Prospects for next season 08:12 - Mar 19 with 8945 views | TheChef | OK, so assuming we stay in the Championship... Most likely we will lose most if not all of the players who are out of contract in the summer. From a midfield perspective we should be OK and you hope the likes of Bright, Smyth and Chair will figure more and kick on. The bigger concerns are up front and at the back where we will need to strengthen and do so very shrewdly. We need to find a Pukki goal-scoring equivalent if we can, but then I suppose so do all the other teams. No doubt next season will be very tough, but if the fans can be patient and supportive (hmmm....) then a part of me is hopeful we can survive and do enough to start building a team that can challenge higher up the table in the next few years. One thing re club staffing - the large number of coaching staff we currently have, and in general I think the number of staff at the club has doubled in the past few years, I don't know why. If we need to keep a steady financial footing then I think that will have to be addressed over the summer - how McClaren will cope with that I don't know, equally I don't know what his appetite is for building a team with youngsters and lesser known players from the lower leagues. We saw what he thought of that approach earlier this season, so without the money, resources and 'players he knows' I do wonder if he'll decide it's not for him and move on at the end of the season. | |
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Prospects for next season on 08:32 - Mar 19 with 6412 views | ozexile | I personally wouldn't say we're ok anywhere. Defence leaking goals. Wayward midfield that rarely scores goals and 2 x strikers who aren't ours going back to their respective clubs. I just hope Penrice is aware of what we need. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 08:45 - Mar 19 with 6386 views | dodge_stoke_r | I'm actually a fairly optimistic bloke. And I don't think we we will lose the number of players that others think we will. Eg I can't see a massive queue to sign Eze or Luongo for that matter. But as has been said, we always look like conceding and we don't score enough. Simple, I know, but I just can't see anything other than a big relegation struggle next season | | | |
Prospects for next season on 09:39 - Mar 19 with 6277 views | Antti_Heinola | There's a lot of chat about staffing and SM may have more staff than we're used to. But surely the extra bodies compared to 7 or 8 years ago is because we're actually investing in the youth system, which was what everyone wanted? It's expanded a lot in the last few years after all. | |
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Prospects for next season on 09:55 - Mar 19 with 6248 views | Dorse | This is Tomas Shavenknackers with the QPR forecast: prolonged depression with occasional showers of s hite, interspersed with brighter spots. Midweek, in the north, we will regularly see urine temperature topping 100 degree but this tends to be less of an issue down south. Overall, atmospherics will be changeable ranging from generally positive to, frankly, diabolical. | |
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Prospects for next season on 09:56 - Mar 19 with 6247 views | PunteR |
Prospects for next season on 09:39 - Mar 19 by Antti_Heinola | There's a lot of chat about staffing and SM may have more staff than we're used to. But surely the extra bodies compared to 7 or 8 years ago is because we're actually investing in the youth system, which was what everyone wanted? It's expanded a lot in the last few years after all. |
There is a balance though. Plus you've got to see results on the pitch to justify it. | |
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Prospects for next season on 10:06 - Mar 19 with 6224 views | TheChef |
Prospects for next season on 08:45 - Mar 19 by dodge_stoke_r | I'm actually a fairly optimistic bloke. And I don't think we we will lose the number of players that others think we will. Eg I can't see a massive queue to sign Eze or Luongo for that matter. But as has been said, we always look like conceding and we don't score enough. Simple, I know, but I just can't see anything other than a big relegation struggle next season |
Doubt anyone will come in for Eze, think he needs another full season with us. Freeman is arguably our only saleable asset. Will any of the out of contract players stay at the club on a reduced salary? | |
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Prospects for next season on 10:09 - Mar 19 with 6219 views | PunteR |
Prospects for next season on 10:06 - Mar 19 by TheChef | Doubt anyone will come in for Eze, think he needs another full season with us. Freeman is arguably our only saleable asset. Will any of the out of contract players stay at the club on a reduced salary? |
