| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 20:54 - Feb 21 with 10160 views | OldPedro |
How many years have you had an Ainsworth piece ready to go?? |  |
| Extra mature cheddar......a simple cheese for a simple man |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 20:55 - Feb 21 with 10153 views | CLAREMAN1995 |
You are so busy this week Clive I dont know how you keep going to be honest.
Another brilliant article and yes there is hope around here for the first time in months.
Anybody who has a ticket to Saturdays game get ready for an explosion its building already
We are going to crush Blackburn I can taste the 3 points already |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 21:21 - Feb 21 with 9955 views | Boston |
A desperate nostalgia tonic - but I'm onboard.
Lets go Gareth...clap clap, clap clap clap. |  |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 21:30 - Feb 21 with 9896 views | BushRanger82 |
Desperate nostagia play from the board, for me.
Now that Gareth's here, I hope he can hit the ground running.
All eyes will be on the players now, if they keep facking about, then there will be no doubt that the problem doesn't just lie with the manager. |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 21:37 - Feb 21 with 9843 views | R_from_afar |
The whole episode has been a bit like a remake of that film “The Box”.
Les: “Whatever you do, don’t press touch the button on that box with “Gaz” written on it.
The rest of the board: (Piles on top of the button).
I’m sure it will turn out better than in the film. |  |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 21:39 - Feb 21 with 9833 views | RsinWales |
Regardless of the 'why' he is here, I am not sure there is anyone else in the world I could be so absolutely, totally, 100% committed to supporting as the leader of our team. | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 21:47 - Feb 21 with 9748 views | Northolt_Rs |
“ For a team that’s one win in 18, currently playing 4-4-2, with Sam Field right wing, and knocking long balls towards part-retired Chris Martin, talking about “the QPR way” is a sanctimonious delusion like few others.”
AMEN |  |
| Scooters, Tunes, Trainers and QPR. |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 22:24 - Feb 21 with 9433 views | Burnleyhoop |
I think the type of football we play between now and the end of the season is irrelevant and should be disregarded. If we go one nil up and shithouse for the rest of the game, so be it. Survival is now the priority and nothing else matters.
Whilst the place may be rocking against Blackburn, it is likely Ainsworth still has a very thin squad to pick from and best of luck getting anything out of our powder puff midfield, unless Beale’s babes make miraculous recoveries.
The idealistic fantasy of our DOF to load the squad with academy development types needs tearing up and consigning to the bin marked “unrealistic”.
The championship is about graft and endeavour with the odd sprinkling of stardust. Ainsworth will get back to basics whilst the academy can work on bringing through the very, very occasional protege that can be incorporated into the team gradually.
The owners and management now need to think long and hard about what direction this club is going in and be a bit more realistic in its thinking. First and foremost the team needs to be competitive and there is no reason players of this type cannot be sold on for good money. A balance needs to found. That now is the challenge and I sincerely hope Gareth is the man to make it happen. | | | |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 22:30 - Feb 21 with 9388 views | terryb |
Cheers Clive.
It will be interesting to see how many/which players are unavailable through injury this week! [Post edited 22 Feb 2023 10:21]
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 22:44 - Feb 21 with 9288 views | colinallcars |
Great stuff Clive. |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 23:00 - Feb 21 with 9190 views | numptydumpty |
If the players all suddenly out of nowhere put in a performance - as fans we are happy and if suddenly all the players who have not played due to a graze on their collective right knees, all come back all guns blazing, tbh I will also be a bit peed off as well as strangely happy !!!
I think this squad is decent in terms of ability but although like most, I never warmed to Critchley, this group of players downed tools on him, in a way I have only ever seen here once before in the Boswinga era....
Think just by Gareths charismatic character alone, will give the crowd a boost.
It's also an easy out for Les also.
Stupidly I think we will win on Saturday but certainly if I was Critchley I would be sticking pins in my voodoo dolls of a great majority of our team and squad players.
The last few months certainly not been a period of time anyone involved with the club will look at with fondness in anyways whatsoever !!!! [Post edited 21 Feb 2023 23:02]
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 23:21 - Feb 21 with 9072 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Superb piece. Touches every talking point I can think of, and that's no easy task.
