| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 23:16 - Jan 5 with 5978 views | mart_Goblin |
Brilliant read Clive. A lot to mull over but in general I feel like we have got to the point where us fans, in whatever way we can , need to start asking for answers albeit by means of meetings, Q & A’s, statements….smoke signals…I dunno , anything .
From what I hear about the culture, nothing has changed despite new manager after new manager .
So why is that? Not just with playing staff but all aspects of everything.
I get told stuff you just wouldn’t believe .
I have every sympathy with the sad news of Ruben losing his father and I’m sure there is a lot to sort out, but flipping Norah…can we just have 5 mins of your time here? He needs to get back here and start sorting this shit out quickly.
Lee Hoos has gone from being at the stadium everyday, but since his (self promotion/self elevation/ self flagellation) he appears to have run for the hills. Literally not been seen since other than the odd match day .
We are drifting towards the edge of the world, all the while leaving Marti with a crew who mutineed years ago.
An owner or a board member or even Jude the bastard cat please come out and tell us something! [Post edited 5 Jan 23:16]
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 23:41 - Jan 5 with 5910 views | Monkey_Roots |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 23:16 - Jan 5 by mart_Goblin |
Brilliant read Clive. A lot to mull over but in general I feel like we have got to the point where us fans, in whatever way we can , need to start asking for answers albeit by means of meetings, Q & A’s, statements….smoke signals…I dunno , anything .
From what I hear about the culture, nothing has changed despite new manager after new manager .
So why is that? Not just with playing staff but all aspects of everything.
I get told stuff you just wouldn’t believe .
I have every sympathy with the sad news of Ruben losing his father and I’m sure there is a lot to sort out, but flipping Norah…can we just have 5 mins of your time here? He needs to get back here and start sorting this shit out quickly.
Lee Hoos has gone from being at the stadium everyday, but since his (self promotion/self elevation/ self flagellation) he appears to have run for the hills. Literally not been seen since other than the odd match day .
We are drifting towards the edge of the world, all the while leaving Marti with a crew who mutineed years ago.
An owner or a board member or even Jude the bastard cat please come out and tell us something! [Post edited 5 Jan 23:16]
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Tell us what you’ve heard, please.
Great read Clive - print it out 15000 times and have every fan paper airplane it at the pitch next time one of the owners is in the house.
Excellent. |  | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 00:03 - Jan 6 with 5877 views | TheChef |
Would be classic QPR to get a result tomorrow.
Not a cat in hell's chance though, even with a full strength xi! |  |
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 00:08 - Jan 6 with 5860 views | JordanFoster |
Great post, Clive. The whole Hoos’ being FEO, Chairman and DoF… I mean come on. There’s amateur hour then there’s that.
The points around Willock and Chair leaving early is just such a marker for where our standards are at the moment.
I know of a PL player that was suspended for his last clubs game at midweek home. He had to be in the changing room & pitchside an hour before the game, they were comfortably losing and regardless of the result had to be in the changing room by 80mins waiting for the team to come in. You’re all in it together, you’re a team. How to of our better and most appreciated players think it’s fine to not just do that, but clearly be seen. It’s not like you’re hidden in a box.
I think you have to start with “What does QPR mean?” Or “What do we stand for?”. You look a Brentford, clever recruitment through Scandi regions, have kind of owned the football as a second sport fan (London Irish, Chelsea fans thst don’t go) in order to build attendances and fan interest, then commercialise them long term from here. Palace to a degree are they same, you know the type of players they will have. The ultras are a bit cringe but you know what you get.
You then have to build from there once we know or have identified what that is. I think some of the points on the pitch are bang on and I couldn’t suggest anything else, but I’d also look at a few other areas where improvement could be made very quickly for little effort.
