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Comment | An open letter to our Sky overlords — Column
at 02:49:27
Spot on. A genuinely excellent bit of writing. I agree with every word. As a season ticket holder living on the South Coast, it's a real pain when Sky's schedule demands mean we have fewer and fewer matches at 3pm on Saturday. Thursday night? Come on, Sky, that's just silly. You're messing things up for everyone, including yourselves. I'm guessing the viewing figures for QPR v Wolves weren't great. The attendance was way down and all the satellite industries that rely on QPR home games to bring in revenue will have suffered. Poor show. |
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Comment | Team with plan v team with vague idea — Report
at 02:47:27
HastingsRanger is spot on. The problem lies with the midfield. Too slow, too lightweight and unable to keep possession. They don't support the strikers adequately, and because they lose the ball so easily, they put continual pressure on the defence. |
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Comment | Blackburn peg back Chery’s world class strike — Report
at 19:37:54
I have to agree with the report in that Blackburn were way better than I was expecting. Having said that, it was a home game against the bottom team in the division, and as such it needed to be won. I think the current problem at Rangers is pretty straightforward... we haven't got a great squad and we play dull football. That's it really. Too many mediocre players in a team playing a boring lone striker system is not likely to put rear ends on (nameless) seats. What's the answer? Play a more attacking game, add a bit of pace (at least at home). Get rid of this painfully slow side pass, side pass, back to keeper strategy...it doesn't work, does it? If JFH wants to silence the booing (albeit shameful), then he should play a more positive, entertaining system. Fans don't boo if they're enjoying themselves. |
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Comment | Polter proves the strikers’ case — Report
at 03:32:46
I can only agree with the above comments. It's still early days for JFH, but his team selection here really doesn't bode too well. What can Polter and Emmanuel-Thomas be feeling when the starting 'strike force' comprises two massively under-performing midfielders. How or why Fer, Toszer and Sandro start any match is a mystery. Henry and Phillips aren't much better. We have the superior Luongo sitting on the bench if he's lucky...what does he have to do to get a game? Without Austin & Faurlin we look a complete shambles. It's about as poor a QPR team as I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of poor QPR teams since my first visit in 1961. It's probably not do-able, but we pretty much need a complete overhaul of the squad. And when we start bringing in fresh blood, please don't let whoever is responsible for buying the current shower have any kind of input. Hull should be interesting. |
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Comment | Honest to God, plays — report
at 22:32:50
I've thought a few of the past reports were a bit dour, but I really can't argue with this one. A truly tedious & dull game. I found myself wondering if Harry really has any idea about team selection. We played 2 attackers and 2 wingers, which basically left us just 2 in central midfield, one of whom was Tom Carroll, who has clearly got some class, but is extremely lightweight and gives the ball away way too much. Personally, I think that if Carroll plays, we definitely need another body in midfield. In my view Barton played really well, while I reckon Harry should have subbed Hoilett (who was dreadful) and left Phillips on the pitch. The defence, especially Hill, was excellent yet again. Benayoun? We'll see... |
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Comment | Glorious Austin goal keeps QPR on league-leading pace — report
at 15:04:05
A surprisingly dour report here. I thought we played well against a rather negative Charlton side. Sure, we can't seem to kill visiting teams off effectively, which is the result of the Charlie Austin as lone striker policy. Bearing in mind that AJ is only just fit again, and Chevanton seems to be no more than back-up, there are not many other options. We'd all love to see The Rs hammering teams like Charlton 4-0 every home game, but if the opposition comes to Loftus Road looking for a 0-0 draw with 10 men behind the ball, a walkover is unlikely to happen. I'll happily take an efficient, pragmatic 1-0 victory. How quickly we forget the horror of last season, we're equal top on points, we've lost just once this season, conceded less goals than anyone, shouldn't that be cause for celebration? |
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Comment | Does Mackie sale tally with QPR’s ‘right sort’ rhetoric?