I'm one of the "sanctimonious ones", it seems, but obviously I wish Ainsworth the very, very best and I hope we all enjoy it along the way. |  |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 23:28 - Feb 21 with 9043 views | dannyblue |
Can anyone share the Chris Wilder gossip? Why did it go so wrong at Boro and what would they have said? |  | | |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 23:39 - Feb 21 with 8980 views | daveB |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 22:24 - Feb 21 by Burnleyhoop |
I think the type of football we play between now and the end of the season is irrelevant and should be disregarded. If we go one nil up and shithouse for the rest of the game, so be it. Survival is now the priority and nothing else matters.
Whilst the place may be rocking against Blackburn, it is likely Ainsworth still has a very thin squad to pick from and best of luck getting anything out of our powder puff midfield, unless Beale’s babes make miraculous recoveries.
The idealistic fantasy of our DOF to load the squad with academy development types needs tearing up and consigning to the bin marked “unrealistic”.
The championship is about graft and endeavour with the odd sprinkling of stardust. Ainsworth will get back to basics whilst the academy can work on bringing through the very, very occasional protege that can be incorporated into the team gradually.
The owners and management now need to think long and hard about what direction this club is going in and be a bit more realistic in its thinking. First and foremost the team needs to be competitive and there is no reason players of this type cannot be sold on for good money. A balance needs to found. That now is the challenge and I sincerely hope Gareth is the man to make it happen. |
Unfortunately what les has tried to do is the realistic way, we just haven't done it well enough [Post edited 21 Feb 2023 23:42]
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| (No subject) (n/t) on 01:16 - Feb 22 with 8724 views | Boston |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 23:39 - Feb 21 by daveB |
Unfortunately what les has tried to do is the realistic way, we just haven't done it well enough [Post edited 21 Feb 2023 23:42]
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...therefore, you try something else. | |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 07:28 - Feb 22 with 8281 views | Lblock |
Welcome to Gaz and Gods speed to you oh flowing locks one
However I’m not sure Mozart could get a tune out of this bunch at the moment.
I really hope so and it feels similar to when Ollie came in after ODH, although maybe even a touch worse this time.
My question slightly more medium term is… has Ains got enough nouse and contacts for the squad rebuild we’ll need? If the players continue to be selected by the ClownMafia then we have the same old problem going forward.
Rock on Wild Thing, rock on |  |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 07:34 - Feb 22 with 8258 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
Fingers crossed this works. The majority of players should feel ashamed of their behaviour, but they wont.
Gutted I'm missing the game Saturday. | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:00 - Feb 22 with 8169 views | Northernr |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 23:28 - Feb 21 by dannyblue |
Can anyone share the Chris Wilder gossip? Why did it go so wrong at Boro and what would they have said? |
1 - That, much like Beale, he was putting himself about for other jobs from the moment he walked in the door - Burnley and Bournemouth among others. Got a lot of backs up there.
2 - That he ignored and ostracised a lot of players who are now absolutely flying under Carrick - wanted to pay Akpom up for example, now the top scorer in the division, wouldn't entertain the idea of picking Hackney - and just constantly badgered for more and more signings instead. |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:13 - Feb 22 with 8103 views | thehat |
Brilliant article Clive as always.
I'm glad you mentioned the Luton game where Garath tried to run off the broken leg. Can you imagine some of the fairies in the squad now even thinking about that.
Gareth is one of my all time favourites at Rangers and played in one of my all time favourite teams in a great era for fans.
He has done an amazing job at Wycombe on a very very limited budget. It has not always been plain sailing though and Wycombe always stood by him in the bad runs and it paid dividends long term and it's what we must do here even if we fall through the trap door into League 1.
Living in Buckinghamshire Wycombe have always been my second team and I have watched them on numerous occasions and enjoyed his style of football, yes they get the ball forward quickly but they have pace and athleticism in the wide areas which is sadly lacking in our squad. To be honest our tippy tappy approach continues to drive me mad. Great if you have top quality Premier League players but a disaster if you don't. Champagne tasting on beer money we call it.
I do feel for him here with this squad, some of them are toxic and I am beginning to have a hatred towards those individuals to the extent not seen since the days of Bosingwa and SWP.
