Forum | Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers by Northernr

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Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers 20:56 - Aug 2 with 4375 views

Can we find three teams worse than QPR among this little lot?

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers 2nd Aug 2023 20:06
The writing looks to be on the wall for QPR but for part three of our 23/24 season preview let’s try and imagine a world where there are three worse teams than us in the Championship, and try and identify who they might be from the bookies’ favourites for relegation.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 23:07 - Aug 2 with 4070 views

TomS

Clive, I admire your optimism.

I couldn't help but compare your prediction of Huddersfield being relegated instead of us to the 10,000 scenarios run by Opta. They give Neil Warnock's side a 2.7% chance of finishing in the bottom three.

And no, I wouldn't buy a used car from you.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 00:20 - Aug 3 with 3955 views

daveB

I'd forgotten Plymouth came up, they've made some cracking signings

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 06:26 - Aug 3 with 3824 views

Northernr

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 23:07 - Aug 2 by TomS
Clive, I admire your optimism. I couldn't help but compare your prediction of Huddersfield being relegated instead of us to the 10,000 scenarios run by Opta. They give Neil Warnock's side a 2.7% chance of finishing in the bottom three. And no, I wouldn't buy a used car from you.

Mate I don’t think I really believe it myself. I’ve said in here all summer we’re beyond fcked. But for this I thought at least try and find three worse teams than us, hence the intro.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:19 - Aug 3 with 3591 views

Snipper

Really enjoyed these previews. I’m struggling to find 3 teams finishing below us :-((.

Clive, was you asked for QPR’s perspective by other clubs message boards?

And has any other club in the Championship have an in depth preview of this league on their message board?

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:22 - Aug 3 with 3585 views

Watford_Ranger

Cut to 5/2 and joint second faves with Plymouth to go down. Was 4/1 not long ago and we’ve not kicked a ball yet so assume some decent money has been placed on it.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:30 - Aug 3 with 3565 views

Northernr

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:19 - Aug 3 by Snipper
Really enjoyed these previews. I’m struggling to find 3 teams finishing below us :-((. Clive, was you asked for QPR’s perspective by other clubs message boards? And has any other club in the Championship have an in depth preview of this league on their message board?

I did the QPR bit for FourFourTwo, although they took a rather harsh edit of what I said.
They've got us 24th.

I always think the best one for depth and analysis is this Coventry fella's...

https://sidewayssammy.com/2023/07/31/the-sideways-sammy-season-preview-2023-24/

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:33 - Aug 3 with 3551 views

daveB

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:22 - Aug 3 by Watford_Ranger
Cut to 5/2 and joint second faves with Plymouth to go down. Was 4/1 not long ago and we’ve not kicked a ball yet so assume some decent money has been placed on it.

I'm fully in the we're doomed camp but the window is still open and I think it's very hard to predict where we will finish until that closes. Doing these previews must be a nightmare for Clive as all it takes is for Southampton to have a fire sale and they go from top 2 to mid table

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 10:33 - Aug 3 with 3442 views

CroydonCaptJack

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:22 - Aug 3 by Watford_Ranger
Cut to 5/2 and joint second faves with Plymouth to go down. Was 4/1 not long ago and we’ve not kicked a ball yet so assume some decent money has been placed on it.

Probably a load from here!

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 15:34 - Aug 3 with 3035 views

denhamhoop2

I have to be honest I think it's between us and Wednesday for bottom this season.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 18:23 - Aug 3 with 2827 views

Jevlar

Great write up as ever, Clive.

I know we’re dead set for 23/24th but Ainsworth’s underdog mentality adds to this.

If you see yourself as an underdog and it goes wrong, then 23/24th kinda feels like - ‘Well, what else did you expect’

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 06:19 - Aug 4 with 2427 views

nomar

So, it already looks like we’re resigned to League 1 football next season.

I can’t remember another season where a team that stayed up the year before started out as such overwhelming favourites to be relegated.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:37 - Aug 4 with 2274 views

kernowhoop

For us, there are various questions. With the right answers, the situation need not be as gloomy as it seems.
1. Can Gareth Ainsworth find a workable compromise between the elaborate football (sometimes over-elaborate) that several of our players are capable of and the his desire to get the ball forward more rapidly and put pressure on the opposition. Is there such a 'blend'? Surely, other teams have managed this?
2. Can we stem the leakage at the back? Goodness knows how - especially with the current injury situation - but this is absolutely essential. It is a matter of having the right people and then the right tactics.
3. Will the players buy in? If they do not, then... Private Frazer's expression to Captain Mainwaring would sum it up nicely.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 09:45 - Aug 4 with 2260 views

Antti_Heinola

Brilliant previews Clive, thank you.

I think the overwhelming lesson is just how optimistic fans are generally in the summer. Almost every fan's view has them basically assuming every player they signed will be a success and sort out a problem area. If only. At least half of those dreams of sunlit uplands are going to be rudely ruined by October.

The exception of course, is ourselves, where, apart from one or two admirably optimistic bods, doom is predicted.

I don't have so much problem with Ainsworth managing expectations - however, that is fine with a team like Wycombe coming up and hoping to stay up. It's not so fine with players like Field, Chair and Willock (despite his poor season last time out) who should be looking up, not down. Much, much worse players than them will be fighting for promotion and without even giving them a hope of that, it doesn't feel like great psychology.

I could easily see Warnock out by Xmas at Hudds and back with us by Feb I have to say.

Bare bones.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 11:03 - Aug 4 with 2151 views

Monkey_Roots

Nice one Clive.

I have to say that I'm preparing for the worst.

I, along with many others, stated that it's right and proper that GA be given the summer preseason and transfer window before we judge the team and his management capabilities. He's had the preseason which, if you put a lot of stock into preseason friendlies, was a bit iffy and then went full 'turd' against Oxford - friendly or not, getting thrashed 5-0 should have alarm bells ringing.

The transfer window is still open, but our financial constraints, along with our prospects for the season, don't make for a very attractive proposition - unless you are coming from L1 or L2 and want to play for a Championship club. Like you and others, I'm also a bit miffed that one of the positives attached to GA becoming manager, was that he would have a little black book of suitable L1 or L2 gems to polish up for us, but that hasn't happened yet - it could be that our 'need' is far outweighing our 'likes', and this upcoming season may be more about needing experienced players helping us survive, and may not be the best time to blood younger players, which is obviously what we would all like.

Obviously, GA has some huge challenges on his plate – FFP hampering transfers and injuries the most obvious, but also the unknowables – who will go before the window shuts? Will it give us enough time to find suitable replacements, will we get the money to spend, or will it go into the FFP piggybank?

I don't think I've ever been less hopeful for a season that I am right now.

Judgement day is nigh, and the whetstones have been busy all summer.

Season Preview 23/24 – Strugglers on 13:41 - Aug 4 with 2019 views

ted_hendrix

Hope springs eternal apparently.

In all my Years supporting QPR the start of the new season was always a special day but I've got nothing left in the tank anymore, I'm dreading tomorrow whereas In days gone by I'd have just accepted getting beaten because we were at least playing again.

I've lost contact with the club, almost-almost lost my affinity for the club, I look at the other Championship teams and think dear me.

I'm angry that the club have let this happen, there aren't three teams worse than QPR.

Beat me to death with your positivity sticks, It won't work.

My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.

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