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Hughes and Adkins braced for 'El Sackico' — full match preview
Hughes and Adkins braced for 'El Sackico' — full match preview
Friday, 16th Nov 2012 19:18 by Clive Whittingham

In a week when QPR owner Tony Fernandes was confirmed as the host for the Asian version of The Apprentice, will he get some early firing practice in this weekend as QPR hunt a first league win of the season at the twelfth time of asking?

QPR (20th) v Southampton (19th)

Premier League >>> Saturday November 17, 2012 >>> Kick Off 3pm >>> Loftus Road , London , W12

This feels cruel. Two men with families at home, personal hopes and aspirations, feelings and emotions, sent into one of football's most intimate arenas to stand side by side for 90 minutes at the end of which one is likely to be fired.

For Nigel Adkins, any dismissal would be incredibly harsh. He's put himself under pressure by over-achieving and hauling Southampton up through two divisions in double quick time to a level they're not entirely comfortable at yet and is now, thanks to the arrival of some expensive acquisitions in the summer, supposed to perform a further miracle immediately or lose his job.

However, given that his managerial career recently with Scunthorpe and Southampton has brought four promotions and almost constant success, Adkins is unlikely to have to wait too long for another opportunity. If he does leave St Mary's he would be an incredibly attractive proposition to any club looking for a boss later this season. Two previous managers whose sackings were widely perceived as harsh having recently achieved promotion to the Premier League – Chris Hughton and Roberto Di Matteo – haven't done too badly since.

For Mark Hughes, his decision to take the QPR job looks more like career suicide with each passing game.

Hughes has always had a higher opinion of himself than anybody else, even when he was succeeding as a player with Manchester United and as a manager with Wales, Blackburn and Fulham. Now he's doing badly, that confidence is coming across as crass arrogance.

Hughes resigned from Fulham – a secure Premier League team and recent European finalists – citing lack of ambition. The general consensus was that he was a shoo in for the Aston Villa job, but those closer to Hughes said he was actually eyeing up the Chelsea position. To then sit unemployed for six months before turning up a mile down the road at Queens Park Rangers – relegation haunted in a first Premier League season for 15 years – made him look rather foolish and should have been a humbling experience.

Not so. Hughes beat the word 'ambition' to death and then, after narrowly escaping relegation courtesy of other results on the final day of last season, announced proudly that QPR would never be in the same position again under his guidance. Technically he was right, they're actually in a worse position now – the squad earns four times as much and is three places lower in the league.

But still the rhetoric comes. Again this week Hughes gave ill-advised quotes to the Fulham Chronicle that said, paraphrasing, the preparation of the team by Hughes and his coaching staff is second to none, if it doesn't work on the pitch then that's not their fault, and if Rangers decide to get another manager in the preparation will not be as good. Personally I think Hughes' preparation for some games this season – West Brom, Swansea , Reading in the league – has been abysmal. QPR have been picked off by strengths that even an idiot like me was able to highlight as a threat to be dealt with in the pre-match build up.

Against West Ham at home I don't think QPR could have possibly been any worse prepared or set up, although to give Hughes due credit to be able to pick out every single one of the Hammers' strengths and then play right to them in every possible way was, I suppose, meticulous in its own way.

As hard as it is to feel sorry for Hughes through all this arrogance, massive pay cheques and connections to both Man Utd and Chelsea, I do sympathise a bit. When he cited a lack of ambition at Fulham what he actually meant was they weren't willing to bankroll him in the transfer market and he's laboured under the misapprehension that ambition means spending money on players, and making another signing cures all ills, since he arrived at Loftus Road. But there weren't many dissenting voices in the summer when the likes of Ji Sung Park, Jose Bosingwa and others were riding down South Africa Road on white horses.

It felt like QPR had arrived, there was even talk of a possible push for European positions. It's only now, with the benefit of hindsight, that people are writing these players off as mercenaries who aren’t trying and don't care about the club. Even a few short weeks ago after good performances against Spurs and Chelsea this was being talked about as QPR's best ever side. I listen back to an Open All R's Podcast recorded prior to the Reading cup match and West Ham game and laugh at how giddy and optimistic we all were.

