| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column 20:46 - Feb 21 with 18471 views | Northernr |
 Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column 21st Feb 2023 20:28Gareth Ainsworth is back, ending an 11-year stint at Wycombe to take control of Queens Park Rangers — a lazy tug on the nostalgia lever by an under-fire board, or exactly the sort of revitalising play that saw similarly big characters Ian Holloway and Neil Warnock turn torrid situations around here previously?  9
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 16:46 - Feb 22 with 4209 views | R_from_afar |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 15:05 - Feb 22 by derbyhoop |
Good summary of the pros and cons with this appointment of a true club legend.
His work at WW, given the tiny budget, has been outstanding. Judging by the things he has said, his role in making the players comfortable in their roles and the style of play has been inspirational.
On that basis alone he should have a first class honours degree in psychology. He'll need every ounce of those skills to motivate the QPR squad. Especially those who downed tools on his predecessor.
Will be very interesting to see who is "suddenly", "surprisingly" available for Saturday. I accept some of the injured have been genuine but the evidence points to "I don't fancy it" culture among many of the Beale picks. |
Brace yourself for a few Lazarus moments  |  |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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| (No subject) (n/t) on 17:12 - Feb 22 with 4115 views | NewYorkRanger |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 01:16 - Feb 22 by Boston |
...therefore, you try something else. |
or you carry on doing it, but better.
Seems like it is the right strategy for a club such as ours, but execution of said strategy has been lacking |  |
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| (No subject) (n/t) on 17:18 - Feb 22 with 4100 views | Burnleyhoop |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 14:16 - Feb 22 by TK1 |
"The last eight years has been an overly expensive, incoherent mess."
That's still a vast improvement on the previous eight years. And as for the eight years before then, or indeed the eight years before that... |
Indeed, pissing money down the drain is something this club has a particular expertise in. |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 18:30 - Feb 22 with 3944 views | mart_Goblin |
Lots of chat on here about style of play etc which is very interesting and I agree with lots of what’s been said but to have any style of play we have to win the bloody ball back and we are very poor at that side of the game.
We have huge holes all over the pitch where we get exploited week in week out so before we determine how we might attack, we need to find a system with the players available that plugs holes and makes the team as a whole much more aggressive.
As far as Ainsworth coming back I’ve been sucked in a little and I fully believe he’ll change the mentality of our players quickly.
I was looking forward to Saturday until I saw Blackburn are back in form. Let’s hope we can push the players on to a victory |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 21:10 - Feb 22 with 3668 views | Andybrat |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 18:30 - Feb 22 by mart_Goblin |
Lots of chat on here about style of play etc which is very interesting and I agree with lots of what’s been said but to have any style of play we have to win the bloody ball back and we are very poor at that side of the game.
We have huge holes all over the pitch where we get exploited week in week out so before we determine how we might attack, we need to find a system with the players available that plugs holes and makes the team as a whole much more aggressive.
As far as Ainsworth coming back I’ve been sucked in a little and I fully believe he’ll change the mentality of our players quickly.