The first thing I’d do is revamp the whole content around the club. Training pics, MC press conferences, post match pics. It’s boring. Clubs need to be a publisher in their own right, there’s little to talk about on the pitch so let’s share the stories of the fans off it. Off the top of my head, I’d commission a series with 4 different fans from very different backgrounds to run on YouTube or META. The old boy that takes his grandson and talks about the teams of 82, the single mum who takes her kids as it gives them a chance to bond, the bloke who uses it to maintain his mental health and see his mates. QPR means so much more than what we see or currently getting. Every week different fans are going to document their matchday experiences. Let’s make it a two way thing. Social media is in the name, we seem to think it’s just one way.
Let’s modernise how we approach content too, utilising content creators to show different aspects of the match day experience. Maybe it’s using someone like pitchside.images or shooting a game solely on film AND professionally so you cover everything. We need to engage with younger fans. I’ve seen people say about posters and billboards around west London, peoples attention is on their phones, let’s target them their. Localised paid media.
Regarding comms, then look at getting someone like Jimmy Dunne or Paul Smyth (players that use Twitter) to have two way convo with fans. People will say their sh*t, anyway, but them fans that tweet something positive, engage with a like or reply. It shows they are listening and care.
The second phase would be having one of the leaders/more respected players/ captain coming out and launch a campaign with the club that the first team want to donate 4x tickets a game to fans that need it.
The players would pick who they want to give them to and the official club account would run editorial on why they were picked and their story, promoting the QPR community. To limit criticism, players would record a message of who they have picked and why with a “see you at the game!”.
I’m sure they did it, but the same culture guardians should be ringing fans that could be vulnerable and season ticket holders at Christmas just checking in. I’d then launch focus groups of fans of all different ages and backgrounds focusing on marginalised groups. Each fortnight they get different questions and a surveys, the more they answer and time they give, the better rewards. Having constant feedback from different sections of your audience gives you a cheat code. Use it.
I’d then look at the merchandise. Where to start, it’s atrocious. It needs a total revamp. I’m not talking collaborations with Dior but you need to have fairly aspirational pieces or capsules. Crystal Palace went down the Creative Director route. You’ve got one of the most iconic kits in football history, mentioned weekly on every social account yet we sleep on it. Clubs need to be lifestyle brands.
Bizarre we plead poverty but have one of the worst merchandise and club shop operations. Add the ticket and website for thst too.
On that note, I’ve never understood why fans that go week in, week out (looking at you Clive) have never been rewarded. You have their address, send a gift box with the new home shirt in the day after their released with a hand written note from the CEO thanking them for their ongoing support. I’m not saying we give 1000s away, but 10 can’t hurt.
I’ve spoken before about the commercial offering, but I’m surprised we’ve not tried more to engage with the local community through front of shirt sponsorship. Perhaps you do a raffle style for small to medium businesses to win shirt or sponsor space at a fraction of the cost you’d want. The terms can be beneficial to companies, you have assets, let’s start to use them or we see screwed.
Linked to this, the current LED adverts are so old, I worked on one in the covid season and it’s still shown. Can’t we donate these to local business or charities? We are just showing these over again, maybe it can go to a QPR fans construction company or childrens charity in Hammersmith?
I appreciate a lot of this is off the cuff thinking probably b0llocks, but we can’t just keep doing the same stuff, getting sh*t results, sleepwalking into nothingness. You can do something, you improve fan sentiment, you can help the atmosphere, improve commercial opportunities and in turn stay in the league. [Post edited 6 Jan 0:10]
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 07:52 - Jan 6 with 5523 views | GaryBannister86 |
Yes, Clive, bang on. This whole dip in standards is not acceptable, not a coincidence that we have the worst 10 year record in the league.
From Ainsworth's "privilege to be on the same pitch" to Begovic and Colback and everything else, to that post season interview with Ainsworth in an executive box with filthy windows, I agree they look small beer. But the culmination of them.....
Has it seeped through to the fans? I have a go at Begovic at games and people look at me like I am insane.... "Premier league keeper". Or at Laird last season trying to urge the crowd to greater efforts. The irony.
