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This Week — The worst part of being top is there’s only one way to go
This Week — The worst part of being top is there’s only one way to go
Tuesday, 26th Oct 2010 22:58 by Clive Whittingham

QPR’s six point lead at the top of the Championship has been quickly eroded by in form Cardiff. How will the players, and equally as importantly the fans, cope with the pressure?

Remain Calm

Recent form has been fairly poor and has looked to be getting worse.

 

Recent goal scoring form is poor, no-one can argue with that, and that needs sorting.

 

We struck lucky with a couple of those draws, seriously, huge bits of luck. Bristol City in a false position? No. they are gash and we made them look reasonable.

 

All credit to Kenny but two missed penalties and not beating the rock bottom of the division who looked almost respectable against us.....

 

I fully expect Cardiff to finish at least ten points clear of us. They have more firepower than us and goals win matches.

 

I don't know about you guys but my neck is hurting like fuck with all this looking over my shoulder I'm doing at the moment.

 

Did you see how Cardiff destroyed Leeds? They want to try and win games. They are not just content with not losing. Please stop being too frightened of success. They don`t play kick and rush football. They play with proven goal scorers. One up front is no good any more.

 

For the millionth time and about the 50th time I have posted this thread in the past two years, we need a quality striker, otherwise forget about promotion. Once again this is not based on tonight’s performance alone but on the past five games where we have lacked up front in each game.

 

Don’t panic dear reader, you have not logged into a Middlesbrough fan’s site by mistake. I am not sitting here in a Sheffield United replica shirt or gazing out of my window at what was once fortress Elland Road and wondering why we never received a trophy for being champions of Europe. I’m still huddled up next to the gas fire in LoftforWords Towers and I’m still writing about Queens Park Rangers who are still, though you’d never believe it, top of the Championship and unbeaten after 13 games.

 

Unless I’m misunderstanding the concept, in which case please feel free to correct me at any point, unbeaten means we haven’t lost a game yet. We have taken to the field 13 times against 13 other teams and haven’t lost to one of them. We are, and again please get in touch if I’m missing a crucial point here, the best team in the league at this moment – The Football League has had the foresight to produce a table of teams charting their performance should a debate arise on this point.

 

Nevertheless, posted above is a genuine list of actual posts made by QPR fans on LoftforWords and We Are the Rangers Boys since Bristol City had the audacity to take a point from us on Friday.

 

I’d like to criticise the Chelsea fans for their appalling attitude to their own team when it “only” beat Wolves 2-0 at home on Saturday but it seems we’re heading down the same road. I’m starting to wonder whether it might have actually done us some good to lose a couple of games early on, to sit a few places lower, to keep expectations in check.

 

There have been message board calls to rest Hogan Ephraim and, unbelievably, Jamie Mackie. Calls for team changes, for formation changes, for Kyle Walker to be moved forward, for more signings to be made. People want Adel Taarabt (divisional player of the month for August) dropped because he was awful on Friday night, even though he was very good indeed at Swansea just three days earlier – watch the wonderful team spirit we currently have take a nosedive if we start dropping everybody that has one bad game. People lament the fact we didn’t sign Danny Shittu who will now apparently further enhance an excellent Millwall defence – this a defence that conceded two more goals in a game with Watford than we have shipped in the entire season.

 

We all seem to be getting a little bit hysterical - just imagine the outpouring of grief that will follow the inevitable defeat when it comes.

 

For the record I’d like to see Tommy Smith start instead of Hogan Ephraim this weekend – but if he doesn’t I’ll understand. I also don’t think we’ll finish top at the end of the season, and I’m not even sure we’ll finish second, and this thought doesn’t bother or worry or distress me greatly and I won’t cry and gnash and demand changes and action if we do lose a few and drop down to fifth or sixth because it’s much more than I thought we’d be able to manage. At the start of the season I didn’t even think we’d make the play offs so I have been absolutely delighted with everything I have seen so far. Bristol City is the first thing we’ve had that’s anything close to a bad result – the three other draws coming against the teams currently placed third, fourth and twelfth. Norwich and Swansea are flying at the moment and we came away from both unbeaten, without conceding. Fine results in my opinion, a loss of form according to others.