I really hope that we don't ruin Gareth expecting to much to soon because if we do it would probably also ruin my love for the game and our club.
The roller coaster continues at our beloved club - We will be there as always Saturday - Come on you R'rrs!! | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:13 - Feb 22 with 8103 views | Northernr |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 23:21 - Feb 21 by BrianMcCarthy |
Superb piece. Touches every talking point I can think of, and that's no easy task.
I'm one of the "sanctimonious ones", it seems, but obviously I wish Ainsworth the very, very best and I hope we all enjoy it along the way. |
Apologies Brian, pretty strong word, probably disrespectful, sometimes I am a bit blunt.
I'm interested, can you put into words what you personally believe to be the QPR Way of playing football? And where on that scale was Holloway's first spell - the 2001-2004 bit, not the second half where it did indeed get a bit attritional - and Warnock's 2010/11?
I would reiterate that, for me, we've very rarely played football of any serious note at any point over the last 25 years. We've been mostly terrible. That's a hell of a long time for it suddenly to be an issue now we've appointed Ainsworth.
For the last year I would argue we have tried to play the purist way, and failed. The players cannot do it. We have ended up sitting through game after game of the Dickie-Dunne-Dieng triangle of hell, and it's every bit as dire and boring to watch as going to see Tony Pulis kick and rush.
As you know, because we talk often about the game, I cannot stand watching Pulis football, Allardyce football, any more than you can. I fcking hate it. But I also don't think that everybody trying to play like a Guardiola team is the answer either. You have to have seriously good players to do it and when you don't you end up with what we've seen a lot of over the last year with mediocre players making high risk low reward passes around their own penalty box and going nowhere. I find Russell Martin's team every bit as dire to watch as I do Tony Pulis', and look how it's going over at Swansea now - another loss last night, 50 goals conceded this season the worst in the league, fans in open revolt at their game last night, concourse bar full after 30 minutes, people not going back for the second half...
... and, yes, here's that word again, I do think Martin, and people like him in the game, can be a little bit sanctimonious about it. Like theirs is the one true way and if they lose to a team playing more direct them somehow it's actually not a proper win and actually a bit of a moral victory for them. Swansea got beaten 3-0 by Blackburn on the opening day and his attitude was very much "well if they want to play like that it's up to them but we won't be doing it". You've lost 3-0 mate.
Personally I found the Warnock season, and Holloway's first team, exhilarating to watch, and neither played out from the back or played any football in their own half - under pain of a fine in the case of Warnock. I've found a lot of what we've played under Warburton, Beale and Critchley excruciatingly boring.
So, like I say, Ainsworth's success here will depend on which it's to be. If he's going to punt it long, and every time we go 1-0 up he's going to try and shithouse the rest of the game away then I agree with you that's going to wear very thin very quickly and it won't fly here. At that point I'm sure I'll get a lot of "told ya so". But at the moment going a little bit more direct, playing forward with a bit more aggression and purpose, I think would be very welcome, because we are toothless and tedious trying to play out from the back the way we have been. | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:46 - Feb 22 with 7934 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:13 - Feb 22 by Northernr |
Apologies Brian, pretty strong word, probably disrespectful, sometimes I am a bit blunt.
I'm interested, can you put into words what you personally believe to be the QPR Way of playing football? And where on that scale was Holloway's first spell - the 2001-2004 bit, not the second half where it did indeed get a bit attritional - and Warnock's 2010/11?
I would reiterate that, for me, we've very rarely played football of any serious note at any point over the last 25 years. We've been mostly terrible. That's a hell of a long time for it suddenly to be an issue now we've appointed Ainsworth.
For the last year I would argue we have tried to play the purist way, and failed. The players cannot do it. We have ended up sitting through game after game of the Dickie-Dunne-Dieng triangle of hell, and it's every bit as dire and boring to watch as going to see Tony Pulis kick and rush.
As you know, because we talk often about the game, I cannot stand watching Pulis football, Allardyce football, any more than you can. I fcking hate it. But I also don't think that everybody trying to play like a Guardiola team is the answer either. You have to have seriously good players to do it and when you don't you end up with what we've seen a lot of over the last year with mediocre players making high risk low reward passes around their own penalty box and going nowhere. I find Russell Martin's team every bit as dire to watch as I do Tony Pulis', and look how it's going over at Swansea now - another loss last night, 50 goals conceded this season the worst in the league, fans in open revolt at their game last night, concourse bar full after 30 minutes, people not going back for the second half...
