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Reply | Ronnie Edwards
at 17:03 9 Jan 2026
Announce intent to sign to cover injury update, full sign to deal with West Ham loss, topless calendar for finishing another season 16th. |
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Reply | Staring down the barrel – Oppo Profile
at 15:43 9 Jan 2026
Another £50m on two handed strikers in the hope they can locate their own arse...
The list of failed West Ham PL strikers and the cost would make an amazing sporkle question. |
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Reply | Ronnie Edwards
at 15:40 9 Jan 2026
That's definitely the hope! We do have a habit though of dragging players down to our level eventually, one way or another... It didn't happen for his loan spell and he looked like Bobby Moore and Ronaldo Koeman had a son.
12-18 months of anything like what we saw in his loan spell and it will be all good |
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Reply | Burrel out until March
at 15:31 9 Jan 2026
I'm hopeful (and will be pleased to see) if Kolli can get a decent run and show himself to be at this level, 10-15 starts will do wonders for him and us in terms of learning what to do with him next season.
That said he's not the same player as Burrell so we will have to adapt things. The biggest disappointment with losing Burrell - other than the fact it feels at least in some part avoidable - is that he makes things happen for himself. He runs that channel, he presses the entire backline, he makes defenders and keepers panic because they underestimate his speed. Every time a defender let's a high ball bounce you know he's on trouble. He's constantly there for rebounds or deflections because he gambles and has a good positional sense. I've said it on here before but he's a cheat code for away games especially, as an out ball and a counter attacking threat.
Kolli, Kone and Frey have games more suited to teams having the ball and building, rather than playing on the shoulders or pressing high. Very interesting to see how JS adapts to this, either with a system change or with a different build up plan. I have to say on the evidence of these last few months, I'm not confident he will change either... |
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Reply | Ronnie Edwards
at 15:17 9 Jan 2026
Broadly agree with all of that, although I wonder if this is a signing that will return a good profit. Aside from potential sell-ons, etc, a lot has to go really well for him to be worth much more than we've paid. Southampton are effectively breaking even after a few years that includes a hugely success loan signing, and I'm not sure teams were clambering for his signature.
He definitely has the potential, we've seen it first hand, and step out / ball playing CBs are a strong commodity for teams with money. If Millwall can get £10m for Tanganga as a good Championship CB, there's clearly a market there, so fingers crossed he kicks on, even if we don't! |
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Reply | Ronnie Edwards
at 12:08 9 Jan 2026
Well this is a lovely signing, should it all go through as planned. I know our recent record of converting previously popular loan signings hasn't gone well, but I don't think this current management are as concerned with the popularity vote like Fernandes was, and are hopefully applying the same underlying metrics to this signing as any other (e.g. age, development / sell on potential, buying clubs preferred profiles, previous league experience, eyes you could collapse into, etc).
Not only is he a fine example of a modern defender, but he can play multiple defensive positions and gives us the equivalent of a right footed JCS, but with availability and still a lot to prove. Saints fans seem pissed that they're selling him, even if they haven't rated his performances as much, and we know he actively wants to be here which is a great start.
A few expectation temperers though, for my own benefit if nobody elses...
1) he will be coming in this time with incredibly high expectations as something of a white knight, rather than an under the radar loan signing to cover a position of need like last time
2) It doesn't solve the most pressing positional issues in the squad, and although it's early in the window you don't imagine we'll have anything like this kind of money available for other signings. Compare it to Boro who are likely signing Castledine for around 20% of this outlay, while we have little to no cover behind Madsen, and £5m could have been used across a GK, LB and CM...
3) the reported fee might represent amazing value, and if someone like Cov or Leicester were picking him up 6 months ago for anything close to that 5m ish we'd all be spitting about what an amazing and smart pick up it is, but it's still a LOT of money for QPR in a team that's spent very big (relatively speaking) in back to back seasons, following a decent summer spend. The accounts are going to be v interesting next year.
4) Less of an expectation checker and more wondering out loud, but what does this mean for the other CBs on the books?
Does it potentially block a seemingly good pipeline of younger talent? We signed 2 highly rated young CBs this summer, one of which - the South African - is getting lots of hype as a genuinely strong prospect. Clearly they're quite far from Championship standard right now, and Cook won't be here past the summer, but we also have Morrison who presumably drops to 5th choice CB in a team that only uses 2 a game... Are we officially giving up on JCS as a legitimate option? Do we expect to sell Dunne in the summer?
Anyway I'm rambling slightly, overall I am excited that a player that looked so good before (literally) is going to be back in a QPR shirt and be ours permanently. Seeing his name on the team sheet and looking resplendent in the hoops will make all reason fade away. Welcome back, handsome. [Post edited 9 Jan 12:49]
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Reply | Burrel out until March
at 12:19 8 Jan 2026
Even though we all saw it, they're calling Burrell a 'contact injury' because the much more preventable issue of doing a hamstring after being flogged for months would look bad for bicycle Ben and his performance army. |
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Reply | Film 2025
at 18:23 6 Jan 2026
I always loved T2 as saw it as a kid and it blew my tiny little mind. Didn't watch T1 until I was an adult and now I prefer it. Like a noir, low budget, sci-fi horror (in a good, not scary way) and a great idea with amazing casting. It's such a shame James Cameron has become obsessed with making loads of pony Avatar films that nobody cares about...
