What's happening to the QPR fan base? I know we've suffered a lot from years of bad decisions by clueless owners but why has it come to this? Most fans, before the season, were saying they can imagine us finishing mid to upper table and consolidating because it would take us a while to build a solid base and formulate a team to consistently play well. We've got a manager in his first managerial job who was a great coach and seems to care about his work and we do not at all look like relegation material. And now it's come to the fans booing the manager, telling him he doesn't know what he's doing and trying to tell him which players to bring on? It's rude and disrespectful. I had hoped we were better than that. The fans now seem to expect promotion and the kind of consistent, high level football that comes from a solid, well founded squad even though our team is almost all new. Are we becoming too demanding? There could be any number of reasons why a manager brings a player off and why he might bring a player on. How can one of us fans assume we know more about the situation than him? Why would we boo him before seeing whether or not his decisions pay off? We should be supporting Ramsey as he, in a way, is part of the team. It's obvious he's trying his best, so if things are going really wrong then we shouldn't be venting anger at him but at those who appointed him if we're that unhappy. But last night he made a bunch of unpopular decisions that paid off very well. Ramsey will get no credit for that, from those fans. He's already been targeted as the whipping boy and that's that for now. Basically, I think some sections of fans have gotten a bit nasty and are picking the wrong people to be angry at. Support wise, I think we're at a bit of a low point. There's a lot of negativity and it feels hostile, where support from the fans is very conditional. This is just my opinion! And this thread has got nothing to do with my opinion on Ramsey's managerial abilities, which I have not expressed here. It's purely about fans' reactions and expectations.
I think you're right and in my opinion it's all due to expectations being raised since we have been owned by very wealthy people. I'm guilty of it myself at times and football in general has become completely money orientated.
Obviously I want success but I miss our simpler days, more recently in the times with Rowlands, Cookie, Gallen, Ainsworth, etc. We weren't always good but we got behind the team 100%. I also think that we've become too manager focused as fans, probably due to having several **** ones in recent years. We've finally got one who seems to be trying hard and wants to learn but somehow he's getting more disrespect than Redknapp seemed to get!!
I've been too critical of Ramsey at times and I realise that I am expecting too much too soon. These days, football is all about success........now!! It's hard to not get caught up in it all imo.
I think the atmosphere at Loftus Road this year seems flat. The expectations are down to having a squad that should be challenging near the top. The fact that we are not is being put down to CR. Personally I think he found himself managing a Premier team too soon and even in the Championship has yet to prove himself. He also has no track record to back up his position. Do I think he'll eventually turn the corner and be a great appointment? No.
I think it's because we kept Austin, Fer, Phillips and Green, and possibly because we got Chery, in the summer. Without these, and the accompanying wage bill, we would have had different expectations and would have understood, if not been happy with, our league position and performances. And what Col says about the ownership. Also of course we are all shallow and fully bought into the instant gratification/no patience culture. Me included.
It doesn't help that Swiss Tony twists and turns like a twisty turny thing over consolidation / promotion. Personally I've spent most of my life in mid-table obscurity and I am more than happy for the Rangers to exist in a similar place. Too much success breeds excess expectation. Less is more
Those big names definitely raised expectations but people have forgotten that old factor of having an established squad. You can't chuck in a bunch of good players and immediately expect success. Do we ever learn?
Depends on the calibre of the players imo. Man City and Chelsea have done it with great success over the years. (Very funny watching Chelsea's problems at the moment).
Agree entirely with this. I was embarrassed when the crowd booed Henry's yellow card yesterday. It gave their manager a chance to say how on top they were!. I thought he had a good game and was the one who started the closing down high up the field (could have been Ramsey's instructions). It seems to me that we are trying to play good football this season, with players who, in the main, look happy to be here. I guess I must be a happy clapper!
100% agree. I think this is symptomatic of football fans in general these days. That said I think the QPR boo boys are actually a significant factor in why this team regardless of who is at the helm will never be allowed to succeed. The Polter abuse we've heard about this week is a good case in point, this guy has barely had any game time in the league and although he might not be the next Thierry Henry he did look to have a bit about him and he works his socks off. But he had already been judged and sentenced by the nasty fools in our fanbase so we'll probably never see how good he could be. Mr DT always talks about infected fans and for once I am inclined to agree, there is poison running through some of our veins at the moment and I don't see it changing soon.