Hughes has staked his career on proven players. We have all seen how well these players can play in the past, and for whatever reason they're simply not performing to that standard now. This is frustrating for the supporters, who started to turn on one or two individuals at Stoke last week (and rightly so), and it must be massively more so for Hughes.

In addition Hughes, his coaches and the players themselves all say that the warnings about the relative strengths of West Ham, West Brom, Reading and others were spelt out before the game and then ignored by the players on the pitch. Again, it's hard not to feel a bit for Bowen, Hughes et al if they spend all week working on defensive set pieces and then concede a goal such as the one Everton got at Loftus Road recently which was purely down to Bobby Zamora not bothering to go with his man.

The problem is, the buck stops with the manager. Hughes cannot complain that he hasn't been backed with time, with money, with support from the fans, with support from the board. He's had everything he could have wished for, and he's done a bad job. It's easy to say "he should resign" but he knows as well as anybody that given the money he spent at Man City, the way he left Fulham, the job he's done at Loftus Road, the constant arrogance of the man, and the fact that none of the clubs he excelled with as a player are likely to take him on it's unlikely anybody will trust him with a Premier League job again anytime soon. It really is do or your career will die time for Sparky, starting this Saturday.

It's easy with hindsight to say we shouldn't have done this, signed that player, let that player go or whatever. Like I say, I haven't heard many dissenting voices about anything at QPR over the past nine months and I certainly didn't object much myself. It's also easy to just write off everybody in the current team as a mercenary who isn't trying. The key, as PhilMyR's put far better than I could in an excellent message board post this week, is to find a balance.

Hughes, or whoever replaces him, must find a way to balance the team between younger, hungrier players who see QPR as a big opportunity and desperately want to play here while perhaps lacking experience or ability at the moment and the older pros who have been there, seen it, done it, probably see QPR as being a bit beneath them but can lend experience and calmness to the side. Just like we did last season, we've been too quick to discard the likes of Adel Taarabt, Ale Faurlin, Clint Hill, Heidar Helguson, Jamie Mackie and others in favour of big name players who have twice the talent but half the attitude. The team needs a mixture of both. That, for me, has been Hughes' greatest failing

He brought these players in, he backed himself in the transfer market, he spoke about the importance of experienced players, he even bought several he'd worked with before. He has to find a solution to this and the overriding message coming out of his interviews and chats with his coaching staff on various podcasts and QPR Player pieces recently doesn't suggest they're capable of doing that.

Every time Hughes, Mark Bowen or Eddie Niedzwiecki speak at the moment the three things I pick up from their quotes are: they're surprised that this is happening, which I guess we all are; they don't know why it's happening; and they don't really know what they're going to do about it. Hughes' Chronicle quotes this week basically read to me as if he believes his preparation is as good as it can be, he's going to keep doing the same things, and if it doesn't work on the pitch it's not his fault. It didn't sound like the talk of a man who has identified the problem and is setting about fixing it. When it gets to that stage, I'm afraid it's time for a fresh pair of eyes.

Links >>> Opposition Profile >>> History >>> Referee >>> Podcast >>> Tube Closures

This Saturday

Team News: Hughes has renewed strength in the full back positions this weekend with injury prone duo Kieron Dyer and Fabio Da Silva both returning to fitness and available for selection. They will vie with the other sicknote Armand Traore and leader of the mercenary's union Jose Bosingwa for starting roles. In the centre of defence it's perm two from Ryan Nelsen, Anton Ferdinand, Clint Hill and Nedum Onuoha once again with Stephane Mbia serving the final match of his three game ban. Further forward Park Ji Sung remains sidelined and Bobby Zamora is very doubtful so I'd suggest it's highly likely we'll see the same midfield and attack that played at Stoke last week – and that's no bad thing in my opinion as it gets our best players on the pitch in a decent shape.

