After a traumatic week QPR must find a way of getting back to business on the field against Crystal Palace at Loftus Road on Saturday.

QPR (1st) v Crystal Palace (21st)

I’ve been eyeing up this game for a few weeks now, quietly thinking to myself that if we were still top coming into this game then we would be all but promoted. Quietly thinking, but never daring to admit, that if Queens Park Rangers was the name at the top of the leader board going into this game with Crystal Palace that nothing, nothing would stop us from being a Premiership side next season. Not only that, but that if we were top going into this game we could be home safe and hosed down with champagne within six games.

Look at the league table and pick six teams you’d like to play. Pick the teams with nothing to play for, the teams in poor form, the teams in crisis, the teams with stacks of injuries, the teams that are rolling over and dying week after week after week. Pick the teams that, were they playing Swansea or Norwich today, you’d have given up hope of them getting anything to help us before you’d even left the house in the morning. Pick those teams now, and if you don’t pick Crystal Palace, Doncaster Rovers, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe, Barnsley and Derby County then you’re not doing it right.

Palace with 14 away defeats this season a league worst record, Doncaster with so many injuries they wanted their game at Norwich postponed and since then Billy Sharp has gone in for a hernia operation, Sheffield United who are staring League One in the face and have won one solitary match this year, Scunthorpe with the league’s worst home record, Barnsley with their season over and their team sadly lacking in many departments and non-league Nigel’s crisis ridden Rams plummeting through the league like a solid piece of granite in a very, very deep pond. There are six wins here for the taking, six wins that a team made up of the players we have at our disposal should be able to achieve with something to spare.

Are they just going to give us these wins? Of course not, but a team with Adel Taarabt, Wayne Routledge, Akos Buzsaky, Heidar Helguson, Tommy Smith, Alejandro Faurlin, Ishmael Miller, Rob Hulse, Danny Shittu, Paddy Kenny, Shaun Derry and Clint Hill should have the ability, the cutting edge, the drive, the experience and the ability to take them. And the best bit is, they’ve got a seven point head start. Win four of these games and that becomes 19 points – it would leave two of the chasing pack staring down the barrel of having to win seven of their remaining ten to stand any chance of going past us, and that’s only if we lose all our remaining fixtures.

But the challenge no longer simply takes the form of Swansea, or Norwich, or Cardiff, or Nottingham Forest. The challenge now doesn’t take a form at all. The challenge now is the unknown, the fear of what is to come and the despondency created by the latest, and perhaps greatest, nightmare QPR have inflicted on themselves in recent times. And good fucking God we’ve inflicted a few nightmares on ourselves in recent times.

The challenge now is doubt and despondency, depression and disillusionment. The challenge now is retaining the will and desire to win even though deep down everybody at QPR knows that five more wins, seven more wins, ten more wins, ten thumping, awe inspiring, talked about for years to come thrashings could all be for nothing – if three men in suits with expensively attained legal qualifications deem denial and deduction to be a suitable punishment for a misdemeanour the players and supporters have nothing to do with.

The latest set of accounts paint a clear picture. Without an injection of cash only a promotion to the Premiership would provide QPR are bordering on insolvent, and is in very big trouble. Ironically it’s the board, supposedly some of the world’s finest businessmen but in reality one of the most accident prone and incompetence riddled boards it has ever been a football club’s misfortune to be lumbered with, rather than a set of players or a manager who have brought us to this precipice.

This goes one of two ways now. QPR are either galvanised and drawn even closer together in adversity, or they are demoralised and about to commence a soul destroying slip down the table regardless of the punishment metered out for the way we have structured the signing of Alejandro Faurlin. The Argentinean has been sublime at times in recent weeks, his game stands to be affected most of all by what has happened this week.

As fans we can do almost nothing about any of this. Almost. We can go to Loftus Road on Saturday, and we can back our players, and we can create so much noise that they forget briefly that all this is happening, we can sing our hearts out and blow that horrible knotted feeling out of the pits of our stomachs.