In our last promotion season everyone was moaning about the way the team played. Ultimately, promotion was achieved and everyone was happy in the end but there were some dreadful performances even in games we won. This season we're playing some poor football and with results not going our way the boo-boys are in their element. If we were playing some flowing football and not getting results it might be accepted we were moving in the right direction, although I feel certain sections of the crowd have already made their minds up on Ramsey. The bottom line is the squad is unbalanced with weaknesses in certain positions and until that is put right we'll continue to be mid-table...
I think our main weakness was Perch at right back and Ned struggling at CB. That's been addressed with the removal of Perch and introduction of Hill. Good moves by Ramsey imo, although Warnock may have played a part.
I for one do not over expect, all i ever want for my time, support and money is to be entertained with attractive football. I only listened to the commentary yesterday but Ian Taylor mentioned on several occassions that it was a scrappy affair very similar to the SW game. We scored three goals and now all is expected to be forgotten? When we were last promoted we played ugly most of the season, long ball up to OBZ who knocked it down to Chaz. I celebrated the promotion but certainly not the season. The reason i am pissed off atm is because we are still churning out lack lustre performances wirh a manager who is out of his depth.
These days, whenever I go to QPR matches I am struck by the realisation that the crowd is made up as follows: 50% not actively horrible, but I probably wouldn't get on with them, and vice versa 45% absolute cocks 5% might be OK Having come to terms with this, I just don't listen to anything going on around me. This really enhances my appreciation of the actual football.
Swords will doubtless give us a few cliches about 'results based business' 'winning ugly' etc, but I thought positive signs were there when we beat Rotherham - fast, first time passing, pressing high up the field. So the opposition were not great, but that's true of 90% of this league. Are we still trying to do this? We also choose to ignore the fact that, even without Austin, we score goals - more than anyone else in the division. And perhaps we are learning not to let so many in. Sorry, drifting off topic. In truth the atmosphere at LR has not been great for years, with a couple of exceptions - the Wigan play off semi final, the 0-0 draw with City when Cesar was immense etc. It certainly doesn't help my enjoyment. I favour the back humour response to poor performances rather than the anger and abuse route, though you pays your money you takes your choice..... No worries, Jamie Mackie will be fit again one year, he will turn everything round. In fact he'll turn it so far round he'll end up in the same place. Without the ball.
This ^^... Remember a few years back when Jim Magilton was manager, after an average start we hit a run of form where we were playing some sublime football and it was just a pleasure to be entertained regardless of results. Sadly, it all ended in tears at Watford, but that's what I want to see from my team, fast, free-flowing football with the emphasis on passing and movement not players who treat the ball as though it's a hot potato...
Absolutely spot on OP. Held my head in my hands and cringed yesterday at some of the "support" pouring down from the stands. First noticeable thing Henry did wrong yesterday was on 52 minutes when he over hit a cross from the right and it went straight out of play behind the goal. If Faurlin had done that, there'd have been a couple of groans and then an encouraging clap and get on with it. Henry? Cue the loudest chorus of boos I've heard in a long time and a ridiculous amount of abuse hurled at him, and Ramsey for that matter. Whilst not a spectacular performance he didn't do much else wrong all game to be honest. Aside from a couple of silly tackles and misplaced passes this was a much improved performance from his previous form this season, but then when he picked up the booking there were strong chants from the crowd for the ref to 'do us a favour and send him off' - ludicrous. That's our own player we're talking about! Then Ramsey brings off Luongo and puts on Fer (objectively pretty much a like for like swap, doesn't matter if Mas was having a decent game, it never hurts to bring on fresh legs and let's not forget Mas missed the last game, who knows why - knock?) and suddenly the crowd are screaming for Ramsey's head, a resounding chorus of 'you don't know what you're doing' and then we go and win 3-0. Laughable. The atmosphere and crowd is toxic at the moment, no wonder the players are underperforming when they feel like if they do the slightest thing wrong it'll trigger mountains of abuse. I'm not sure if flourish in that kind of environment either! Going to Brentford on Friday and can only hope that the fanbase is more supportive for a local derby away from home. The squad need a 12th man, not a bollocking at every mistake.
I don't think he does know what he's doing but it doesn't help that he's reminded of this with every sub. In hindsight, the game was won towards the end so you can't argue but MK were pretty awful. The substitutions at B'ham and midweek were those of a man completely unable or unwilling to adapt to the needs of the situation. Friday is huge. A Fulham-esque performance and result and he'll be gone. A brave, gutsy performance and a sneaky win or even draw and he buys himself some time. I'm not impressed with him at all but let's see how he gets on in seriously tough games with Brentford, Derby etc. Our fixtures so far have been mostly kind.