Marti, or a new DofF, needs to drive the standards back. No more talking about previous clubs, no more "Other interests" on social media. You are QPR and that is your whole being.
I would sack Begovic now. His two good saves and one horrendous blunder every other week are worth replacing with someone who wants to commit to us. Make a statement.
Without standards, we can't recover.
As you say, Wilkins used to play for this club. And Fenwick, Macca, Les, Wilson. Don't remember them banging on about other clubs or showing anything other than 100% commitment to QPR. Les stayed another year when he certainly didn't have to. Yet he's the evil one? Where did it all get so skewed? |  | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 08:02 - Jan 6 with 5481 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
Great article, and illustrates the deep structural problems at the club. I find it staggering that the stadium is full nearly every home game, despite the dross. | | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 08:03 - Jan 6 with 5478 views | traininvain |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 07:52 - Jan 6 by GaryBannister86 |
Yes, Clive, bang on. This whole dip in standards is not acceptable, not a coincidence that we have the worst 10 year record in the league.
From Ainsworth's "privilege to be on the same pitch" to Begovic and Colback and everything else, to that post season interview with Ainsworth in an executive box with filthy windows, I agree they look small beer. But the culmination of them.....
Has it seeped through to the fans? I have a go at Begovic at games and people look at me like I am insane.... "Premier league keeper". Or at Laird last season trying to urge the crowd to greater efforts. The irony.
Marti, or a new DofF, needs to drive the standards back. No more talking about previous clubs, no more "Other interests" on social media. You are QPR and that is your whole being.
I would sack Begovic now. His two good saves and one horrendous blunder every other week are worth replacing with someone who wants to commit to us. Make a statement.
Without standards, we can't recover.
As you say, Wilkins used to play for this club. And Fenwick, Macca, Les, Wilson. Don't remember them banging on about other clubs or showing anything other than 100% commitment to QPR. Les stayed another year when he certainly didn't have to. Yet he's the evil one? Where did it all get so skewed? |
Good luck sacking Begovic if the club can’t sack Richards who’s awol by all accounts. |  | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 08:13 - Jan 6 with 5459 views | GaryBannister86 |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 08:03 - Jan 6 by traininvain |
Good luck sacking Begovic if the club can’t sack Richards who’s awol by all accounts. |
Fair point, but we have to change this. Make the club bigger than the player once again. Boot people out for not having the right standards.
Any club, or business for that matter, knows that you have to take short-term pain for long-term gain or whatever other crappy cliche it is. [Post edited 6 Jan 8:14]
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 09:16 - Jan 6 with 5292 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
Disagree about the scouting team getting a second chance. They need to go.
Haven't replaced Charlie in seven years and counting, other than a brief loan for Nahki and loaning Charlie himself.
Our goalie is semi-retired. Like when Roy Race brought back Tubby Morton who was running a sports shop.
We signed Dozzell for more than a million pounds. That would merit the death penalty in several US states. | | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 09:24 - Jan 6 with 5285 views | bongo_king |
Great read as ever. Don't ever think "either regular reader enjoys reading these long, woe-is-me, everything-is-wrong diatribes", cos there is at least 1 reader here, miles away from the bush, who enjoys it come rain come shine. That said, hope you have a good break.
On standards - it's become clear over the last month or so they are in the bin across the club. They've been hints for months in the players and the way they perform, but as stated in the preview, standards are set by the lowest bar. Which is why someone like Field, Chair or Paal - all of whom at some point were good, honest pros, can end up being grouped with with all the others as the worst bunch we've had for years and we can't wait to get rid of them.
Completely different domain, but Warren Buffet once said the most important characteristics when hiring any employee are integrity, intelligence, and energy. And the first (integrity) is by far the most important, without it you end up with a wrecking ball in your organisation. The club's recruitment would do well to listen to this advice. | | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 10:09 - Jan 6 with 5158 views | mart_Goblin |
Only caveat to the Willock and Chair thing is that from experience, pros at the game were always told to be in the tunnel dressing room area for the final whistle . They would watch the remainder of the game from the tunnel area and be in the dressing room before the dressing room door was closed for post match ‘talk’.