... and, yes, here's that word again, I do think Martin, and people like him in the game, can be a little bit sanctimonious about it. Like theirs is the one true way and if they lose to a team playing more direct them somehow it's actually not a proper win and actually a bit of a moral victory for them. Swansea got beaten 3-0 by Blackburn on the opening day and his attitude was very much "well if they want to play like that it's up to them but we won't be doing it". You've lost 3-0 mate.
Personally I found the Warnock season, and Holloway's first team, exhilarating to watch, and neither played out from the back or played any football in their own half - under pain of a fine in the case of Warnock. I've found a lot of what we've played under Warburton, Beale and Critchley excruciatingly boring.
So, like I say, Ainsworth's success here will depend on which it's to be. If he's going to punt it long, and every time we go 1-0 up he's going to try and shithouse the rest of the game away then I agree with you that's going to wear very thin very quickly and it won't fly here. At that point I'm sure I'll get a lot of "told ya so". But at the moment going a little bit more direct, playing forward with a bit more aggression and purpose, I think would be very welcome, because we are toothless and tedious trying to play out from the back the way we have been. |
No apologies needed at all, my man. As you know, I like when you or someone says something that makes me think, so I'm not saying I'm right here. I'm just concerned. I hope it's unfounded.
To answer your question, for a start, let's get this out there straight away - we've only ever played Total Football once in my lifetime and that was under Jago and Sexton. So I don't think we are a Cryuffian club and I don't think we should pretend that we are. I personally love Cryuffian football but partly because it was never and should never be about possession for possession's sake - Cryuff believed in "hunting" and "pressure". Cryuff liked pace on the ball.
Like you, I find Russell Martin's slow, ponderous play boring. And, like you, I was sometimes frustrated by our football under Warburton, for instance, when we forgot to put pace on the ball. So I'm no possession fundamentalist. My favourite goal of recent years is Eze's goal at Stoke - back to front, on the deck, hard work off the ball, nice feet on it, lovely finish, and all so damn quick.
I'm not sure there is a 'QPR way' and I hope I haven't used the phrase. However, I do think that Rangers (in our better periods) are associated with attacking and attractive football. On the deck, movement, passing. We have rarely gone 100% down the road of ball-playing centre backs so there has always been a pragmatism to go with even our most attractive forward play.
I enjoyed Holloway's first spell - wingers, nice hold-up play, everyone could pass the ball.
I loved Warnock's 2010/11 - Faurlin bossing midfield, wingers, Routledge, support from the full-backs and Taarabt the cherry on top.
I thought Gerry's first spell was hugely entertaining - Wilkins bossing midfield, wingers, support from the full-backs and Ferdinand the cherry on top - though it's worth noting that towards the end of Francis's first spell we did go long a good bit and the crowd hated it.
All of those teams were solid and pragmatic at centre-back.
So, I don't mind a mixture, but I do think there should be non-negotiables - everyone should look to pass, move, support, we look to play the ball forward and on the deck wherever possible. Wherever possible! I do think that in the games that I've seen Wycombe play their football was long, rudimentary and artless (imho, of course) and I do think that large portions of the Rangers support would bore of that very, very quickly.
I hope that Ainsworth can coach and produce a more varied style as a minimum while here at Rangers, though I'm unsure that it would be as a simple as flicking a switch and saying "now I will coach a different style". | |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:48 - Feb 22 with 7913 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:13 - Feb 22 by Northernr |
Apologies Brian, pretty strong word, probably disrespectful, sometimes I am a bit blunt.
I'm interested, can you put into words what you personally believe to be the QPR Way of playing football? And where on that scale was Holloway's first spell - the 2001-2004 bit, not the second half where it did indeed get a bit attritional - and Warnock's 2010/11?
I would reiterate that, for me, we've very rarely played football of any serious note at any point over the last 25 years. We've been mostly terrible. That's a hell of a long time for it suddenly to be an issue now we've appointed Ainsworth.
