I'm sorry if I'm going off message here, chaps. But I no longer believe that the Rs will survive the drop. Don't get me wrong; I live in hope and want them to so much that it hurts. I just don't think that it will happen. We've been given a number of great opportunities to climb out of the mire in the last couple of months since Redknapp took over, but have failed to capitalise on the poor results of our relegation rivals.
In many ways the Christmas period was the killer. After some encouraging results, such as the win against Fulham, there was the feeling that we could get something at Newcastle and at home against the Baggies. But those two ended in defeat. Results around the Rs were equally poor and, had we picked up 3-4 points then, the team could easily have climbed up a few places and perhaps kicked on.
The recent unbeaten run has been a false promise. Great result at Stamford Bridge, followed by similar against Spurs, West Ham and Citeh, again proved encouraging. But we really needed those 3 points against Norwich. And we really needed something today... A point at least.
I think Shearer is right on MoTD when he says we need 6-7 wins from the last 12 games. Can you see this happening? Like... really?
Last year under Hughes there was a sudden discovery of home form and passion. Survival by the skin o' the teeth was welcome, but perhaps could have been more comfortable but for the flurry of red cards. But there WAS passion.
This season we've been ****. Honestly, really ****. Yeah, of course there's been the odd flurry of "great stuff", but generally it's been ****. Valiant rearguard defence has been a highlight. A highlight, for heaven's sake!
We've shipped goals and fallen to pieces time and time again. We can't hold onto a lead, and appear hugely vulnerable within minutes of actually scoring (as again evidenced today).
We can point to Remy's absence and make excuses. We can hope it'll all be different when he returns. Do we really think that it will?
What is it that happens to professional footballers when they pull on a QPR shirt that renders them so abject and impotent? Why is it that others teams can show resilience and solidarity? Why can they entertain and take the plaudits, yet the Rs don't win friends? In fact, there are signs that we are loathed and our relegation will be the cause of some celebration from Swansea to Norwich, and from Newcastle to Southampton? Everybody used to like little old QPR back in the day.
No, I think we're going down. I'm sorry, but I can't see any green shoots that suggest otherwise.
A win against Manchester United might provide some hope, but that's as likely as me getting a tit **** off Denise Miliani.