Maybe this is the thinking . Did anybody see them leave the stadium ? If not then they were probably doing the ‘leadership’ thing of greeting the players as they came off the pitch .
Or maybe not . Who knows but we don’t know either so it’s worth considering.
The other weird was during the Hull game , SDM wandering up and down SAR concourse through out the match not watching the game at all. Even bought a bloody hot dog and ate it …walking up and down | | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 10:37 - Jan 6 with 5079 views | Blue_Castello |
Wow one thing is for certain TAKE that holiday without fail, you need to get away and stop thinking about our team, it's eating you up and as you would say spitting you out.
Your reporting is second to none but the two regular readers can cope without you whilst you take a well earned break, get some perspective back by doing some travelling, as Bruce Ree recently posted there is another life out there.
It won't stop any of us supporting our team by doing other things, I've been supporting 57 years and still feel very passionate about my club for all sorts of reasons, Rangers till I Die is still relevant at my age. I totally get the angst and anger bit for somebody who is so passionate about our team and its good that the general supporters like me get to find out information that would not easily be available without your journalism.
Totally agree about Marti, he's a keeper but can we keep him, similarly if he comes out in the press and moans about our defending from set pieces then he needs to sort it out it could be the difference between survival and relegation. I'm assuming Marti told them to start with the Zonal marking and the players didn't make that idea for themselves, surely it needs to be scrapped were leaving the oppositions teams strongest forwards with a free run at a dead ball situation.
Take care of yourself Clive and find some time away from our beloved Hoops. [Post edited 6 Jan 10:40]
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 10:46 - Jan 6 with 5053 views | enfieldargh |
I'd like some clarity on the Nick London affair. REsigned due to bullying from within???
Was it NL doing the bullying if not who then, who to and why?(Unless it was aimed at Taylor Richards) He was the shinning light of qpr coms, gone in the blink of an eye.
Really fear for the future of the club and am clinging to the HOPE that we can get some uplift in form from fresh faces being intorduced into the squad as Huddersfield have begun doing |  |
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 10:46 - Jan 6 with 5046 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Great read, Clive. All very reasonable, especially given the circumstances.
Hope you enjoy your holiday. |  |
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 10:47 - Jan 6 with 5038 views | paulparker |
Can’t believe it’s taken nearly 12 years and and another relegation for some on this MB to start questioning the clowns in charge
Thompson & Wright got pelters and rightly so , but this lot have got away Scott free
Perhaps the stark reality of being a mid table league one club has started to hit home |  |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 11:13 - Jan 6 with 4965 views | NewYorkRanger |
That’s a great read, if entirely depressing. Love the Andre Dozell comment - that is spot on and right at the heart of football culture for those old enough to remember it.
We’ll be there today for some reason. No expectations and yea, Bournemouth on Tuesday it is! |  |
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 11:15 - Jan 6 with 4953 views | stevec |
I’d be surprised now if any players come in this month.
Come to the conclusion the owners have forgotten about the football this season and are hell bent on keeping losses so low this season (23/24) that we don’t get a points deduction next season.
If they can do that, 21/22 will finally come off the FFP calculations. A small amount of breathing space if still in Championship, a clean slate if we’re in League One.
Tough to accept but we might finally get these owners off our hands and for the ‘careful what you wish for’ brigade, may I remind you these Directors have proved themselves 92nd out of 92 club directorships for the last 10 years now. Not a record that suggests an alternative could be any worse. |  | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 12:24 - Jan 6 with 4784 views | Northernr |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 10:09 - Jan 6 by mart_Goblin |
Only caveat to the Willock and Chair thing is that from experience, pros at the game were always told to be in the tunnel dressing room area for the final whistle . They would watch the remainder of the game from the tunnel area and be in the dressing room before the dressing room door was closed for post match ‘talk’.