 

Here’s an absolute bombshell for you – we’re going to lose a game at some point, possibly as soon as this Saturday. We might, at some point, drop off the top spot in the table. Neither of these things are reasons for wholesale team changes, widespread panic, or mass hysteria – those are things that should be saved for runs like, say, one win in 15 games taking you from fourth in the table to 19th which, come to think of it, is exactly the position we were in 27 games (and just four defeats) ago when Neil Warnock took over. That’s worth remembering whenever the words “we could only draw with…” are about to pass your lips.

 

Adel Taarabt should not be dropped. If we dropped him every time he had a bad game there would be no point in having him – we’d be dropping him every four starts or so and he’d very quickly get the hump and stop performing altogether. I think he suffered last week with the fans because he played well on Tuesday when there were 400 of us there, then had a mare at Bristol City when three times as many travelled and many thousands more watched on the TV. If he’d been poor at Swansea and great at Bristol I doubt these calls for him to be shifted out would be being made. He didn’t, but they still shouldn’t be happening in my opinion. He was terrible on Friday, and he might be crap again this Saturday, or he might be brilliant. You cannot predict him and it’s that inconsistency that keeps him at QPR rather than elsewhere. Even when he’s awful he draws three or four opponents to him so he’ll always serve a purpose.

 

This idea that Taarabt, and the team as a whole, should be able to play like he, and they, did in August consistently for an entire season is completely unrealistic. Dips in form, if you can call one bad game from Taarabt and three draws in four games from the team a dip, should not be treated as a crisis regarding immediate changes. It’s the fact that we have a settled side that is at the heart of the success this season.

 

But why do I care? I can moderate the message board without really taking in what’s being said and just not respond to this crazy talk. People say things I don’t agree with and that’s their opinion and we’ll never agree so let’s just leave it at that.

 

Well, to some extent, fair enough. The problem I have though is we now have two very difficult home games against Burnley and Reading. They are important if we want to maintain our position at the top of the table but to win them both is going to take something quite special and, I would suggest, it’s unlikely. Four points would be a good return in my opinion.

 

To get four, or hopefully six, points from Burnley and Reading we are going to need to continue a run of unbeaten home matches that stretches back to May and includes an unblemished defensive record in six matches. At the start of that run we beat Barnsley 4-0 and I would describe the atmosphere at Loftus Road that day as relaxed and expectations as low. That atmosphere has slowly been corroded ever since and I worry that expectations are now so high and so unrealistic that we’re going to see a return to the dark days in W12 when some thought money in the boardroom automatically meant immediate success and roundly and routinely abused the QPR players unable to deliver weekly 3-0 victories. There was a real feeling around the ground against Norwich that people were just sitting on their hands and waiting for Rangers to sweep aside the Canaries – a very competent team in their own right – rather than creating an atmosphere that would help make it happen.

 

Cardiff have got Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra and Andy Keogh to pick from in attack. Only Taarabt can hold a candle to any of those players. We’re not meant to finish above Cardiff this season – revel in the fact that we’re leading the way ahead of them at the moment, rather than panicking that it might not continue.

 

My big fear is that Burnley or Reading score first in the next couple of games, and that starts the moaning and groaning, which in turn contribute towards a defeat, which sours the atmosphere still further and it becomes a self perpetuating thing.

 

This is a very good QPR team. Not an exceptional one, or a brilliant one, just a very good one. It works hard, and it’s good to watch, it has different approaches it can take when games aren’t going to plan, it tries its best in every game and it’s top of the league table. It’s a QPR side to be proud of and one that deserves our support and even when it loses games and falls down the table a little that won’t change. It’s a team that is yet to see anything of Tommy Smith, Rob Hulse and Martin Rowlands so it’s a team that could still improve as well.

 

Let’s please not burden it with our expectations and, frankly, trivial complaints in the coming fortnight. We have a big part to play.

 

The League Cup is worth winning

I would think even the lunatic who leaned over the front of the South Africa Road stand and screamed abuse at the players for the full 90 minutes of the League Cup defeat to Port Vale in August would admit that the early exit from that competition has been a help rather than a hindrance.

 

Shaun Derry, Clint Hill and Heidar Helguson have been three of our best players so far. Whether they’d have been nearly as effective or impressive to date if they’d been playing Saturday and Tuesday every week since the big kick off is debatable – I would suggest that Helguson and Derry in particular would have suffered badly. Port Vale drew Fulham in the next round and while that would certainly have been nice, and I’d definitely have fancied us, I think the rest between games certainly helped us to post points on the board early on.

 

That said, I certainly don’t want to see QPR making a habit of surrendering early in cup competitions. We haven’t won an FA Cup tie for ten years, the longest run in the country at any level, and I’d certainly like to see us bring an end to that in January.