Southampton are missing Frazer Richardson, who has suffered a set back in his recovery from a thigh strain, and Richard Chaplow. Guly do Prado was left out of the draw with Swansea last week but is tipped for a recall at Loftus Road.

Elsewhere: The big game of the weekend in the Premier League is the Saturday lunchtime meeting of Arsenal and Spurs in the North London derby. The Gunners overhauled a ten point gap to finish above their bitter rivals last season, and Spurs haven't finished higher than Arsenal in the table since 1995. A big test for Andre Villas Boas then, and one he'll need to pass if the Tottenham jury isn't to return against him after a stuttering start to the campaign.

There are six fixtures at 3pm of which, it must be said, few stand out. Reading 's quest for a first win of the season isn't likely to get any easier with in-form Everton in town, although the Toffees are developing a concerning habit of dominating matches and not finishing teams off. Back on Merseyside, Liverpool welcome Wigan and manager Roberto Martinez who they approached about the vacant job at Anfield in the summer before settling on Brendan Rodgers. Wigan are proving awkward opponents this season and I certainly wouldn't rule out a coupon buster there.

Aston Villa are unlikely to move too far away from QPR however El Sackico goes at Loftus Road as they travel to Man City . They've won there once this season already, but a Premier League fixture is a different proposition from the League Cup tie and they'll find the going tough. Newcastle , struggling to emulate their successful campaign last term, welcome Swansea to St James' Park.

The pick of the 3pm kick offs is at The Hawthorns where Chelsea face their former player and coach Steve Clarke, and more to the point his new enterprising and dangerous West Brom side who could well cause an upset there and continue their unlikely push for European football next season. Norwich host Man Utd in the evening ESPN fixture.

Sky stretch the definition of Super Sunday to breaking point with a single Premier League game featuring Fulham and Sunderland as the main game after an earlier tear up between Millwall and Leeds. And on Monday West Ham are on the television – of course they are – playing Stoke this time which promises to be a glorious spectacle of footballing majesty.,

Referee: Rangers have their first appointment with Mike Dean this season for the Southampton match. The Liverpool-based official last took charge of the R's at Man City on the final day of last season when his red card provoked an on-pitch meltdown from Joey Barton that ended his QPR career. It was hard to argue with that decision, although Barton was struck first by Carlos Tevez, but Dean upset the R's more earlier in the season when he fell for a blatant dive by Daniel Sturridge in an FA Cup tie at Loftus Road and awarded Chelsea a match winning penalty. His full QPR case file is available here.

Form

QPR: Rangers, with four draws and seven defeats from 11 matches so far, have made their worst start to a league season since 1968 when they were relegated. Three draws and two defeats from five games played is the league's worst home record. Only Sunderland (seven) have scored less than QPR's eight goals, and only Southampton (29) have conceded more than the 20 shipped by the not-so-Super Hoops. Only Blackburn (1996/97) have survived having taken just four points from their first ten matches in Premier League history, but Derby (2000/01) and Everton (1994/95) have survived having won none of their first 11.

Southampton: The Saints have played five, lost five, scored five and conceded 18. They are the only Premier League team that is yet to keep a clean sheet. Ohhh we've seen this film before haven't we? Enter Queens Park Rangers. The draw at home to Swansea last week was the first match this season where Southampton haven't fallen behind at some point but they couldn't convert the 1-0 lead into a second win of the season and despite the propensity to go behind in matches they've actually blown more points from winning positions this season (13) than anybody apart from Fulham (14). Their lone success remains a 4-1 home win against Aston Villa and they have lost eight of the other 11 fixtures.

Betting: Professional odds compiler Owen Goulding tells LFW…

"Watching QPR this season is taking us fans closer and closer to the building with padded cells. Around 1600 made the trip to Stoke, spending anything between 50-100 quid for the experience, and go pretty much exactly the same as they've seen week after week: little or no real effort or fight for the people who primarily pay their wages. If a plumber came round my house and said 'it'll cost you 50 quid for me to fix that pipe' and then after I'd paid him, he turned round and said 'well to be honest, I can't really be bothered but thanks for the money', we would be outraged. But week after week, this is in effect what is happening to our hard earned. We must be mad - and to emphasise how mad this season has made me, I actually think we are going to win at the weekend.

