Chris Ramsey gone on 11:41 - Jan 9 with 3901 views | Northernr |
Chris Ramsey gone on 11:27 - Jan 9 by hubble | "We moan about strikers being expensive (rightly) - Morris, Woodrow, Adebayo, all of these people were available to us within our budget at multiple points over the last five years. Which begs the question, if Ramsey's gone, why not Belk, too? We've been absolutely terrible on the recruitment front in recent times. |
Well, as I say above, we like a human face for our failures and somebody to blame, so inevitably with Les and Ramsey now gone, Hoos shortly to be replaced, Belk is the obvious next target. I quite like Belk. He sees football and the direction of the sport and the style of how it should be played very similarly to me. But, like you say, the biggest problem of the last few years has been the recruitment, and he's head of recruitment. A lot of the traditional scouting, people like Mel Johnson, have gone out of the club fairly unhappy, and the players we've brought in have been fcking terrible. Other clubs have gone past us, like Luton, mainly because their recruitment has been so good. Adebayo was playing for Walsall, they got him for a couple of hundred grand, where are we on that? So I would certainly be having a very, very strong look at that department. If I was coming in here as CEO/sporting director we'd be sitting down pretty quickly and going through every player we've signed one by one for a full and frank explanation of who did what in that deal. However, you and I don't know who did what behind the scenes. You occasionally find out - Penrice brought in Freeman and BOS, Willock and Smyth (first time) were Belk's etc - but basically you and I don't know if Richards is Les' fault, Belk's fault, Beale's fault... Do we? You don't know that Belk wasn't sitting there going "this is a terrible idea, the bloke's a fcking wrong 'un" while Beale was insisting we did it. Or vice versa. They got a lot of grief for Sean Goss at one stage, another dreadful signing - but that was Ian Butterworth, the previous head scout. They got a lot of grief for Jeff Hendrick, but that was literally Amit's mate ringing up and saying we could have him for free at ten minutes to deadline after everybody (including Belk) had gone home. What we do know is, like I said above, we've got 200 staff, a wage bill we can't afford, the academy isn't producing, the first team loses every week and the signings have been consistently terrible. So, yeh, people deserve to go, but unless you sort the overall problem then all that will happen is whoever replaces Belk will be getting the same grief three or four years down the line. There's no reason Luton, or Plymouth let's say, should be able to recruit as well as they do and we can't. But Luton and Plymouth are excellently run clubs, with very strong and present ownership, a clear identity of who they are and who they want to be, a deeply ingrained style of football which they sign and appoint to, and very clear management structures and financial discipline in place. We've got none of that, and until you do, swapping and changing out individual members of mid ranking staff won't change anything.
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Chris Ramsey gone on 11:44 - Jan 9 with 3874 views | Burnleyhoop |
Chris Ramsey gone on 08:06 - Jan 9 by Boston | I'm in the 'thank god he's gone column'. Always struck me as a nice bloke but lost confidence in his ability during the woeful tenure as manager / head coach. |
Having "nice blokes" about the place is why we have a culture of mediocrity. We need some people in who actively drive improvement and are unwilling to accept the behaviour of the shoulder shruggers that proliferate our squad. Its time for someone to get a fukcing grip of this football club once and for all. Your time is nigh Marti. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 12:15 - Jan 9 with 3731 views | dm97 |
Chris Ramsey gone on 11:41 - Jan 9 by Northernr | Well, as I say above, we like a human face for our failures and somebody to blame, so inevitably with Les and Ramsey now gone, Hoos shortly to be replaced, Belk is the obvious next target. I quite like Belk. He sees football and the direction of the sport and the style of how it should be played very similarly to me. But, like you say, the biggest problem of the last few years has been the recruitment, and he's head of recruitment. A lot of the traditional scouting, people like Mel Johnson, have gone out of the club fairly unhappy, and the players we've brought in have been fcking terrible. Other clubs have gone past us, like Luton, mainly because their recruitment has been so good. Adebayo was playing for Walsall, they got him for a couple of hundred grand, where are we on that? So I would certainly be having a very, very strong look at that department. If I was coming in here as CEO/sporting director we'd be sitting down pretty quickly and going through every player we've signed one by one for a full and frank explanation of who did what in that deal. However, you and I don't know who did what behind the scenes. You occasionally find out - Penrice brought in Freeman and BOS, Willock and Smyth (first time) were Belk's etc - but basically you and I don't know if Richards is Les' fault, Belk's fault, Beale's fault... Do we? You don't know that Belk wasn't sitting there going "this is a terrible idea, the bloke's a fcking wrong 'un" while Beale was insisting we did it. Or vice versa. They got a lot of grief for Sean Goss at one stage, another dreadful signing - but that was Ian Butterworth, the previous head scout. They got a lot of grief for Jeff Hendrick, but that was literally Amit's mate ringing up and saying we could have him for free at ten minutes to deadline after everybody (including Belk) had gone home. What we do know is, like I said above, we've got 200 staff, a wage bill we can't afford, the academy isn't producing, the first team loses every week and the signings have been consistently terrible. So, yeh, people deserve to go, but unless you sort the overall problem then all that will happen is whoever replaces Belk will be getting the same grief three or four years down the line. There's no reason Luton, or Plymouth let's say, should be able to recruit as well as they do and we can't. But Luton and Plymouth are excellently run clubs, with very strong and present ownership, a clear identity of who they are and who they want to be, a deeply ingrained style of football which they sign and appoint to, and very clear management structures and financial discipline in place. We've got none of that, and until you do, swapping and changing out individual members of mid ranking staff won't change anything.
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Being optimistic you’d hope who or whatever is coming into the club has a vision to implement, of which this is part of. In fairness to them, whoever they are, restructures take a long time in any industry and they’re happening at a frequent rate in current market. Ramsey might have been in severance discussion for months up to now, we don’t know, it just feels slow and laborious from the outside looking in while the titanic is sinking. For all that mitigation, this should have happened when the season ended (not January 2024) and it felt utterly mental to me at the time to just waltz into the 23/24 season with the same structure that capitulated over the 18 months prior expecting it to be ok. Shock horror, things are not ok. [Post edited 9 Jan 12:28]
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Chris Ramsey gone on 12:40 - Jan 9 with 3570 views | daveB |
Chris Ramsey gone on 09:50 - Jan 9 by Northernr | We like to put a human face on our anger and blame. We really like to do it with managers. Then the manager leaves, a new manager comes in, it doesn't get better, but instead of wandering why that is, we just start on the new manager. You're already seeing it with Cifuentes, who's inherited the worst situation and team at QPR that I've ever known )possibly apart from the one Ian Holloway picked up first time around). Things have got worse since Les left, so now it's Hoos, and you're starting to see Belk as well. Simple facts are these... You've got nigh on 200 staff, significantly more than similar clubs to us in this league (Millwall), and at the last count the wage bill was well in excess of £20m. For that we've got the worst team in the league, we've fcked the budget and our recruitment, and our academy is producing nothing. So... people have to go. Lots of people, because we can't afford them, and because they haven't done their job well enough. But, if we don't sort out why they failed and why we keep failing, the structure and the culture, then they'll just be replaced with more people who will fail, and a few years down the line whoever's running the academy instead of Chris Ramsey will get the push and there'll be another thread on here saying "good".
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No argument from me that we've not been very good to say the least and recruitment a big part of that Sooner they get someone in with fresh ideas to oversee this the better because at the moment it's fine to keep axing people but the club are not showing any idea of a solution to all this One very small defence of the academy/development side though, you've got Kakay, Dixon-Bonner, Armstrong, Smyth, Kolli and Chair all in and around the first team who have come through whether it was as an 8 year old or signed as a 18/19 year old they are providing some players for the first team, I'd agree it's not enough but it's a lot more than we were seeing pre Ramsey/Ferdinand. The bigger problem remains recruitment of the key more expensive players your Dykes, Colback, Adomah, Dozzell etc who cost a fair chunk of money and don't produce | ![](/images/avatars/1922.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:18 - Jan 9 with 3413 views | Northernr |
Chris Ramsey gone on 12:40 - Jan 9 by daveB | No argument from me that we've not been very good to say the least and recruitment a big part of that Sooner they get someone in with fresh ideas to oversee this the better because at the moment it's fine to keep axing people but the club are not showing any idea of a solution to all this One very small defence of the academy/development side though, you've got Kakay, Dixon-Bonner, Armstrong, Smyth, Kolli and Chair all in and around the first team who have come through whether it was as an 8 year old or signed as a 18/19 year old they are providing some players for the first team, I'd agree it's not enough but it's a lot more than we were seeing pre Ramsey/Ferdinand. The bigger problem remains recruitment of the key more expensive players your Dykes, Colback, Adomah, Dozzell etc who cost a fair chunk of money and don't produce |
Chair apart though, they're only in the first team because the first team is sht. Can't imagine any of the others troubling any side in the top half of this league can you? How many of them would even get in a lower midtable team like Birmingham or Blackburn? | ![](/images/avatars/1005.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:52 - Jan 9 with 3234 views | BazzaInTheLoft | Only point I’ll add, and I don’t know who gets credit for it (as Norf has pointed out), is that lots of our recent recruits (Dunne, Dickie, Dykes, Barbet, Field, Dieng for example) have done it initially for us but left under a cloud of shit. This means the club is the problem, not the process. We are signing a lot of the right players but there is something about prolonged exposure to the first team that fcks them. Who wouldn’t sign a Scottish youth international with 1 goal in 3 in the Scottish Prem? That’s a good signing on paper. Same for Dozzell, who departure upset a few Ipswich fans by the way. Same too for managers. No one can argue with the pedigree Critchley and dare I say it, Beale. Something is rotten at that club but the process is sound IMO. Consistency is the key. Who can operate under constant change like that? [Post edited 9 Jan 14:02]
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Chris Ramsey gone on 13:55 - Jan 9 with 3214 views | Northernr |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:52 - Jan 9 by BazzaInTheLoft | Only point I’ll add, and I don’t know who gets credit for it (as Norf has pointed out), is that lots of our recent recruits (Dunne, Dickie, Dykes, Barbet, Field, Dieng for example) have done it initially for us but left under a cloud of shit. This means the club is the problem, not the process. We are signing a lot of the right players but there is something about prolonged exposure to the first team that fcks them. Who wouldn’t sign a Scottish youth international with 1 goal in 3 in the Scottish Prem? That’s a good signing on paper. Same for Dozzell, who departure upset a few Ipswich fans by the way. Same too for managers. No one can argue with the pedigree Critchley and dare I say it, Beale. Something is rotten at that club but the process is sound IMO. Consistency is the key. Who can operate under constant change like that? [Post edited 9 Jan 14:02]
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Yeh ideally you want people coming in, improving, moving on for profit. Since the Eze/Freeman/Smithies/Bright batch people come here and get worse, almost universally. | ![](/images/avatars/1005.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 14:00 - Jan 9 with 3159 views | ed_83 | Mixed feelings about this - clearly the academy hasn’t been producing enough players of high enough quality in recent years to justify the huge staff numbers, but also Ramsey seemed to be held in very high regard by everyone, and his successes with Chair, Eze and so on a couple of years ago are not to be sniffed at. I think that letter from Kolli’s dad speaks volumes, frankly, about what Ramsey brings to the club. For me, this feels very much like Warburton and Ferdinand’s departures, in that you can see the reasoning even if there are arguments on both sides. Ultimately, it all hangs on how we replace people when they leave, and whether we’re making the club stronger by letting them go. Our track record on this is not good. We chucked Warburton for Beale and ended up worse off than if he’d stayed; Ferdinand left and we still don’t have a DoF, which has left us rudderless. If we’ve got a coherent plan for improving the academy with new leadership then great. If not, then losing Ramsey is likely to make things worse rather than better. [Post edited 9 Jan 14:02]