I honestly think we should keep Freeman, unlikely i know but we could build a decent team around him. | |
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Prospects for next season on 10:46 - Mar 19 with 6153 views | Antti_Heinola |
Prospects for next season on 09:56 - Mar 19 by PunteR | There is a balance though. Plus you've got to see results on the pitch to justify it. |
There is, but you also can't just say 'there are too many staff' without knowing for sure where those extra staff are and what they're doing. As a broad point it might well be correct - I don't know. But if it's more youth coaches, you won't see those results for a while - although we clearly are already seeing a much better set-up at younger levels than we have for two decades, maybe three (not hard I know). | |
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Prospects for next season on 11:35 - Mar 19 with 6045 views | Esox_Lucius |
Prospects for next season on 10:09 - Mar 19 by PunteR | I honestly think we should keep Freeman, unlikely i know but we could build a decent team around him. |
We are only now just seeing the greenshoots of the investment into the academy players, 2-3 getting in to the first team, half a dozen out on loan at professional clubs and the U23's largely represented by the U18's as it stands. I believe it takes around 8-10 years to fully establish a youth structure that will attract the kind of players we are hoping to reach out to and improve. It will be an indicator, once Warren Farm is complete, to see the standard of player we will be coaching in five years time. | |
| The grass is always greener. |
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Prospects for next season on 11:54 - Mar 19 with 5995 views | Toast_R | It's all very well bringing in the kids and I'm all for that but there has to be a balance. I feel what we've been lacking for a number of seasons is a good old level headed experienced pro, a proper captain who knows the division and will earn the respect of the younger players. A Steve Palmer/Sean Derry type. What I'd do for some of that next season. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 12:03 - Mar 19 with 5980 views | oldmisery |
Prospects for next season on 10:46 - Mar 19 by Antti_Heinola | There is, but you also can't just say 'there are too many staff' without knowing for sure where those extra staff are and what they're doing. As a broad point it might well be correct - I don't know. But if it's more youth coaches, you won't see those results for a while - although we clearly are already seeing a much better set-up at younger levels than we have for two decades, maybe three (not hard I know). |
Do you know if there is any way the club can be persuaded to supply that information? Could it be addressed during a Fans Forum? Is it possible to determine such info from any elements of the annual accounts, for example? I would love to know who they are and what they all do. All I can say for certain is that there around 20 of them at home matches, either in the dug out or seated just behind the dug out. One of them always disappears around the 70 minute mark and returns five minutes later carrying two large bags of ice; either for the ice baths (do we still have baths in the dressing room) or for Supermac's G&T. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 12:20 - Mar 19 with 5937 views | CroydonCaptJack |
Prospects for next season on 12:03 - Mar 19 by oldmisery | Do you know if there is any way the club can be persuaded to supply that information? Could it be addressed during a Fans Forum? Is it possible to determine such info from any elements of the annual accounts, for example? I would love to know who they are and what they all do. All I can say for certain is that there around 20 of them at home matches, either in the dug out or seated just behind the dug out. One of them always disappears around the 70 minute mark and returns five minutes later carrying two large bags of ice; either for the ice baths (do we still have baths in the dressing room) or for Supermac's G&T. |
Two large bags! That is some G & T. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 12:27 - Mar 19 with 5910 views | Antti_Heinola |
Prospects for next season on 12:03 - Mar 19 by oldmisery | Do you know if there is any way the club can be persuaded to supply that information? Could it be addressed during a Fans Forum? Is it possible to determine such info from any elements of the annual accounts, for example? I would love to know who they are and what they all do. All I can say for certain is that there around 20 of them at home matches, either in the dug out or seated just behind the dug out. One of them always disappears around the 70 minute mark and returns five minutes later carrying two large bags of ice; either for the ice baths (do we still have baths in the dressing room) or for Supermac's G&T. |
