West Brom's Ben Watson tips Neil Warnock to make a success of QPR

Feb 28 2010 by Andy Walker, Sunday Mercury

“I had a great time at QPR so I’ve got nothing against the club and I look forward to going back there.

“Towards the end of my spell there it got a bit mad when the gaffer Jim Magilton got sacked.

“They just need to let a manager get on with it, they need to settle down.

“The set-up is alright but success won’t come overnight and they need to give a manager a chance because at the moment they’re in a relegation scrap.”

Having come through the Palace ranks under a succession of managers, it was Warnock that helped Watson produce the performances that paved the way for his move to a Premier League club.

Watson continued: “Trevor Francis gave me my debut, then Iain Dowie came in and that was when I played some good football.

“But I probably played my best under Warnock.

“When he came in to Palace, my career was at a standstill and he gave me that injection of energy and it all went from there.”

Watson is now looking for a fresh injection of energy with the promotion-chasing Baggies.

Having been signed by Steve Bruce in January 2009, Watson’s time at Wigan started well.

However, the departure of Bruce to Sunderland and the arrival of Roberto Martinez, signalled the start of a misery in Greater Manchester.

“I was injured at the time I got the move to Wigan and then got myself fit and played a few games and scored a few goals. It was going well.

“But then a manager leaves and a new manager comes in with new ideas and new players and I just haven’t fitted into his team.

“Now I just see this move to West Brom as an opportunity to play in a good team and at the end of the day you never know what might happen.”

Before joining Wigan, Watson was linked to a series of clubs, with Middlesbrough and QPR known to have made firm offers.

However, Watson has no regrets about leaving his boyhood club to head to the DW Stadium.

“No regrets,” he insists. “At the time it was the right move for myself.

“But when a new manager comes in he brings his own ideas and obviously I’m not in those ideas at the moment.

“Hopefully now I’m here at the Hawthorns I can play some games and put myself in the shop window.”