We’ve been singing “we shall not be moved” recently. It’s time to prove it.

Five minutes on Palace

Last season they survived relegation on the very final day of the campaign with a draw at Sheff Wed that saw the Owls relegated instead. A season that had often threatened to develop into another push for the play offs with Neil Warnock in charge fell apart midway through when Simon Jordan refused to prop the club up any longer and a hedge fund owed money by the Eagles called in their debt and, as a result, the administrators. A ten point deduction and fire sale of players ensued during which Warnock called it a day and jumped ship to QPR – for greater security and an opportunity without fear of boardroom issues getting in his way ho ho ho.

Palace had enough points on the board, and enough talent in the squad despite the departure of Victor Moses, to remain in the Championship with something to spare despite the deduction but the problem with administrators is that they are accountants rather than football people and they see the club as a business rather than a competitive sporting entity. Consequently when Palace needed a reasonable managerial appointment they instead found themselves lumbered with Paul Hart who, in trademark style, took an average side with sprinklings of individual excellence and turned it into the worst team in the league. Paul Hart, you will recall, is the man who couldn’t find a place in his QPR team for Adel Taarabt but picked Patrick Agyemang without hesitation. Administrator Brendan Guilfoyle, when asked why he had appointed Hart, said: “I’m an accountant,” and when Hart was asked why he’d taken the job on he said: “I like to work.” Ringing endorsements all round.

A takeover of the club by a group of supporters dragged on long into the summer, and even when completed the administration order remained in place and the transfer embargo that went with it. Palace had only three things going for them as August ticked round – firstly Football League chairman Brian Mahwinney, whose pet project while in charge was more accountability for clubs that fail to manage their finances correctly, was stepping down and so Palace avoided a ten point deduction for starting a season in administration that had previously befallen Leeds, Southampton, Luton and Bournemouth. Secondly, they didn’t keep Paul Hart on at the end of the previous campaign and instead went for George Burley although his hands were tied for the majority of the summer by a transfer embargo. Thirdly, the takeover was done just in time to keep Darren Ambrose, Julian Speroni, Nathaniel Clyne and others at Selhurst Park with QPR, West Ham, Stoke and others all circling looking for a cheap feed.

David Wright, Pablo Counago and Owen Garvan who Burley knew from his Ipswich days were added to the squad but Nick Carle, Shaun Derry, Clint Hill, Danny Butterfield, Alan Lee and Matt Lawrence all left having made up a good portion of Warnock’s previous starting 11 and although Burley won his first game in charge at home to the early whipping boys of the Championship Leicester they only won one of their next ten and two of their next 14 league games to set the scene for a season of struggle.

I certainly got the sense that the new board at Selhurst Park wanted Burley to succeed, and recognised the impossible circumstances he had to work with when he agreed to take the job on in the first place – allied to which the star man of the previous season Darren Ambrose hadn’t featured at all because of a persistent injury. Three wins from four matches in November hinted at a change of fortunes but the Eagles didn’t win at all in December and by New Year’s Day they were second bottom and three points adrift of safety.

Burley was sacked in January and replaced by our former charge Dougie Freedman in his first managerial role. Palace’s struggles have continued since, but there has been an upturn sufficient to lift them out of a relegation zone currently occupied by three poor sides who will struggle to overhaul Palace because of their lack of ability to string consecutive wins together. The Eagles for their part have tightened up a little – a run of eight clean sheets in home games that started in November was threatening club records before being smashed spectacularly in a 3-3 draw with Reading a fortnight ago. This has enabled them to start picking up points on a consistent basis at home – 25 from the last 30 available at Selhurst. That’s just as well because they’re without a win away from home in 13 matches and have lost 14 road matches this season – the division’s worst road record.

I get the impression Freedman isn’t a long term option, and the board didn’t really want to sack Burley, but with a balance sheet that would make horrendous reading were they to be relegated hanging over them they have made the change in the hope new manager syndrome will provide them with sufficient momentum and points to escape this season and try again next after what I’m sure they hope will be a more stable summer period.

