Austin steps up as QPR move off the bottom â report Wednesday, 29th Oct 2014 08:22 by Clive Whittingham Charlie Austin showed his Premier League potential with two fine goals as QPR's recent improvements continued with a 2-0 home win against Aston Villa on Monday. More effort, more hard work, more commitment, more confidence, a lot more entertainment, a lot more goal threat, a sense of purpose, and a victory. But, more important than all of this, Queens Park Rangers are starting to look like they have some semblance of a plan. It's the lack of a plan that hurts QPR the most, on and off the pitch. Off the field it's all haphazard, unfulfilled promises about training grounds and focus on academy, and a pie in the sky dream about a new stadium on some land somebody else owns and doesn't want to sell. On the field it's a collection of individuals, expensively assembled, slung together in a variety of combinations, shapes and systems followed by a string of excuses about fitness, injuries and bad luck when it doesn't work out. As a result, QPR are consistently outperformed by clubs of similar sizes with clear strategies. But in the last two home games at least, Harry Redknapp and his players have hit upon a proper plan. It's not pretty, it's not going to win many friends, and it's almost entirely reliant on the continued fitness of an ageing target man who has shown repeatedly since his expensive acquisition from Fulham nearly three years ago now that he is physically shot, but it's a plan all the same, and it's making a hell of a difference. Read the rest here........... http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/36691/?
Great write up - always enjoy Clive's take on the game (even when we lose) Cheers for posting that 9s
Shivers of excitement reading it again but, sadly, one swallow does not make a Spring. Long way to go yet.
He's hit the nail on the head with the plan comment - ever since harry arrived it seems we didn't really have a plan.
I liked that one but it's because we won the points. I have knocked Austin in the past but you cannot argue he took those two chances very well indeed. Confidence is everything I found Harold's comments stupid once again when he claimed he is a natural goal scorer … he is but you need to have a plan to get him involved in the game … we had that the other night so credit has to be given to everyone. Austin makes it for me in the next two games when he out powers Cahill and Terry to score the winner … he then makes a run against City that they can't defend. He does that then he has arrived no question and he could go now and become very special
As usual, a balanced write-up - where's Swords when you need him? Still on his self-imposed exile in the wilderness? Lee Mason is certainly a good ref for us - agree that Zamora & Sandro were lucky to get a few free kick decisions awarded to them after they basically flopped to the ground unassisted. With his two goals, Charlie has demonstrated that he can perform equally well playing off a target man (Zamora) or pacey wide-men (Hoilett, Vargas, Isla & Yun). Yun, if healthy MUST be starting every match for us - I really don't know why it took Harry so long to figure that out (we've had him on our books since Jan 2013), but he chose to play Assou-Ekotto in that left back position, and this season not until the last two games. Not sure if Yun returned from his WC duties injured, but it shouldn't have taken him that long to get back in shape or recover? Clint had it figured it out last season in the Wigan game when he insisted that Harry sub him for Yun.
Yeah really is evidence of the wasted transfer policy up until this season by Harry. Roughly £1.5m on wages wasted on BAE!!! Definitely could have been invested in other areas of the pitch instead or left complrtely to help out coping with Financial ‘Fair’ Play
I don't understand this - your criteria for him 'arriving' is based on an entirely different type of player. Lineker never did those things - nor does Klose... or any other 'fox in the box' type striker - did they arrive? I agree that until he has done it for some time, he can't be said to be the finished article - (to coin another cliché) but I'm not sure he has either the pace nor the height/presence to do what you are looking for. The only way we will know is by assessing his impact at the end of the season - if he gets 18-20 then the question is probably answered - personally, if he gets 13 and we win all those games I'll be happy!
Agree he gets judged on his goals but I did see a real bit of brilliance to get on the end of his second goal … there are signs. It's all very well poaching but he was upbeat and raced onto that pass for his second … hadn't seen that really yet hence the slagging … He does that with a header in front of Cahill or Kompany we are talking as so far he gets beaten a lot or doesn't get there in time Austin could be a fox in the box that is my point but it's take confidence … we know he can hit them if not shut down and he nearly was for his first Confidence and zest cold see us a real goal scorer on our hands but too early for Harold to announce him
So what target man would we want in the January window. Don't see Defoe as a target man. Crouch will always come up but could we get him from stoke. Thoughts anyone?