I was looking forward to Saturday until I saw Blackburn are back in form. Let’s hope we can push the players on to a victory |
Just watched the training session on web-site. He is getting stuck in, visible 121 chats with some of the injured guys. Got to say Roberts seemed worst response but that was a split second. No Sinclair visible btw, but overal felt really positive and not just for the cameras. Roll on Saturday | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 22:38 - Feb 22 with 3528 views | kropotkin41 |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 21:10 - Feb 22 by Andybrat |
Just watched the training session on web-site. He is getting stuck in, visible 121 chats with some of the injured guys. Got to say Roberts seemed worst response but that was a split second. No Sinclair visible btw, but overal felt really positive and not just for the cameras. Roll on Saturday |
I thought the shots of the one to one moments were really interesting too. GA will have learned so much so quickly. Imagine having to work out how to deal with the sulky withdrawn ones without making everything worse! It's got to be a hard job. |  |
| ‘morbid curiosity about where this is all going’ |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 04:43 - Feb 23 with 3331 views | westy |
Ok so admission time. Not a QPR supporter but am a big admirer of GA and the working miracle he achieved at WW. I’m actually thinking of coming to Saturdays game as I am really hoping GA can save his beloved Rangers and keep them in the Championship. Btw I’m open to being persuaded to have QPR as my second team as I now live fairly local. I hope given the time GA will be a success and prove he is more than capable at this level. As stated everywhere he loves the club and will work tirelessly to achieve good things and I know once he gets his mentality across the players will be given every opportunity to follow his lead. | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 08:57 - Feb 23 with 3160 views | ShotKneesHoop |
Mark my words. What we really need on Saturdays are some Lazarus moments from the sixties that used to make watching the R’s a joy!! |  |
| Why does it feel like R'SWiPe is still on the books? Yer Couldn't Make It Up.Well Done Me! |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 11:02 - Feb 23 with 2990 views | NorthantsHoop |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 04:43 - Feb 23 by westy |
Ok so admission time. Not a QPR supporter but am a big admirer of GA and the working miracle he achieved at WW. I’m actually thinking of coming to Saturdays game as I am really hoping GA can save his beloved Rangers and keep them in the Championship. Btw I’m open to being persuaded to have QPR as my second team as I now live fairly local. I hope given the time GA will be a success and prove he is more than capable at this level. As stated everywhere he loves the club and will work tirelessly to achieve good things and I know once he gets his mentality across the players will be given every opportunity to follow his lead. |
Come along, we are a great club, we need new supporters and if Gareth can get us motoring again the atmosphere will be great. |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 11:23 - Feb 23 with 2939 views | DeanoMD |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 20:54 - Feb 21 by OldPedro |
How many years have you had an Ainsworth piece ready to go?? |
Passed over several times because the 'Algorithm' said no....... | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 13:18 - Feb 23 with 2756 views | niamul21 |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 23:21 - Feb 21 by BrianMcCarthy |
Superb piece. Touches every talking point I can think of, and that's no easy task.
I'm one of the "sanctimonious ones", it seems, but obviously I wish Ainsworth the very, very best and I hope we all enjoy it along the way. |
Well I got this point pretty clear! | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 13:55 - Feb 23 with 2687 views | westy |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 11:02 - Feb 23 by NorthantsHoop |
Come along, we are a great club, we need new supporters and if Gareth can get us motoring again the atmosphere will be great. |
Just spoken to a mate and yes I’m going to take the plunge on Saturday. I’m actually really looking forward to getting involved a bit again. It’s been a long time.
Funny story from way back when Gary Waddock had his testimonial dinner I think at the Grovsenor in London. At the time I was a 16y/o and playing football for the county, so decent enough Anyway I got invited to said dinner through Gary’s cousin, we duly went along and felt well out of place especially when the raffle came around and instead of bottles of wine or shit perfume it was weekend breaks away etc etc. Well we were enjoying spotting so many big names and my mate said look it’s John Barnes. So off he goes and starts talking to John Barnes and then it happens. Can I have your autograph please John. Well he came back and said that bloody John Barnes is a bit odd he’s signed his name a bit weird. We looked at the autograpgh and it was a QPR reserve team player who went by the name of Les Ferdinand. We still laugh about it to this day. | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 14:17 - Feb 23 with 2624 views | tonyQPR |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 13:55 - Feb 23 by westy |
Just spoken to a mate and yes I’m going to take the plunge on Saturday. I’m actually really looking forward to getting involved a bit again. It’s been a long time.