 

At the start of the 1990/91 season video Jim Rosenthal on the voiceover states that QPR are “setting out to win the First Division championship.” That is no longer realistic. Three teams at best set out to win the Premiership this season, a further four maybe fancied themselves for a European place, and the rest just want to get to 40 points and survive as quickly as possible. For a host of teams basically from Aston Villa down the best thing they can ever hope to achieve, if they try for the next 100 years, is winning one of the cups.

 

Which makes the abandon with which they calmly throw away their places in these competitions away mystifying to me. I can, perhaps, understand the position of a side like ourselves, or Blackpool, not wanting to stretch a slim squad with other targets on its mind. But teams like Villa, Birmingham, Blackburn and others aren’t going to get relegated, or trouble the championship spot, so why not go for one of the cups? Villa are one of the most ridiculous examples – playing reserve teams and losing to the likes of us so cup runs don’t hinder their quest for a European place. Then when they do qualify for Europe they immediately surrender that place too, for fear of it hindering their qualification for it next year.

 

Football is still about medals and cups. Or, at least, it should be.

Photo: Action Images



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OxheyR added 02:17 - Oct 27
Clive, top notch mate, Superb report which should be made compulsory reading for all Rangers fans. After so many years of misery we should all be on cloud 9 and enjoying every minute. Human nature I guess for fans to moan but it does also concern me that fans expectations, especially at home games, will prove to be a hindrance. We need to get behind the team now more than ever and show passion and encouragement however they're playing. Spot on regarding Taarabt, infuriating at times but whenever he gets the ball I get excited, isnt that what we want to feel when we watch our team! Yes of course I want us to finish top but being so used to false dawns over the years a play off place would be a result. Lets get our full support behind the lads on Saturday, they deserve it!
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qprdan added 02:35 - Oct 27
Too right Clive!!
I'd rather have it like is now.
We are top of the league and we dont have Paul Hart as manager!!
Good Times!!

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delhisuperhoop added 06:01 - Oct 27
Wise words. In actual fact dropping a couple of places in the league might have the advantage of scaring Briatore into selling his stake in the club. Although B+E saved the club from administration (thank you very much), its time to go. Briatore because he cannot be trusted not to screw it up again. Ecclestone because in every interview he makes a point of saying that he couldn't care less about QPR and is still a Chelsea fan at heart. If QPR hasn't got under his skin by now perhaps he should sell his stake.
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Rs4life added 07:14 - Oct 27
Great stuff. I agree, Smith should start, at least for a week or two, getting solid draws is an essential part to any season, but we cant keep slipping up against teams we should beat. I dont see us winning the league, I think Cardiff are going to do that, but I beleive we are by far the best bet for second.
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cornwallmike added 07:24 - Oct 27
Sound reasoning, Clive, and very true. This feeling of immense pride at a very good team after maybe 25 years of scrapping around, is great, and I would certainly drop to my knees and bow if Warnock cycled past in Richmond Park. But even the most raucous fans are exercising their right to comment about the team - that too is part of the fun of it all - they're not necessarily writing off Warnock and the team, just being a little less articulate than you. Even you suggest Smith coming in for a start, which I also suggested before the Bristol game. And I agree that I wasn't unhappy that he didn't start because I trust Warnock to know who's going to do the job for him. Taraabt is the ultimate enigma, but, hey, we're doing OK.
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SheffieldSteve added 09:04 - Oct 27
I agree with all the above, (not so) strangely, so why make a comment? Because we ARE top the the League, because a great atmosphere at Loftus Road DOES make a difference to the team, and because I want to see a great match on Saturday, with a massive atmosphere, and a big win for QPR, and for us to stay at the top at least until we play Cardiff, and then see what happens (dreams?)... Come ON U Rs!
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pomanjou added 09:11 - Oct 27
In Warlock I trust and he will do what he will do. But a footie message board is where I express my views. I said "All credit to Kenny but two missed penalties and not beating the rock bottom of the division who looked almost respectable against us....." Whats wrong with that? Kenny effectively avoided defeat on two occasions but I wouldnt back him to do it again on Saturday and we didnt beat the lowest team in the championship.

I also said stop starting Tarby and use him as a supersub. As a side product that would also allow someone else to take free kicks, corners etc. I'm not saying he should never start but he isnt being effective at the moment and coming on as a supersub may just fire him up and disrupt the oppo at the same time.