Manager: Dougie Freedman enjoyed a prolific professional playing career, that included 11 years and 95 goals for Crystal Palace across two spells, having started life as a junior at Queens Park Rangers. Although that was a Rangers team that included Les Ferdinand, Ray Wilkins, Andy Sinton and others and finished fifth in the Premiership the conundrum of finding a regular partner for Sir Les took Gerry Francis and later Wilkins through Gary Penrice, Bradley Allen, Kevin Gallen, Danny Dichio, Devon White and others so Freedman can perhaps consider himself unlucky never to have been given a chance at Loftus Road.

Especially as after moving in 1994 he swiftly registered a 28 goal season in the bottom division for Barnet which earned him an £800,000 move to First Division Crystal Palace. Had QPR let another gem slip away? Well, yes and no. Freedman has never been able to score goals consistently in the top flight, which at the time he left QPR was what we were looking for, but as Rangers descended down through the leagues Freedman’s free scoring exploits for Palace, Wolves and Forest was precisely the kind of form Rangers found themselves frantically searching for and, in the case of Mike Sheron, John Spencer and others, paying big money for without great success.

Freedman scored a famous goal for Palace on the last day of the 2000/01 season at Stockport to keep the Eagles in the league at Huddersfield’s expense and followed that up with a career best haul in the First Division of 21 goals that won him full international honours with Scotland.

Later in his career he spent a loan spell with Leeds as they fought for promotion from League One, and endured an injury hit time with Southend United. He returned to Palace for a third time, as a coach, in March 2010 when Paul Hart was appointed as the man to succeed Neil Warnock as manager. The decision to bring in former club favourites Freedman and John Pemberton alongside Hart helped the feel good factor at what was a desperate time for the club. – a job that Freedman is again fulfilling now, although this time he is the main man in charge for the first time. Recognising the magnitude of taking on such a position for his first job,, Freedman has brought in one of the game’s most experienced gaffers Lennie Lawrence to work as his assistant.

Three to Watch: The cash situation at Palace in the summer, and sudden rescue, means the three to watch this week could all have been playing for QPR had things turned out very slightly differently.

I dare say most QPR eyes will be on Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose. Had Palace’s takeover gone through a few hours later than it did it’s likely that Ambrose would have been lining up for the Hoops in this fixture. He had been to Loftus Road and agreed terms on a £750,000 deal during the summer, money administrator Brendan Guilfoyle said he needed to keep Palace afloat, but the takeover was done just before the deal went through and all moves out of Selhurst Park were put on hold. Ultimately Ambrose agreed a new deal with the Eagles and, judging by what he’s said since, that might be for the best as his heart clearly lies with them rather than us.

Ambrose scored 22 goals in his best ever season last year with Palace but had QPR tried to sign him the previous summer it’ unlikely many of the Loftus Road faithful would have been that happy about it. His big money move to Newcastle as a kid from Ipswich didn’t exactly work out and his career stagnated at Charlton where he failed to impress as they descended down the leagues. Palace picked him up for nothing with little competition from elsewhere – 12 months later he’s one of the division’s hottest properties. It seems to be Palace, rather than simply Warnock, that gets Ambrose going because he has come back strongly from an injury that ruled him out for most of the first half of the season – his recent winning goal against Sheffield United stands an excellent chance of being named the division’s best strike of the season.

Full back Nathaniel Clyne has also been linked with QPR among others since graduating from the Palace academy. Very much like Kyle Walker expect to see Clyne overlapping his winger at every possible opportunity. I have to say having heard we were linked with him, and subsequently watching him closely against Aston Villa in the FA Cup last season, I’m not convinced he’s ready for the top level yet, but he’s got lots of potential.

Palace’s best player by some distance in my opinion is goalkeeper Julian Speroni, although he doesn’t seem to be quite as infallible this season as he has been in previous years judging purely from their televised games and highlights. He always seems to have an absolute blinder against QPR, but unlike some players who save their best performances for against us (Clinton Morrison) he does that well against everybody else as well. The Argentinean goalkeeper, a shot stopper supreme, has been named the Palace fans’ Player of the Year or the last three successive seasons.

