A dire 2012/13 campaign that has featured just four league wins for QPR draws to a merciful close at Anfield on Sunday as the R’s face Liverpool.
Premier League >>> Sunday May 19, 2013 >>> Kick Off 4pm >>> Anfield, Liverpool
There have been some low moments for QPR supporters in recent times. Infamous ones like the League Cup final defeat to Oxford or the FA Cup humbling by Vauxhall Motors; less significant but almost equally as painful incidents like 5-0 defeats at Nottingham Forest, Preston and Wimbledon; and plenty of off the field nonsense besides.
It almost seems churlish to throw a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool in there, especially given how well Luis Suarez played in that match, but that day back in December is just about as bad as it has ever got for me in my 20 years of supporting Rangers. It wasn’t just that QPR were woeful out on the pitch, or the fact that their levels of effort and concentration were far beneath where they needed to be, or that Harry Redknapp put a defensive midfielder on for a striker at half time to protect a three goal deficit from getting worse - because we’ve certainly seen all that before and since. It was more the fact that the club seemed to be changing – not for the better – and moving away from the supporters who’d backed it for generations.
QPR spoke a lot about becoming a global brand in 2012 and gave the impression that the new found Korean support – to be found dotted around Loftus Road taking pictures and squealing at Ji-Sung Park during heavy home defeats to West Ham and Southampton – were much more important than the regulars in The Springbok or The White Horse. The club talked about how wonderful it was to have a chairman so accessible via social media but real communication with the fan base was non-existent resulting in a bizarre fans forum at Loftus Road where minor, personal grievances came pouring out one after the other simply because e-mails and correspondence about them had previously gone unanswered. Reading the Tweets from people working for the club, particularly after an away loss at Newcastle, made you wonder whether you were in fact holding that league table upside down.
I had a couple of those personal grievances myself that I’d sat quietly on for several months until that Liverpool home match. To my discredit, and the detriment of this website, I came home from the game that night and vented my spleen in what was ostensibly a match report but in reality was a diatribe against a club that felt like it was treating me – and by default all the other loyal QPR fans – with contempt.
Some good came of this. Lines of communication to the club have been improved immensely in the months since. Reps from the club’s main supporters groups are now meeting with senior figures at Rangers on a regular basis again and the benefits of that shone through last week when, for the first time in many a long year, the club got its season ticket prices spot on after constructive dialogue with the LSA, Indy R's and QPR 1st. The trust in particular will be playing a big role going forwards and deserve praise for their work in recent weeks and support from all QPR fans next season.
The media team now sits down regularly with the club’s unofficial websites, fanzines and message boards to exchange information and ideas which has in turn led to welcome changes in the staff’s social media policy and content on the official website – a relationship that simply didn’t exist before that is now proving fruitful for both sides. I’ve spoken to members of the club’s media team more in the last four months than in my previous 19 years supporting the club put together and other websites, podcasts and message boards can say the same. Regular fans forums are back on the agenda for the first time in six years. The club now has a customer service manager dealing with individual queries and grievances as they come in.
I’m not for one moment claiming any credit for any of this, believing some rant on a poxy website changed the whole policy of a Premier League football club, but it was one of a number of things that all happened at the same time and helped. If there is a positive to draw from this lousy season, the fact that the club now seems to properly engaging with the support base again could be it.
But behaving in that way, writing the things I did around the Liverpool home match and trip to Chelsea, going on the excellent Open All R’s Podcast and banging on all over again, was pretty appalling. I look back now and cringe. It was totally the wrong way to go about things, it caused untold problems for a couple of long serving and very hard working staff at the club, and it made me look bitter, self-important and self-indulgent.
The idea behind this site is to be something that I would want to read myself. It aims to publish well researched content in much more detail than the national or even local press are able to provide on QPR. It’s also meant to be an irreverent source of work-avoidance, something to entertain and occasionally inform, something to help those who can’t go to all the games get a picture of not only what the match was like but how the day went for the idiot section who did get up at 5am to travel up to Middlesbrough. It’s meant to be funny when it can be.
There is a need for us QPR supporters to serve was a watchdog – because the fans are the only constant at a football club where everybody else comes and goes – and sites like this have a role in that and should never be shy of expressing critical opinions where necessary. But at times this season LFW has become far too full of itself, far too high and mighty, far too holier than thou, far too big for its boots, far too worthy.
So take this year’s annual LFW end of season ramble as an apology. The site will continue into next season, and a fun summer of writing up a whole new batch of 46 history columns and 23 travel guides awaits, but hopefully we’ll stick more to what this site is meant to be and is still, on occasions, reasonably good at.