at 00:31:37
I can only echo the above sentiments. A great loss to the club, and Forest's gain. Mackie, to my mind, was exactly the kind of player we could do with this coming season. Committed, wholehearted, and generally popular with the crowd. I actually think his footballing ability is far better than he was usually given credit for. I cannot for the life of me see how Mackie is surplus to requirements, and Karl Henry is apparently just what the R's need. Anyway, I'd like to thank Mackie for his efforts at QPR, and wish him the best for the future. |
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Comment | QPR humbled by MK Dons cup massacre — full match report
at 00:35:48
The performance was awful, but not very surprising given the team we fielded. Having said that, even a second string team should be expected to beat a team from Div 1. The sad fact of the matter is that while we have a large number of players on the books, most of them just aren't up for the fight. I can't believe people are turning their anger against Jamie Mackie now. He's one of the few players we have who actually seems to give a shit. It must be difficult to look good and productive in a team like the Rs at the moment. Instead of directing the justifiable discontent at committed players like Mackie, aim it at the real culprits. Mark Hughes, Jose Bosingwa, Ji Sung Park, Esteban Granero etc. They're the ones who have put our QPR in the position we find ourselves. Sadly, I now see that Tony Fernandes is tweeting about resigning. What did he expect? Did he really think you can just walk into a Premiership club, hire a high profile manager (albeit a pretty dire one), give him a blank cheque book and success magically will appear? You have to build from the foundations. Who was the last decent first team player we brought through from the youth team? Kevin Gallen? Fernandes has only been at the helm 18 months and we're in a spot of bother, so now it's time to consider leaving? Pathetic. I honestly thought he was in (like one of his flights) for the long haul. Let's hope it's just a careless tweet brought on by the disappointment of the game. I think it's pretty clear we're looking at relegation. I know a couple of wins will make a big difference, so maybe... but realistically we're going down. It's what happens then, that we should be worried about. We ought to be thinking about that eventuality right now. We need to ditch a whole raft of players, and start signing hungry young talent who don't think playing for QPR is beneath them. We need to be more thrifty and pay sensible wages. We need to concentrate on youth and develop a top scouting system. I mean why is Redknapp traipsing around Europe? Doesn't he have trusted scouts to do that for him? Positives? I guess there are a few. It's a tragedy that Ryan Nelsen has decided to walk, but Remy looked good at W Ham. Adel is playing well, and M'bia looks decent. Cesar is class, and Hill, Derry and Mackie sweat blood for the team. You know, maybe this was Harry's way of showing just how lacklustre our second stringers are, and prompting the board into action. Gawd knows what'll happen next, and I can't help but share Colin's lack of enthusiasm for watching our current travails. Still, see you Tuesday. |
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Comment | Gorkss haunts lifeless QPR again as winless run goes on — full match report
at 03:29:04
A very accurate account. I can't really disagree with any of it. I sat there watching the first half wondering what on earth was happening to the team I love. Possibly one of the most inept and frustrating 45 minutes of football I've witnessed at Loftus Road over 50 years, and believe me, I've seen some garbage. I share Fernandes' view that the club needs stability, but let's try and differentiate between knee-jerk reactions and what is actually necessary for QPR to achieve the kind of success everyone wants (which at the moment is not a lot more than Premiership survival). Mark Hughes is quite clearly not the guy to take this club forward. Neil Warnock worked miracles with very little under Briatore, but then lost his nerve and broke up a successful team with a great fighting spirit too quickly. Hughes' answer to the immediate problems he faced was to bring in tranche of new blood, some alright, most past their sell-by dates. This policy was consolidated in the Summer, and now we have a completely unbalanced team of over-the-hill mercenaries mixed with a bunch of hard-working committed players who rarely get a look in. The ageing Ryan Nelsen has turned out to be a great signing, without him in defence we'd be in far worse shape. Bosingwa's performance on Sunday was nothing short of disgraceful. Lazy, uncommitted, disinterested. Traore wasn't much better. Hoilett, Taarabt, Diakite and Mackie put in a solid shift while Cisse and Granero were okay. As for Zamora, words