Links >>> Palace Official Website >>> Palace Message Board

History

Crystal Palace: Speroni 7, Clyne 7, Marrow 6, McCarthy 6, Bennett 7, Davids 5 (Gardner 56, 6), Garvan 7, Dorman 6 (Andrew 79, 7), Djilali 7, Zahar 8, Counago 5 (Cadogan 46, 7)

Subs Not Used: Price, Holness, N'Diaye, O'Keefe

Booked: Dorman (foul), Speroni (dissent)

Goals: Cadogan 89 (assisted Zahar)

QPR: Kenny 7, Walker 8, Connolly 7, Gorkss 8, Hill 7, Buzsaky 6 (Leigertwood 83, -), Derry 7, Mackie 8, Taarabt 7 (Smith 72, 7), Ephraim 8, Helguson 8

Subs Not Used: Rowlands, Agyemang, Cerny, Borrowdale, German

Booked: Ephraim (foul), Hill (kicking ball away)

Goals: Taarabt 49 (assisted Mackie), Helguson 90 (assisted Smith)

The first game between these sides at Loftus Road last season was called off at late notice because of a water logged pitch. At that stage Rangers had only won one of their opening six games, at Scunthorpe, and had been held to disappointing home draws by Blackpool, Peterborough and Forest. There was some talk of pressure starting to mount on Jim Magilton (these were the Briatore days remember) and that the postponement, with the entire board due to be at the game, was no bad thing for the manager. By the time the game was played in November Rangers were absolutely flying after four and five goal wins against Reading, Preston, Derby and Barnsley. But for Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni the Loftus Road fixture could have been another big win for the R’s. The one goal the Argentinean did concede was from a penalty after Adel Taarabt was tripped in the area and Buzsaky tucked the spot kick away. Palace equalised with one of their own in the second half after typically poor defensive play from Fitz Hall allowed Freddy Sears into the area where he promptly bundled him over for a spot kick. Speroni was inspired after that, an amazing one handed save to keep out a fierce shot from Rowan Vine stands out in the memory, and ultimately Rangers had to settle for a single point despite dominating the game.

QPR: Cerny 7, Leigertwood 7, Hall 6, Gorkss 8, Borrowdale 6, Buzsaky 6 (Ephraim 80, -) Watson 5, Faurlin 8, Taarabt 7 (Agyemang 74, 7), Routledge 6, Simpson 5 (Vine 74, 7)

Subs Not Used: Heaton, Ramage, Alberti, Ainsworth

Booked: Routledge (kicking the ball away)

Goals: Buzsaky 19 (penalty)

Crystal Palace: Speroni 9, Hill 5, Fonte 7, Davis 6, Butterfield 6, Ertl 6, Ambrose 7, Derry 6, N'Diaye 6 (Sears 46, 6), Danns 7 (Hills 84, -) John 6 (Lee 67, 6)

Subs Not Used: Clyne, Carle, Moses, Scannell

Booked: Davis (shirt pulling)

Goals: Ambrose 62 (penalty)

Head to Head >>> QPR wins 37 >>> Draws 29 >>> QPR wins 29

Previous Results:

2010/11 Palace 1 QPR 2 (Taarabt, Helguson)

2009/10 Palace 0 QPR 2 (Buzsaky, Gorkss)

2009/10 QPR 1 Palace 1 (Buzsaky pen)

2008/09 QPR 0 Palace 0

2008/09 Palace 0 QPR 0

2007/08 QPR 1 Palace 2 (Stewart)

2007/08 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Sinclair)

2006/07 Palace 3 QPR 0

2006/07 QPR 4 Palace 2 (Smith 2, Gallen, Lomas)

2005/06 Palace 2 QPR 1 (Furlong)

2005/06 QPR 1 Palace 3 (Ainsworth)

2000/01 QPR 1 Palace 1 (Crouch)