I can think of more interesting things to do than study a spreadsheet of what every employee does at QPR to be honest. This is the kind of stuff no one cared about in December, but becomes a huge deal after a terrible run isn't it? I'm all for accountability etc but at some level, for me at least, I have to have some trust in who the club employs. Hoos has been desperately cutting wherever he can, so I feel 'extra' staff we do have will have had to have had their case made at some stage. Not saying there couldn't be cuts made, as there can always be cuts made as I'm sure most of us have experienced in our working lives. But I'm not sure it's particularly worth focusing on. | |
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Prospects for next season on 12:42 - Mar 19 with 5878 views | oldmisery |
Prospects for next season on 12:27 - Mar 19 by Antti_Heinola | I can think of more interesting things to do than study a spreadsheet of what every employee does at QPR to be honest. This is the kind of stuff no one cared about in December, but becomes a huge deal after a terrible run isn't it? I'm all for accountability etc but at some level, for me at least, I have to have some trust in who the club employs. Hoos has been desperately cutting wherever he can, so I feel 'extra' staff we do have will have had to have had their case made at some stage. Not saying there couldn't be cuts made, as there can always be cuts made as I'm sure most of us have experienced in our working lives. But I'm not sure it's particularly worth focusing on. |
I would guess that if there was a correlation between all these 'green men' and an upturn in our fortunes, nobody would give a toss. If the majority of them were employed to improve our younger players and ensure a greater number developed into first teamers or saleable assets; well, again, who would care? But I would imagine that if the latter scenario was true, why would so many of them attend first team matches? Indeed, the majority of those behind the dug out rarely watch the game itself, they actually spend most of the ninety minutes staring at their mobile phones. And whilst I would love to have trust in those personnel the club employs, history tells me that the manner in which those tasked with recruitment over the last twenty/thirty years has, unfortunately, left much to be desired. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 13:07 - Mar 19 with 5790 views | daveB |
Prospects for next season on 12:42 - Mar 19 by oldmisery | I would guess that if there was a correlation between all these 'green men' and an upturn in our fortunes, nobody would give a toss. If the majority of them were employed to improve our younger players and ensure a greater number developed into first teamers or saleable assets; well, again, who would care? But I would imagine that if the latter scenario was true, why would so many of them attend first team matches? Indeed, the majority of those behind the dug out rarely watch the game itself, they actually spend most of the ninety minutes staring at their mobile phones. And whilst I would love to have trust in those personnel the club employs, history tells me that the manner in which those tasked with recruitment over the last twenty/thirty years has, unfortunately, left much to be desired. |
the ones on a match day will be standard staff, you have the coaches, assistant manager, kit man and medical team all in green, behind the dugout are the video analysis lot. It seems a lot but only seems that way due to how amateur we've been for years in not having these people. The number of staff on the accounts which showed up have to be at youth level and a huge increase in scouting at all age levels | | | |
Prospects for next season on 14:32 - Mar 19 with 5632 views | Boston |
Prospects for next season on 12:20 - Mar 19 by CroydonCaptJack | Two large bags! That is some G & T. |
They would be body bags, we’re never too sure how long McClaren and Eustace have got. | |
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Prospects for next season on 15:24 - Mar 19 with 5561 views | Gloucs_R | Just looking at the out of contract players in the Championship: Strikers include - McGoldrick, Frazier Campbell, Gary Hooper, Lee Gregory Defenders - Olsson, Elphick, Iorfa, Pinto, Klose and even more dross in midfield. Thats not looking good. | |
