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Reply | We need a Director of Football
at 15:25 8 Apr 2025
We didn't really get relegated at the worst possible moment. We could've easily stayed in the second tier for a couple of years under prudent management, grown steadily and gone up in 97 or 98. It would have been good for the club, QPR may have learnt something important if serious people had taken over then, made different choices. Being in the Prem in 96 to 99 made zero difference to comparable clubs then.
I mean,
1996, we passed Sunderland and Derby coming up on the way down.
1997: Bolton and Barnsley were promoted to the Prem, along with Palace.
1998: Middlesborough and Charlton went up. And Man City went down to the third tier.
None of these clubs had their destinies moulded by being in the Premier League in the mid-late 90s. Some of them went bust. Some are now in a lower division than us. Only Man City other than QPR were bought by multi-biliionaires *after* being relegated.
The QPR mismanagement and missed opportunities are myriad and mind-blowing. But they all occurred long after Richard Thompson sold up (or took lots of money for a centre back desperate to leave). |
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Reply | We need a Director of Football
at 16:19 7 Apr 2025
I totally agree with this analysis of Richard Thompson (and the contrast with Nourry is as you say stark), but the only other person I've ever read this opinion from is David McIntyre.
So I don't in fact think you're a club employee. |
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Reply | We need a Director of Football
at 12:45 7 Apr 2025
New posters suddenly appearing on fans websites to undermine popular managers when thin-skinned CEOs are under pressure for the poverty of their work: we've been here before.
Wouldn't it be better to just let the coach be interviewed by Loft For Words or attend an open fans forum? |
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Reply | Injury hit, on the beach and checked out, QPR soundly beaten – Report
at 16:21 1 Apr 2025
I do like the poetry of the Curbishley analogy, but it should be remembered that Curbishley turned down the offer of a new Charlton contract - he wasn't sacked or not offered a contract by a club who thought they'd gone as far with him as they could. It just turned out to be true, for both of parties.
His nose was out of joint that Steve McClaren had been appointed England manager when he'd been interviewed and thought himself the best senior candidate. West Ham had also been sniffing around him for years - encouraged I imagine by him, as were Liverpool for a bit. So, that was factor. He was managing WHU five months after his Charlton contract ended.
So, not giving Warburton/Eustace new contracts because we thought QPR could do better than the duo who'd provided QPR's most reliably high second tier placings in a decade was was our own, original hubris. |
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Reply | Injury hit, on the beach and checked out, QPR soundly beaten – Report
at 11:15 31 Mar 2025
I'm reading your conversation with some absolute idiotic maniacs on Twitter/X. Have banned myself from Twitter QPR as it's too mad, and your conversation is exactly why. Incredible stuff.
There's the (presumably) kids who love Nourry - and I get that, they want to believe the future is bright, burn down the past, why not, we've all been young but luckily for me Clive Allen was up front - and who seem to think we've a world class academy with "generational talent" playing there who'll be be international footballers soon (based on YouTube goal comps) and reply to anybody despairing of these long losing runs with "LMAO, who cares" type comments because they think the "fanbase" (mate, we're supporters, or fans, not a fanbase unless you're just on social media) are "so weird, man". That's the guy who made out Kevin Gallen was just bitter he wasn't Rayan Kolli, that was a good one.
Then there's the guy who thinks we're on the cusp of a brilliant summer of recruitment, that the finances are actually really good if you look closely, and next season will be incredible because we can get rid of the dead wood and Nourry's team can buy some more good players. That you're an idiot if you're not really optimistic.
This is the bit in Clive's report that really nails it. Whatever people thought of Les (and Ramsey), of some of their failed signings, there was always a sense that they knew what they needed to win games, of the mix required of Geoff Cameron-style dull experience with the kind of young players who might step up, that they knew enough people in football, had experience of dressing rooms, contracts at clubs, that between them and say Holloway or Warburton (even McClaren), they'd sign enough players like Barbet, Freedman, BOS, etc, players who could get the job done. (They only really messed up when Beale had a say too)
Next summer, likely Nourry and Belk will be choosing a new coach and most of a new squad. Each will be received on socials the way Madsen, Dembele, Celar were received last summer, like we'd signed prototype Mpabbe and De Bruyne, that they had the league sown up, "they ain't ready for Nourry": an actual quote after we signed Madsen. It's going to end in tears. Ours.