Funny story from way back when Gary Waddock had his testimonial dinner I think at the Grovsenor in London. At the time I was a 16y/o and playing football for the county, so decent enough Anyway I got invited to said dinner through Gary’s cousin, we duly went along and felt well out of place especially when the raffle came around and instead of bottles of wine or shit perfume it was weekend breaks away etc etc. Well we were enjoying spotting so many big names and my mate said look it’s John Barnes. So off he goes and starts talking to John Barnes and then it happens. Can I have your autograph please John. Well he came back and said that bloody John Barnes is a bit odd he’s signed his name a bit weird. We looked at the autograpgh and it was a QPR reserve team player who went by the name of Les Ferdinand. We still laugh about it to this day. |
Fair play to ya mate, I’d say quite a few on here don’t mind WW at all 😊welcome to the madhouse that is QPR although a word off warning it she will capture your heart then continually try to smash it to tiny pieces,but every now and then will give a little love back. 😊😉 | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 14:52 - Feb 23 with 2553 views | captainmycaptian |
Stay up, no more liability loans, players that want to play for the club. Hope it works | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 15:24 - Feb 23 with 2487 views | qprninja |
The "sign a f***ing striker" brigade on Twitter who don't/can't look much beyond whether we win or lose a game, suddenly now concerned about the manner in which we win or lose. This is currently an utterly broken and unmotivated squad of players, who aren't bothered about losing. I believe Ainsworth can and will change that attitude. |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 16:36 - Feb 23 with 2374 views | westy |
Cheers mate. Thank you 👠| | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 18:57 - Feb 23 with 2216 views | simmo |
Trying to take some time to reflect on this appointment, as it's so easy to get carried away with something that hits all the nostalgia buttons, but the more I summarise the more I think we've changed course and by getting Gaz in as manager, have almost completely gone away from the plan we have (loosely) stuck to for the last 3-4 years... and that's actually a good thing, because it's not working and not really possible anyway.
Initially the plan was a good one, on paper. We get rough diamonds, polish them up, and when the team is all sparkly, sell the brightest pieces to the rich twåts with more money than sense. The problem though is that the Championship is a flat roof Wetherspoons with stain glass windows. A third of the pub has money to sit in the nice restricted garden area, which leaves you overdressed in the saloon bar getting beaten up by the locals. Those 'diamonds' aren't worth much to anyone stuck to the carpet and covered in Tuborg.
SO the reason I think it's a good thing - to change direction in this way - comes down to 2 things.
1. This league is rough af, and we've gone so far down the idealist route that we lack the characteristics that a team at our level, with our personnel, really needs in the Championship.
I can't be the only one sitting at games recently - and for the last few years - wishing we weren't so easy to play against. We're a mentally fragile club, have been for a long time. You fancy teams come to QPR these days telling each other that we 'won't want it', and frequently, they're right.
How long now have we complained that we're 'too quiet', 'too nice', 'don't get around the referee'. So many times recently and especially in this run, Clive has commented that the opposition is 'everything we're not' - and often it's nothing to do with talent, it's about application, and it feels like we've got so much talent in the building that we have forgotten the fundementals. To be clear, I don't want to be Preston and I absolutely don't want to fall into the trap of shithousing our way to narrow wins without using football as our main weapon, but when things stop going our way we absolutely melt, often for 6 / 7 / 18 games at a time - and that can't run.
2. Post-covid, the Brentford way - which was extremely needle-threading anyway - is pretty much impossible.
The pinnacle of smart buys, good biz decisions and operating almost faultlessly to get out of this league has been done once, by Brentford, and it's very unlikely to be repeated. We'd absolutely love to do the Brentford thing, and there were signs - with us building up sales from Chery to Freeman to Eze, and then aspirations of Chair and Willock going the same way - that we might be able to do it... But we can't. We haven't got the owners or management to fully commit to it, especially in this market and post-covid, I'm not sure anyone has tbh....
The way to do it now, for a club of our size and with all the limitations and issues we have, is to be a Millwall or Luton. It might be tough for some to swallow but that's the reality... Be competitive, at the least, understand the core requirements of this league, and install those as the foundation, then look to add the luxuries and game deciders from there. We've built a castle on sand here and it's showing, meanwhile we've been overtaken by those that just do the basics well, and at less expense. We need to re-dress the balance.