Speaking of, Ash and Water or whatever isn't for me, but I want a cinema trip this week and the only thing that looks vaguely interesting to me is Marty Supreme - anybody seen it? Worth a go? |
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Reply | Kolli rescues Rangers, but injuries mount – Report
at 18:11 6 Jan 2026
Not a surprise Sam Field did well when he came on, exactly the kind of player that would approach a game like this in the right way. No taking thngs for granted or resting on a big previous performance against former managers... That's why you remove the likes of Field, Dunne & Smyth from Championship teams at your peril.
As for the overall performance - it was mostly fine. We should have been ahead by more first half, and after the previous 3 games it was more about result than performance, but this is still a team with a lot more to give and a manager that needs to have learned lessons from the Christmas fixtures and be willing to act on them 2nd half of the season.
Little word on our home form too - think that's as many home wins by Jan as we've managed in the last 5 or 6 seasons across 23 games. SW was a gimme, but it's not an easy league this season and that was a big issue. Credit where it's due. [Post edited 6 Jan 18:13]
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Reply | Kolli
at 00:06 6 Jan 2026
Are you still a thing... Even you must be a little bored of your own shite by now? |
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Reply | Esquerdinha and his usage
at 11:46 30 Dec 2025
Playing as an advanced / pressing central midfielder, as Field did effectively against Oxford, is completely different to how he was asked to play here, which was essentially a direct replacement for Burrell but without us playing direct or into channels like we do when RB plays.
If he wasn't going like for like replacement with Frey, he could have easily put Dembele in the 10, or even had Smyth as the 2nd striker. It would have also meant Field could play LB or replaced Varane, who has needed a break for weeks.
I was quietly pleased when I saw all the personnel changes, wondered if we were trying a back 3 /.wing back system, or maybe a 433. In the end it was the exact same system as always but with completely the wrong players filling the gaps. Mind boggling shít that smells a little of the away day bonus game mentality |
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Reply | Esquerdinha and his usage
at 10:53 30 Dec 2025
He's not good enough for the Championship, miles off in fact, but there's been too much focus on individual performances last night. There were some absolute stinkers - but the performance and result is completely at the managers door.
Esq shouldn't be playing, it should be Field as backup to RND. He especially shouldn't have been asked to play in a makeshift back 4 that is 75% changed from 3 days ago alongside Morrison, neither of which have played a minute of football for weeks on end,
The fact you decide to / have to rest RND and choose to play his best replacement in Field as a fckin striker instead of the multiple more natural attacking options, all so you can stubbornly stick to your 2 'striker' system, has absolutely fried my brain. |
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Reply | January transfer rumours
at 18:20 27 Dec 2025
Loan destinations are so important too. I complain about us not sending enough lads on loans, but then Morecambe take Emerson Sutton who we know looks a great prospect, and never seem to play him, even in non league.
Maybe the youth team is better short term for some, but for CBs especially you can't beat mens football. |
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Reply | January transfer rumours
at 16:23 27 Dec 2025
Almost more than his ability as a ball player, we missed the balance JCS gives us a a left footed player. I think one or two of the youth CBs we got are left footed, so be keen to see them go on loan this Jan with the long term in mind.
Whether it's Ronnie or someone else, we can't rely on JCS. |
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Reply | Poku
at 16:28 24 Dec 2025
Smyth is the ultimate squad player. Our best defensive winger as an option against better teams, direct and pacey against others, and a brilliant impact sub against tired defences. His end product is why he's in this league, and shouldn't start for us with everyone available, but he's more than earned a decent deal in that context.
As for Poku, I don't know why he's fit enough for 10mins in one game, gets taken and unused at Boro, then only gets a few mins in a game won by half time. I think it's right to be careful, but until he trusts his body he won't be at his best, and the only way to do that is on the pitch. Hopefully the aim is starting games in Jan |
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Reply | Chair
at 16:20 24 Dec 2025
Chair is our best player and has been for about 5 years. I think Poku will run him close if he ever gets on the pitch for a stretch, and Kone too eventually, but he's a really high level Championship player that has been a model of consistency up until recent injury issues. |
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Reply | Chair
at 11:40 24 Dec 2025
Thanks for this, saves me writing it |
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Reply | Ads on here
at 01:49 22 Dec 2025
It will occasionally pop up with ads declaring 'Milfs in my area', but it's never specific about where |
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Reply | Film 2025
at 23:43 21 Dec 2025
Hit the target of 100 films in a calendar year today with Klaus, the best animated Christmas film, imo.
Running through my watched list for 2025...
Best (new) films this year: OBAA, Sinners, Flow, Predator Killer of Killers
Favourite first time watches: Memories of Murder, Rebel Ridge, Anora, A Real Pain
Notable Mentions: Sing Sing, Dangerous Animals, Mission Impossible Fallout, Shot Caller
Will go for 110 next year, and more cinema trips - only managed 12 in 2025... |
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Site Scores| Prediction League: | 10 | | TOTAL: | 10 |
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