Warnock to stay at the helm as QPR take their time

QPR expect Neil Warnock to stay in interim charge until at least the end of the month.

Former Rangers manager Warnock took the helm for the recent 0-0 draw at home to Preston following the sacking of Chris Ramsey.

The club are in the process of drawing up a shortlist of candidates to take over as head coach and there is currently no frontrunner for the job.

Warnock will be in charge for Friday evening’s game at Middlesbrough and Rangers believe he will also be in place for the following Saturday’s match at home to Leeds.

Last week he brought Kevin Blackwell to Loftus Road to assist him. The pair have worked together previously at a number of clubs, including Sheffield United.

While the final decision on the appointment of a new head coach will be made by QPR’s owners, director of football Les Ferdinand and chief executive Lee Hoos are presiding over the first stages of the recruitment process.

Ferdinand is now back in the country after illness delayed his return from Malaysia, where he met with co-chairmen Ruben Gnanalingam and Tony Fernandes.

Several managers have been touted as possible contenders to replace Ramsey, including Tim Sherwood and Nigel Pearson.

Neither are currently being considered for the job but at this stage it is unclear how much of an input Warnock will have.

Warnock is keen to influence the recruitment process and would like a role similar to the one currently held by Ferdinand.

Pearson, a leading contender for the Fulham manager’s job, was sacked by Leicester City in June following a number of run-ins with the Midlands club’s owners, who are friends of Gnanalingam and Fernandes.

Sherwood was lined up to replace Harry Redknapp at QPR last year but Fernandes later became reluctant to appoint him and instead pursued Paul Clement, who was then assistant boss at Real Madrid and is now Derby manager, before eventually installing Ramsey.

Former Tottenham manager Sherwood is available, having recently been sacked by Aston Villa, but the Rangers hierarchy do not currently regard him as a candidate.