GA is a manager that on paper at least, does exactly that. He's built teams that are ultra competitive AT THE LEAST, with a little velvet glove here and there (Eze, Mehmeti), to be a separator. It's going to be a tricky few months and we need to hope the players we have react to him in the right way, but if we get to pre-season we can start to focus more on those fundementals, and we all know in this league all you need is a well-timed run with belief and a collective purpose, and you have half a chance. Plus I'd much rather walk into a shit pub with 9 Jimmy Dunnes and 2 Ilias Chairs, than the other way around. [Post edited 23 Feb 2023 18:58]
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| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 19:19 - Feb 23 with 2161 views | queensparker |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 18:57 - Feb 23 by simmo |
Trying to take some time to reflect on this appointment, as it's so easy to get carried away with something that hits all the nostalgia buttons, but the more I summarise the more I think we've changed course and by getting Gaz in as manager, have almost completely gone away from the plan we have (loosely) stuck to for the last 3-4 years... and that's actually a good thing, because it's not working and not really possible anyway.
Initially the plan was a good one, on paper. We get rough diamonds, polish them up, and when the team is all sparkly, sell the brightest pieces to the rich twåts with more money than sense. The problem though is that the Championship is a flat roof Wetherspoons with stain glass windows. A third of the pub has money to sit in the nice restricted garden area, which leaves you overdressed in the saloon bar getting beaten up by the locals. Those 'diamonds' aren't worth much to anyone stuck to the carpet and covered in Tuborg.
SO the reason I think it's a good thing - to change direction in this way - comes down to 2 things.
1. This league is rough af, and we've gone so far down the idealist route that we lack the characteristics that a team at our level, with our personnel, really needs in the Championship.
I can't be the only one sitting at games recently - and for the last few years - wishing we weren't so easy to play against. We're a mentally fragile club, have been for a long time. You fancy teams come to QPR these days telling each other that we 'won't want it', and frequently, they're right.
How long now have we complained that we're 'too quiet', 'too nice', 'don't get around the referee'. So many times recently and especially in this run, Clive has commented that the opposition is 'everything we're not' - and often it's nothing to do with talent, it's about application, and it feels like we've got so much talent in the building that we have forgotten the fundementals. To be clear, I don't want to be Preston and I absolutely don't want to fall into the trap of shithousing our way to narrow wins without using football as our main weapon, but when things stop going our way we absolutely melt, often for 6 / 7 / 18 games at a time - and that can't run.
2. Post-covid, the Brentford way - which was extremely needle-threading anyway - is pretty much impossible.
The pinnacle of smart buys, good biz decisions and operating almost faultlessly to get out of this league has been done once, by Brentford, and it's very unlikely to be repeated. We'd absolutely love to do the Brentford thing, and there were signs - with us building up sales from Chery to Freeman to Eze, and then aspirations of Chair and Willock going the same way - that we might be able to do it... But we can't. We haven't got the owners or management to fully commit to it, especially in this market and post-covid, I'm not sure anyone has tbh....
The way to do it now, for a club of our size and with all the limitations and issues we have, is to be a Millwall or Luton. It might be tough for some to swallow but that's the reality... Be competitive, at the least, understand the core requirements of this league, and install those as the foundation, then look to add the luxuries and game deciders from there. We've built a castle on sand here and it's showing, meanwhile we've been overtaken by those that just do the basics well, and at less expense. We need to re-dress the balance.
GA is a manager that on paper at least, does exactly that. He's built teams that are ultra competitive AT THE LEAST, with a little velvet glove here and there (Eze, Mehmeti), to be a separator. It's going to be a tricky few months and we need to hope the players we have react to him in the right way, but if we get to pre-season we can start to focus more on those fundementals, and we all know in this league all you need is a well-timed run with belief and a collective purpose, and you have half a chance. Plus I'd much rather walk into a shit pub with 9 Jimmy Dunnes and 2 Ilias Chairs, than the other way around. [Post edited 23 Feb 2023 18:58]
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Great post. That’s pretty much exactly where I’m at too.
