| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” 09:21 - Mar 16 with 19760 views | TK1 |
Saw this on the way to the game, Cifuentes describing how difficult the season's been, "not just the results", but "things the fans don't see" - particularly the last few weeks.
Interesting that he thinks this has been "by far" harder than taking over one of the worst teams I can remember last season.
Seems significant. I wonder what's been happening - and I wonder where that leaves him for next season.
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| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 09:13 - Mar 17 with 1994 views | StrawberryHillR |
Dave Mac covered this new contract thing off a while ago. Entitled to it for keeping us up, no negotiation required....
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| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 09:15 - Mar 17 with 1970 views | RangersDave |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 19:29 - Mar 16 by BrianMcCarthy |
This Haribo Tangfastics thing...that worries me. |
Plays centre back doesnt he? |  |
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| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 09:41 - Mar 17 with 1840 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 09:15 - Mar 17 by RangersDave |
Plays centre back doesnt he? |
Fly-goalie, I think. |  |
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| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:01 - Mar 17 with 1710 views | lassel |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 08:57 - Mar 17 by KensalT |
"The ‘new contract’ was signed back end of July."
The question was how did they negotiate a new contract when you say they weren't talking to each other over the summer.
It would be truly remarkable if the CEO and manager weren't talking at a time when the club were trying to tie down the manager to a new deal.
I didn't ask when the contract was signed. Although that is a remarkable level of detail for your wife's mate at Hammarby to know about our internal workings when the rest of us don't even get told how long players have signed up for!
And why would Marti be so indiscreet with this Swedish connection? Does he share confidential club information with all his former clubs? |
All managers have agents. Cifuentes wasn’t negotiating with Nourry directly, and let’s be honest a nice payrise and a better buyout fee for the club doesn’t take much negotiating anyway…
People are human. When people are unhappy they vent to friends. This doesn’t apply just to players and management. QPR employs hundreds of people, many have decades of experience at QPR and/or in professional football clubs. To have a 25 year old public schoolboy parachuted in above them and then in a heavy handed way start micro managing their departments put *a lot* of noses out of joint. Why do you think QPR has been leaning like a sieve since Nourry turned up and ironically tried to personally handle all communications? | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:12 - Mar 17 with 1664 views | KensalT |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:01 - Mar 17 by lassel |
All managers have agents. Cifuentes wasn’t negotiating with Nourry directly, and let’s be honest a nice payrise and a better buyout fee for the club doesn’t take much negotiating anyway…
People are human. When people are unhappy they vent to friends. This doesn’t apply just to players and management. QPR employs hundreds of people, many have decades of experience at QPR and/or in professional football clubs. To have a 25 year old public schoolboy parachuted in above them and then in a heavy handed way start micro managing their departments put *a lot* of noses out of joint. Why do you think QPR has been leaning like a sieve since Nourry turned up and ironically tried to personally handle all communications? |
There's a lot of rhetoric in there but no detail.
You say the new contract was signed at the "back end of July". So when did you become aware of this?
And Marti has been in the game for a while. He would know that his stock was high in the summer and that in turn increased his bargaining power. So why rush to sign the contract in July when he could wait until the transfer window closed and try to exert some influence over recruitment? | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:22 - Mar 17 with 1638 views | R_from_afar |
Following Rangers is like a never-ending episode of "The X Files"  |  |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:28 - Mar 17 with 1599 views | JamesB1979 |
Think you’ll go crazy if you read too much into certain comments, body language etc. We’ll find out in summer whether Marti is happy. I don’t expect the CEO, owners and football management to all get on. They all have different priorities. They just need to work together. I would say Marti seems happier than in October but that’s probably because we’re mid table and not bottom | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:28 - Mar 17 with 1599 views | lassel |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:12 - Mar 17 by KensalT |
There's a lot of rhetoric in there but no detail.
You say the new contract was signed at the "back end of July". So when did you become aware of this?