2000/01 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Carlisle)

1999/00 QPR 0 Palace 1

1999/00 Palace 3 QPR 0

1998/99 QPR 6 Palace 0 (Kiwomya 3, Kulscar, Scully, Breaker)

1998/99 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Steiner)

1996/97 QPR 0 Palace 1

1996/97 Palace 3 QPR 0

1994/95 QPR 0 Palace 1

1994/95 Palace 0 QPR 0

1992/93 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Allen)

1992/93 QPR 1 Palace 3 (Penrice)

1991/92 Palace 2 QPR 2 (Barker, Wegerle)

1991/92 QPR 2 Palace 3 (Wilkins, Bardsley)*

1991/92 QPR 1 Palace 0 (Humphreys og)

1990/91 Palace 0 QPR 0

1990/91 QPR 1 Palace 2 (Wegerle)

1989/90 Palace 0 QPR 3 (Sinton 2, Maddix)

1989/90 QPR 2 Palace 0 (Wright 2)

* - Zenith Data Systems Cup

Played for Both Clubs – Clive Allen

QPR 1978-1980 >>> Palace 1980-1981 >>> QPR 1981-1984

First and foremost, it’s this guy’s fault that I have a silly old man’s name.

Nearly everyone of the Allen footballing family has had a spell down a Loftus Road over the years and all are remembered fondly by Rangers fans and perhaps none more so then Clive. The son of former R’s player and manager Les, Allen continued the family dynasty by joining Rangers as a youngster and making his debut for the club in 1978. And what a debut it was, with the striker scoring a hat-trick in a 5-1 romp of Coventry City but he couldn’t prevent Rangers being relegated that season.

In the R’s quest for an instant top-flight return Allen became Tommy Docherty’s first choice striker, scoring 28 goals that season but unfortunately not enough to help Rangers promoted. This led to Arsenal swooping for the front man that summer, paying £1.25 million for his services-which was big money at the time especially as Allen was still a teenager. What followed though was a bizarre turn of events that saw Allen fail to make a single appearance for the Gunners and was sold on to Crystal Palace just two months after joining Arsenal. There were rumours at the time that Arsenal just acted as a go between so they could sign Kenny Samsen from Palace but this has never been confirmed. In a season at Selhurst Park , Allen scored eight goals for the Eagles but the team were relegated and Allen decided to move back to Rangers and get his career back on track.

QPR were still in the Second Division but now under one of the many other connections between the R’s and the Eagles Terry Venables and the combination of him and Allen helped Rangers enjoy some of the clubs most memorable moments of the decade. In his first season back at Loftus Road, Rangers just missed on promotion once again but did make their first ever FA Cup Final, with Allen scoring the all important goal against West Brom in the semi. It was Tottenham who Rangers faced at Wembley but it didn’t go well for Clive as he picked up an injury and was taken off in the second half as the game ended 1-1. The injury meant he missed the replay which Rangers lost to a disputed Hoddle penalty.

Over the next two seasons Allen scored 27 goals for the R’s, helping them finally win promotion and consolidate their place in the top flight. He also earnt his first of five England caps in a 2-0 win over Brazil. In 1984 Allen Rangers and joined his father’s other former club Tottenham and would go on to enjoy a successful spell, winning the PFA and Football Writers Player of the Year award in 1988 thanks to his 49 goals that season. Allen went on to appear for six more clubs including Chelsea and Bordeaux (and a spell with NFL side London Monarchs) before moving into coaching at Tottenham where he has had a number of different roles and is currently coach under Harry Redknapp.

Links >>> Palace 1 QPR 2 Match Report >>> Palace 0 QPR 2 Match Report >>> QPR 1 Palace 1 Match Report

This Saturday

Palace have signed Swansea midfielder Kemy Agustien on loan this week and he goes straight into the squad for Saturday’s match – although he has been restricted to three starts this season because of persistent knee problems which delayed his move to South Wales in the first place back in the summer.