I'm a follower of trends and the trend at QPR at the moment is for goals and points to dry up. If the defence have an off day we are in trouble because they are playing out of their skins at the mmoent. Time for a little offensive change here and there.

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shooters47 added 09:12 - Oct 27
Clive, best report for ages ( not that the rest are rubbish!!) and as we come to the last Saturday in October the team we all support or supposed to support are top of the league, yes that is the case, still above everybody else and Cardiff plus conceded 4 goals all season.
I will gladly settle for people saying that we have slipped up by drawing games and I am also guilty of saying we will lose a game one day but we bloody well haven't yet!!
Long may it continue. You R'sss
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benbu added 12:06 - Oct 27
Clive, very good read!
With any football (be it club, international or park level) its what we all love discussing with the boys or the family. Everyone has different opinions on who should play and what should change and thats whats great about it. Lets be honest, no QPR fan would have honestly expected such a fantastic start and to be top after 3 months, let alone unbeaten is something we should be enjoying. I was dissapointed with the performance on friday but delighted with the fighting performance to yet again grind out another result. Neil Warnock is simply the best thing to happen to this club for many many years and we can only admire him for the way he gets a bunch of players to work, commit and try to win games.

I have said in recent weeks I would like to see the formation change when were not scoring (like Millwall and Norwich) to 4-4-2 and having Hulse to aim for in the box now aswel as Helguson, I do feel we can be a bit more direct. I would like to see Tommy Smith start soon too. Adel Taarabt is a fantastic player (and he WILL have BAD games throughout the season) but he has to be one of the first few players to have his name on that team sheet... All of these things though are just opinions and as a life-long fan im just loving this season right now.

I do expect cardiff to be a good bet for top 2, but there is no reason why we shouldnt be aiming for the same. The sides below us are no better and hopefully we will continue to be a strong unit and build a further gap from 3rd, 4th, 5th.
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Ribenaboy added 12:45 - Oct 27
Good news that Burnley had a game last night and hopefully won't b as fresh as us on Saturday. Ditto that our Reserve line-up was probably better than our 1st team at this time last year.
We should be absolutely delighted with the start. We all talk about consistency being the key to doing well. If we don't lose, that is not a bad start.
My only concern is that we have a decent squad, but are becoming a bit predictable with the starting XI. We will no doubt start with Ephraim & Mackie in view of the quality of Burnleys wingers on Saturday, and u would never break up Faurlin & Derry so I suppose that leaves 2 from Hulse, HH, Taarabt & Smith and I agree Taarabt deserves a bit of faith.
We also seem to be missing the fact that the Sun newspaper had a deal on for the Norwich game and quite a portion of the crowd were probably neutrals, hence the lack of atmosphere or probably even knowledge of our songs.
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AshteadR added 17:57 - Oct 27
A win on Saturday will be just the tonic we need and will keep us top of the league at the end of October. Warnock will know better than any of us when the starting line up needs changing - maybe this weekend and maybe not.

It does help to keep things in context though and appreciate how much progress has been made in the last 6 months. As long as the team keeps putting in the effort and hard work, I'll be pleased - just think back to some our games last season!
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JB007007 added 19:03 - Oct 27
Superb report Clive.
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JB007007 added 19:17 - Oct 27
Superb report Clive.
A reminder to us all I hope with the points you made.
I think we have to remember that no games are easy and all the Championship teams are pretty well drilled and motivated with some good quality.
There is a heck of a long way to go and I agree that on paper Cardiff would probably be favourites. But Bellamy has had his fair share of injuries and this division is very physically demanding, Bothroyd can blow hot and cold and what will Chopra's attitude be if they start stuttering if these key players are injured or out of form. Also defensively, would anyone swap ours for theirs? I know I wouldn't.
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thehat added 20:49 - Oct 27
Bloody hell Clive stop talking so much sense - I much preferred the days of Nick Blackburn in the boardroom and watching the likes of Stefan Moore.

We do have short memories....
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YorkRanger added 23:52 - Oct 27
Clive - great words.

The cup is more than half full. The problem is success breeds intolerance and people have very short memories.
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00calben added 15:33 - Oct 29
Always read your columns but very rarely post however have to comment on this one. Bloody brilliant article and i really hope it hits home with our fanbase. Agree 100% with every comment.

Hope we all get behind the boys tomorrow and urge them on to three points.

You R'sssssssss
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