” he said.

“Myself and Neil have been doing the job a long time and I think maybe we both need a bit of a rest.

“That’s what I’m planning to do but then in football you never know – the phone might ring tomorrow.”

Related feature: The final hours

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook