Next season - 4 key players for us to keep 07:35 - Apr 21 with 23944 views | hoops_legend | Now that we are all but safe - it’s important to look at next season Personally I actually like and think most of our first team is good enough and passionate enough about QPR and with a summer of Martis coaching - will be a lot better next Priority has to be keeping Chair, willock, JCS and Cook who personally I think are the key to next season, fantastic defensive pairing and also flair and creative play up top We need two strikers however as we need to see more clinical finishing and I think depending on anderson we need to bolster our midfield a bit more Also need a new keeper - begovic has been fine (bar the odd clanger) but time to move on (see Begovic thread!) So what do we do to keep the above four and ensure we are competitive for play offs | |
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 17:40 - Apr 23 with 2439 views | ParkRoyalR |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 17:26 - Apr 23 by Ned_Kennedys | We are losing £2 million a month and sailing very close to failing FFP. If we get a decent offer for any of our players we need to seriously consider selling. Ideally I would sell chair and Dykes and keep JCS if finances allow but it all depends if we get any interest of course. Would not keep any of the out of contract players apart from Dunne and Armstrong who you’d assume have been offered new contracts. |
All depends on the Managers preferred playing style and formations next season, We seen Cifuentes' initial preference for 4-3-3 although it became apparent pre-transfer window we did'nt have 3 fit Midfielders who were good enough to play 4-3-3 so we reverted to 4-2-3-1 which suited the players available pre-window, Being unable to afford Hadeyn and Hodge, our 1st choice Midfielders next season are likely Field / Colback / EDB, which is decent but unlikely a top 10 midfield, If we stay with 4-2-3-1 we cannot call it until we know what Willock's plans are for next season, likely away, If Willock goes we need to really work what our attacking style is as a team as I hav'nt seen one this year, and other than a few games, we've been very cautious in the numbers committed to attack, Be interested to know if Cifuentes ever plays 3-5-2 as this could be an option next year with: JCS / Cook / Dunne Larkeche / Field / Colback / EDB / Smyth Dykes / New 2nd Striker Selling assets wise, I would sell Paal (as rate Larkeche) and the brown or bust decision is selling Chair, if we can get £5m+ I'd cash in, as similar to Grealish at City, Chair slows our attacking play down by taking too many touches, big call as £5m does'nt buy you much but maybe its time to take that gamble and develop a new attacking style of play. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 17:41 - Apr 23 with 2417 views | stainrods_elbow |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 15:48 - Apr 23 by daveB | The alternative is stick with the same crap who got us in this mess and hope for the best again We're in this mess partly because we hardly ever sell anyone so if we get the chance this summer we should absolutely cash in and look to rebuild |
Were you watching the same season? We were a top half side under Marti, who proved, if anything, that those who ran down all of the players as worthless earlier in the season (myself included), like most fans, knew jacksh*t all along. [Post edited 23 Apr 19:33]
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 17:53 - Apr 23 with 2368 views | stainrods_elbow |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 16:46 - Apr 23 by Stainrod | We are losing fortunes and also need to sign players (especially a striker who is mildly less shite than Dykes). Therefore we have to sell if given the chance. Its no secret every one of our players is for sale. Its ever been thus - Bowles, Allen, Goddard, Peacock, Les etc. The Warburton year where we gambled on a very unlikely promotion is why we have been in such a mess. The bigger worry is that no one comes in for any of our players, so making it very hard to build. The money has died in the Championship so its either a Prem/Parachutte club buying or barely worth doing. Do fans objecting to our stated model really think Brentford fans were delighted to sell Watkins? But do you think they learned to stop moaning when they replaced him with Toney? Of course this club has been terrible at doing that. But a decade late we might finally have some reasonably intelligent people (CEO - I'm looking at you) who will make shrewd, data-drive decisions. You at least have to try, because what is the alternative? Eze sold possibly, but he can't keep bailing us out forever. (Brentford have sold on 5 maybe 10 Ezes). Sooner or later we are going to have to get back to doing what we once did so well: develop, sell, re-invest (think Sinton out, Sinclair in). Its hard to do and sad to see good players go - but we aren't Chelsea so not sure what some fans don't get about our predicament? To misquote Bertrand Russel "we have already established what kind of club you are, sir, now we are merely haggling about the price." |
Stan stayed at QPR for seven years and really only went to Florist for the payday (and because of Tommy Doc), Les for eight years, Allen five (two spells), and our Club Ambassador four, so your examples don't really do that much for your argument. These days, even the likes of Josh Bowler play half a game for us and then sling their hook for a 'bigger' club, regardless of their stage of development or popularity or age. That's the difference between even the 1990s and now, and it creates a nightmare for managers, resentment/emptiness for fans who have souls, and a cheated nothing for younger supporters to hold onto. Of course, some people don't want to see it, blinded as they are by their misguided mantra of 'progress'. | |
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 18:38 - Apr 23 with 2329 views | Ned_Kennedys |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 17:39 - Apr 23 by stainrods_elbow | I don't want to take a 'punt' in anything when it's not needed. JCS and Cook, under Marti, were the biggest reason for our turnaround this season, and have to be our defensive partnership next season too, as we are highly unlikely to improve on them. Sell Dykes, offload Bergovic, loan out Armstrong, and possibly entertain bids for Field and/or Paal, and we go from there from what ought to be a very real(istic) financial and playing platform. The nucleus for next season, and any squad needs a nucleus, need sto be the two centre backs, Chair, Willock, Andersen and Colback. |
You don’t seem to have a good understanding of the current squad I’m afraid old chap. You have said we should keep Hayden who is Newcastle’s player and they are clearly not going to release him as he has a value to them so will be sold for a decent amount of money to a club like Norwich or Middlesbrough for more money than we can afford. You keep mentioning we should keep Willock who is out of contract in a few months with absolutely no proper indication he is signing a new contract. You seem to think we will get decent money for Paal who we bought for next to nothing and had had an average season at best: why is he suddenly worth millions? | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 19:04 - Apr 23 with 2289 views | Stainrod |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 17:53 - Apr 23 by stainrods_elbow | Stan stayed at QPR for seven years and really only went to Florist for the payday (and because of Tommy Doc), Les for eight years, Allen five (two spells), and our Club Ambassador four, so your examples don't really do that much for your argument. These days, even the likes of Josh Bowler play half a game for us and then sling their hook for a 'bigger' club, regardless of their stage of development or popularity or age. That's the difference between even the 1990s and now, and it creates a nightmare for managers, resentment/emptiness for fans who have souls, and a cheated nothing for younger supporters to hold onto. Of course, some people don't want to see it, blinded as they are by their misguided mantra of 'progress'. |
Not necessarily saying its progress, its survival | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 19:35 - Apr 23 with 2250 views | derbyhoop | If we receive any bids for any of our players they will need to be carefully considered. There are very few who could command a decent fee. However, if we are to improve in key areas, keeper and striker, we're going to have to sell somebody for a sizeable amount. The only ones who might qualify are Chair, JCS, Arnstrong, Fiekd and Dykes. Chair has a court case hanging, Arnstrong is as raw as they come, Dykes hasnt delivered. Leaving Field and JCS. There have been rumours of interest in JCS, from a number of clubs.a bid over £5m would be accepted. | |
| "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 19:37 - Apr 23 with 2228 views | stainrods_elbow |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 18:38 - Apr 23 by Ned_Kennedys | You don’t seem to have a good understanding of the current squad I’m afraid old chap. You have said we should keep Hayden who is Newcastle’s player and they are clearly not going to release him as he has a value to them so will be sold for a decent amount of money to a club like Norwich or Middlesbrough for more money than we can afford. You keep mentioning we should keep Willock who is out of contract in a few months with absolutely no proper indication he is signing a new contract. You seem to think we will get decent money for Paal who we bought for next to nothing and had had an average season at best: why is he suddenly worth millions? |
And you don't seem to have great reading skills, fellah. I said we could 'entertain bids' for Paal - where did I say he was 'worth millions'? Willock might stay or might go, depending on interest. You don't know any more than me there, or any of us. Personally, I hope he and Chair stay. Next season could be big for him if he does want a top (top, top) move. Re Hayden, as I pointed out elsewhere, he is under contract at Newcastle, but has indicated he wants to come, for whatever that's worth, and, as someone else pointed out, obviously knows the pay structure here. If he comes to an agreement with his parent club, he could well become our classy ex-Prem bastard. In Marti and the Board I trust (not having much choice in the matter). [Post edited 23 Apr 19:39]
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 19:39 - Apr 23 with 2214 views | stainrods_elbow |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 19:04 - Apr 23 by Stainrod | Not necessarily saying its progress, its survival |
How about aiming a little higher than just surviving? | |
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 20:17 - Apr 23 with 2177 views | Ned_Kennedys |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 19:37 - Apr 23 by stainrods_elbow | And you don't seem to have great reading skills, fellah. I said we could 'entertain bids' for Paal - where did I say he was 'worth millions'? Willock might stay or might go, depending on interest. You don't know any more than me there, or any of us. Personally, I hope he and Chair stay. Next season could be big for him if he does want a top (top, top) move. Re Hayden, as I pointed out elsewhere, he is under contract at Newcastle, but has indicated he wants to come, for whatever that's worth, and, as someone else pointed out, obviously knows the pay structure here. If he comes to an agreement with his parent club, he could well become our classy ex-Prem bastard. In Marti and the Board I trust (not having much choice in the matter). [Post edited 23 Apr 19:39]
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Oh it’s easy to understand what you write: it’s just that most of it is ill informed. Hayden is under 30 and is easily worth seven figures so tell me why Newcastle would not sell him rather than pay him off to leave? He’ll also be on thousands and thousands of Pounds a week more than our wage structure would allow. Only hope of him being here next season is if Newcastle can’t sell him and we can loan him again. Willock is clearly looking like a BOS and Manning situation of a player running down his contract. It’s naive to think he has not already lined up his next club by now. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 20:33 - Apr 23 with 2136 views | FartConnoisseur |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 20:17 - Apr 23 by Ned_Kennedys | Oh it’s easy to understand what you write: it’s just that most of it is ill informed. Hayden is under 30 and is easily worth seven figures so tell me why Newcastle would not sell him rather than pay him off to leave? He’ll also be on thousands and thousands of Pounds a week more than our wage structure would allow. Only hope of him being here next season is if Newcastle can’t sell him and we can loan him again. Willock is clearly looking like a BOS and Manning situation of a player running down his contract. It’s naive to think he has not already lined up his next club by now. |
I suppose maybe you’re right Manning is a good comparison for Willock leaving us potentially. As Manning left us for Swansea who were absolutely mediocre team in this league but could pay a bit more. Hull were the best option Willock had available to him in January and his options are unlikely to be much better than that this summer Hull might be able to pay him a little more but then he has to suffer living up there with a manager Rosenior who has massively underperformed his circumstances If we do stay up I think there is a decent chance Willock instead decides to stay in London, with us, with Marti, a manager who has massively over performed his circumstances | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 04:23 - Apr 24 with 1884 views | stainrods_elbow |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 20:17 - Apr 23 by Ned_Kennedys | Oh it’s easy to understand what you write: it’s just that most of it is ill informed. Hayden is under 30 and is easily worth seven figures so tell me why Newcastle would not sell him rather than pay him off to leave? He’ll also be on thousands and thousands of Pounds a week more than our wage structure would allow. Only hope of him being here next season is if Newcastle can’t sell him and we can loan him again. Willock is clearly looking like a BOS and Manning situation of a player running down his contract. It’s naive to think he has not already lined up his next club by now. |
Thanks for the high-handed judgmentalism about my knowledge base - water off a duck's back, as I'm not an idiot. You may or may not be write about Hayden, but no one knows what's going to happen. Clubs come to agreements with players all the time about contracts, which you don't seem to understand, and if they want him off their payroll, it may well suit them and him to come to us. Stranger things have happened. As for Willock, you're speculating, so it's not me who's naive, but you who are presumptuous. I think he'll stay, so there! | |
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 04:24 - Apr 24 with 1883 views | stainrods_elbow | What a zombie! (And nastily hypersensitive with it - I was giving an opinion not throwing a rock, so grow the f*ck up!) | |
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 07:13 - Apr 24 with 1830 views | Northernr | Willock, and dad, have been angling after the free transfer he's about to get for the last two and a half years. The money they were looking for in January when QPR tried to shift him was so laughably high even Hull baulked at it. Both of those things would need to change for him to stay here next season. Not impossible of course, but not likely based on everything said and done to this point. And I'm not sure I'd want him to anyway. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 07:46 - Apr 24 with 1792 views | dm97 |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 07:13 - Apr 24 by Northernr | Willock, and dad, have been angling after the free transfer he's about to get for the last two and a half years. The money they were looking for in January when QPR tried to shift him was so laughably high even Hull baulked at it. Both of those things would need to change for him to stay here next season. Not impossible of course, but not likely based on everything said and done to this point. And I'm not sure I'd want him to anyway. |
Completely agree. So many of these players have shown their level and character over the last two years. Reward the few good ones (Field, Dunne) and cut ties with the rest. Marti’s managerial performance has masked so much sh**. Please please please can we not do the QPR thing of getting hyped up by a good period and thinking we’re there now and all is well. Have hope Nourry won’t, but still worried we’ll go and QPR the whole thing with big contracts for Willock, Hayden. Re-signing Begovic. Really hope I’m wrong. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:02 - Apr 24 with 1765 views | gazza1 |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 07:13 - Apr 24 by Northernr | Willock, and dad, have been angling after the free transfer he's about to get for the last two and a half years. The money they were looking for in January when QPR tried to shift him was so laughably high even Hull baulked at it. Both of those things would need to change for him to stay here next season. Not impossible of course, but not likely based on everything said and done to this point. And I'm not sure I'd want him to anyway. |
His general attitude & availability seems to have improved since MC arrived. If he continues with that approach then I would like him to stay. He does, however, need to fall in-line with the Clubs wage structures. He has had a fairish season. In saying that if his 'old man' continues the way that you say then let him go, its not the type we want here any longer and he is not much better than many of our players. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:06 - Apr 24 with 1759 views | Northernr |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:02 - Apr 24 by gazza1 | His general attitude & availability seems to have improved since MC arrived. If he continues with that approach then I would like him to stay. He does, however, need to fall in-line with the Clubs wage structures. He has had a fairish season. In saying that if his 'old man' continues the way that you say then let him go, its not the type we want here any longer and he is not much better than many of our players. |
As said last week though, even with all these recent improvements under Cifuentes (and he has, undoubtedly, improved I agree) he's scored one goal in 22 games, that against Rotherham at home. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:14 - Apr 24 with 1722 views | dmm | This summer's ins and outs should reveal quite a lot about the direction Nourry and the board want to take. Will it be the start of a well planned squad rebuild with a long term view in mind, or a short term mini-splurge to please Cifuentes and fans? Cifuentes will have earned the right to have significant input into shaping the squad regardless of the league we're in the season. However, the time to systematically build a squad with a clear identity and stick to it is long overdue. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:18 - Apr 24 with 1692 views | gazza1 |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:06 - Apr 24 by Northernr | As said last week though, even with all these recent improvements under Cifuentes (and he has, undoubtedly, improved I agree) he's scored one goal in 22 games, that against Rotherham at home. |
Tough call Norf but I would like more goals - this could improve with a pre-season with MC. He now has a lot more major responsibilities since MC, he is expected to defend a lot more!!......It depends who we have lined up to replace him which I would hope the Club have already planned for him going. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:25 - Apr 24 with 1672 views | Northernr | And if you wanted to be really, really, really cynical (would I ever do such a thing?) a contract expiry is a really good time to suddenly string together a run of games, form, fitness and arsedness that wasn't there before. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 09:47 - Apr 24 with 1549 views | PhilmyRs |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:25 - Apr 24 by Northernr | And if you wanted to be really, really, really cynical (would I ever do such a thing?) a contract expiry is a really good time to suddenly string together a run of games, form, fitness and arsedness that wasn't there before. |
Fair, but I'd add it's also the worst time in terms of risking serious injury which could ruin your plans for next season. In this relegation scrap, especially in the must win Preston game and Hull away, I thought Willock stepped up in terms of tracking back, going into tackles, really battling away to get us a result. Yes, could be just wanting to impress as part of his quest for more money elsewhere, but the slide tackles, not bottling 50/50s... I was more impressed with that then some of his technical skills which you'd imagine would be the sort of thing he'd want to turn on and show the scouts, not the ugly part of the game. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 09:58 - Apr 24 with 1524 views | TheChef |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:25 - Apr 24 by Northernr | And if you wanted to be really, really, really cynical (would I ever do such a thing?) a contract expiry is a really good time to suddenly string together a run of games, form, fitness and arsedness that wasn't there before. |
Yeah it's nice to see him putting some effort in again and contributing again. A goal on Friday night wouldn't go amiss | |
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Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 11:37 - Apr 24 with 1415 views | Stainrod |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:06 - Apr 24 by Northernr | As said last week though, even with all these recent improvements under Cifuentes (and he has, undoubtedly, improved I agree) he's scored one goal in 22 games, that against Rotherham at home. |
Yes I'm really in two minds as to whether I even want him to stay. He was excellent against Preston, but the two previous games he was dire (half-arsed, lazy). At his best he glides almost above the pitch and is probably our only player you could just about imagine on a good day holding his own at a lower Premier League club. But his good performances are fewer than his bad ones this season and when the going got tough, he often wasn't there. Chair gets stick but for all his frustrations he almost always ties - for which I forgive a lot. Willock's usual "can't be arsed to tackle" attitude must negatively impact the team. Maybe you can get away with it if you are Adel in his pomp, but as you say, 1 goal in 22 games doesn't cut it. To be even more cynical than you, was that statement (admittedly through Marti) that he apparently "loves" the club belated realisation that there aren't a host of clubs lining up to offer him big money? If I were, say, Hull I would be wary of his attitude and fitness. Only factor against that I guess is that for another club its a free transfer so they could probably go a big bigger on wages. Here I would entirely understand the attitude if we thought "why should we reward a player who often didn't try with a massively improved salary?" | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 11:43 - Apr 24 with 1388 views | Stainrod |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 19:39 - Apr 23 by stainrods_elbow | How about aiming a little higher than just surviving? |
If you have a strategy for doing that, so keeping all our best players AND bringing in vital re-enforcements (especially a striker who actually scores goals - which has been beyond us budget and scouting wise for a decade) all whilst remaining in FFP budgets, then I'm all ears... For the record, not sure that wanting to avoid another FFP fine makes anyone a "Neo-liberal" necessarily. | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 14:51 - Apr 24 with 1258 views | robith |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 07:13 - Apr 24 by Northernr | Willock, and dad, have been angling after the free transfer he's about to get for the last two and a half years. The money they were looking for in January when QPR tried to shift him was so laughably high even Hull baulked at it. Both of those things would need to change for him to stay here next season. Not impossible of course, but not likely based on everything said and done to this point. And I'm not sure I'd want him to anyway. |
Yeah, tbh I'm sick of the sight of him tbh, proper phones it in, performs in fits and starts. If he helps us stay up, great, but I won't lose sleep if he's not here next season | | | |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 16:54 - Apr 24 with 1133 views | QPROslo |
Next season - 4 key players for us to keep on 08:06 - Apr 24 by Northernr | As said last week though, even with all these recent improvements under Cifuentes (and he has, undoubtedly, improved I agree) he's scored one goal in 22 games, that against Rotherham at home. |
From afar looking only at screens it looks to me like Willock still has the technical ability he had when scoring brilliant goals under Warburton before his bad injury, but has lost a bit of pace over that key few feet it takes to get round decent defenders in an around the penalty area. He isn't getting as many goals as you say, but also not so many shots on goal. Looks like he has lost a bit of physical strength from when he was at his best as well to me. | | | |
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