For the last year I would argue we have tried to play the purist way, and failed. The players cannot do it. We have ended up sitting through game after game of the Dickie-Dunne-Dieng triangle of hell, and it's every bit as dire and boring to watch as going to see Tony Pulis kick and rush.
As you know, because we talk often about the game, I cannot stand watching Pulis football, Allardyce football, any more than you can. I fcking hate it. But I also don't think that everybody trying to play like a Guardiola team is the answer either. You have to have seriously good players to do it and when you don't you end up with what we've seen a lot of over the last year with mediocre players making high risk low reward passes around their own penalty box and going nowhere. I find Russell Martin's team every bit as dire to watch as I do Tony Pulis', and look how it's going over at Swansea now - another loss last night, 50 goals conceded this season the worst in the league, fans in open revolt at their game last night, concourse bar full after 30 minutes, people not going back for the second half...
... and, yes, here's that word again, I do think Martin, and people like him in the game, can be a little bit sanctimonious about it. Like theirs is the one true way and if they lose to a team playing more direct them somehow it's actually not a proper win and actually a bit of a moral victory for them. Swansea got beaten 3-0 by Blackburn on the opening day and his attitude was very much "well if they want to play like that it's up to them but we won't be doing it". You've lost 3-0 mate.
Personally I found the Warnock season, and Holloway's first team, exhilarating to watch, and neither played out from the back or played any football in their own half - under pain of a fine in the case of Warnock. I've found a lot of what we've played under Warburton, Beale and Critchley excruciatingly boring.
So, like I say, Ainsworth's success here will depend on which it's to be. If he's going to punt it long, and every time we go 1-0 up he's going to try and shithouse the rest of the game away then I agree with you that's going to wear very thin very quickly and it won't fly here. At that point I'm sure I'll get a lot of "told ya so". But at the moment going a little bit more direct, playing forward with a bit more aggression and purpose, I think would be very welcome, because we are toothless and tedious trying to play out from the back the way we have been. |
We had a discussion at work about the possession type football, and we all came to the conclusion that only top top players can do it, namely Man City, Barcelona, etc etc.
We have Championship players and they play at this level for a reason. The only season I thought it worked reasonably well was Warburtons first season, and it's no coincidence that we had Eze and Bright in the team who both now play st a higher level.
Personally I want to see us going forward quickly, hard working players, with a sprinkle of flair. A bit like those teams of the 70s, 80, and early 90s. Or Warnocks tenure.
It's not much to ask! Is it? | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:53 - Feb 22 with 7885 views | TheChef |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:13 - Feb 22 by Northernr |
Apologies Brian, pretty strong word, probably disrespectful, sometimes I am a bit blunt.
I'm interested, can you put into words what you personally believe to be the QPR Way of playing football? And where on that scale was Holloway's first spell - the 2001-2004 bit, not the second half where it did indeed get a bit attritional - and Warnock's 2010/11?
I would reiterate that, for me, we've very rarely played football of any serious note at any point over the last 25 years. We've been mostly terrible. That's a hell of a long time for it suddenly to be an issue now we've appointed Ainsworth.
For the last year I would argue we have tried to play the purist way, and failed. The players cannot do it. We have ended up sitting through game after game of the Dickie-Dunne-Dieng triangle of hell, and it's every bit as dire and boring to watch as going to see Tony Pulis kick and rush.
As you know, because we talk often about the game, I cannot stand watching Pulis football, Allardyce football, any more than you can. I fcking hate it. But I also don't think that everybody trying to play like a Guardiola team is the answer either. You have to have seriously good players to do it and when you don't you end up with what we've seen a lot of over the last year with mediocre players making high risk low reward passes around their own penalty box and going nowhere. I find Russell Martin's team every bit as dire to watch as I do Tony Pulis', and look how it's going over at Swansea now - another loss last night, 50 goals conceded this season the worst in the league, fans in open revolt at their game last night, concourse bar full after 30 minutes, people not going back for the second half...
... and, yes, here's that word again, I do think Martin, and people like him in the game, can be a little bit sanctimonious about it. Like theirs is the one true way and if they lose to a team playing more direct them somehow it's actually not a proper win and actually a bit of a moral victory for them. Swansea got beaten 3-0 by Blackburn on the opening day and his attitude was very much "well if they want to play like that it's up to them but we won't be doing it". You've lost 3-0 mate.