" Southampton were not ready for the Premier League and despite some spirited performances since their arrival, it is plain to see they are the worst side in the division. Even so, they sit above us but I feel that won't be the case come Saturday afternoon. It surely has to be a matter of time before some of our talented players find the net and thanks to our appalling record so far in front of goal, there are a few decent to score anytime prices floating about this week.

"I will be splitting my stakes between Granero (4/1 generally) and Diakite (12/1 Coral) to find the net. With Faurlin hopefully re-instated for good, it gives these two more licence to get forward and Diakite especially at home has been getting more and more chances in recent games. Even reading this back I feel I am writing my final preview before entry to the funny farm but the prices are too big based on chances per game so far and I am an eternal optimist. "Weekend Bets - Granero and diakite to score anytime: 4/1 and 12/1 as advised."

Prediction: Reigning Prediction League champion Nathan McAllister was, sadly, spot on with his Stoke call last week. Now he says….

"In introducing this section of the preview last week Clive raised the spectre of the LFW prediction curse in highlighting my somewhat less than spectacular record thus far. Guess what happened? Yep, my prediction of a 1-0 defeat was spot-on. However, despite calling a result right for only the second time this season, what did I go and do? Clean forget to log my prediction on the site. Ah, the inevitable complacency that follows a first league title. Let that be a lesson to you Bobby Manc! Either that or I’ve been afflicted with the LFW curse after all.

"One habit I definitely do seem to have picked up from Clive before he delegated predicting duties to me is the ability to put the kybosh on Rangers by predicting a win. I predicted wins against Swansea , West Ham and Reading and they gained just one single poxy point. Well, fear not. I’m in no mood to tempt fate this time around.

"I hate to say it, but my faith that Rangers were going to turn this around and ease clear of relegation has all but vanished over the last two games. We concede stupid goals, we don’t create enough chances, and when we do create chances we don’t take them. We’re a team in name only - 11 players, 11 different nationalities, some who care but as many who seemingly can’t be arsed. Will a change of manager help the situation? I really don’t know. I think if I was Tony Fernandes I would give him one last chance to win this weekend – after all there will not be a better one this season. Even if we don’t win, I think Hughes and his team should only go once a credible successor has been identified.

"So, no, I don’t think we’ll win, but I don’t necessarily think we’ll lose either. Southampton have really struggled to make the step up and are on course to finish with the worse defensive record in Premier League history. This fixture sees the worst home attacking record in the Premier League come up against the worst away defensive record. However, Southampton do have goals in them. In Lallana and Lambert they have players who tore up the league below last season and are now making their presence felt in this one. Both managers desperately need a win to keep their jobs, but with the way their luck’s going I think it’s a fair bet that fate will conspire against both of them."

Prediction: QPR 2 Southampton 2

First scorer: Cisse

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Pictures – Action Images

Photo: Action Images



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N12Hoop added 19:26 - Nov 16
El Sackico: hats off to whoever came up with that. Very funny and may well turn out to be true. Hope we win but that it's Hughes's last game.
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pomanjou added 19:42 - Nov 16
In a spirit of true optimism have taken 4-2 @ 40/1.
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Jamie added 19:59 - Nov 16
Two teams that cannot defend but only one team who cannot score.