This is the kind of thing I can't reply to your thread on Twitter. But valiant effort, Dave. [Post edited 31 Mar 11:16]
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Reply | 2-3 wins
at 09:54 30 Mar 2025
Now, this has worried me. You have an incredible ability to deliver pronouncements from on high to us little people who go to watch QPR which, in fact, turn out to be as complete bollox as they first appear.
A couple of your lofty predictions that I particularly remember, as each was so deeply patronising:
1/ last February you told us all (slight paraphrase, can't face trawling through old posts) "that fans have to accept as the club have" that we were going to be starting 24/25 in L1, and were cutting our cloth to fit. Almost immediately, we started on the run that kept us up fairly comfortably in the end.
2/ that, "seriously", Ian Holloway would fired by Swindon before last Christmas because he's mentally unwell, the inference being that you'd have to be an idiot to think otherwise. Olly then then went on a great run to mid-table, earning manager of the month and now a new three year contract extension.
So, if you say QPR are "safe" with seven more games to go, one win in seven, injuries to all the key players, a pair of genuine six pointers next and six points distance to what is traditionally safety...well, as I say, I am now worried.
More than that, the demeanour and recent comments from Cifuentes about this being his hardest season by far, that Cardiff is his biggest game here (really? bigger than Brum last season? Wow) and the fact he is still being kept at arms length from us (when is that coaches' interview appearing I wonder) by Nourry says to me we are very from safe, in more than one sense of the word.
Cardiff is a massive game. Too big to say we're safe already, that's for sure. |
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Reply | Swindon
at 22:37 29 Mar 2025
Sacked by last Christmas latest.
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Reply | "By far the most challenging season of my career!”
at 16:38 17 Mar 2025
Ha!
I think it would be worth collating publicly the questions sent in to the "Football Panel". That way we can all compare what was answered with what we know wasn't - it would be in its own way quite revealing. Plus it gives a tiny bit of leverage back to fans. But maybe on its own thread. |
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Reply | "By far the most challenging season of my career!”
at 16:17 17 Mar 2025
The "ITK" stuff is neither here nor there. It may annoy, but objectively you either think it and the sources ring true or not. If you know the truth of something you can disprove or ignore them. We can't.
The only way to clear away conspiracies or rumours is to shine a light on everything, to be open with loyal fans as much as is practical. Whatever anyone thought of the Ferdinand, Hoos, Warburton axis, I think they got open communication pretty much spot on. They all let us in two or three times a year, sometimes together, sometimes apart. They faced up when it was tough, too. They were self-respecting adults about it.
Nourry could kill every rumour, every ITK stone dead with a proper, in-person, unfiltered Fans Forum with Cifuentes and himself. That he doesn't tells me everything. That he chooses to instead present a "Football Panel" whereby our head coach shares a platform with seven others including the Head of Methodology, Head of Performance Services and Head of Women’s Operations to answer vetted questions before an audience of just scholars and the women's team before edited answers are shared on "channels" should tell all more than any ITK rumour. It's laughably, transparently controlling. With due respect to everyone else on the panel, let's hear from the head coach and the recruitment on one panel please, the academy, methodology etc on another, and the women's on their own. It's insulting to think he believes fans really buy this nonsense. |
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Reply | "By far the most challenging season of my career!”
at 10:46 17 Mar 2025
Well, it was said by Nourry. We'd all love to ask Cifuentes about that, about the squad he wants, about all kinds of things in fact - but Nourry won't allow that to happen unless he vets the answers.
You have to be able to draw a conclusion from that. |
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Reply | "By far the most challenging season of my career!”
at 17:58 16 Mar 2025
He doesn't like a whinge though, does he? We do know that, we have the evidence of almost all his interviews I can think of. He's been largely uncomplaining throughout his time here, despite all kinds of adversity. He never really makes excuses and his mentality is always really forward-facing and supportive of his players.
Here he is simply saying this has been by far the hardest season of his career - he'd know. And he adds that it's not just about results. Anybody who's watched us regularly this season knows there's something wrong at the club, at a sporting level. At the very least, this is arguably the least well-balanced squad we've had since being relegated a decade ago. And we know who always takes the credit publicly for every signing.