As ever at the end of the season it would be remiss not to thank first of all the loyal readers and message board users who are the lifeblood of the site. We’ve been averaging 60,000 page impressions a day through the season which is remarkable so thank you for all your support. Chris King, Lewis Jones, Andy Hillman, Brian Power, Owen Goulding, Nathan McAllister, Roller, Rob Gilbert, Greg Sangwine and others I’ve no doubt embarrassingly forgotten to list have submitted excellent copy over the course of a difficult campaign for no personal reward whatsoever so thank you to all of them. Neil Dejyothin is worthy of special mention for the photographs, articles, incredible hard work behind the scenes at the rep meetings, and following me around the country chipping in every now and again with “this isn’t a good idea” when I’m about to do or say something stupid. His assertion that he will be going to far fewer games next season is a source of great concern for my family who firmly believe that without him I’d have been dead a long time ago. And thanks to the Crown and Sceptre regulars as well – Andy, Jaz, Simmo, Colin, Nik, Briefcase Ranger, Lacoste, John the Barman and Gerry the Landlord - without whom there probably wouldn’t be much point in going to Rangers at all at the moment. And Tracey, who sits with me at the games, and therefore deserves recognition in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
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Team News: QPR, typically given the lack of class in the modern game, say Loic Remy has trained and is available for selection this weekend despite being arrested and bailed on suspicion of being involved in a gang rape earlier in the week. Adel Taarabt is unavailable however as he has returned to Morocco following a family bereavement. Julio Cesar has told the press that he will get a recall this weekend, which seems bizarre given that he is almost certain to leave this summer and Harry Redknapp has openly stated he’s been picking Robert Green as he is staying – perhaps Redknapp fears a shellacking that would not do Green any good at all ahead of 2013/14. Nobody seems to know if Chris Samba is fit, playing, staying, going or something else entirely.
Liverpool’s recent form belies the suspension of their top scorer Luis Suarez and the absence of midfield talisman Steven Gerrard who has gone in for shoulder surgery. Daniel Agger is also ruled out but Bond villain Martin Skrtl is fit and represents a chance for a like for like replacement alongside Jamie Carragher who will play his 737th and final match as a Liverpool player this weekend.
Elsewhere: There’s so little at stake in the “best league in the world” this weekend that the media has been forced to trump up the slim possibility of a play off for third and fourth place. That will happen if Chelsea draw 0-0 at home to Everton and Arsenal win 2-1 at Newcastle and will determine who goes into the Champions League automatically and who has to go through a qualifying round. The possibility is amusing, not least because Chelsea – who have bitched and moaned about the amount of games they’ve had to play all season long – are booked to play some “end of season friendlies” in the US next week but frankly it’s pathetic that third and fourth place even gets into the Champions League in the first place. Of course if Arsenal fail to win, Spurs can move into the top four right at the death with a home victory against Sunderland.
And that really is it. Everything else is a dead rubber. If you fancy falling out of love with the modern game a little bit more then Martin Jol was in the Standard tonight talking up the importance of Fulham’s game at Swansea where a win can lift them five places depending on other results which would represent a £5m increase in prize money – outrageous when you consider how little clubs in the second tier and below get from the TV deals and Premier League.
Liverpool v QPR, Man City v Norwich, Southampton v Stoke, Swansea v Fulham, West Brom v Man Utd, West ham v Reading and Wigan v Aston Villa all have absolutely nothing riding on them whatsoever. I’m sure the Championship will be hellish – as it was last time we were there – but I’ve got a feeling hearing Ed Chamberlain’s self satisfied attempts to try and polish this particular turd at the end of what he’ll no doubt term a “remarkable” Premier League season may just push me into being quite glad we’re heading out of it.
Referee: As a final parting gift on the way out of the league, QPR have been given the pleasure of Martin Atkinson’s company for one final time. He’s probably been the one referee who has been most unkind to Rangers since our promotion – incorrectly disallowing two crucial goals against West Brom and Bolton last season for a start – so we could probably have done without another date with him this weekend. A full QPR case history is available here.
Liverpool: The Reds, despite having little to play for and missing Gerrard and Suarez, are flying. They’ve lost one of their last 12 games scoring 29 goals in the process. Since the turn of the year they’ve scored 39 which is more than any other Premier League team. They’re tight as a mouse’s ear at the other end as well – just three goals conceded in the last six matches and four clean sheets in that time. A win to nil bet looks fairly safe this weekend. Daniel Sturridge has scored six in his last four games, and ten in 13 since a January move from Chelsea. He’s also set up three for team mates.