When I was playing at a decent level I was in teams that were all about effort and tackles and intimidation and that won you a surprising amount of games. While a lot of that has gone out of modern football you can’t ignore it entirely. It’s not chess. We need some spirit back. |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 19:57 - Feb 23 with 2110 views | LordPork |
Bottom line is you can whinge and moan about "style of play" all day long,
Wrong manager, wrong style of play may be all very well, but I've not heard anyone come on here after we've won and complain about the "style of play"
so, lets get it straight, win first, at any price. If that means then "style of play" is sacrificed then so be it.
You'll hear plenty of West ham supporters on Talkspout complaining about the West Ham way...the Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters days. I get the impression there's some here invoking the "QPR way"..
I think you'll find in most cases that was some 50 - 60 years ago..... just win, worry about the style of play when we're top of the league.... | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 20:08 - Feb 23 with 2083 views | Northernr |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 18:57 - Feb 23 by simmo |
Trying to take some time to reflect on this appointment, as it's so easy to get carried away with something that hits all the nostalgia buttons, but the more I summarise the more I think we've changed course and by getting Gaz in as manager, have almost completely gone away from the plan we have (loosely) stuck to for the last 3-4 years... and that's actually a good thing, because it's not working and not really possible anyway.
Initially the plan was a good one, on paper. We get rough diamonds, polish them up, and when the team is all sparkly, sell the brightest pieces to the rich twåts with more money than sense. The problem though is that the Championship is a flat roof Wetherspoons with stain glass windows. A third of the pub has money to sit in the nice restricted garden area, which leaves you overdressed in the saloon bar getting beaten up by the locals. Those 'diamonds' aren't worth much to anyone stuck to the carpet and covered in Tuborg.
SO the reason I think it's a good thing - to change direction in this way - comes down to 2 things.
1. This league is rough af, and we've gone so far down the idealist route that we lack the characteristics that a team at our level, with our personnel, really needs in the Championship.
I can't be the only one sitting at games recently - and for the last few years - wishing we weren't so easy to play against. We're a mentally fragile club, have been for a long time. You fancy teams come to QPR these days telling each other that we 'won't want it', and frequently, they're right.
How long now have we complained that we're 'too quiet', 'too nice', 'don't get around the referee'. So many times recently and especially in this run, Clive has commented that the opposition is 'everything we're not' - and often it's nothing to do with talent, it's about application, and it feels like we've got so much talent in the building that we have forgotten the fundementals. To be clear, I don't want to be Preston and I absolutely don't want to fall into the trap of shithousing our way to narrow wins without using football as our main weapon, but when things stop going our way we absolutely melt, often for 6 / 7 / 18 games at a time - and that can't run.
2. Post-covid, the Brentford way - which was extremely needle-threading anyway - is pretty much impossible.
The pinnacle of smart buys, good biz decisions and operating almost faultlessly to get out of this league has been done once, by Brentford, and it's very unlikely to be repeated. We'd absolutely love to do the Brentford thing, and there were signs - with us building up sales from Chery to Freeman to Eze, and then aspirations of Chair and Willock going the same way - that we might be able to do it... But we can't. We haven't got the owners or management to fully commit to it, especially in this market and post-covid, I'm not sure anyone has tbh....
The way to do it now, for a club of our size and with all the limitations and issues we have, is to be a Millwall or Luton. It might be tough for some to swallow but that's the reality... Be competitive, at the least, understand the core requirements of this league, and install those as the foundation, then look to add the luxuries and game deciders from there. We've built a castle on sand here and it's showing, meanwhile we've been overtaken by those that just do the basics well, and at less expense. We need to re-dress the balance.
