Florence Daniel O’Neill, the former Irish international and manager of the New York Cosmos, has been appointed the coach of Queens Park Rangers to take over from Rafael Benítez. “It had felt like a while since I had had any personal time with anyone in my manager’s position, and it was all so new and exciting for me,” he told the club’s official website. “Queens Park Rangers is an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”
“It’s a huge, unbelievable opportunity to be a part of this exciting club,” O’Neill added. “It’s all happening because we are very ambitious. With Rafael playing with the New York Cosmos it made sense for me to come here.”
The 33-year-old will take charge of a team that is looking to avoid a second successive trophyless season. While the club are currently third in the Premier League, Queens are six points behind third-place Liverpool, who play Manchester City this weekend. Queens face Spurs at Loftus Road next Saturday, which is just as well because there simply won’t be time for a defeat there.
In pictures – QPR 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur:
O’Neill played just over 150 games in charge of the New York Cosmos from 2011 to 2013. He helped the club to a final of the US Open Cup in 2011 and the semifinals of the MLS Cup in 2013. Since then the Cosmos have only been relegated once, but last season they finished fifth, their lowest placing since the NASL’s formation.
O’Neill has been out of work for some time but is back again at the helm of a side that has lost its best player to injury in the recent past:
Paul Tenorio was forced off of NYCFC last week with medial ligament damage after scoring his first QPR goal of the season – a late goal in the win against D.C. United.
Queens Park Rangers, who remain unbeaten in the Premier League, have also been without home-grown playmaker Sean Erlich since September due to injury. Injury-prone striker Kei Kamara, meanwhile, is expected to undergo a medical at the end of next month.
The news has shocked many club fans, who were quick to offer their thoughts on Twitter:
@davidrobertsON I can’t believe you can be in the QPR position but now get to England now. — Andrew