Washington brace sends QPR flying out the traps – Report Sunday, 6th Aug 2017 18:24 by Clive Whittingham QPR shrugged aside discontent about lack of summer transfer activity and their poor form at the end of last season to comfortably beat Reading 2-0 at Loftus Road on the opening day of the 2017/18 season. History suggests Queens Park Rangers should have approached Saturday’s match with Reading with a degree of confidence. The R’s have lost only two of their last 13 opening fixtures at this level and both of those were away (Charlton 15/16 and Burnley 06/07). During Ian Holloway’s first stint in charge of the club Rangers won three and drew two of their opening fixtures of the season, including a famous 5-0 hammering of Blackpool in searing heat back in 2003 which set the tone for a promotion campaign. Although the recent Premier League foray brought three defeats on day one - two of them chastening experiences against Bolton and Swansea - prior to that nobody had won at Loftus Road on the first day of a new season since Aston Villa triumphed 2-1 in Shepherd’s Bush in 1977. Past results count for little though and you find more optimism and positivity in the waiting room at the GUM clinic than has been in supply around Shepherd’s Bush this summer. The club’s obsession with making new signings in recent years has trained its support base to expect clutches of new arrivals each transfer window and, even though this hasn’t worked, weaning the club and the fans off this is proving a challenge. With only Barnsley’s Josh Scowen by way of methadone the addicts have been increasingly rabid this summer. With last season’s losing play-off finalists Reading first up you haven’t had to delve too far into the vile world of QPR on social media to find people forcefully, aggressively, seemingly gleefully, saying the club they profess to support would be thrashed and humiliated on its own patch by Jaap Stam’s men – all under a banner of “realism”, “telling it like it is” or “concern” but not, ever, you understand, over-the-top hyperbole or negativity for negativity’s sake. Read the rest here ... https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/46153
I good report from Clive, apart from attributing Luongo to winning the penalty in his summing up, wen it was Pawel. I particularly agree that Holloway was spot on tactically and that he mustn't, under any circumstances go into tinker mode this season!! He said the atmosphere was relaxed, whereas I thought it was very very good from the home end. Very noisy and really supportive. Understandably the Reading fans had little to cheer about.
I think that after the outburst of euphoria this Saturday, Clive is correctly trying to lower and manage the expectations.
Nice read apart for the bit at the start abusing fans who have quite understandably been concerned after last season's appalling run in and evidence that the club simply can't invest in new players even if the need is obvious. It's not as though Clive himself has been innocent of criticising the way things are being run in the past. Good to see MotM from the terrific midfield trio rather than the ludicrous fan vote for Washington although I would have gone for Freeman personally.
