Latest news with #JulienStephan
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
QPR boss Stephan tight-lipped on Kone speculation
Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan would not be drawn on transfer rumours linking his side with a move for Wycombe Wanderers striker Richard Frenchman was speaking after the Rs surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Plymouth Argyle in the first round of the Carabao Hoops sold last season's League One top scorer Charlie Kelman to Charlton Athletic last month and have sent Alfie Lloyd on loan to Leyton reports have linked the club with 22-year-old Kone, who scored 21 goals for the Chairboys last when asked by BBC Sport whether fans could expect to see the young Ivorian wearing QPR colours this season, the former Rennes boss said: "I want to speak about the QPR players and I can't do anything else so if you want to speak about [Rumarn] Burrell, [Rayan] Kolli and [Emmerson] Sutton, the striker, we can speak. "I can't speak because it's not QPR's player." First-half goals from Daniel Bennie and Kolli put the Rs 2-0 up at half-time at Home Brendan Wiredu's headed goal halved the deficit inside three minutes of the restart before an Owen Oseni double completed the turnaround for the gave full debuts to Jaiden Putman, Tylon Smith, Alex Wilkie and Jaylan Pearman, as well as introducing Kalen Brunson, Ashley Trujillo, Teddy Tarbotton and Cian Dillon off the bench for their first appearances for the club."It was a good opportunity to show the young players, or the very young players, and to give them some experience," Stephan said. "And if we never put the young players on the pitch, it's not possible for them to have this experience. So, yeah, I think they learn a lot in this game. And they learn also that we need to be focused 100% every time."
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
QPR vs Preston North End Championship prediction, odds and betting offer
QPR begin life under new manager Julien Stephan as they welcome Preston North End to Loftus Road in their Championship 2025/26 season opener The new English Championship season kicks off at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon as Queens Park Rangers welcome Preston North End. Both clubs are eager to put last year's challenges behind them and begin the campaign with renewed optimism. QPR finished mid-table last season but have shaken things up over the summer. Julian Stephan has taken over as manager, stepping in for Marti Cifuentes. The new boss has wasted little time reshaping his squad, bringing in five new signings. Among them is Kwame Poku, a highly-rated winger who joins on a free from Peterborough United. The Hoops will be looking to build momentum early as they aim for a more ambitious campaign. Preston North End narrowly avoided relegation last season and will be hoping for a far less stressful year. Paul Heckingbottom has been one of the most active managers in the transfer market, adding nine new faces to his squad so far. The Lilywhites are focused on building depth and competition across the pitch to avoid another brush with the drop. With both sides undergoing significant changes over the summer, Saturday's clash promises plenty of intrigue. QPR supporters will be keen to see how Stephan's ideas translate on the pitch, while Preston fans will be watching for signs that their busy recruitment drive can deliver improved results. A positive start could set the tone for a much-improved season for either club. QPR vs Preston North End Odds QPR - 11/8 Draw - 2/1 Preston - 21/10 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change QPR vs Preston North End Betting Tips QPR and over 2.5 goals - 9/4 Both teams to score - 10/11 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change QPR vs Preston North End Betting Offer If you are on the lookout for the latest free bet offers, then look no further. Here, not only do we bring you numerous free bet offers, but all from the very best betting sites in the industry. Each bookie we recommend is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, so you know you are always betting on a safe and trustworthy site. Check out the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers here. Gamble responsibly Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too. We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit
BBC News
7 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Pick of the stats: Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End
The Julien Stephan era gets underway at Loftus Road on Saturday as Queens Park Rangers entertain Preston North Frenchman was appointed in June as successor to Marti Cifuentes and his first challenge comes in the form of Paul Heckingbottom's Lilywhites, who stayed up on the final day of last have won each of their last four league games against Preston North End, as many victories as across their prior 17 meetings with the Lancashire side combined (D4 L9).Preston North End have lost four of their last six away league games against QPR (W2) and will be looking to avoid losing three in succession for the first time since have lost their opening league match in each of the last three seasons – they've never done so in four in a row have failed to win their opening league game in each of the last six seasons (D2 L4), though their last victory on the opening day did come against QPR (1-0 in 2018-19).Only Cardiff, Oxford and Plymouth (2 each) won fewer away games in the Championship last season than Preston (3), with the Lancashire side winless in their last seven on the road (D2 L5).
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Championship difficult but QPR can succeed
Queens Park Rangers must focus on their own strategy rather than the big-spending clubs around them, but they can still enjoy success this season says chief executive officer Christian Rs have awarded new contracts to core first-team players Jonathan Varane, Sam Field and Jimmy Dunne, who was named club captain earlier this month, as well as emerging talents Rayan Kolli and Kieran boss Marti Cifuentes has moved to Leicester City and has been replaced by Julien Stephan, while players including Amadou Mbengue and Kealey Adamson from Reading and Sydney-based Macarthur, as well as winger Kwame Poku from Peterborough United have come in."What we have taken a conscious decision to attempt to achieve, in the last 12 months, is to put ourselves in a position where we have a number of core players who commit themselves to the long term for this football club, to start to create an environment where we're all in this journey together," Nourry told BBC Radio London."We've looked to reward young players breaking through and when they had the opportunity, seizing that. "And hopefully also put them in now the best possible positions to succeed and continue to develop, hopefully rapidly as they get more and more and more first team exposure – players like Kieran Morgan, Rayan Kolli and others." QPR finished a turbulent season that saw Cifuentes put on gardening leave after the penultimate game, a 5-0 thrashing at home to Burnley, 15th in the Championship said the club had made progress under Cifuentes, who took over from Gareth Ainsworth in October 2023, and felt the Hoops would continue to improve under former Rennes boss Stephan."I think it's way too early to tell [how well we can do this season]," he said. "I think it's going to be a difficult division. You have teams who have been coming up, who are really, really strong. You have teams that are spending a significantly greater amount of money, responding to that perhaps, than they have ever spent before."So we know that we can only focus on what we do in this building every day to try to maximise the results that we can get with the quality of staff and players that we think is strong, we think is exciting, but is also constantly developing."Ultimately, until the transfer window shuts it's very difficult to know where we might match up but I know that we're going to have 1,000% commitment and I believe very, very strongly in everyone in this building that if we stick together, work hard, we can have success this season."QPR begin the new Championship season at home to Preston North End on Saturday, 9 August.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
QPR await contact as Leicester consider Marti Cifuentes as new manager
Queens Park Rangers have not yet had any contact from any club about former manager Marti Cifuentes, despite Leicester City 's reported interest in the Catalan, and the fact that the Loftus Road club retain compensation rights. The Independent understands that the compensation is only payable by another club or national federation, should Cifuentes take such a job. The 43-year-old left QPR at the end of June after a broadly successful but fractious period in which he achieved success in keeping the club up in 2023-24, albeit after last season's surge tailed off. QPR have decided to go in another direction, with the anticipated appointment of former Strasbourg coach Julien Stephan. One of the terms of their mutual separation agreement with Cifuentes, however, was that any compensation is only payable by another club or federation. Other contenders for the job are Bo Svensson, Chris Wilder and Gary O'Neil, who the club have all held discussions about.