GA is a manager that on paper at least, does exactly that. He's built teams that are ultra competitive AT THE LEAST, with a little velvet glove here and there (Eze, Mehmeti), to be a separator. It's going to be a tricky few months and we need to hope the players we have react to him in the right way, but if we get to pre-season we can start to focus more on those fundementals, and we all know in this league all you need is a well-timed run with belief and a collective purpose, and you have half a chance. Plus I'd much rather walk into a shit pub with 9 Jimmy Dunnes and 2 Ilias Chairs, than the other way around. [Post edited 23 Feb 2023 18:58]
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Could you not have emailed me that so I could top the match preview with it and pass it off as my own? | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 21:25 - Feb 23 with 1966 views | OutintheOrne |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 18:57 - Feb 23 by simmo |
Trying to take some time to reflect on this appointment, as it's so easy to get carried away with something that hits all the nostalgia buttons, but the more I summarise the more I think we've changed course and by getting Gaz in as manager, have almost completely gone away from the plan we have (loosely) stuck to for the last 3-4 years... and that's actually a good thing, because it's not working and not really possible anyway.
Initially the plan was a good one, on paper. We get rough diamonds, polish them up, and when the team is all sparkly, sell the brightest pieces to the rich twåts with more money than sense. The problem though is that the Championship is a flat roof Wetherspoons with stain glass windows. A third of the pub has money to sit in the nice restricted garden area, which leaves you overdressed in the saloon bar getting beaten up by the locals. Those 'diamonds' aren't worth much to anyone stuck to the carpet and covered in Tuborg.
SO the reason I think it's a good thing - to change direction in this way - comes down to 2 things.
1. This league is rough af, and we've gone so far down the idealist route that we lack the characteristics that a team at our level, with our personnel, really needs in the Championship.
I can't be the only one sitting at games recently - and for the last few years - wishing we weren't so easy to play against. We're a mentally fragile club, have been for a long time. You fancy teams come to QPR these days telling each other that we 'won't want it', and frequently, they're right.
How long now have we complained that we're 'too quiet', 'too nice', 'don't get around the referee'. So many times recently and especially in this run, Clive has commented that the opposition is 'everything we're not' - and often it's nothing to do with talent, it's about application, and it feels like we've got so much talent in the building that we have forgotten the fundementals. To be clear, I don't want to be Preston and I absolutely don't want to fall into the trap of shithousing our way to narrow wins without using football as our main weapon, but when things stop going our way we absolutely melt, often for 6 / 7 / 18 games at a time - and that can't run.
2. Post-covid, the Brentford way - which was extremely needle-threading anyway - is pretty much impossible.
The pinnacle of smart buys, good biz decisions and operating almost faultlessly to get out of this league has been done once, by Brentford, and it's very unlikely to be repeated. We'd absolutely love to do the Brentford thing, and there were signs - with us building up sales from Chery to Freeman to Eze, and then aspirations of Chair and Willock going the same way - that we might be able to do it... But we can't. We haven't got the owners or management to fully commit to it, especially in this market and post-covid, I'm not sure anyone has tbh....
The way to do it now, for a club of our size and with all the limitations and issues we have, is to be a Millwall or Luton. It might be tough for some to swallow but that's the reality... Be competitive, at the least, understand the core requirements of this league, and install those as the foundation, then look to add the luxuries and game deciders from there. We've built a castle on sand here and it's showing, meanwhile we've been overtaken by those that just do the basics well, and at less expense. We need to re-dress the balance.
GA is a manager that on paper at least, does exactly that. He's built teams that are ultra competitive AT THE LEAST, with a little velvet glove here and there (Eze, Mehmeti), to be a separator. It's going to be a tricky few months and we need to hope the players we have react to him in the right way, but if we get to pre-season we can start to focus more on those fundementals, and we all know in this league all you need is a well-timed run with belief and a collective purpose, and you have half a chance. Plus I'd much rather walk into a shit pub with 9 Jimmy Dunnes and 2 Ilias Chairs, than the other way around. [Post edited 23 Feb 2023 18:58]
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Bravo that man, summed it up brilliantly, a great post. | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 22:10 - Feb 23 with 1897 views | loneranger1 |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 18:57 - Feb 23 by simmo |
Trying to take some time to reflect on this appointment, as it's so easy to get carried away with something that hits all the nostalgia buttons, but the more I summarise the more I think we've changed course and by getting Gaz in as manager, have almost completely gone away from the plan we have (loosely) stuck to for the last 3-4 years... and that's actually a good thing, because it's not working and not really possible anyway.