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Chris Ramsey gone on 14:09 - Jan 9 with 3087 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:55 - Jan 9 by Northernr | Yeh ideally you want people coming in, improving, moving on for profit. Since the Eze/Freeman/Smithies/Bright batch people come here and get worse, almost universally. |
Sorry made a few edits but yeah 100%! | ![](/images/avatars/6600.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 14:09 - Jan 9 with 3086 views | TheChef |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:52 - Jan 9 by BazzaInTheLoft | Only point I’ll add, and I don’t know who gets credit for it (as Norf has pointed out), is that lots of our recent recruits (Dunne, Dickie, Dykes, Barbet, Field, Dieng for example) have done it initially for us but left under a cloud of shit. This means the club is the problem, not the process. We are signing a lot of the right players but there is something about prolonged exposure to the first team that fcks them. Who wouldn’t sign a Scottish youth international with 1 goal in 3 in the Scottish Prem? That’s a good signing on paper. Same for Dozzell, who departure upset a few Ipswich fans by the way. Same too for managers. No one can argue with the pedigree Critchley and dare I say it, Beale. Something is rotten at that club but the process is sound IMO. Consistency is the key. Who can operate under constant change like that? [Post edited 9 Jan 14:02]
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Good thing Barbet left when he did then | ![](/images/avatars/2559.gif) |
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Chris Ramsey gone on 14:23 - Jan 9 with 3018 views | dannyblue |
Chris Ramsey gone on 14:00 - Jan 9 by ed_83 | Mixed feelings about this - clearly the academy hasn’t been producing enough players of high enough quality in recent years to justify the huge staff numbers, but also Ramsey seemed to be held in very high regard by everyone, and his successes with Chair, Eze and so on a couple of years ago are not to be sniffed at. I think that letter from Kolli’s dad speaks volumes, frankly, about what Ramsey brings to the club. For me, this feels very much like Warburton and Ferdinand’s departures, in that you can see the reasoning even if there are arguments on both sides. Ultimately, it all hangs on how we replace people when they leave, and whether we’re making the club stronger by letting them go. Our track record on this is not good. We chucked Warburton for Beale and ended up worse off than if he’d stayed; Ferdinand left and we still don’t have a DoF, which has left us rudderless. If we’ve got a coherent plan for improving the academy with new leadership then great. If not, then losing Ramsey is likely to make things worse rather than better. [Post edited 9 Jan 14:02]
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Would just say Kolli's dad loves a bit of hyperbole, so take it all with a pinch of NaCl | ![](/images/avatars/11053.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 14:40 - Jan 9 with 2923 views | daveB |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:18 - Jan 9 by Northernr | Chair apart though, they're only in the first team because the first team is sht. Can't imagine any of the others troubling any side in the top half of this league can you? How many of them would even get in a lower midtable team like Birmingham or Blackburn? |
a few of them are among our best players at the moment which sadly says a lot, I'd agree they wouldn't get into other teams but as I say the failure is less with them as squad players getting a go more with the ones they've spent money on to be first choice who are crap. Having players come through like Kakay, Dixon Bonner, Kolli etc who can fill in and do a job is what you want really with the odd brilliant one like an Eze who can then fund the club for the next few years. Chair probably should have been the next one but as good as he is he's a few levels below Eze still. You go back to the 00's when we had a fair few like Pacquette, Balanta, Stefan Bailey, Marcus Bean and many others get a few few games for QPR from the academy, they did well as the ones we spent money on like Bircham, Rowlands, Furlong, Cook etc were all very good and value for money, kids that were alright but not brilliant filled out the squad for us so we could afford the good ones. I'm not for a second looking to praise the academy or development side as there are clearly problems within it but I don't agree nobody has come through as the squad has had plenty of players who have come through over the last 10 years. They might not have been the best quality but you go back over the years and it's usually only 1 a decade who comes though and is brilliant. Francis, Clement, Clive Allen, Gallen, Langley, Eze etc | ![](/images/avatars/1922.