Independent Rs Messageboard

[Steve Russell]

From the Club...

'QPR are delighted to confirm the appointment of Jon De Souza as the club’s first Head of Methodology.

The role has been created to oversee the implementation of the club’s game model and coaching methodology
across all phases of the academy, men’s and women’s teams.

The position will also see the highly-experienced De Souza play a key part in the production of academy-developed
players for the first team.

De Souza, who previously worked at Luton Town, Brentford, Colchester, Charlton and, most recently, the Premier League,
said: “I’m delighted to be joining the club. I know west London well and QPR is a club that has got so much potential.

“The role is a unique one and I’m really excited to get going, and hopefully provide some alignment across the club to
achieve success here and now, but also in the future.”

De Souza’s career began as an under-14 player with the Hatters, where he remained until he was 18. It was at this early
stage that he turned his hand to coaching, initially looking after Luton’s under-nine age group before progressing to become
Academy Manager at Kenilworth Road across the 9-16 age groups, as well as overseeing their under-18 and reserve teams.

After 11 years in Bedfordshire, De Souza was approached by Brentford in 2011 to oversee their under-18 and
under-21 age groups.

During a five-year stay at Griffin Park, he helped develop a number of players for the Bees who would go on to enjoy
careers in the Football League and Premier League.

In 2016, following Brentford’s decision to close their academy, De Souza took up the role of Academy Manager at
Colchester United. Three years later he was named The U’s Technical and Performance Director.

De Souza joined Charlton Athletic in 2022 as a First-Team Development Coach before taking up a Coaching Pathway
Manager position at the Premier League, where he has been for the past two years.

His duties included supporting coaches at Premier League clubs across all ages with a specific focus on first-team coaches.

Expanding on his new role with QPR, De Souza explained: “Essentially, we want anyone coming to watch a QPR game,
whatever the age or gender, to be able to identify the way they act and play.

“Christian (Nourry)’s got a really strong vision along with the owners about where the club needs to go and I feel like
this role makes sure it works on the ground floor, ensuring coaches, players and teams continue to develop and improve.”

CEO Nourry said: “We ran a thorough, highly competitive process for the Head of Methodology role which has resulted in
our decision to hire Jon - I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

“Jon's deep knowledge of all the facets of the English game is matched by a tenaciousness that I was immediately drawn to.

“This appointment marks the latest step in delivering on our ambition to establish the necessary infrastructure around a
club-led game model which has underpinned all the football strategy decisions that we have made since I first became
involved with QPR."

[steveqpr881]

Methodology.....predicting the weather???

[Kerrins]

An ology....Well that's good as Maureen Lipman once said

[ESSEXURs]

Worrying if you have to appoint someone to oversee what you should be doing!
Another of the bloated group of bench sitters on match day.

[steveqpr881]

ESSEX & Kerrins, these arty-farty jobs seem to be part of the modern game, I'm afraid.
What the boy Jon will actually do remains to be seen......