Elsewhere: QPR’s main rivals at the top of the Championship have their games spaced out across three days this weekend. Swansea are up first with a trip to out for form Derby on Saturday, then Cardiff have a banker home win against Barnsley on Sunday, and finally Norwich bring up the rear on Monday night when they play Bristol City who have won their last four matches. Burnley are the latest side to string a few results together and move into contention – they host Millwall this weekend awaiting any slips from Forest who are at home to Doncaster or Leeds who host Ipswich. At the bottom Scunthorpe are four points adrift of Palace with a game in hand and host Leicester while Sheff Utd finally got that elusive first win for Mickey Adams on Tuesday but now have a tough trip to Watford.

Referee: A London derby between a team fighting for promotion and another one fighting the drop in front of a full house, with a former Palace manager in the QPR dugout and a former QPR player in the Palace hotseat has the potential to be a fiery occasion. As a consequence the league has gone for one of the top men available for this fixture – Premiership referee Martin Atkinson. He may not be Alex Ferguson’s favourite person at the moment after Chelsea’s controversial win against Man Utd last week at Stamford Bridge but Atkinson is widely recognised as one of the best this country has to offer at the moment. Click here for more details.

Form

QPR: Rangers suffered their first defeat in 12 games at Millwall on Tuesday but other results, notably Palace’s home win against Cardiff, means the gap at the top of the table is still seven points. The Millwall game was also the first time in 12 matches that QPR have conceded more than one goal in a game and Rangers have only conceded two goals at Loftus Road in their last five home matches. Only Watford have won on this ground this year – Rangers have won 12 and drawn five of the other 18 matches.

Palace: The Eagles have the worst away record in the division with 14 defeats and just one win. Only Scunthorpe, 12, come close to losing that many road games but the Iron have won six on their travels. They haven’t won any of their last 13 away league games, losing all but two of those, and haven’t scored in their last two away games. Beware though, their solitary away win so far came at our fellow promotion chasers Norwich City.

Prediction: Impossible, because who knows how the QPR players are thinking and feeling after the events of this week. Personally I feel like I’ve been kicked in the stomach, a deflated feeling caused by all the hope that has built up over the past few months rushing out of me in a split second after I read the charges on the FA website. If Rangers feel like that then we may see the latest in a long recent line of strange Championship scorelines. However if the players can ignore it, or even use it to bring them closer together, then we’re more than good enough to win this game and I shall stick with my original prediction of a 2-0 win.

QPR 2 Palace 0, 11/2 with Victor Chandler

Photo: Action Images

Pablo_Hoopsta added 00:56 - Mar 11 I just hope we give the players and Warnock the support they need and deserve! C'mon U Rsssss!!
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eastside_r added 00:58 - Mar 11 So much that I could comment on this article but I will defer until I have a clearer head. I have realised that my cliched response is to start with 'Clive, excellent as usual' and then post a personal musing. But I have to say Clive, excellent as usual, my only concern is that the (deserved) praise will at some point go to your head. I suspect not, as every indication is that you do not just write from the head or the heart it is a combination of both. It is going to be a trying time for all of us until the GP f*ck-up (or not) is resolved but your editorial will continue to be the benchmark to which all R's-related comment will be judged. By this I do not just mean the other Message boards but also comment by sympathetic journos in the local and national press. As always I sign off 'keep up the good work' You R's

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gueRRilla added 02:39 - Mar 11 Hey Clive. We all feel like utter sh1t at the moment and i'd imagine few more do than you, so a massive thanks for taking the time to write the pre-match when we'd all probably like to hop in a time machine and jump back a few months when we were fretting only being a few points clear (boo hoo)! All season I've refused to believe we'd get promoted and that one way or another something would go wrong. Now I couldn't be more sure that we will. I couldn't give a fudge about precedents, technicalities or any other sh!te. If it takes until the final whistle at the Leeds game, I believe in this team and our manager and the fact that for once in a long time, we are the best in this bloody division. Now come on you F'in RRRRSSSSS!!!!!