And Marti has been in the game for a while. He would know that his stock was high in the summer and that in turn increased his bargaining power. So why rush to sign the contract in July when he could wait until the transfer window closed and try to exert some influence over recruitment? |
I was told around the end of the Girona training camp he would likely sign the new contract and I told North as such as we were discussing how tense things were behind the scenes at that time. He signed the deal because his stock ultimately wasn’t as high as he thought it would be..
On recruitment, there was nothing to negotiate, Cifuentes signed as a head coach. He knew from day 1 he wouldn’t be involved in recruitment - Frey and Andersen were found by Belk on a scouting database, as the database themselves loudly celebrated on twitter at the time. | | | |
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| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:38 - Mar 17 with 1553 views | nick_hammersmith |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:28 - Mar 17 by lassel |
I was told around the end of the Girona training camp he would likely sign the new contract and I told North as such as we were discussing how tense things were behind the scenes at that time. He signed the deal because his stock ultimately wasn’t as high as he thought it would be..
On recruitment, there was nothing to negotiate, Cifuentes signed as a head coach. He knew from day 1 he wouldn’t be involved in recruitment - Frey and Andersen were found by Belk on a scouting database, as the database themselves loudly celebrated on twitter at the time. |
I remember that post from the database;
SELECT 'Frey', 'Anderson' AS new_players
FROM other_teams
UPDATE current_squad WITH new_players
ALTER TABLE current_squad WITH '2024/2025'
UPDATE social_media WITH news; |  | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:39 - Mar 17 with 1543 views | R_from_afar |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:28 - Mar 17 by JamesB1979 |
Think you’ll go crazy if you read too much into certain comments, body language etc. We’ll find out in summer whether Marti is happy. I don’t expect the CEO, owners and football management to all get on. They all have different priorities. They just need to work together. I would say Marti seems happier than in October but that’s probably because we’re mid table and not bottom |
That's a really good post. There are lots of organisations in which senior members of staff don't get on, but that doesn't always spell impending doom.
By their very nature, there is always going to be some tension between the director of football and head coach/manager roles. | |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:42 - Mar 17 with 1512 views | Ned_Kennedys |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:01 - Mar 17 by lassel |
All managers have agents. Cifuentes wasn’t negotiating with Nourry directly, and let’s be honest a nice payrise and a better buyout fee for the club doesn’t take much negotiating anyway…
People are human. When people are unhappy they vent to friends. This doesn’t apply just to players and management. QPR employs hundreds of people, many have decades of experience at QPR and/or in professional football clubs. To have a 25 year old public schoolboy parachuted in above them and then in a heavy handed way start micro managing their departments put *a lot* of noses out of joint. Why do you think QPR has been leaning like a sieve since Nourry turned up and ironically tried to personally handle all communications? |
Your agenda against Nourry is clear: did he get the job over someone you know? Or what else has caused you to feel such a need to continually try to stir the pot?
I and many others take your snidey ITK posts as what they are: and if in the unlikely event there is any small bit of truth in them then it is YOU who is contributing to the club ‘leaking like a sieve’. |  | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:46 - Mar 17 with 1497 views | TK1 |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 19:25 - Mar 16 by dmm |
On the recruitment issue, earlier in the season it was said that Nourry, Belk and Cifuentes were involved in signings. I agree the squad is unbalanced but I don't think that's solely down to Nourry, and I'm not a fan of his. |
Well, it was said by Nourry. We'd all love to ask Cifuentes about that, about the squad he wants, about all kinds of things in fact - but Nourry won't allow that to happen unless he vets the answers.