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 15:11 - Jan 9 with 2795 views | Hunterhoop | Great point in there, Dave. Youth teamers tend to succeed when they come into a first team environment where the dressing room is strong and the senior pros are playing well. The environment young players enter is critical to their chance of success. The issue at QPR, IMO, is that some of our more senior players are not a) leaders, b) “culture guardians (the opposite in some cases), c) playing well, and d) actually fit and available! It’s a lot to ask the youth teamers coming through to perform well in that scenario. The issue is signing experienced pros who are the right sort and perform to help allow the young players to grow and prosper. Think Smithies vs Dieng in terms of off field stuff. Think our current centre halves versus someone like Onouha. Eze, BOS, Manning, Furlong, Chair, all came into a team where some of the more experienced pros ticked those 4 boxes above. The issue is that signings of the experienced pros since Jan 2022 (arguably June 2021 with the exclusion of Sam Field) have been dreadful. Only Steve Cook, who is rarely fit, and the aforementioned Field are exceptions to that. | ![](/images/avatars/2027.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 15:40 - Jan 9 with 2667 views | TK1 |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:18 - Jan 9 by Northernr | Chair apart though, they're only in the first team because the first team is sht. Can't imagine any of the others troubling any side in the top half of this league can you? How many of them would even get in a lower midtable team like Birmingham or Blackburn? |
Harsh. Kakay = no, nobody in the top half. But as a squad player for a bottom half team (which he is)? Maybe. Smyth = agreed. But has pace and scored international goals. We'd probably watch him do well for Rotherham and have threads with people saying "we should have been all over this signing". Armstrong = 20 years-old in his first full season. Masses of potential. If he scored a goal like Saturday's against a Prem defence for, I dunno, Leicester there'd be threads hoping we could sign him on loan. Let's see where he ends up before JUDGEMENT is passed. 20 years-old. Dixon-Bonner: At 23, he's a bit behind schedule really but he looks a good player at the level potentially. I could see him playing for Blackburn, yes. He'd improve Birmingham. Kolli: Come on. He's 18. He went straight from U18s to 1st team. Give him a break. First full season, injured as still growing and changing body shape. Proper player, potentially. I understand it's been a terrible 12+ months, but the previous three, four years were good. I'm not sure why everything has to be burned to the ground. There are some things worth preserving. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 15:42 - Jan 9 with 2644 views | Northernr |
Chris Ramsey gone on 15:40 - Jan 9 by TK1 | Harsh. Kakay = no, nobody in the top half. But as a squad player for a bottom half team (which he is)? Maybe. Smyth = agreed. But has pace and scored international goals. We'd probably watch him do well for Rotherham and have threads with people saying "we should have been all over this signing". Armstrong = 20 years-old in his first full season. Masses of potential. If he scored a goal like Saturday's against a Prem defence for, I dunno, Leicester there'd be threads hoping we could sign him on loan. Let's see where he ends up before JUDGEMENT is passed. 20 years-old. Dixon-Bonner: At 23, he's a bit behind schedule really but he looks a good player at the level potentially. I could see him playing for Blackburn, yes. He'd improve Birmingham. Kolli: Come on. He's 18. He went straight from U18s to 1st team. Give him a break. First full season, injured as still growing and changing body shape. Proper player, potentially. I understand it's been a terrible 12+ months, but the previous three, four years were good. I'm not sure why everything has to be burned to the ground. There are some things worth preserving. |
Perhaps yes you have a point, I like DB, what I've seen of Kolli, Armstrong should be coachable, kakay is fine as back up (he's not back up this year, he plays every other game). But you've not far off agreed with my assessment, you're just in a much better mood and frame of mind than me, or perhaps a kinder person. | ![](/images/avatars/1005.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 16:50 - Jan 9 with 2409 views | derbyhoop | It's not new, though. Between Richard Langley and Eze, how many went through Youth set up to play 50 games? | ![](/images/avatars/1276.gif) |
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Find me on twitter @derbyhoop |
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Chris Ramsey gone on 17:03 - Jan 9 with 2363 views | terryb |