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DylanP added 02:46 - Mar 11 As usual, a brilliant read. Thanks Clive.
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isawqpratwcity added 04:20 - Mar 11 Thanks, as always, Clive. NW needs to channel up something Curchillian. Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
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SheffieldSteve added 06:37 - Mar 11 Have to agree Clive, this is the first of many matches where all WE can do is make sure we do "stand up and make noise", otherwise, we're helpless. So, let's shout out our support for QPR over the next 10 matches, hopefully, lifting the team to gain promotion, whatever the verdict and sentence. COME ON U RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!
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JB007007 added 07:41 - Mar 11 I want to try and brush my fears from all the goings on under the carpet at the moment, but I do have concerns over this game as Palace cant go on away from home getting nothing, we were battered on Tuesday and the news of this week all points to a banana skin. But then I keep saying its all different this season. With the players we have available we really should put Tuesday's result behind us and win comfortably.

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isawqpratwcity added 08:11 - Mar 11 Oops, I meant Churchillian. I'm betting that NW is actually very good at making gutsy, motivating speeches. Special empathy for AF. This isn't his fault. He is shaping up to being the keystone of the team and this crap should not be allowed to put him off his game.
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Monahoop added 08:49 - Mar 11 Let's hope the lads can bounce back from their poor showing at Millwall and rise above the shambles going on off the park and put in a decent and professional performance against Palace. I'm certain NW will see that they do. A victory tomorrow I'm sure will go along way to ease the fears a little we all have at present. Come On U Rsss!
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benbu added 09:14 - Mar 11 after another day going by trying to stay calm about the whole situation (its bloody difficult!) Im confident the Rs can get the 3 points tomorrow and im sure NW will be firing the boys up and hopefully the players are ignoring whats happening off the pitch. If we can start well saturday im sure the confidence will stay in the side and we will win. Im still feeling pretty sick about the whole thing. lets all get behind the Rs tomorrow in blue and white! you rs!

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SomersetHoops added 09:36 - Mar 11 I remember Dougie Freedman at QPR being the fastest sprinter we had and I didn't understand why he didn't eventually play for us. From his career record he was good enough at the level we've been at during most of his playing time. I wish him well as a manager, but not so well that they beat us in this game. As a club we now need as many points as we can get to minimise any damage that can be inflicted by the FA. For me it would not be the end of the world if we stay in the Championship, but some of our players and NW deserve promotion and my fear is how many of these will we lose if we don't make it through no fault of theirs. Saturday will be the day that we need to demonstrate more than ever that we are fully behind the team. I don't think there is much to be gained by slagging off GP at this stage, because the club says we have a good defence and it may just be that there are influences from other clubs within the FA that are just trying to undermine our chances of promotion to their benefit. Although if GP loses us this opportunity through proven dishonest dealing he should then find his position untenable. My feeling about the FA is that they should separate the playing management, team and fans from the financial wheeler dealing and apply any sanctions to to the individuals who are guilty of any misdeeds if proven. They backed away from saying Briatore was an unsuitable director although there may have been a good case for it. The problem is we fans and the team management and players have no say in these aspects of the club, but the FA always seem to want to punish us. The problem is the fans and playing staff of other clubs that benefit do not see the injustice of this until it happens to them, so there is no football-wide condemnation of these actions by the FA. The Luton massive docking of points to a club that had already dispensed with the services of all the guilty people involved in their financial problems applied to a new board and owners was unfair, but the tribal nature of football meant very few people were prepared to criticise the FA's actions then.

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NorwayRanger16 added 10:20 - Mar 11 Thanks Clive and credit for conjuring up piece after piece in these trying times. Because of all thats happened this week we now enter what i reckon will be a character defining period for a squad of players and management who i believe are destined for a higher level. Time to prove me right lads. Tough test and closely faught contest in store. The team will come out on top after this, narrow 2-1 win. No clean sheet after all the chopping and changing in the defence lately but another 3 points. C'mon you R's!