fail me. His recent revelations about his disaffection for football go some way to explaining why he always looks so disintersted. I notice however that he doesn't dislike football enough to hand back his wages. I'm amazed that any professional sportsman has no apparent problem with publicly disrespecting the fans and the club that pay his wages. Not only that, but then Mark Hughes leaps to his defence. Personally, I reckon Zamora should never play for QPR again. I genuinely resent the two minutes of his annual wages funded by my season ticket. I think any real QPR fan can see that what the Rs need are hungry players who give a shit. We do not need passengers like Bosingwa, Traore, Park (absolutely useless), Rob Green, Fabio, Zamora, Johnson and Onuoha. I'd rather have Gorkss, Hill and Connolly in defence, not that they are the finest purveyors of footie available, but at least they seemed to care. Faurlin sits on the bench game after game, as does Jamie Mackie. How long before they decide to move on? It's not good enough. Hughes & his cronies have got to go before it's too late. Surely, if we can't beat Southampton at home.... |
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Comment | When is a refund not a refund? Guest column
at 23:17:34
Like the guest columnist, I was labouring under the misapprehension that I'd be receiving a cash refund against some of the cost of my season ticket. I even thought, somewhat daftly, that if I turned up at the box office with my season ticket, my £50 worth of vouchers would be swapped for cash! I was told that the only option I had apart from spending the vouchers or donating them was that I could give up my season ticket and get a full refund, which of course I didn't want to do, and I assume no one else did either. I realise the new regime didn't have to make any appeasement to the fans, but having made such a big deal of the this much-vaunted refund, I would have thought they might have been a bit more generous. It does smack rather of a political PR move. It certainly worked, and must have helped to get a lot of disgruntled supporters onside. The fact that the vouchers have to spent by the New Year is a rather unnecessary little extra. I think a discount off next year's season tickets for all of this year's holders would have been a far better idea. Still, as me old granny used to say, 'who are you?' |
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Comment | When is a refund not a refund? Guest column
at 23:17:24
Like the guest columnist, I was labouring under the misapprehension that I'd be receiving a cash refund against some of the cost of my season ticket. I even thought, somewhat daftly, that if I turned up at the box office with my season ticket, my £50 worth of vouchers would be swapped for cash! I was told that the only option I had apart from spending the vouchers or donating them was that I could give up my season ticket and get a full refund, which of course I didn't want to do, and I assume no one else did either. I realise the new regime didn't have to make any appeasement to the fans, but having made such a big deal of the this much-vaunted refund, I would have thought they might have been a bit more generous. It does smack rather of a political PR move. It certainly worked, and must have helped to get a lot of disgruntled supporters onside. The fact that the vouchers have to spent by the New Year is a rather unnecessary little extra. I think a discount off next year's season tickets for all of this year's holders would have been a far better idea. Still, as me old granny used to say, 'who are you?' |
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Comment | Is the QPR house built on sand about to change hands? Guest column
at 14:33:22
A decent, thought-provoking feature, but I have to go along with PinnerPaul. The Rs were deserved champions last season. Sure we had a bit of luck here and there, but so does every other team in every league in the world. We won the Campionship by being the best team. I agree it's going to be a tough season in the Premiership this season whether or not Fernandes rides in on a (blue &) white charger distributing money and some sort of stability. However, I don't think relegation is quite such a certainty. Norwich & Swansea have spent a bit, but have they actually improved their first XIs? Wigan are flogging their best player, and there are a few other teams who look encouragingly weak. At least our bargain buys all have the required quality. It's only their fitness that is in question. If the club is taken over and Fernandes gives Warnock some spending money, I think The Rs stand a real chance of survival. Good to back though, isn't it? |
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Comment | Is the QPR house built on sand about to change hands? Guest column
at 14:33:12
