Rangers boss says he struggled to work with former QPR co-owner Flavio Briatore

Neil Warnock admits he struggled to work with ‘irrational’ former QPR owner Flavio Briatore – and says that life under Tony Fernandes so far this season has been ‘a breath of fresh air’.

Seven managers came and went during the four years that Briatore and co-owner Bernie Ecclestone were on the QPR board, before they finally handed over to Fernandes in August.

Warnock concedes that under the previous regime he would have been sacked in the opening days of the season, but feels that with Fernandes at the helm QPR are finally building for the future both on and off the pitch.

"I know the owners aren’t [Roman] Abramovic, it won’t be that sort of money. They’re sensible plans from a sensible group of people who want to take the club forward in the right way," Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"They’re not just talking about the first team. Yes, the priority is to bring one or two players in during January and make sure we stay up, but they’re already talking about a new training ground, a new stadium, and the community programme.

"I found it very difficult with Flavio [Briatore]. Bernie [Ecclestone] was okay, but he was so irrational Flavio that you couldn’t plan anything in that respect.

"They had so many managers, and I was the fifth in that season. It [the takeover] was a breath of fresh air. After the 4-0 defeat to Bolton, if Tony hadn’t come in, I think I would have gone.”

Warnock’s side pulled off their best result of the season so far with a 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, but the boss was quick to play down any talk of raised expectations at Loftus Road.

And he admitted that his side’s scoring problems – they have netted just seven times this season – are unlikely to be solved until the transfer window re-opens in the new year.

"Do I feel that our targets have changed? Not at all, we’re not daft, we know what the situation is," added the Rangers boss. "We’ve got Tottenham away next, Manchester City at home, and Stoke away.

"Put Chelsea in that, and the four games, if we got any points whatsoever we’d have been absolutely delighted, so to get three in the bag already is like winning the pools for us.

"Since the new guys came in we have passed the ball well. Scoring is a big problem for us, but I can’t see us remedying that until January."

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