In his second column for LoftforWords Aaron Moys looks at the impact made by the new owners at Loftus Road during the last 18 months and urges patience among supporters as we move into next season.

As QPR fans our footballing lives are never short of a story or two; from Chairman’s being held at gun point, to superstars of Figo caliber being linked with moves to W12. You also learn to realise that life isn’t always smooth sailing and at the moment our life at the club seems more like a scene from The Perfect Storm or Jaws.



At the end of the season fans up and down the country will talk about Rangers’ inability to get promoted despite perceived wealth. But what could really be expected, when our mega rich owners rode in on horse back to save us from the great void of administration? Everyone expected us to buy our way to success but that was never stated by our owners. They took the business approach to our situation and this should be expected from men of their business background. They wanted to build from the bottom up.



I’ll be first to admit at first I wanted them to basically re-build the team, to buy players who would instantly guarantee us success and return us to the Premiership, but where would that really get us? Where would the foundations to a successful Premiership team be? Where would the stability be? The club talked about a ‘three or four year plan’ and here we are two third or half of the way through that plan and all we have been left with is a feeling of doubt caused by the team’s performance, increases in ticket prices and changes these business men are trying to make at ‘our’ club.



But honestly has anyone ever stopped to think about where we would be if that funny little grey haired chap, with dodgy sunglasses didn’t step in when we needed a buyer? I have to admit I’m not Flavio’s biggest fan and maybe my views that a successful ‘QPR brand’ has to be successful at what is most important - football - are the views shared by many others. But we have to think about things realistically in my opinion.



We are at the moment no more then a mid- table championship club. We have no reason to worry about being dragged in the a relegation battle and the thoughts of us reaching the play-off’s after recent games seem a mile off but we are a team being readied for success. We are a team building from its foundations. Since our new owners took over there have been some major changes not just those which have been made to our ground, our badge and image but also changes with those who work at the club. From managers, to physios, to ticket office personnel to match day announcers – QPR is a team in a transitional period. We can’t expect a team trying to find stability not to stumble at a few hurdles. I admit a month or two ago I was among the new owners’ biggest critics but after taking time to think about things, we are (although this might not be immediately obvious) better off. We’re not going to go into administration, we don’t have to collect money in buckets at games anymore, we don’t have to have fan’s helping to pay players wages.



QPR fans will always judge this season on who we have signed or failed to sign. People constantly say we should have sign Kevin Phillips, Leroy Lita or any other striker - but who is to say they would have came? What’s the point of throwing huge money at clubs when players might not come to us and be happy? We may not have signed Premiership players (let’s face it how can we when we can only promise Championship football?) but how much money are the current crop of players on? Our wage bill must be among the highest in the league. So it’s unfair to say our mega-rich owners are not spending.



I’m a QPR fan and have been all my life which although may be considerably less then others (21 years and counting) it still means something. I remember sitting in the Loft End in the 1995-1996 season when the referee played nine Minutes extra time against United, and traveling to Nottingham Forest the last day of that season for our last ever (to date) game in the Prem. I was at Pompey on a midweek night to watch Kevin Gallen pick up an injury that would change him forever as a player. I was in Cardiff screaming at Tommy Williams to square the ball and crying out for Shittu to pull Earnshaw to the ground when he was through on goal. I was in Sheffield to see us go back up. There’s no doubt being a Rrangers fan has it highs and its low’s. But the highs will return.



I think the players, the board and our manager need our support now more then ever. This is Sousa’s first role as a manager and he wants to build a good, promotion challenging team. Given the chance I think he can do that (if Flavio doesn’t lose his patience or interfere too much) so why don’t we all just sit back, try our hardest to support and rally behind the team and see how this season goes and pass judgment in a couple of months time? We all love ‘our’ club and everyone as there own opinion but we need to support the club we love.



Sousa deserves his chance for now, his team juggling will stop at some point but the players themselves are partly to blame due to there inconsistent performances. We have had some major losses to injuries Akos, Rowly, Pat and Vine are all first team players. But there have also been some pluses as well players like Rose, Balanta and Saturday’s appearance of German are major boosts. The future can only be bright. So as I said lets get behind the team supports whoever is playing, regardless of what we feel and judge the season once it’s over.



"Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential." --John Maxwell

Photo: Action Images

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