Chris Ramsey gone on 16:50 - Jan 9 by derbyhoop | It's not new, though. Between Richard Langley and Eze, how many went through Youth set up to play 50 games? |
Obviously mot many, buy Darnell Furlong certainly did. For some strange reason, Darnell is often forgotten when names are given for players that came through the youth set up. I've been guilty of this at least twice! | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 17:09 - Jan 9 with 2310 views | Hooping_Mad |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:52 - Jan 9 by BazzaInTheLoft | Only point I’ll add, and I don’t know who gets credit for it (as Norf has pointed out), is that lots of our recent recruits (Dunne, Dickie, Dykes, Barbet, Field, Dieng for example) have done it initially for us but left under a cloud of shit. This means the club is the problem, not the process. We are signing a lot of the right players but there is something about prolonged exposure to the first team that fcks them. Who wouldn’t sign a Scottish youth international with 1 goal in 3 in the Scottish Prem? That’s a good signing on paper. Same for Dozzell, who departure upset a few Ipswich fans by the way. Same too for managers. No one can argue with the pedigree Critchley and dare I say it, Beale. Something is rotten at that club but the process is sound IMO. Consistency is the key. Who can operate under constant change like that? [Post edited 9 Jan 14:02]
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I wanted a statue of Barbet, erected inside the first team dressing room. Blocking access to pitch would be ideal. I remember minimal clouding except for the free kicks | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
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Chris Ramsey gone on 17:27 - Jan 9 with 2201 views | RuislipHoop | That’s the end of the social experiment then 👍 | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 17:40 - Jan 9 with 2126 views | joe90 |
Chris Ramsey gone on 13:52 - Jan 9 by BazzaInTheLoft | Only point I’ll add, and I don’t know who gets credit for it (as Norf has pointed out), is that lots of our recent recruits (Dunne, Dickie, Dykes, Barbet, Field, Dieng for example) have done it initially for us but left under a cloud of shit. This means the club is the problem, not the process. We are signing a lot of the right players but there is something about prolonged exposure to the first team that fcks them. Who wouldn’t sign a Scottish youth international with 1 goal in 3 in the Scottish Prem? That’s a good signing on paper. Same for Dozzell, who departure upset a few Ipswich fans by the way. Same too for managers. No one can argue with the pedigree Critchley and dare I say it, Beale. Something is rotten at that club but the process is sound IMO. Consistency is the key. Who can operate under constant change like that? [Post edited 9 Jan 14:02]
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'Same for Dozzell, who departure upset a few Ipswich fans by the way' Evidence please or it didn't happen. | ![](/images/avatars/26289.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Chris Ramsey gone on 18:57 - Jan 9 with 1872 views | Bakes | Very nice letter from Rayan Kolli’s Dad Dear Chris Ramsey, As I sit down to pen this letter, my heart brims with gratitude, admiration, and a touch of nostalgia. It's a moment to reflect on a journey that has left an indelible mark on my family and the Queens Park Rangers community. Today, we bid you farewell, not just as a technical director but as a guiding light who shaped the destinies of young footballing talents and a true hero in our eyes. Your nine-year tenure at QPR was more than just a professional commitment; it was a journey that intertwined our lives with the beautiful game of football. I remember the day you stepped into our story, back in 2014 when you took up the role of Head of Player Development. Little did I know then that our paths would cross in such a profound way. I want to share a personal story, one that encapsulates the essence of your dedication to QPR and British football. It's a story about a battle, a battle that took place off the pitch but was just as intense as any matchday encounter. It's a story about my son, Rayan Kolli, and how you stood like a rock, defending QPR's interests and nurturing his potential. Rayan, at the age of 16, had the opportunity to join West Ham, a tempting prospect for any young footballer. The offers were enticing, and many believed that this was the path he should take. But you, Chris, saw something more profound. You saw the promise, the potential, and the value that Rayan held for QPR's future. You made a tough call, one that required tremendous courage. You turned down significant offers, you challenged us in a six-month-long battle, and you decided to take the matter to tribunal to prevent Rayan from leaving QPR. It was a decision that wasn't understood by many at the time, but you had a plan, a vision for his growth, and an unshakable belief in the club's future. On December 2021, that final meeting with West Ham defined the path we would