There are no takers for the QPR manager's job even though 10 different candidates have been sounded out following the sacking of Iain Dowie last Friday.

Not one of a prestigious who'swho of coaches will consider the post while chairman Flavio Briatore insists on a role where he also has a say in team selection.

Sam Allardyce, Steve Cotterill and Terry Venables are just three of the 10 who have given Loftus Road the thumbs down, while insiders have discounted the possibility of moving for Darren Ferguson at Peterborough.

Heartened by the creditable 0-0 draw at Reading last Saturday, Briatore made it plain he intends to leave well alone by jointly managing Rangers with caretaker boss Gareth Ainsworth for the next three games at least.

Matters came to a head when Dowie's second spell with the club ended last Friday after Briatore told the coach he appointed 15 matches ago what his starting line-up was to be against Reading.

It was the final straw for the former Northern Ireland international, who briefly managed the club as caretaker in 2001 prior to Ian Holloway's appointment.

But the 58-year-old chairman is confident the club he saved from bankruptcy with fellow formula one supremo Bernie Ecclestone can be run more efficiently with the current coaching staff - or an outsider willing to accede to Briatore's involvement.

A QPR source said: "There was a time when Flavio thought QPR was a burger bar, but now he's involved it's become his life's work - and he genuinely believes he has what it takes to help manage the team."