Hi I have been reading this forum for many a year, and have never posted at all. This topic has got the better of me however, and i felt a need to express an opinion that might be right or might be wrong. I have been going to QPR games since 1980 when my father took me and my brother. Since then i have had seasons tickets most years, and when i havent had one i have been to 75% of the games in most seasons at home, and although not a regular no more on away days, have been to enough grounds to have a big opinion on all things QPR. My major concern is a lot like most of you. I follow forums, read twitter and social media, and know who is worth listening to and who isn't on the Rangers boards in general. No disrespect to anyone posting here, but we do have a few real knob ends on rangers boards in general and especially on the facebook and twitter pages. What really is happening to the club? What is so wrong with the current structure that we cannot get it right at the 3rd time of asking in this premier league, with all the wealth and experience at our disposal nowadays. What does Harry Redknapp really offer the club apart from being a social media darling/hero and although a lovely fellow it seems, what does he really have to offer our great little club. I have never been a fan of Harrys since he joined Rangers. Thats not wonderful hindsight, any of those that know me would testify that he is a wrong un at football clubs and that has been my opinion since day one. Money mad, delusional, tactically inept, has bought in all his friends and cronies from over the years and made sure they are all pensioned off to the nines. The standard of football isnt great, although at times we have tried to play a little better than we were in the early 2000s. The atmosphere is almost dead, the odd times the crowd get up for games, but every season brings new hope, and yet a matter of weeks into it, we are left with the same old deflated feeling. I dont know what the answer is, but Tony Fernandes for all his wonderful investment and his belaeagured belief is not working. I admire Tony and hope he stays with the club, but his vision of people running a football club is so far wrong its beyond a joke. We need football people at the helm, and if that means he has to step back a bit then so be it. I dont have the answers, but what i do know is Harry, Bondy, Jordan and this lot need to leave our club with immediate notice. We need to rebuild from the bottom and the top, we need to re establish the Queens Park Rangers we all know and love, and we need to do it from the bottom upwards. Reinvest in the youth policy, stop spending beyond our means, shelve plans for 45k all seater stadia, and new 50 Billion pound regeneration projects. We need new blood in building for the future, if the inevitable relegation happens this season, then we have to stop throwing good money after good money into a black hole, because we will be left with no club at all in the near future. Karl Robinson is about the best shout i have read on this forum, someone i have admired from a distance for the last 18 months or so. Build a side for the future, stop trying to solve the here and now crisis we consistently find ourselves in. It is our club and if things dont change soon, we wont have a club in the near future that will have a history or one that will be respected by other fans. Other fans of local clubs and big clubs always had a soft spot for the QPR of old, thesedays we are as hated as the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, not because of our success but our failures. Its time we woke up and realised what a laughing stock we really are becoming Rangers. Thanks for listening, whether you agree or not. Freddie
Hi Actonbeech, Welcome to the forum. It's all opinions on here and so none are right or wrong - they are your owns views and no one can deny it! For what it's worth, yours is an opinion that I can agree with and I think it's a great first post. The only difference I have is that I'm not too sure about shelving the plans for the stadium but I definitely don't think we should suspend all common sense until then - we need to progress on all fronts but do so with pragmatism (perhaps a 25-30K stadium with room to expand). You're spot on with the bottom up approach and building to be self-sustaining. Stick around and join the fun! Matt
Hi Freddie, Good post, agree with most of it but do worry about wholesale change, yes top and bottom of club does need to change but I think the board have had a good run and it's not really worked. If we go down Harry will leave, and that may be what needs to happen I'm afraid, because the only other real option is to blow a load more cash in Jan. That may not mean spending big, but losing more on those we have already invested in. Welcome aboard.
Right said Fred TF has to change his approach, install some good footballing ethics at the club and go underground Our club has been used as a media face for too many people We have such exciting players on the staff now I want to see them play
Freddie, I couldn't agree more to almost all you have said. However, without substantial external marketing revenues, which I do not think we are near to achieving, I just cannot see how the model of a business operating in the PL with just an 18,000 seat stadium can possibly work.
I am not advocating we forget the idea of a new stadium altogether, i think we have to re-evaluate what is right for the club going forward, and maybe put plans on hold for the duration of this season till we resolve other more important and ongoing issues. Long term, of course we will have to move with the times, and a new ground is high on the list of priorities, however until we sustain ourselves on and off the pitch this whole idea is a bit of a farce to say the least in my humble opinion.
