I think we started out with a similar approach to that which worked so successfully last week but a) the weather was too hot to hope that a high press could be sustained by this group of players and b) Blackburn, although awful, were much more game savvy than Swansea. Having said that, if one of our early corners had resulted in a goal we could well have recorded another resounding victory. As it was you could see the fragile confidence gained from last week simply draining away after 15-20 minutes when it became clear that the game plan was already busted and we quickly reverted to type: standing off wide players to a ludicrous degree, unable to complete two passes consecutively and with no one willing or able to have a shot on target. BOS in particular would likely fail to miss good chances by such wide margins if he actually tried to. Despite all the crap this season one more half decent performance would have had me and I suspect many others ringing the box office next week to renew our season tickets. Was that too much to ask?
The result yesterday shows how badly we need to get some new players in. Lynch is a big liability, I'm sad to say. Bidwell is utter bog standard and offers nothing pleasing, aside from his occasional decent crosses. When Rangel and Leistner are out due to injury/illness, there was no decent cover. We need some long contracts for some good, reliable defenders. But there are numerous areas we need recruitment for. Basically, any position, you name it. We have got some good players in our squad but we need some other good players to be fighting for a place in some positions, too. That transfer ban did hit us, that's for sure. Luckily, we could have been punished worse, though.
We have a group of youngsters who need some pros around them while they develop further. Some Derry/Hill types with right attitude should prevent them haven’t the confidence beaten out of them While we consolidate. Can we get a coach who can turn our youngsters into a Bernardo Silva or Phil Foden? I’ll keep taking the meds
If we could turn them into a Silva or Foden then they wouldnt be with us for very long. I think eze and chair are 2 decent players, both I predict wont be with us beyond next season. Neither will go to top clubs because neither are good enough but will go to better clubs than ourselves and this is where the lack of ambition stings with me.
We're on the edge of relegation next season, and it hasn't even started. Incredibly important off-field summer. Would be nice if our management could excel in their choices for once.
Certainly would be. Just a clear statement of what the club want to achieve over the next 3 or 4 years. No cryptic messages of patience but just a clear mandate for us as fans and for any new potential manager. Interesting to hear Sherwood and Rowett on 'the debate' the other day. Both saying that the club needs to state what ambition, if any, they have within the restrictions of FFP.
I just worry about how limited the choices are going to be. With our nil budget we could only have a choice between ****e and total ****e.
In this league, 'showing ambition' means spending wildly in an attempt to buy promotion and escape FFP. We no longer have that option.
Far from it stroller. Showing ambition could be as simple as not selling our best players or renewing contracts of those who may help us achieve a higher position, stating desire to compete in the middle of the table, or spending money very wisely as Norwich have done.
Problem is when a player wants to go you've not got much choice but to let them these days. The way he's playing at the moment I'm not sure Freeman wants to be here any more, I caveat that with the fact he has been excellent for most of the season.
I think if we define ‘ambition’ by league position you are right. But there are other types of ambition. We are quite good at being a ‘community’ club, why shouldn’t that be our main ambition? Or adopting and sticking to a style of football at every level of the club (which I think was in the ‘vision’ but doesn’t seem to be happening) like Ajax? I know, it’s the fans who won’t accept anything less than first team success as a measure, and I’m probably amongst that group, it just natural. It’s just a bit dispiriting to feeling that relegation or at best a relegation battle is already all we have to look forward to next season. But odd stuff happens, and 99.9% of supporting a club like QPR is blind, irrational, hope and sentimentality.
You're both right of course, but, as Stan says, we fans tend to expect nothing less than a successful first team. Having said that, I'd be happy enough with a team made up predominately from our home-grown young players that could achieve mid-table. Wasn't that, or something like it, supposed to be McClaren's target?
Here is where we differ, I know you have a lot of time for SLF. From my perspective he should have ensured that McClaren fulfilled the brief that he was given, ie bringing the young players in (and I agree I would love to see a first team, even a struggling one, with a lot of ‘our own’ playing). The whole management team just seems weak to me, saying one thing then caving in to whoever happens to be the coach. We need a coach who actually believes in what SLF etc are apparently trying to achieve, and then identify a pipeline of similar minded coaches for the inevitable departures. Not an easy task, admittedly. But surely someone who fits this template will be from the lower leagues or abroad? 8 people round for lunch, I am roasting something that is meant to be a leg of lamb, but from size it can come from nothing smaller than a mammoth. Smells great though.
The management group as a whole has failed. Hard to know exactly where the fault lies, but I suspect it's more with Fernandes than Ferdinand. Yes, the new Head Coach will almost certainly be from the lower leagues or abroad. None of the 'usual suspects' would want it under the existing constraints, and they shouldn't really be seriously considered anyway. We've got a similar number round, but I'm struggling badly with a chest infection. Not that I contribute much to the cooking anyway.
Ambition? That says it all to me. This is a batten-down-the- hatches job which requires a steady hand to aim to: - play the youngsters in their natural positions - persevere with them and not panic the first moment the team get slaughtered - appoint a young manager willing to commit at least three years without wanting to move on. - give him the security of knowing that he will not be moved on provided we do make progress year on year - even if we are relegated next season as long as he is on the way to developing a young squad willing to learn and play for each other and the badge. Sometimes you need to drop down a league in order to give your man the chance to develop his team and brand of football in a less competitive environment. Even if it all goes tits up next season we need to be finding and nurturing talented players who can be sold on at a profit and not for glue. Rowett and Sherwood can piss off and the reasons why made public. They want us to gamble and give them money to spend which isn't there. Interesting watching Newcastle yesterday evening on BT Sport. It confirmed what we all know - fans want and worship players willing to put in a shift for them. There are plenty out there with the right attitude. By and large they do not come with reputations earned under very different circumstances, several years ago because they happened to be bit part players in a successful side. A bit of honesty from the Board toward both the fans and to the managerial candidates will go a long way toward recruiting the right man
Totally agree. Dropping down a league to progress is not progression. Ridiculous to even consider it. Any footballer, any team should strive to play at the highest level possible.
Don't get this about this being the season to bring through young players. As I recall it wasn't just McClaren, but the whole Management team, Hoos included, saying last summer we needed to bring in older heads to help the best youngsters along, by using the loan market, which we did. They also said many others from the U23's would need to out on loan to other Clubs, which they did. McClaren did as he was told, but as ever still lost his job as soon as the results and the excuses dried up.