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isawqpratwcity added 10:26 - Mar 11 SomersetHoops, It doesn't matter that the guilty parties have already departed, they may have been seen to profit by illegal activities and then selling out before penalties could be applied. Once they are gone, who can the FA chase but the club? (Which suggests we were mad to put up with the cowboy dreck we've lived with for the last few years (and don't get me wrong, I am immensely grateful for the money that they have brought to the club)). Clive, I missed seeing that GP kept QPR out of administration, it just never came through in the reports that I read. Apart from that, everything about GP was awful mis-management, with lurid tales out of Lock, Stock & 2 etc. (and don't get me started on paying VJ's exhorbitant salary for him to manage a Hollywood career change at our expense). Looking at historical precedents, I'm betting at 10 points deduction (unless our litigious owners can push this past the end of the season). It's all in front of us to play for. COUR"S!

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isawqpratwcity added 10:41 - Mar 11 Oh, and I forgot, Clive Allen? F*cking lovely!
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barbicanranger added 13:14 - Mar 11 completely gutted by the news... I just hope the FA act quickly so this period of uncertainty can be over with and we can work out where we stand. we owe it to the team, warnock and Ali to get behind them on saturday. let's save the GP bashing for another day.
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billericaydicky added 13:43 - Mar 11 A great read as always Clive and credit to you for being able to function and write so concisely when no doubt, like me, you have been unable to concentrate on much else since Wednesday evening. Fingers crossed for an Rsss win. I think we will but as we know, it wont be straight forward. 'Expect the unexpected' - that should be our motto, how's your Latin?
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Monahoop added 14:12 - Mar 11 Lol. That is probably the best motto suited to this club. I couldn't agree more billericay.
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headhoops added 14:20 - Mar 11 Cheers Clive, nothing wrong with the name Clive by the way, could have been Rodney or Stanley. We have to ensure that at 3.00pm on Saturday the players know that the fans are firmly behind them. NW can do his Churchillian speech, the rest we can do. Let's not chant for Palladini's head, lets sing for Ali, Taarbs, Paddy and the boys. Its a London Derby, ex players and managers, relegation and promotion, if we show the resolve we had at Selhurst to score a winner in the 94th minute then we will walk away with a 3-0 or 3-1 scoreline. Derry to get the first, why not? At Selhurst I fell off that stupid wall at the front celebrating Heidars goal, in row B of South Africa tomorrow - look out below!

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dixiedean added 14:39 - Mar 11 I like the positive vibe from all the fellow posters. Let's just hope we drown out whatever negative chanting may surface, and suppress our loathing for GP & co until another day.Connolly in particular will need backing if he plays. If Hulse comes on and misses a couple of headers, let's cheer him. There is no room for any negativity from us to transmit itself to the players. ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL. Rangers til I die.

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SomersetHoops added 15:52 - Mar 11 The main thing about this is we would have signed Ali Faulin anyway, so how have we damaged other clubs? If there was some financial benefit to QPR from the deal that was not within the rules at the time then the penalty should be just financial. I can't see what difference the way the deal was done has had on our results, so how could the the FA justify taking our points away. I agree with Dixie - lets REALLY get behind the team on Saturday.

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extratimeR added 20:42 - Mar 11 I thought I'd seen it all concerning the owners of this club, the Rolls bloke in the sixties,(can't remember his full name), various other comedians, who had a stake in the club, (and ended up discussing their future with m'lud and his learned friends), Saunders for instance, El Tel's take-over that dissapeared with him to Barcelona, Bulstrode's finest effforts which finished with him and the dorris who was'nt his missus. Quite a few of us from Acton (of a certain generation), wandered over to Millwall on Tuesday night, and just put it down to a bit of over confidence, and a collective off night, from everyone, (apart from Faurlin). The next day when the news hit I have never known the lads so down, no jokes, no it's ok we will bounce back, " no,its only the FA, we will talk our way out of it". Clive, you have expressed exactly how we feel about whats happened, thank you. I wonder if anyone from the board is reading your summary of whats happened, they need to.

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