Former Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton has told The Kilburn Times that he left the City Ground very angry.
Now the manager at QPR, Warburton was dismissed from his role at Forest on New Year’s Eve 2017.
He had signed a two-and-a-half-year deal in March 2017 but left following an alarming run of results.
Warburton was replaced by Aitor Karanka and he has admitted that the sacking left him with a sour taste.
(Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)
He told The Kilburn Times: “We hit every KPI. Reduce the average age of the squad, we did, reduce the size of the squad, we did, finish mid-table and we were 12th.
“At the end of the day, it’s his club so you can’t argue with it, you just learn from it, so I left there angry.”
The 57-year-old will face Forest for the first time since his departure tomorrow. Sabri Lamouchi takes his team to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium looking to continue their recent good form.
Warburton only has his sights set on three points and says the incentive is no different to usual.
He continued: “We don’t get five points for beating Forest, it’s three points, it’s the next game.
“They’re a good team, they’ve made a strong start. We prepare well, we respect them like we did Fulham.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the players, the supporters. My job is to prepare the players to put in a performance that the supporters enjoy and go and get three points.”
Nottingham Forest News view – Warburton sacking was good Forest decision
Warburton was perhaps right to be angry at his Forest sacking, although it’s fair to say he didn’t help himself.
During an ill-fated eight months in charge, he eventually turned on the club’s supporters.
He produced the famous line on post-match radio about his Plan B is to do Plan A better!
Warburton tried to play a possession-based style of football during his time in charge but he didn’t really have the players to do it.
(Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
His squad was young with lots of players incredibly inexperienced and that didn’t help his style of play.
The refusal to change something that clearly wasn’t working was all Warburton’s doing, however.
His QPR team are yet to keep a clean sheet in any game this season and that perhaps suggests he isn’t learning his lessons of old.
Forest will surely relish the chance to get one over their old boss tomorrow and continue their fine run in the process.