QPR praised for 'right decision' involving Charlie Austin despite 'loving him to bits' | OneFootball

Praise for the QPR hierarchy has emerged following Charlie Austin's social media post for missing out on a coaching role with his former club...

Queens Park Rangers hero Charlie Austin missed out on a coaching role with his former club this week, having revealed so on social media.

Currently, Julien Stephan's side are preparing for the start of the 2026/27 campaign in the Championship, with Queens Park Rangers eyeing a promotion back to the Premier League after over 10 years away.

During their last stint in the top flight, Charlie Austin was a standout performer. However, Austin has been rejected by QPR over a coaching role with the 37-year-old's former employers. He revealed as much on X (formerly Twitter).

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Having publicly expressed his disappointment over it, FLW's QPR fan pundit Louis Moir was asked about the decision. We asked if he thinks, after what Austin did for the club as a player, that the club's hierarchy should perhaps do a U-turn, or if there is no room for sentiment.

He said: "I think this has obviously caused a lot of discussion on social media and online, but, look, I love Charlie Austin and everybody that's a QPR fan loves Charlie Austin.

"He's some bloke, some bloke on and off the pitch for the club, amazing bloke, and I absolutely love him to bits. I think regarding this coaching role and applying for a job at QPR to coach in the academy and not getting it and he's posted it online and people have lost their heads over it.

"Well, I think people need to take off their sentimental caps, you know? I think we are past those days as a club where we just hire ex-players or fan favourites in positions, albeit this is in a coaching role.

"He's not yet achieved anything in his coaching career because it's such early days. I have full confidence he will and there may well be a future position for him at QPR in years to come.

"But this isn't the days where we've had the likes of Les Ferdinand controlling the club and then hiring people just because they were fan favourites. Or getting managers in and you could tie it into that, with Ian Holloway coming back — disastrous.

"Gareth Ainsworth coming back — disastrous. It was so obvious that none of that was going to work out. You don't want someone who's just going to get the job just because they are a fan favourite and former player."

Ruben Gnanalingam (second left), QPR majority owner

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On the recent strategy behind the scenes at QPR, Louis added: "You know, the club have made the right decision. It just shows how the club is run nowadays. On and off the pitch, every decision seems to be the right one. Things are really looking up and we are heading in the right direction.

"We don't just want to give someone the job due to sentimental reasons. So, obviously a lot of people are saying it's a disgrace, or the club are a joke, and how can there not be a position for Charlie Austin to come in and coach?

"But you've got to hire people based on their skill-set at that moment in time. Interviewing other people, we've found they've clearly got better options. They'll have got someone with a better CV than Charlie Austin at this moment in time.

"You don't rule it out in the future, but, no, you can't just get Austin in purely because it's Charlie Austin. But that doesn't tarnish him or anything to do with him or the club, it's just the club making another right decision."

Charlie Austin's career stats with QPR

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Without doubt, few modern players are as closely associated with QPR as Austin. The striker scored 61 goals across two spells at Loftus Road, with his outstanding 2013/14 campaign helping fire the R's back to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs before he followed that with 18 top-flight goals in 2014/15 despite relegation.

His goals were enough but his connection with supporters cemented his status as a modern club icon. And it is no surprise that many former players hope to return to the clubs where they are most fondly remembered once they retire, whether in coaching or ambassadorial roles.

However, as Louis says, sentiment alone is rarely enough. Coaching positions demand the right qualifications, experience, and tactical expertise, with clubs needing to appoint the strongest candidates rather than the most popular ex-players. Austin may yet return in a bigger capacity, but building experience elsewhere should ultimately strengthen his long-term prospects at QPR.