Leaving Wycombe Wanderers after a decade in charge was always going to be tough for Gareth Ainsworth.
The English manager was adored by Chairboys, having led the club from League Two to an unlikely spell in the Championship in 2020/21, before dropping back down to League One the following year. With QPR in dire straits when the then-49 year old took charge in February, many thought Ainsworth was mad to swap a long-term gig for a role which could easily have ended in relegation to the third-tier.
"We had just won five on the spin in League One when I made the decision to leave, so naturally a lot of people have asked me if I made a mistake," Ainsworth tells FourFourTwo after having led QPR to survival last season. "I genuinely haven’t. I’m not someone who has regrets. My focus is just on getting this club back where it belongs. Listen, this club’s issues aren’t going to be fixed overnight – supporters need to understand there are some tough times ahead – but I know I’ve made the correct decision in coming here."
Yet the rock-loving boss felt it was time to find out just how good a manager he really was.
"People said I had a job for life at Wycombe – which is lovely, obviously, but that’s not everything," he says. "I wanted to challenge myself again. The burning question in me has always been, ‘Can I possibly manage at the highest level?’
Ainsworth was a fan-favourite at QPR as a player, and saw the opportunity of leading them into a new era as an exciting prospect, despite the club's need for investment.
"To be honest, I don’t know if I can. I’ve no idea how someone like me would fare at the top level. So, I made the step to challenge myself as much as anything. I had good times here as a player and as a young coach – now the task is to make more memories as a manager."
Ainsworth enjoyed a tough start to life as QPR gaffer, but eventually helped lead the club away from the Championship relegation zone to safety. His task now is to lead the club through testing times, with the ultimate aim of returning to the Premier League some day.
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