Saints 2-1.
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carrotcrunch_R added 20:33 - Nov 16
A very good article Clive , I am in agreement with you in where you say he has done a bad job. Given that last season we could all see our biggest weakness was the centre of defence . We needed a leader a big strong powerful quick defender and a organiser. This action needed to be done preseason so we were ready for the new season and if we had a poor game we could get easily shut out the opposition. This for some reason was not done and that is why we started so poorly . Also the lack of strikers in the squad is criminal, once you start poorly it makes it twice as hard to get a recovery momentum going. Ok the centre of defence have been somewhat bolstered with the signings of Nelson who has the above apart from pace ,Mbia who has the above apart from brains in which in my opinion we still need another cd to fit the bill in January and obviously a decent striker. At the moment I still think (don't ask me why lol ) that Hughes and his gang could and should get us out of this mess that have created my mind will probably change though if we lose against the saints . In saying that it could mean that tf will be put in a very difficult position and will have to make some tough decisions and might have too upset some people along the way because as we all know on lfw is that you cannot please everybody even when you win a title lol.
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Bushman added 21:18 - Nov 16
Only thing noted in Hughes defence(geddit) is that he obviously identified the weakness at CB & we were in variously for Dawson,Samba as well as calvahlio,none of which worked out....maybe it was his fault too that they never signed thinking about it!
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YorkRanger added 21:22 - Nov 16
On the 8.56 out of York. Hoping we will have had so much beer before the game that this will numb the inevitable pain that follows...
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MelakaRanger added 21:55 - Nov 16
Win or lose - Tony has just Tweeted that he is not going to sack Hughes

"Maybe you can practice the "You're fired" line on Mark Hughes?

Won't be happening. For the one millionth time. Hahaha. Stability. "
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MelakaRanger added 22:11 - Nov 16
Win or lose - Tony has just Tweeted that he is not going to sack Hughes

"Maybe you can practice the "You're fired" line on Mark Hughes?

Won't be happening. For the one millionth time. Hahaha. Stability. "
0

MelakaRanger added 22:12 - Nov 16
Win or lose - Tony has just Tweeted that he is not going to sack Hughes

"Maybe you can practice the "You're fired" line on Mark Hughes?

Won't be happening. For the one millionth time. Hahaha. Stability. "
0

GloryHunter added 22:13 - Nov 16
"Two men with families at home . . ." But also doubtless with a few million in their respective bank accounts (Hughes especially). Don't feel too sorry for them - they won't be on their uppers.
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DesertBoot added 22:25 - Nov 16
Hughes is in a win-win situation tomorrow which is pretty Ironic.
Either the league position or his bank account are in for a massive boost
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CiderwithRsie added 22:33 - Nov 16
"It felt like QPR had arrived, there was even talk of a possible push for European positions. It's only now, with the benefit of hindsight, that people are writing these players off as mercenaries who aren’t trying and don't care about the club."

This is true. And personally I don't quarrel with the signings as such. I still think signing Cesar is a credit to Hughes that is beyond what we would have expected. Even Green was regarded by many - including me, hands up - as not 1st choice but a step up. The lack of a commanding central defender is a flaw but as Bushman notes, Hughes tried but couldn't get one to sign.

The problem is the lack of performance by what seem good performancers on paper. And I know everyome says its becaise they are mercenaries who don't care but I suspect tis because they don't have faith in what Hughes is doing.

I still don't think he knows what his ideal team is. Our best players - Faurlin, Granero, Taarabt, - are all creative midfielders. You need a ball-wonner in there too - Diakite seemed the man for us. Mackie and Hoilett in different ways seem good bets for a wide role. That's 5 midfielders leaving room for only one striker but our most consistent goalscorer is Cisse who doesn't seem to fit a lone striker role. Zamora and Johnson probably could be lone strikers but few thought either would last a season in the role due to age, and that seems to be the case due to injury and jadedness, if that's a word.

Lack of performance doesn't prove their bad players but it shows they are the wrong combination or the manager can't organise or motivate them. Gerry Francis would have had the same players playing better because he always knew what he wanted his players to do and made sure they knew it too..

Maybe we should get Gerry back from Stoke for 3rd go. Or maybe we should poach Adkins from Southampton cos I agree with Clive that he's unlucky.

