Parker fears QPR have ‘shot themselves in the foot’ by ditching Cifuentes
Former QPR and England star Paul Parker has some sympathy for Marti Cifuentes and fears the club might have “shot themselves in the foot” by axing the Spaniard.
The ambitious Cifuentes has been placed on gardening leave by Rangers after his representatives spoke to West Bromwich Albion about the possibility of him taking over at the West Midlands club.
But he is not on Albion’s shortlist of potential replacements for the sacked Tony Mowbray.
Parker believes Cifuentes, who twice kept QPR in the Championship in difficult circumstances, deserves respect for the job he did at Loftus Road.
“He seemed to be doing really well,” Parker said.
“The club has had problems and he’s been the first manager at QPR since Neil Warnock who’s gone in there and really added something, and the fans took to him.
“He was missing key players early in the season – and it’s all about your key players at QPR, given the budget.
“Then as he got players back, you could see it made a difference. I really enjoyed the (2-2 draw) game against Leeds when, OK they couldn’t hold on, but to play like that and against a team of that quality, with the players at his disposal – that tells you something.”
While Cifuentes is not currently in the running for the West Brom position, there are also vacancies at Norwich and relegated Southampton.
He has won praise for the job he has done at Rangers, boosting his stock in the process.
And Parker does not believe Cifuentes should have been punished for talks taking place with potentially interested clubs.
“In any industry, if you go somewhere and improve things, you’re going to feel you might have a chance elsewhere. That’s life,” said Parker, who starred for England in the 1990 World Cup and left QPR to join Manchester United the following year.
“When a manager has done a good job, people are going to look at them and talk about them. It happens with managers all the time.
“The key word is ambition. Everyone should have ambition and managers are no different.
“If you’re an agent, you’re going to speak to people on behalf of your client to see what might be out there. That happens all the time.
“If someone has spoken to another club on his behalf, he’s done nothing wrong. Unless, that is, he’s instigated it himself – and even if that’s the case, it would be nigh-on impossible to prove that’s happened.
“So I think QPR might have shot themselves in the foot. It’s now really important that they get the right person in.”