Personally I found the Warnock season, and Holloway's first team, exhilarating to watch, and neither played out from the back or played any football in their own half - under pain of a fine in the case of Warnock. I've found a lot of what we've played under Warburton, Beale and Critchley excruciatingly boring.
So, like I say, Ainsworth's success here will depend on which it's to be. If he's going to punt it long, and every time we go 1-0 up he's going to try and shithouse the rest of the game away then I agree with you that's going to wear very thin very quickly and it won't fly here. At that point I'm sure I'll get a lot of "told ya so". But at the moment going a little bit more direct, playing forward with a bit more aggression and purpose, I think would be very welcome, because we are toothless and tedious trying to play out from the back the way we have been. |
Bottom line is that you need a bit both, no? So play good football when you can, but equally be pragmatic too, if you need to boot the ball into the back of the stands or send it long to relieve pressure, then so be it.
In the end you need to earn the right to play and impose yourself on the opposition. Warnock's team did that to a tee; Holloway's to an extent as well. Hopefully Ainsworth can manage something similar too (although not as straightforward with this squad based on current form).
I can't make Saturday's game but it will be fascinating to see how these players respond to the new manager, given the dross they've served up the last three months or so.
Good luck Gareth! |  |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 09:03 - Feb 22 with 7818 views | Northernr |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:46 - Feb 22 by BrianMcCarthy |
No apologies needed at all, my man. As you know, I like when you or someone says something that makes me think, so I'm not saying I'm right here. I'm just concerned. I hope it's unfounded.
To answer your question, for a start, let's get this out there straight away - we've only ever played Total Football once in my lifetime and that was under Jago and Sexton. So I don't think we are a Cryuffian club and I don't think we should pretend that we are. I personally love Cryuffian football but partly because it was never and should never be about possession for possession's sake - Cryuff believed in "hunting" and "pressure". Cryuff liked pace on the ball.
Like you, I find Russell Martin's slow, ponderous play boring. And, like you, I was sometimes frustrated by our football under Warburton, for instance, when we forgot to put pace on the ball. So I'm no possession fundamentalist. My favourite goal of recent years is Eze's goal at Stoke - back to front, on the deck, hard work off the ball, nice feet on it, lovely finish, and all so damn quick.
I'm not sure there is a 'QPR way' and I hope I haven't used the phrase. However, I do think that Rangers (in our better periods) are associated with attacking and attractive football. On the deck, movement, passing. We have rarely gone 100% down the road of ball-playing centre backs so there has always been a pragmatism to go with even our most attractive forward play.
I enjoyed Holloway's first spell - wingers, nice hold-up play, everyone could pass the ball.
I loved Warnock's 2010/11 - Faurlin bossing midfield, wingers, Routledge, support from the full-backs and Taarabt the cherry on top.
I thought Gerry's first spell was hugely entertaining - Wilkins bossing midfield, wingers, support from the full-backs and Ferdinand the cherry on top - though it's worth noting that towards the end of Francis's first spell we did go long a good bit and the crowd hated it.
All of those teams were solid and pragmatic at centre-back.
So, I don't mind a mixture, but I do think there should be non-negotiables - everyone should look to pass, move, support, we look to play the ball forward and on the deck wherever possible. Wherever possible! I do think that in the games that I've seen Wycombe play their football was long, rudimentary and artless (imho, of course) and I do think that large portions of the Rangers support would bore of that very, very quickly.
I hope that Ainsworth can coach and produce a more varied style as a minimum while here at Rangers, though I'm unsure that it would be as a simple as flicking a switch and saying "now I will coach a different style". |
The 'QPR way' thing is a guy who's badgering me on Twitter about it and what a travesty this appointment is.
As ever, Twitter is poor for this sort of thing. Reading that post, we're basically on the same page.
If Ainsworth does go for the full 'artless' (I agree BTW) Wycombe approach then he'll run into problems here medium term. | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 09:08 - Feb 22 with 7771 views | Northernr |
And the good thing is this has basically written the match preview for me  | | | |
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