Source: Daily_Mail
Leo's London: Would the real Neil Warnock please stand up
ShareNeil Warnock has been dropping heavy hints that he has had some sort of makeover.[LNB]His distinctive features remain untouched, of course; he is too manly for that. But not so stuck in his ways, he will have us believe, to change the way he thinks and acts.[LNB]At 62-years-old, QPR's boss celebrated confirmation of his side's title-winning success by giving the impression that he had taken on a new persona, going all high-brow and becoming a friend of referees.[LNB] New man: Neil Warnock is giving off the impression he has changed following QPR's promotion[LNB]The former came as he ground his axe away at 'tabloid' newspapers because of their coverage of the Alejandro Faurlin case.[LNB]The latter in the form of another compliment for Mark Clattenburg, as Warnock claimed his team would be getting 'good referees' like the Geordie official every week in the Premier League. [LNB]This follows outspoken praise for Clattenburg earlier in the season.[LNB] More from Leo Spall... Leo's London: Sullivan's stay away was latest in a long line of blunders04/05/11 Leo's London: Arsenal cannot even contemplate letting Fabregas leave28/04/11 Leo's London: Nasri should put Gallas row in the past for sake of title push20/04/11 Leo's London: Spurs can keep the feelgood factor if they go down in glory13/04/11 Leo's London: It's time for the real Torres to stand up and deliver 06/04/11 Leo's London: Harry knew Van der Vaart's sulk was on the way...23/03/11 Tottenham's rest and relaxation should be the perfect cure for a Champions League hangover16/03/11 Leo's London: Wenger needs to calm down or pressure will transfer to team09/03/11 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Now, unless the hair transplant-advertising referee has been offering advice on Warnock's hair follicles or the manager thinks buttering him up will help QPR in the long run, this makes little sense from someone who is well known for his disapproval of referees.[LNB]This sort of thing in one of Warnock's recent newspaper columns doesn't ring true either: [LNB]'When I was in the Premier League at Sheffield United,' said Warnock. 'I thought there was a vendetta against me and the club with certain referees, but having watched those refs over the years since I realise that was rubbish.' [LNB]Nor this: 'The big teams seem to get decisions against the smaller sides, but I accept that's partly because the bigger teams have 70 per cent of the game in those matches.[LNB]'Referees are only human, they'll make mistakes.' [LNB]One can only hope that Warnock remembers all this when he and his team feel hard done by in the Premier League next season - or at the very least that someone reminds him of it.[LNB]Attempting to take the high road after your team have won the Championship at a canter is easy.[LNB]Presenting a prettier image of Warnock's attitude towards referees on the touchline and in post-match interviews if Rangers are struggling next season will be another matter altogether.[LNB]SPURS ON THE ATTACKFirst it was Newham Council. Now it is the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), the Mayor of London, the Minister for Sport and the Olympics and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.[LNB]Tottenham are taking shots at all of them by seeking judicial reviews of their roles in awarding the Olympic Stadium lease to West Ham instead of Spurs.[LNB] On the lookout: Spurs missed out on the Olympic Stadium[LNB]But the club admitted they are also holding 'discussions with both local and national government bodies in order to seek to agree a feasible stadium solution,' as they look to move to a new ground bigger than White Hart Lane.[LNB]All this legal action couldn't just be part of a negotiating ploy, potentially at public expense, so that Spurs, who made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season and pay their players tens of thousands of pounds every week, get a cheaper new stadium somewhere, could it? [LNB]JUST CRAZYIn the next week or so the phrase 'Crazy Gang' is bound to make a mini-revival as AFC Wimbledon prepare to face Luton in the final of the Conference play-offs (on 21 May) at Eastlands - a re-run of the 1988 FA Cup semi-final.[LNB] Thumping win: AFC Wimbledon skipper Danny Kedwell (right) celebrates hammering Fleetwood Town [LNB]The Dons' stunningly one-sided success in swatting aside Fleetwood Town 8-1 on aggregate means many colourful memories about the club they developed from will be revived.[LNB]But even if we know the tales well and the idea of fairytales in football is flawed, a bit of romanticism shouldn't do anyone any harm.[LNB]EVERY CLOUD...Vice-chairman Karren Brady may not have liked David Sullivan's claim about relegation bringing back the wrecking ball to West Ham's finances, and the OPLC probably needed reassuring the club could afford to adapt and lease the Olympic Stadium.[LNB]But there was an upside: it has quietened conspiracy theories that club owners Sullivan and David Gold, both of whom have made other morale-sapping statements in the last two weeks, might actually be warming to the idea of the drop - raking in ?10-15m in transfer fees, slashing the wage bill and potentially increasing their stake in the club at a discounted price.[LNB] EXCLUSIVE: Warnock plots summer raid to take Cole and Jenas to QPRWest Ham insist relegation would not jeopardise Olympic Stadium move [LNB] Explore more:People: Neil Warnock, Karren Brady, David Gold, David Sullivan Places: London, Olympic Stadium Organisations: Newham Council