Hughes is a busted flush since irrespective of the Chronicle's headline he's admitted he doesn't know what else to do, and what he's doing is shocking.
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CiderwithRsie added 22:35 - Nov 16
"performancers" ? Christ, I shouldn't have finished that bottle
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CiderwithRsie added 22:36 - Nov 16
"performancers" ? Christ, I shouldn't have finished that bottle
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phomem added 23:31 - Nov 16
0-0 written all over it
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Jigsore added 00:19 - Nov 17
The Lay-Off Final
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Kaos_Agent added 01:50 - Nov 17
Clive, a top-notch report this week as it neatly crystallizes the many events and issues surrounding this reality TV show that is QPR 2.0. What a momentous game awaits us.

The MH reign has been something that Lemony Snicket would approve of. He has clearly failed to select a promising eleven for any given fixture, and then to engage them. Diagrams and lectures only go so far. The players are in the kind of deep funk that you only get by being starved of a good post-victory banter in the locker room. Can you imagine? Seven losses and four draws to absorb before you take a shower and get the hell out. No back slapping. No thanks-for-the-terrific-pass. No one likes that, mercenary or not. This duck has to break.

With my rose coloured glasses firmly on, I believe that the starting eleven from Stoke, or something close to it, can achieve a convincing win and get the camaraderie kick-started in the locker room. We have the shot makers to trouble whichever Saints keeper's name is drawn from the hat on Saturday. And their defenders are as suspect as ours.

We score first. Cesar and the back line deny them once, twice, thrice. We score again. The fans erupt and everyone is in top gear for the remainder of the game. Well, why the hell not? They say it's better when you have a vision.

Come. On. You. R's.

0

isawqpratwcity added 01:50 - Nov 17
I must love Hughes.

3-1 to us.
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Kaos_Agent added 01:57 - Nov 17
Clive, a top-notch report this week as it neatly crystallizes the many events and issues surrounding this reality TV show that is QPR 2.0. What a momentous game awaits us.

The MH reign has been something that Lemony Snicket would approve of. He has clearly failed to select a promising eleven for any given fixture, and then to engage them. Diagrams and lectures only go so far. The players are in the kind of deep funk that you only get by being starved of a good post-victory banter in the locker room. Can you imagine? Seven losses and four draws to absorb before you take a shower and get the hell out. No back slapping. No thanks-for-the-terrific-pass. No one likes that, mercenary or not. This duck has to break.

With my rose coloured glasses firmly on, I believe that the starting eleven from Stoke, or something close to it, can achieve a convincing win and get the camaraderie kick-started in the locker room. We have the shot makers to trouble whichever Saints keeper's name is drawn from the hat on Saturday. And their defenders are as suspect as ours.

We score first. Cesar and the back line deny them once, twice, thrice. We score again. The fans erupt and everyone is in top gear for the remainder of the game. Well, why the hell not? They say it's better when you have a vision.

Come. On. You. R's.

0

HastingsRanger added 09:56 - Nov 17
This is yet another watershed moment - the opening game, both matches against Reading, any away game! My biggest fear is a scratchy 1-0 win that will keep Hughes in the job. I think now that anything but a very comfortable (e.g. 3-0 and all round team performance) must bring in the change. He's had backing, he's had time, he's had your advice - it can't get any worse unless we get a points deduction.
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PinnerPaul added 10:51 - Nov 17
Headline and opening remarks totally ignore quotes from Southampton, MH and an attributed back track from TF.

If I could place a bet on both NA and MH being in a job on Monday I would.
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PinnerPaul added 12:07 - Nov 19
Well I've finally got something right!
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farrel added 13:07 - Nov 19
I've said this before and have defended Hughes, but this is getting way out of hand. We should try a different approach, get in some of the younger fringe players, we've got nothing to lose. Bosingwa, Ferdinand are way past their prime. Hill admitted the pace in the BPL is too much for him. Why not give Ehmer, Harriman and Ephraim a chance. SWP & Park are non existant from what I've witnessed this season. It would appear as if the team was based around Park, Now that he is injured it is based around Granero. IT'S NOT WORKING...AT ALL. Up front, well Mackie gives 100% whenever he plays, cannot say the same about the other two. DJ Campbell is a fan so he WILL give his all. Too many cowboys and not enough indians, that is why Hughes is slowly starting to lose the dressing room. Time to make a change...NOW.
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