This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Manchester City under-21 head coach Brian Barry-Murphy is being looked at by Queens Park Rangers as a potential replacement for Michael Belae, the Daily Mail have reported.

The R's lost their own head coach to Glasgow Rangers earlier in the week after less than six months in the job, meaning that the hierarchy at Loftus Road are once again looking for a new boss for the second time this year.

And one of the candidates they are looking at is reportedly Barry-Murphy, who unlike Beale has experience of being a number one already.

Following a playing career most notably at Bury, the Irishman became Rochdale's manager in 2019, replacing Keith Hill in the dugout and he transformed their playing style to that of a stylish passing outfit.

After over two years in charge though, Barry-Murphy could not save Dale from relegation from League One in 2021, and resigned over the summer to take up the role of Man City's development squad boss.

Despite his only senior managerial experience being at League One level, Barry-Murphy is high on the Hoops' radar, but it would be a move that is not welcomed by FLW's QPR fan pundit Louis Moir.

"Another name that I'd never heard of before these rumours emerged in the last few days," Louis said.

"Again another one who has worked with youth players BUT with him there's a difference as he was actually a manager at Rochdale in League One and he only managed a 31 per cent win record there.

"That's absolutely abysmal for a League One club - he might be doing well with Man City's academy but to come in to a big Championship club and for fans to expect promotion and to be kicking on, he's not the person you should be looking at.

"If rumours are to be believed then we are looking at these young, up-and-coming coaches but come on now?

"If the blokes gone to Rochdale and has only got just over a 30 per cent win ratio, that would be an absolute disgrace of an appointment.

"So, another one who hopefully it's just paper talk and nothing emerges from it because fans I'm sure would not be best-pleased with that going off what we know already of him."

The Verdict

Whilst Barry-Murphy did end up overseeing Rochdale's relegation to League Two, they were always somewhat punching above their weight against some big-hitters in that league, and he was probably powerless to stop the inevitable eventually.

What was impressive though was that he completely transformed their style of play - and it was that exact reason, as well as his development of young players, that Man City saw the qualities in.

Coaching the next up-and-coming City players will no doubt be fun, but being in charge of a Football League club and being a number one must be better and more gratifying.

And whilst it is true that Barry-Murphy hasn't done anything noteworthy in men's football, his style will ultimately be what QPR are looking at, so perhaps he could end up being a good fit.