take. They wanted Rayan desperately, but you, Chris, had decided to stand firm. You were willing to go to tribunal to protect QPR's interests, and I couldn't help but wonder why. Why would you do this? The answer, we discovered, lay in the future. Two years later, after Rayan's return to QPR, we finally understood the reason behind your unwavering stance. He made his debut at the age of 18, and it became clear that you had nurtured not just a player but a potential star. Your vision had prevailed, and QPR was richer for it. Your dedication extended far beyond Rayan, though. You believed in the philosophy that the development of the individual comes first, above results. You were there through thick and thin, rising up with the players from the academy, and your fingerprints can be seen on the careers of many, from Harry Kane to Danny Rose to Harry Winks. I have no doubt that in the next 24 years, the world will witness the fruits of your labor as these talents rise through the ranks and make their mark on the first team. And as a devoted supporter and a father, I want to say thank you from the depths of my heart for everything you've done for my son and countless others. You have left an indelible mark on the history of Queens Park Rangers, and your legacy will forever be cherished. I know we may have had our battles, but today, I want to say that I'm truly grateful that you prevailed. You were the protector of QPR's future, and for that, we owe you a debt of gratitude. As you step into the next chapter of your journey, I want to wish you all the success and happiness in the world. May your passion for football continue to inspire, and may your impact on the game be felt for generations to come. With the utmost respect and heartfelt gratitude, Badis L Kolli | ![](/images/avatars/1376.gif) |
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Chris Ramsey gone on 18:58 - Jan 9 with 1865 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
Chris Ramsey gone on 17:40 - Jan 9 by joe90 | 'Same for Dozzell, who departure upset a few Ipswich fans by the way' Evidence please or it didn't happen. |
Cherry picked obviously, but the point stands:
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Chris Ramsey gone on 19:07 - Jan 9 with 1827 views | Antti_Heinola |
Chris Ramsey gone on 17:09 - Jan 9 by Hooping_Mad | I wanted a statue of Barbet, erected inside the first team dressing room. Blocking access to pitch would be ideal. I remember minimal clouding except for the free kicks |
I do love how QPR fans have collective amnesia about Barbet: for the first 16 months he was as reviled as Dunne is by sections of the crowd now. I was laughed off this board when just before Xmas of his second season I suggested he'd actually been playing very well for several weeks. I also do love a bit of self-aggrandisement :) | ![](/images/avatars/5743.gif) |
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Chris Ramsey gone on 19:28 - Jan 9 with 1745 views | PunteR | There's some really good posts on here. It's always seemed a fractured relationship between 1st team management and the academies, going back to Maclaren. Cant quite remember how Holloway dealt with Ramsey etc or Les, although we all know he wasn't Ferdinand's choice of manager. Didn't Olly bring in Penrice to be chief scout? Isn't that suppose to be Les Ferdinand's job to recruit scouts. ? From Maclaren's "Team of men" to Warburton calling the youth department out as not being good enough. Beale bringing in his own guys and effectively demoting Ramsey. It just seems so fractured within the club. Wasn't it Les Ferdinand job to make sure there was harmony between all the football departments? I honestly feel part of the problem has been the DoF role and not having someone in there really laying down some solid foundations, setting high standards and holding his own with those above in the boardroom and management below him. My gut feeling is there was probably a lot of staff justifying jobs and wages. A lack of taking responsibility and probably a lot of finger pointing in all directions. I think that attitude has seeped into all the players on all levels. This ultimately stems from the owners and how they've run things. I agree though that the main issue has been with the first team, and the recruitment there. I'm not sure if Ramsey has anything to do with that.? We've relied too heavily on the young players coming through, whether that's for improving the team or so we can sell for a tidy profit. We've also been guilty of holding onto our talented young players too long when we were supposed to be a stepping stone to a bigger club. (Is that Ramseys fault ?.) Its been a mess from top to bottom. Since Ferdinand left i thought it was only a matter of time before Ramsey followed. For whatever reason, things just haven't gelled within the coaching staff and management while those two had roles here. Add Hoos into the mix, who is a numbers man getting involved with the football side, and its never going to work. [Post edited 9 Jan 19:30]
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