You have to be able to draw a conclusion from that. | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:53 - Mar 17 with 1469 views | JamesB1979 |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:01 - Mar 17 by lassel |
All managers have agents. Cifuentes wasn’t negotiating with Nourry directly, and let’s be honest a nice payrise and a better buyout fee for the club doesn’t take much negotiating anyway…
People are human. When people are unhappy they vent to friends. This doesn’t apply just to players and management. QPR employs hundreds of people, many have decades of experience at QPR and/or in professional football clubs. To have a 25 year old public schoolboy parachuted in above them and then in a heavy handed way start micro managing their departments put *a lot* of noses out of joint. Why do you think QPR has been leaning like a sieve since Nourry turned up and ironically tried to personally handle all communications? |
Based purely on results, I’m not sure some of the so-called experienced members of our football staff should be quite so precious. All areas of our football club has underperformed. Maybe some of them should look in the mirror. | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:15 - Mar 17 with 1379 views | LongRanger |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:53 - Mar 17 by JamesB1979 |
Based purely on results, I’m not sure some of the so-called experienced members of our football staff should be quite so precious. All areas of our football club has underperformed. Maybe some of them should look in the mirror. |
Totally agree with this, years of underperformance suggests all non-playing staff need to be challenged to improve or go, I just can't see that Nourry has the experience or credibility to do that effectively.
On MC its only a few soundbites, but I doubt it relates to a few losses to the top teams or that his dog has died, his contract was improved because that linked to his initial deal, and the restrictions put on access to him means these soundbites speak pretty loudly about the wider club management in my opinion. I rate him highly but sadly think he'll be gone in the summer. | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:16 - Mar 17 with 1370 views | Superhoops2808 |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:42 - Mar 17 by Ned_Kennedys |
Your agenda against Nourry is clear: did he get the job over someone you know? Or what else has caused you to feel such a need to continually try to stir the pot?
I and many others take your snidey ITK posts as what they are: and if in the unlikely event there is any small bit of truth in them then it is YOU who is contributing to the club ‘leaking like a sieve’. |
https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/forum/292145/page:17
Do you not remember his very first post on this forum...
Never been ITK in his life... Now its non stop!!! |  | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:17 - Mar 17 with 1365 views | KensalT |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 10:28 - Mar 17 by lassel |
I was told around the end of the Girona training camp he would likely sign the new contract and I told North as such as we were discussing how tense things were behind the scenes at that time. He signed the deal because his stock ultimately wasn’t as high as he thought it would be..
On recruitment, there was nothing to negotiate, Cifuentes signed as a head coach. He knew from day 1 he wouldn’t be involved in recruitment - Frey and Andersen were found by Belk on a scouting database, as the database themselves loudly celebrated on twitter at the time. |
"I was told around the end of the Girona training camp he would likely sign the new contract"
Now you're shifting your position. First you say he signed the contract at the back end of July, and now you say you were told that he would "likely sign".
Hmm. There's a big difference in those two positions.
But either way the club didn't announce anything until the Fans Forum.
Now we're all sceptical about the timing of the announcement. Clive himself alluded to this in his write-up of the forum:
https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/63074/and-for-my-n
"Three pieces of, ostensibly, excellent news in quick succession: a new contract for Cifuentes and his assistant Xavi Calm putting to bed for now any lingering rumours about his future; confirmation Karamoko Dembele will be signing permanently at the end of the season; and a contract extension for Jake Clarke-Salter as well.
These clearly weren’t all signed on Monday morning, they’d saved up for the occasion and you can make your own mind up on where that fits Nourry’s assertion he'll tell you everything he can as soon as he can."
But you're the one saying you know different about when Marti signed whilst offering nothing concrete to support your claims.
At the very least you should understand why others might be just as sceptical about your claims.
As for your claim that the new contract didn't need much negotiating. Well you can't have had much dealings with lawyers. They'll find problems just to justify their fees. And I doubt agents are any different. | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:36 - Mar 17 with 1292 views | Third_Division_South |
It always seemed quite telling to me that instead of our recent signing’s being accompanied with the usual ‘ he’s a player I’ve liked for a long time’ or ‘I’ve signed him to add pace/height to the team’ type comments from the manager, ours were accompanied with Nourryspeak, not a peep from Marti. | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:39 - Mar 17 with 1277 views | dmm |
I've just had a quick look back at some Cifuentes comments:
21.10.24
Asked if he had recently spoken to the club’s owners, he said: “I have daily communication with Christian – we are looking forward to Coventry and that’s where the focus is – and sometimes I have communication with the owners.”
https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/cifuentes-says-he-has-full-support-of-qpr-hi
That's Cifuentes himself saying he speaks with Nourry.