Maybe this is the thinking . Did anybody see them leave the stadium ? If not then they were probably doing the ‘leadership’ thing of greeting the players as they came off the pitch .
Or maybe not . Who knows but we don’t know either so it’s worth considering.
The other weird was during the Hull game , SDM wandering up and down SAR concourse through out the match not watching the game at all. Even bought a bloody hot dog and ate it …walking up and down |
They were in the dressing room afterwards tbf.
I just didn’t think it was a good look, showed how much faith they had in our chances of an equaliser. Steve cook, there with his family, stayed to the end.
Still, like I say, af least they were there, where’s Colback the culture guardian?
And, again, these are all v v small things, that don’t matter by themselves, and wouldn’t matter if we were winning, but they’re not by themselves and we’re not winning because there’s so many of them.
Or maybe I’m just an unreasonable grumpy bstrd. |  | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 12:28 - Jan 6 with 4776 views | E17hoop |
It is ALL about culture.
You can have the best plans and strategies, structures and relationships, systems, processes, support, technology, skills and techniques.
If 'someone' doesn't want to engage and they're not called out for it, 'anyone' can do the same and you end up with what we have.
We need a new CEO to drive up the standards across the place. This isn't a criticism of Hoos but he has become conditioned because the owners have created the environment where failure and underperforming is allowed.
New CEO, new culture. |  |
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 12:36 - Jan 6 with 4757 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 12:24 - Jan 6 by Northernr |
They were in the dressing room afterwards tbf.
I just didn’t think it was a good look, showed how much faith they had in our chances of an equaliser. Steve cook, there with his family, stayed to the end.
Still, like I say, af least they were there, where’s Colback the culture guardian?
And, again, these are all v v small things, that don’t matter by themselves, and wouldn’t matter if we were winning, but they’re not by themselves and we’re not winning because there’s so many of them.
Or maybe I’m just an unreasonable grumpy bstrd. |
I think it was Clive Woodward as England coach saying he didn't want a 10% improvement in one thing, he wanted 1% improvement in 10 things.
He did that and England won the World Cup.
Your not being unreasonably grumpy, your calling the whole club out for what it has become. A club that is happy with mediocrity and sloppy standards. | | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 12:42 - Jan 6 with 4743 views | Jevlar |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 12:36 - Jan 6 by Wilkinswatercarrier |
I think it was Clive Woodward as England coach saying he didn't want a 10% improvement in one thing, he wanted 1% improvement in 10 things.
He did that and England won the World Cup.
Your not being unreasonably grumpy, your calling the whole club out for what it has become. A club that is happy with mediocrity and sloppy standards. |
I hope the writing is therapeutic at least, Clive. Great read -
PS didn’t mean to reply to this specific post! Apologies. [Post edited 6 Jan 12:46]
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 12:46 - Jan 6 with 4718 views | Hooping_Mad |
The Neil Oliver reference had me. | |
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| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 13:04 - Jan 6 with 4656 views | QPROslo |
I guess some of these like 3 positions for Hoos are part of the drive to keep us above, or get us safe above, the FFP limit for the lasr 3 years. | | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 13:59 - Jan 6 with 4534 views | CateLeBonR |
Thanks Clive very well put. You’ve always seemed amiable enough to me 👍🏻 |  | | |
| Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview on 14:03 - Jan 6 with 4521 views | ThGrimRanger |
very well summarised Clive ... you'd def get my vote for DOF
Just to keep banging the drum, the 3 most important things to a club like QPR are RECRUITMENT, RECRUITMENT* and finally RECRUITMENT **
* good decision making about who to let go. I'd rather our 3 CBs were Barbet, Dickie and Masterton rather than Dunne, Cooke and Glass-Salter. Probably similar in ability but the former 3 are always available.
** younger players out on loan in lower divs that fail to make an impact and/or get negative feedback is a red flag and should be let go [Post edited 6 Jan 14:04]
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