Chris King on the stark differences between the preparations for this season and last, and the optimism currently sweeping the QPR support base.
Less than a year ago, perhaps due to the identity of the Queens Park Rangers manager, a group of players newly promoted to the Premier League were on their pre-season tour. It was journey that took in footballing giants of the south-west such as Bodmin and Tavistock, and one could perhaps argue that it wasn’t the best preparation for the gruelling season that was to come.
Fast-forward a year to the present day, and the Rangers squad has landed in Malaysia in a flurry of publicity and excitement. Whether or not this particular tour of duty will prove to be good preparation or merely a PR exercise, its value as the latter should not be underestimated.
What Tony Fernandes is attempting to do with the QPR is admirable – the signing of Ji-sung Park, besides making genuine footballing sense on the pitch, is nothing short of inspired off it. Talk of the new 45,000-seater stadium and a host of ‘middling to big name’ signings meanwhile, around the time supporters are renewing their season tickets, is also a master class in the art of show and publicity. Unsurprisingly, despite finishing seventeenth last season and at times being more akin to an on-going bout of torture, fans are more than ready to part with more than £700 in order to reserve their seat for the R’s revolution – which by the way, will be televised.
However, there are still a few issues needing to be addressed. The lack of a recognised left back, for instance, could end up being Rangers Achilles heel come August. One can only hope manager Mark Hughes has learned from Jamie Mackie’s goal at the Etihad Stadium, to take just one example, precisely the value of playing Armand Traoré in an advanced left-sided role. For the 22-year-old is not a defender; at least, his strongest characteristics are attacking, while he lacks the basic positional awareness and defensive inclinations to remain solid further back. With Park on one side and Traoré on the other, Rangers could have genuine width next season, plus the option of bringing on Jamie Mackie for added impetus late on.
Strikers remain somewhat of an issue – the addition of Andy Johnson from Fulham appears to point towards a reconstitution of the Lilywhites’ strike-force from 12 months ago. While it makes sense to try and facilitate a reversal of fortunes for Bobby Zamora, who has hardly set the world on fire since arriving from Craven Cottage in January, only a fool would displace Djibril Cissé from the starting XI in order to do this. A 4-5-1 system remains the most likely format for the new look QPR, with arguably the strongest midfield line-up the club has had for a decade and a half. With Adel Taarabt having signed an extended deal and Alejandro Faurlin likely to be available for next season, Rangers at least won’t suffer from the same inability to keep possession that was so evident at times last season.
It is hard not to feel extremely excited about the coming season and what could be in store for the R’s. Barring the extremely poor form that blighted the club from the beginning of December to the end of February, in which Rangers picked up a mere five points, it was by no means an abysmal top flight return. It even looks likely that for only the second time since 2006, the club might be able to go through an entire season with the same manager. Naturally, expectations have risen in accordance with the bright new dawn at Loftus Road, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the club to be avoiding relegation quite comfortably. Or at the very least, ever so slightly less dramatically than the heart-attack inducing final day of the season just passed. Bring on Swansea City.
Tweet @chriskking, @loftforwords
Pictures – Action Images