Reason Iâve done started this as a thread is because Iâve had a look on another messageboard and facebook about POTY and two things struck me: -How few people are saying Austin (Surely it should be a landslide) - How many people are saying Barton. So I thought I would put my opinion on why Austin deserves it (clearly so in my view) and would be interested to see who agreeâs and or those that disagree why that candidate deserves it over Austin. Iâve compared Austin v Barton but this isnât about just them. Hill, Simpson Green etc deserve a shout as well Based this on three main areas: Austin Passion and effort: As discussed on here a lot of Rangers fans give a disproportionate amount of weight ot his but even so. No one gives more than Austin. Playing on with dislocated shoulder to score the winner against Bolton personifies that. Quality: Heâs our best player. If we could only keep one player for next season out of this quad no doubt it would be Austin. He can hold the ball up, bring others into play, create chances, defend from the front and most importantly score all types of goals. Impact on the season: Head and shoulders above the rest. With Austin we have 60 points from 29 games (average 2.1) per game, without him we have 16 points from 15 games (average 1.1 per game). Every other position we have injuries in we can cope but next striker in is nowhere near Austinâs level. Barton Passion and effort: Tries hard and runs around a lot and gets stuck into tackles and too be fair to him refs give him a unfairly hard time. But I cannot see how it can be possibly justified to give an award to a man who said things like âQPR was over for me way before the Man City incidentâ, âStay up, go down. Harry stays, goes. I donât want to be a part of Iâ, âSome strange people think that Iâll be playing in the Championship next season?? Good one! QPR might, I wonât! fact,â Quality: Has sporadically done well from set pieces but success ratio isnât great. When playing simple passes he does okay, as our safety first negative approach to possession football makes those passes fairly easy however he gives the ball away far too often. Saturday was a great example of this. He puts himself about which is needed but as a comparison to Austin in terms of quality it is no contest. Impact on the season: Once again He puts himself about and odd set piece has done well for us but as a comparison to Austin in terms of quality it is no contest.
After Clinton Hill, Chaz is my second choice. But we don't get second choices. Clint has been there all season, trucking away. How many 50/50 headers has he won?!
It would probably be between Clint, Joey and Charlie for me depending probably on the Play-offs if the deadline wasn't too early. I don't find what players said too relevant to POTY, particularly when said well before this season. Like many of us on here we all talk a load of ol b*llox sometimes, Joey's performances on the pitch this year are far more relevant to me. In about all the games I seen he was the engine of the team, unfortunately for large periods nearly the only one with the motor even running... But I agree with what you write about Charlie, and Clint has been the key to our still good overall defensive record over the season.
Charlie - Take Clint or Joey out of the team, and their absence is noticeable but usually not crucial. Replace Charlie, and we're like a punctured balloon.
Personally I will be voting for Luke Young. Whilst those around me thought that he was just an urban myth I kept the faith and was rewarded when he miraculously came back from the dead to play 90 minutes at Blackburn. That was something truly special. (The coming back from the dead, sadly not his playing.)
Although I never thought 12 months ago I would be saying this - Barton for me. Austin has been brilliant, but last season he banged in 28 goals for Burnley, whereas this year he's on 16, and the difference in games played doesn't balance the ratio out. In a team where we are supposed to create so many chances, I would have hoped for a few more goals from him. I'm not knocking him at all, he's been our stand out striker, but not quite delivered to expectations (cue the flames!) Hill has again done very well indeed - I'm just trying to avoid looking at his performances through rose-tinted specs due to his age. Barton, however, has been the motivator and the engine room for the side, especially in games where we needed it (such as Watford) and has suffered ill-treatment by opposition players and referees alike. The old Joey would have imploded, whereas he hasn't - and the only time he was sent off this season was extremely harsh (a second yellow for throwing the ball). For me, he's exceeded expectations and acted in the right way. His performances have been excellent, even if some passes have gone astray - this at least shows he's trying to play attacking football rather than being negative. That's why he's my poty. Charlie can have Goal Of The Season instead...
Stephane M'Bia for me and us QPR will be watching him in the Premiership next year but not for us we have Gary O Neill now
Charlie is my choice, Joey not too far behind though. Goal of the season is Ned's for me, just for the sheer surprise of it!
I like the idea of Barton having redeemed himself after City Gate. He really has had a very good year temperamentally and the football has been mostly good. Actually very difficult but I think Austin or Hill for me with JB a close third.
I was going to rule out Austin based on his having missed so many games, but, having looked at the stats, he has only played 3 games less than Barton. Barton still just edges it for me though, with Austin second and Hill third.
Seems to me like your crowbarring it in because he fits the stereotypical old fashioned type of footballer that so many QPR fans always love. Tries hard but don’t focus on the ability too much. Austins goal ratio is 0.55 a game. Over a season that is 25 goals so only 3 off the very high benchmark you have set him. Funny approach to me that you set him a high benchmark and he just misses out onthat so you penalise him. You then set Barton a lower benchmark and he exceeds that and you give him extra credit even though that contribution is less than Austin’s. Still don’t get it?! Certainly no credit should be given to Barton for not “imploding”
Bloody hell Willy, that's extremely harsh. For a team that doesn't create any chances I'm amazed he's scored as many as he has! Even the other day against Tw*tford we created very little for him yet he still banged in the winner. The Stats Damage put up are incredible "With Austin we have 60 points from 29 games (average 2.1) per game, without him we have 16 points from 15 games (average 1.1 per game)". I knew we missed him immensely but that just shows how integral he has been to the side. Offtimes the lads around him were so useless, he went and got the ball himself and fashioned his own chances. In this year's Burnley side he would have at least equaled last year's tally had he not gotten injured. That said, I don't know who I'd give POTY to, nor do I care
I don't think you can judge a player on that. I mean, we're desperate for strikers this season and not for defenders. Based on how well they play their game, I don't think you can easily say Charlie has played better than Clint. But I'm not arguing with you! He's been amazing and is a player I'm glad to have. He feels like an R already.
Seems to me that you're discounting all the things that Barton needed to turn around and has, in favour of a player who, by any stat you care to mention, has performed at a lower level this season than last. As for your last sentence, Joey not imploding is a miracle in and of itself, so you're wrong to be so easily dismissive.
Damage has put up stats that support his view. On that basis, they are taken with a large pinch of salt. I'm sure that five minutes online would reveal as many stats against Austin. I must repeat though, that he's been excellent and our stand out striker, so I'm not saying he was poor. Just that I feel Barton is more deserving over the season.
Danny Simpson as an outsider? Lots of clean sheets when present.....started to leak when he got injured.
I wouldn't vote, purely because I haven't seen enough games in full. One thing I have noticed though is that all the other top teams have two significant contributors in terms of goals. We have one. You could draw any number of conclusions from that:- 1) Austin has gone above and beyond to put us where we are. 2) Austin did what he should (performed at an average level) but the attacking prowess of others hasn't been up to requirement. 3) The defense has also done the same - significantly tight performances when needed (otherwise we'd have less points eg early season miserliness). 4) Goal chances are plentiful but wasted by most except Austin who buries his share OR chances are scant and Austin has excelled in his opportunities. Sorry folks, not added much but hopefully given a bit of food for thought. For what little it's worth, I get a sense that Austin is completely crucial to us but the above observation shows that perhaps we'd have been better off playing 442 or 4411 more often (formations more suited to SBC than Prem I hear) although I think the injury to AJ last year scuppered that a bit.