Fundamentally, I disagree. I want them to air their dirty laundry. This is our club. I want to know what's happening. Because they'll be gone soon enough and we'll be left with the mess once more, wondering how it's happened under noses again. |
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Reply | "By far the most challenging season of my career!”
at 17:37 16 Mar 2025
Yeah, had missed that. Pathetic, insulting. The only person you need to hear from is Cifuentes, plus Belk and Nourry at a push - but all together, in a room, with an audience. Let's hear the choir all singing together.
Embarrassing, really. Being that controlling is just so weak and unconfident, isn't it? Some time in the future, when he's left. we'll hear the true story from Marti. Make or break six months for Nourry, I reckon. |
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Reply | "By far the most challenging season of my career!”
at 16:31 16 Mar 2025
Never did get that fans forum with him, did we? They've kept him at arm's length for a reason. I suspect we will soon enough learn who's a more valuable asset, Nourry or Cifuentes. |
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Thread | "By far the most challenging season of my career!”
at 09:21 16 Mar 2025
Saw this on the way to the game, Cifuentes describing how difficult the season's been, "not just the results", but "things the fans don't see" - particularly the last few weeks.
Interesting that he thinks this has been "by far" harder than taking over one of the worst teams I can remember last season.
Seems significant. I wonder what's been happening - and I wonder where that leaves him for next season.
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Reply | Eze back in England squad
at 12:52 14 Mar 2025
He's in brilliant form - have you seen him recently?
He'd massively improve both the Spurs and Man U current squads. (I mean, Palace are above both those teams! I wouldn't trust either manager with him, rather than other way round). He'd also improve Arsenal at the moment. If you've watched any of these teams' recent games or Palace that much is painfully obvious. Arsenal should've bought Olise last summer - same with Eze (and Mateta) this. Eze absolutely deserves a top six move. |
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Reply | No. 10
at 12:53 10 Mar 2025
Roy Wegerle
John Byrne
Adel Taraabt
Ebere Eze
All pretty worthy tens in the lineage of Marsh, Bowles and possibly more mercurial, game-changing players than Gallen in the ten role (as much as I love him).
And I reckon Chair will be viewed in the future as also a great QPR ten, not his fault it's in a fairly rubbish team. He's not playing behind Clive Allen - or anyone really - but is still responsible for the most assists this season despite being injured for half of it.
There'll be more great QPR number tens. More worried there won't be any great QPR number 9s in the lineage of Givens, Allen, Bannister, Ferdinand, Furlong, Austin... |
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Reply | Time to play our own
at 12:58 7 Mar 2025
I can think of three important debut loans for QPR players that predate that (but can't think of others):
Alan McDonald 1983 (9 games for Charlton)
Les Ferdinand 1988 (month at Brentford, season at Besiktas)
Danny Dichio 1994 (Two months at Barnet) |
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Reply | Time to play our own
at 17:34 4 Mar 2025
"And I can distinguish between players we own and loan players: very different situations."
What is the difference between a loan player whose deal runs out in June (let's call him Ronnie Edwards) and a contracted player (let's call him Steve Cook) whose deal runs out in June? Let's imagine they are on similar deals. Who is more likely to be playing next season for QPR? Be honest. You don't know. I don't know. Pick from the fit players available.
Liam Morrison, meanwhile, had surgery in September, came back in November, sustained a hip injury that kept him for six weeks a month later. He's been back training for a month. I'm not a physio or sports scientist of your pedigree, but I imagine that is in everybody's mind as they ease him back with minutes from the bench here and there.
It should also be noted that Morrison had a long spell injured at Bayern, too, and at Wigan - both muscle injuries too. So maybe just rushing him back from a second long injury at QPR in his first season when we have a fit loan player in his place may not be the best idea.
Just another weird theory for you. |
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Reply | Time to play our own
at 13:04 4 Mar 2025
"This thread is about...". Come on, it's a conversation on a messageboard about a ludricrous proposition that nobody at QPR is going to entertain anyway. Humour us!
A player on loan until June is the same as a player out of contract in June. Why make these weird rules that don't apply?
And the best care of a right footed CB who is coming back from surgery having already spent several months out injured may not be playing him at left CB with a similarly recently returned and still somewhat ginger CB.
Let's hope you're right, and in four matches time those odds remain 200/1. |
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