Welcome Freddie. Thanks for your ideas. I agree with a lot of that. I am far more comfortable with a gradual expansion of Loftus Road than I am with Old Oak. I realize an expansion will mean buying out existing housing, but still think this can be done far more quickly and at less cost than the plans for Old Oak, that look enormous, and also like taking ten's of years if they happen at all. A gradual expansion will suit our likely profile better the next 5 - 10 years and preserve our identity.
Firstly, welcome Freddie. I cannot remember such an overall feeling of frustration, heartache and despair on this board, ever. I firmly put my hands up and say I was wrong to back Redknapp. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and, sorry Harry, but it involves a lot more than just than just ****ing all the ingredients into a bowl and having a good old stir about. No tactics, no coaching, players not fit(whose fault is that), an air of complete resignation and all the guts and fight of Larry Grayson. Excuses and an indifference you SHOULD be ashamed of. No evidence that you are willing, or able, to change or adapt. Same **** every week. We Rrrrrs fans are not like Utd or L'pool or even N'Castle fans, who expect the Earth. We have had it tough for a long time, but never fail to turn up and support the team in any way we can. The least we expect is for the place to be run professionally. This is a total embarrassment. Do the right thing Harry. You had your chance and, for whatever reason, blew it. That is all.
Hard to argue with much of the OP. I particularly agree with your concerns over our changing image. I find it difficult to accept that we have suddenly become a club that everyone hates. While some of it comes with success, (hard to imagine at the moment but two promotions over the last 4 seasons does count as success) the vast majority of the bile is caused by the fact that we have tried to spend our way out of trouble and our rather pathetic last attempt in the Premiership. While I hope to dear god that performances and results improve after the international break I agree that I can't see it happening with Harry et al at the club. The squad we have should be more than capable of keeping us up...trouble is Harry (or Kevin or Joe or Glenn) don't seem capable of extracting any effort from them. Before West Ham I was trying to maintain positivity and avoided reading/commenting on here...now I'm afraid I've slipped into the negative camp and can only see hope with a change at the top!
Totally agree, I called for Arry out after the UTD as that was the last straw IMO and got ridiculed. I will admit I thought he was the right appointment when he came but he has proved beyond doubt now that he is clueless or just past it. The players who are supposed to be the "right sort" arent playing for him or the club and that is down to him and his useless coaches. My one major concern is he may be untouchable regarding TF, friends, colleagues, media, Sky as its all down to the players apparently but I am now 100% convinced he should be sacked immediately as as each game goes by we will be further in the mire. I dont mind losing but lets show passion, commitment and wait for it ............a bit of flair along the way and we are all getting bored with our displays.
Plus my one real dislike of HR since hes been with us is he waits to see what the opposition do in every first half of every game. We are normally losing by then. FFS Harry take the game to the opposition sometimes and attack!! He never Managed like this before?
Trouble is re our new stadium TF has broadcasted everything allowing Car Giant to react Either he is full if empty promises or he really is a poor business strategist
He gets carried away with enthusiasm, just like we would, the urge to yell to everyone 'look what I'm doing for the club,lads and lasses', overcomes him on a daily basis. He thinks thats what we want and he wants to be loved (who doesn't). He might be better off remembering that he's a West Ham fan really and being a bit more clinical and calculating. Welcome Fred, great post. We want Freddie for our leader, Freddie is a man of class.
You talk a lot of sense there Freddie, for some time now I have felt that we are rudderless, always reacting to situations instead of planned initiatives. From the moment TF took over it was knee-jerk signings and panic buys, a recipe for disaster that has cost him £177 million before last season, the economics of the Madhouse. I really do fear for the 'New Queen's Park' project, it is reliant on so many imponderables that, IMHO, it is more 'Tony baloney and pie-in-the-sky' than a credible and workable plan, the HS2 project is very much in the balance and may be scrapped if Cameron suspects the votes he'll lose may cost him. With regards to Karl Robinson, he is building real foundations at MK, both in the team and the infrastructure, why on earth would he walk away from that to take over our basket-case when it's likely they'll pass us on their way up while we are plummeting and facing FFP oblivion...