26.12.24
Marti Cifuentes says he is happy with QPR’s current squad as the January transfer window approaches. Rangers have identified a number of possible signings, but the head coach has indicated that he is not keen to make major changes.
https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/cifuentes-im-happy-with-my-squad
That strongly suggests Cifuentes' involvement in player recruitment.
Is this Cifuentes telling fibs or the truth? |  | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:45 - Mar 17 with 1235 views | GaryHaddock |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:39 - Mar 17 by dmm |
I've just had a quick look back at some Cifuentes comments:
21.10.24
Asked if he had recently spoken to the club’s owners, he said: “I have daily communication with Christian – we are looking forward to Coventry and that’s where the focus is – and sometimes I have communication with the owners.”
https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/cifuentes-says-he-has-full-support-of-qpr-hi
That's Cifuentes himself saying he speaks with Nourry.
26.12.24
Marti Cifuentes says he is happy with QPR’s current squad as the January transfer window approaches. Rangers have identified a number of possible signings, but the head coach has indicated that he is not keen to make major changes.
https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/cifuentes-im-happy-with-my-squad
That strongly suggests Cifuentes' involvement in player recruitment.
Is this Cifuentes telling fibs or the truth? |
Maybe he was just cheesed off with rhubarb and custard at the training ground again and nothing else. |  | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:45 - Mar 17 with 1231 views | themodfather |
are we in safe waters or not??? | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:49 - Mar 17 with 1216 views | daveB |
For me what Lassel is saying rings true but guess we'll find out eventually |  | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 12:04 - Mar 17 with 1167 views | dmm |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:45 - Mar 17 by GaryHaddock |
Maybe he was just cheesed off with rhubarb and custard at the training ground again and nothing else. |
Well, I would be too. Cheese on rhubarb and custard is terrible. | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 12:13 - Mar 17 with 1117 views | Rangersw12 |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 11:36 - Mar 17 by Third_Division_South |
It always seemed quite telling to me that instead of our recent signing’s being accompanied with the usual ‘ he’s a player I’ve liked for a long time’ or ‘I’ve signed him to add pace/height to the team’ type comments from the manager, ours were accompanied with Nourryspeak, not a peep from Marti. |
Yep , which should have set alarm bells ringing at the time tbh
On a separate note anyone else just sick and tired of Rangers at the moment. Feels like every season is groundhog day with nothing to look forward to and the same old arguments on the forums about who's accountable | | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 12:16 - Mar 17 with 1103 views | Hunterhoop |
What I found strange is what some people expect ITK posters to post.
Are they going to name their source, quote them verbatim, date it, get a signature? Come on! It would cause that source a huge problem professionally. They can’t.
If someone is genuinely “in the know” either because they work behind the scenes, have had access, or have spoken directly to people who are/have, would you rather they did not post anything or did?
I completely understand a poster’s mindset, especially a QPR fan, in wanting to flag to unaware fans what is really happening. Of course, you can have the Billy BS merchants who make it up to feel big behind an online username.
Ultimately, it’s everyone’s individual call as to which motive they want to believe.
But expecting anyone to give more details than they are is, in my opinion, a bit silly.
I’ve been on this MB for decades, several of you have met me face to face. I’ve spoken to one or two people with access to people at the club this season, they’ve reiterated the same things and told me of others who think the same. If anyone wants my two pence worth, I think a lot of what Lassel has said over the months rings true. |  | | |
| "By far the most challenging season of my career!” on 12:25 - Mar 17 with 1061 views | DavieQPR |
So many people read something then are convinced they know better than anyone else and their version is gospel not speculation. |  | | |
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