A decent, thought-provoking feature, but I have to go along with PinnerPaul. The Rs were deserved champions last season. Sure we had a bit of luck here and there, but so does every other team in every league in the world. We won the Campionship by being the best team. I agree it's going to be a tough season in the Premiership this season whether or not Fernandes rides in on a (blue &) white charger distributing money and some sort of stability. However, I don't think relegation is quite such a certainty. Norwich & Swansea have spent a bit, but have they actually improved their first XIs? Wigan are flogging their best player, and there are a few other teams who look encouragingly weak. At least our bargain buys all have the required quality. It's only their fitness that is in question. If the club is taken over and Fernandes gives Warnock some spending money, I think The Rs stand a real chance of survival. Good to back though, isn't it? |
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Comment | Briatore and Ecclestone bite back — Taarabt stays, Warnock rebuked
at 14:56:07
Spot on. My feeling is that E & B were planning a sale of the club, expecting the Mittals to cough up way over the odds now Premiership football is part of the deal. When the Mittals (and/or anyone else) didn't offer enough, tactics had to be adjusted. E & B clearly don't want to invest any more money in the Rs, but they are at least bright enough to realise that without at least some minimal input, the club is likely to be doomed to a swift and humiliating relegation, thereby rendering their investment even less saleable. So, if they are forced to retain control of QPR for the coming season, they will have to inject some kind of cash for players, to prevent themselves from losing millions. Like you say, the Taarabt to PSG saga has struck me as strange right from the off. Why would an ambitious and (over)confident player want to take himself out of one of the best shop windows in world football after waiting years to arrive there? It just doesn't add up. Also, you're right about Warnock. He's a canny old manager whose been in the game a lifetime (I remember seeing him running up and down the wing for Aldershot decades ago). He's no fool and does not underestimate the knowledge of the fans like the 2 chancers in charge. He also works the press really well. I've always felt that as soon as he felt his position was untenable, he'd walk, and he hasn't walked yet. That's got to mean something. I still cling to the forlorn hope that E & B will sell the club to the Mittals in the next couple of weeks, take their profit and disappear, but it's looking less & less likely. My only spark of solace is that having seen the uninspiring calibre of the players that the smaller clubs in the Premiership are signing, we might actually have a faint chance of survival. The next couple of weeks could prove interesting (or not). |
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Comment | Briatore and Ecclestone bite back — Taarabt stays, Warnock rebuked
at 14:55:50
Spot on. My feeling is that E & B were planning a sale of the club, expecting the Mittals to cough up way over the odds now Premiership football is part of the deal. When the Mittals (and/or anyone else) didn't offer enough, tactics had to be adjusted. E & B clearly don't want to invest any more money in the Rs, but they are at least bright enough to realise that without at least some minimal input, the club is likely to be doomed to a swift and humiliating relegation, thereby rendering their investment even less saleable. So, if they are forced to retain control of QPR for the coming season, they will have to inject some kind of cash for players, to prevent themselves from losing millions. Like you say, the Taarabt to PSG saga has struck me as strange right from the off. Why would an ambitious and (over)confident player want to take himself out of one of the best shop windows in world football after waiting years to arrive there? It just doesn't add up. Also, you're right about Warnock. He's a canny old manager whose been in the game a lifetime (I remember seeing him running up and down the wing for Aldershot decades ago). He's no fool and does not underestimate the knowledge of the fans like the 2 chancers in charge. He also works the press really well. I've always felt that as soon as he felt his position was untenable, he'd walk, and he hasn't walked yet. That's got to mean something. I still cling to the forlorn hope that E & B will sell the club to the Mittals in the next couple of weeks, take their profit and disappear, but it's looking less & less likely. My only spark of solace is that having seen the uninspiring calibre of the players that the smaller clubs in the Premiership are signing, we might actually have a faint chance of survival. The next couple of weeks could prove interesting (or not). |
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