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Prospects for next season on 15:42 - Mar 19 with 5522 views | rsonist | Antti bang on the money here. Really despair of how everyone seized on the coaching staff tidbit as proof of mismanaged bloat soon as we started losing a few games. Same goes for the ludicrous sneering about iPads in preseason cos McClaren wasn't Ollie making the squad run up tarmac hills in Iberian summer high noon or whatever. Of course when it was Kevin Bond in a Portakabin it was all why couldn't we be like one of those modern clubs, and oh wasn't it all such a disgraceful betrayal when the club opted against Category 1 Academy status stipulating top whack coaching, staffing, premises, physio, the lot. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 16:07 - Mar 19 with 5471 views | ParkRoyalR |
Prospects for next season on 11:35 - Mar 19 by Esox_Lucius | We are only now just seeing the greenshoots of the investment into the academy players, 2-3 getting in to the first team, half a dozen out on loan at professional clubs and the U23's largely represented by the U18's as it stands. I believe it takes around 8-10 years to fully establish a youth structure that will attract the kind of players we are hoping to reach out to and improve. It will be an indicator, once Warren Farm is complete, to see the standard of player we will be coaching in five years time. |
If they come through a few winters at Warren Farm they'll be ready made for Tuesday night games up North. Played there many times, and coming out of the changing rooms into bitter gale force wind is a lasting memory. That place has a micro-climate like nowhere else in London I've played football. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 16:18 - Mar 19 with 5441 views | PlanetHonneywood | Challenging! | |
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Prospects for next season on 16:21 - Mar 19 with 5433 views | flynnbo |
Prospects for next season on 16:07 - Mar 19 by ParkRoyalR | If they come through a few winters at Warren Farm they'll be ready made for Tuesday night games up North. Played there many times, and coming out of the changing rooms into bitter gale force wind is a lasting memory. That place has a micro-climate like nowhere else in London I've played football. |
Our school had playing fields miles away and we had to get an old GLC boneshaker coach there. It was Priest Hill in Ewell and always seemed to be freezing cold, rainy and windy there too! | | | |
Prospects for next season on 16:24 - Mar 19 with 5427 views | PinnerPaul | I think for most clubs guessing how next season is going to go at this time of the year is a bit pointless. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 16:24 - Mar 19 with 5424 views | stevec |
Prospects for next season on 16:07 - Mar 19 by ParkRoyalR | If they come through a few winters at Warren Farm they'll be ready made for Tuesday night games up North. Played there many times, and coming out of the changing rooms into bitter gale force wind is a lasting memory. That place has a micro-climate like nowhere else in London I've played football. |
Remember it from the mid 70's. Weirdest place, never known a cold wind like it in London. I doubt even potential professional footballers will be able to cope with that, especially in winter. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 20:44 - Mar 19 with 5297 views | ozexile |
Prospects for next season on 16:24 - Mar 19 by stevec | Remember it from the mid 70's. Weirdest place, never known a cold wind like it in London. I doubt even potential professional footballers will be able to cope with that, especially in winter. |
I had a 5 a side tournament there in the summer back in the 80's. It was freezing cold in June. | | | |
Prospects for next season on 23:00 - Mar 19 with 5190 views | Hastings_Hoops | I'm positive about next year. If QPR were to sign a 21 year old attacking midfielder from League 2 in June on a free transfer, who had scored 1 goal in every 2 games, I would be pleased (Ilias Chair) and if we were to sign a 21 year old striker from League 1 in June on a free transfer, who had scored 1 goal in every 3 games and played for his country, I would be happy (Paul Smyth). Then add to that (hopefully) a confident Eze, BOS and Shodipo - we've got some great youngsters.The main thing that we need to do is make sure we have one or two experienced heads next to the youngsters although that doesn't need to be expensive. I'd love to see us keep Freeman, but if we can get £8m+ and spend a couple of million of that on contracts to bring in some "older heads" to work with our youngsters - a CB to sit along side Furlong, a classy midfielder to play off of Cousins or Scowen and a 10 goal a season striker to take the pressure off Smyth, then great. For Steve McClaren this year, it's a case of bring the youngsters through and don't get relegated while doing this. I think he's played it safe, spent a bit on loans while sending some of the above out on loan to mature this season. My frustration has been a lack of trust on BOS and Shodipo in the last few weeks, but hopefully that'll change. | | | |
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