Initially the plan was a good one, on paper. We get rough diamonds, polish them up, and when the team is all sparkly, sell the brightest pieces to the rich twåts with more money than sense. The problem though is that the Championship is a flat roof Wetherspoons with stain glass windows. A third of the pub has money to sit in the nice restricted garden area, which leaves you overdressed in the saloon bar getting beaten up by the locals. Those 'diamonds' aren't worth much to anyone stuck to the carpet and covered in Tuborg.
SO the reason I think it's a good thing - to change direction in this way - comes down to 2 things.
1. This league is rough af, and we've gone so far down the idealist route that we lack the characteristics that a team at our level, with our personnel, really needs in the Championship.
I can't be the only one sitting at games recently - and for the last few years - wishing we weren't so easy to play against. We're a mentally fragile club, have been for a long time. You fancy teams come to QPR these days telling each other that we 'won't want it', and frequently, they're right.
How long now have we complained that we're 'too quiet', 'too nice', 'don't get around the referee'. So many times recently and especially in this run, Clive has commented that the opposition is 'everything we're not' - and often it's nothing to do with talent, it's about application, and it feels like we've got so much talent in the building that we have forgotten the fundementals. To be clear, I don't want to be Preston and I absolutely don't want to fall into the trap of shithousing our way to narrow wins without using football as our main weapon, but when things stop going our way we absolutely melt, often for 6 / 7 / 18 games at a time - and that can't run.
2. Post-covid, the Brentford way - which was extremely needle-threading anyway - is pretty much impossible.
The pinnacle of smart buys, good biz decisions and operating almost faultlessly to get out of this league has been done once, by Brentford, and it's very unlikely to be repeated. We'd absolutely love to do the Brentford thing, and there were signs - with us building up sales from Chery to Freeman to Eze, and then aspirations of Chair and Willock going the same way - that we might be able to do it... But we can't. We haven't got the owners or management to fully commit to it, especially in this market and post-covid, I'm not sure anyone has tbh....
The way to do it now, for a club of our size and with all the limitations and issues we have, is to be a Millwall or Luton. It might be tough for some to swallow but that's the reality... Be competitive, at the least, understand the core requirements of this league, and install those as the foundation, then look to add the luxuries and game deciders from there. We've built a castle on sand here and it's showing, meanwhile we've been overtaken by those that just do the basics well, and at less expense. We need to re-dress the balance.
GA is a manager that on paper at least, does exactly that. He's built teams that are ultra competitive AT THE LEAST, with a little velvet glove here and there (Eze, Mehmeti), to be a separator. It's going to be a tricky few months and we need to hope the players we have react to him in the right way, but if we get to pre-season we can start to focus more on those fundementals, and we all know in this league all you need is a well-timed run with belief and a collective purpose, and you have half a chance. Plus I'd much rather walk into a shit pub with 9 Jimmy Dunnes and 2 Ilias Chairs, than the other way around. [Post edited 23 Feb 2023 18:58]
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Nailed it | | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 22:37 - Feb 23 with 1851 views | simmo |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 20:08 - Feb 23 by Northernr |
Could you not have emailed me that so I could top the match preview with it and pass it off as my own? |
Re-write it so it's good and sling me some of that patreon gold | |
| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 04:34 - Feb 24 with 1654 views | BushRanger82 |
We won't really know we've turned a corner, until we start lasting longer than 10 seconds in the cups, stop losing to lower league teams, and start winning our fair share of London derbies.
Once we've put right, those wrongs, then we'll know we have turned a corner. |  | | |
| Return of Wild Thing, desperate nostalgia play or just the tonic? Column on 06:07 - Feb 24 with 1609 views | SydneyRs |
I think getting the coach in with him could really turn out to be a coup and the testimony of Wycombe fans, who know them better than any of us here, QPR twitter or the media, is nothing but positive.
Maybe it will be time to start enjoying being a QPR fan again sometime soon? | | | |
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