QPR: God I’m pleased this is the last time I have to write about QPR’s “form” this season. Rangers have lost six and drawn two of their last eight – the two points won came against Reading and Wigan who have both now also been relegated. In total the Rs took four points from a possible 12 against the two sides who will join them in the Championship next season. They haven’t scored in open play for five matches and Loic Remy’s penalty against Newcastle last weekend – the first successful conversion from 12 yards in four attempts this season – was one of only two shots on target Rangers had in the entire game against a side that was poor for 80 minutes and played the final ten with a man less. Remy’s goal took him to six this season from 13 appearances – he’s the club’s top scorer. Only Derby in 2008 and Sunderland in 2006 managed worse Premier League records than QPR’s this season.
Betting: For the final time this season our professional odds compiler Owen Goulding tells us…
“All eyes will be on one man on Sunday as the Anfield faithful give Jamie Carragher a well deserved send off. For a man who has given unparalleled service to his club for many a year the Liverpool fans and team will no doubt want to celebrate with a party atmosphere and a win. And as this season has shown, if your team wants to celebrate, who better to play than the debacle that is QPR?
“It’s hard previewing QPR games at the moment as I'm at a loss to understand Harry's team selections. He doesn’t seem to care, the players don’t seem to care and frankly, for this game, I along with many of you don’t care. I have no idea who he will play, but in all truth, based on what I’ve seen since the Wigan game, it doesn’t really matter. Liverpool are going to have a field day.
“Last week, Liverpool without Suarez and Gerrard tore Fulham apart. They scored three but could easily have had six. Sturridge is looking like realising the potential that many have seen in him, and they are creating chances for fun. A main part of this is the exciting Philippe Coutinho. This kid is something special .I’ve watched him develop in Italy and he just gets better week on week since his arrival on Merseyside. To put it in simple terms, come Sunday, he is going to rip us a new one. Alongside Sturridge, our fragile defence are in for a torrid time. I can see a goalfest here but the prices are reflective of this with Liverpool the shortest price on the coupon at 1/4 and with QPR available at a whopping 14/1 to win the match. As mentioned already on this site, many fans fancying the 6/5 available for Liverpool to win to nil, and I’ve personally had a decent bet on this as Carragher will be marshalling his defence for a clean sheet on his last appearance.
I'm also having an each way first goal scorer bet at 888sport on Mr Coutinho. A big profit if he scores first, a small profit if he scores at any time. And I think there will be more than a few times Liverpool hit the back of the net on Sunday.”
Liverpool v QPR bets for Sunday.
Liverpool to win to Nil - 6/5 (Coral)
Philippe Coutinho First Goalscorer Each Way - 11/2 (888Sport)
As for next season, QPR are being quoted at 5/1 to win the Championship. I wouldn't back it with stolen money.....
Enjoy the summer, and I will be back for more doom and gloom next season...
Prediction: And for the last time this season we welcome our reigning Prediction league champion Nathan McAllister to give his verdict…
“This is the last time you’ll have to suffer my prophesies of doom as, rather like last season’s Premier League champions, I made an extremely lame defence of my prediction league title this time around, giving up completely sometime around February. The issue was not so much failing to get predictions right as failing to remember to log the bloody things on the site.
“Anyway, for the record, I correctly called the score-lines for six of the 37 league fixtures this season. In the LFW prediction league, only Silky (seven) correctly called more, so I’m reasonably satisfied with that. In terms of correctly predicting the outcome (i.e. a win, draw or defeat for Rangers) I was correct for 18 of the 37 games – respectable I suppose, if unspectacular. Added to my 13 correct scorer predictions – admittedly most of those were for predicting no scorer! – that would have made 68 points overall and would have put me in joint second with qprcymru in the prediction league, going into the last game. It looks like it will take something fairly extraordinary to overhaul Mase’s 9 point lead though. That said, I’ll avoid congratulating Mase just yet for fear of putting the mockers on him.
“And so, with great reluctance, I turn my attention to QPR’s final fixture. The home defeat to Newcastle last week really was painful to watch for a variety of reasons, and it’s hard to think of a team better placed at the minute to heap more misery on this woeful Rangers side than Liverpool. In recent weeks they have made light of Luis Suarez’s absence with Daniel Sturridge in particular maintaining the Reds’ potent goal scoring threat, scoring six goals in his last three and a half games. Liverpool are the fourth highest scorers in the league this season and have won more games – nine - by a margin of three goals or more than any other team in the Premier League. The potential here for an absolute tonking is clear, and Rangers can only hope that Liverpool, with nothing at stake, have clocked off for their summer holidays early. Whatever the scoreline, I’m sure at the final whistle I’m sure we will all breathe a huge sigh of relief that the season’s finally over, and it will hopefully be the last time we have the misfortune of seeing many of these players wearing Hoops ever again.
“That’s it from me then. No idea if anyone actually gets as far as reading my inane ramblings at the bottom of Clive’s ever-excellent match previews, but just in case someone does, thanks for reading, and enjoy your football-free summer.”
Nathan’s prediction: Liverpool 4 QPR 0
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