Chris Ramsey: QPR need two wins and maybe a draw to stay in Premier League QPR 0 - 0 West Ham • ‘We must hold our own’ during visits to Liverpool and Manchester City • West Ham’s Sam Allardyce still in the dark over future • Charlie Austin blows penalty in goalless draw please log in to view this image QPR's Richard Dunne raises an arm in celebration but his goal against West Ham United was disallowed. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images Alan Smith at Loftus Road @alansmith90 Sunday 26 April 2015 22.30 BST Last modified on Monday 27 April 2015 00.00 BST Chris Ramsey took a deep breath and sighed. The QPR manager had just been asked what his team needed to stay in the Premier League and he gave a grim prognosis. “We need to win two of the four games left and probably draw another,” Ramsey said. On the face of it, seven points from 12 would appear moderately achievable – but then you look at their next two fixtures. A trip to Anfield is followed by a visit to Manchester City. As Ramsey said, they are cup finals but only six points can be earned after that. It is now or never for the west London club. “They are going to be difficult games,” the manager added. “We have to approach them in the same way we have approached games against other big teams. We’ve held our own against other big teams in the division but,” he conceded, “you end up where you are because of a lack of quality.” It was a lack of finishing ability that cost them against West Ham United. Much of the consternation was concentrated on Charlie Austin after his 23rd-minute penalty, driven low and hard down the middle, was saved by Adrián but QPR had several decent chances after that to steal a winner. “He’s very disappointed,” Ramsey said of Austin, whose 17 goals have kept QPR in with a fighting chance. “Goalscorers put themselves up any time there is an opportunity to score a goal and he has scored most of his penalties. We wouldn’t have given it to anybody else.” Ramsey also confirmed Austin will take the next one – if there is one to take, of course. When you consider West Ham’s run – they now have one win in 13 – a point represented a missed opportunity and you would have been easily mistaken for thinking it was a defeat, such was the morose atmosphere at full time. However, Ramsey has no option but to look forward. Livelihoods, including, one would imagine, his own, depend on the coming weeks. He refused to criticise the referee, Mike Jones, for disallowing Richard Dunne’s second-half goal after Steven Caulker was judged to have impeded Adrián following Matt Phillips’s corner but did use that moment to outline the fine margins when it comes to survival. “I don’t want to go down the route of giving refs stick but I can understand now why managers go so mad when there is an injustice. Some of the decisions they make affect a lot of people – not just on the pitch but the whole club. “We’ve had a goal that could have been given. That could have given us three points and given us a chance, giving everybody hope of going into the next two games without having to win them both. They need to look at the consequences and how it affects the livelihoods of people around the game.” There are uncertain futures at West Ham, too. Sam Allardyce, who is still in the dark over his role, was in jokey mood after a game he abruptly described as a “scrappy battle”. Asked what he needed in the summer to move his team from mid-table to pushing for a place in the top seven, Allardyce said “a contract” – before laughing. Whether he will still be in the dugout next season remains to be seen but their campaign has faded into nothingness with four games to go. If West Ham are to progress, Allardyce said the squad requires more “strength and depth, so bigger challenges are made on a daily basis to play in the team – but that depends on the size of our spend in the summer”. The rest of this campaign looks like a write-off, even if they could still qualify for the Europa League via their disciplinary record and Uefa’s fair play league.
So Chris, you can say all you want but if you are truly genuine and have some balls, you will go on the complete attack mode and throw everything, including the kitchen sink at them..................... OR we'll lose and you will tell the media we were up for it but luck wasn't on our side. Fact is, we can make it happen or we can kid ourselves it should have happened ............. the choice is solely up to you.
Read what he said. We haven't got the quality. We can go all out mindless attack against City and Liverpool and watch Aguerro, Silva, Sterling and Sturridge feast on us. We have to play proper, balanced football. Not much hope, I agree. You're a builder aren't you Aussie? I'd compare Ramsey's position to taking over a building contract from another bloke. You're happy to do it, but are a bit nervy about the penalties for late completion. You've been sub contracting on the job, and though it looks a bit dodgy it should be doable. You have your tools nicked and one of your men goes on the sick the day before you are due to start. You turn up with some ancient kit, some tools completey missing, short handed, and find the last bloke has completely ****ed up the foundations. You knuckle down and do your best, but in your heart you know its doomed, though you try not to let your team and the bloke you're working for, see it. But you're not helped by this bloke coming round and shouting 'do it faster and cheaper' at you every day. Hopeless task from day one, I am just happy we still seem to have some fight in the team.
We played well against Liverpool at home and Chelsea. We always seem to play well against Man City but we tend to lose despite playing well. Clearly we have some chance of getting the required points but it can't be very much of a chance.
To me, we should set up similar to West Ham for both of the games at Liverpool and City. Be solid defensively and hope to catch them on the break. The games at Leicester and at home to Newcastle we should put out a far more attacking line up.
I sort of feel I'd rather go down in an attempt at a (small) blaze of glory! Trouble is that might turn into an inglorious trouncing. Oh well.
This was the Leicester approach! Being competitive in every game this season, but never having that "luck", and never ending up with what we deserved. We were down and out 4 games ago, bottom of the league, heading back to the Championship... With nothing to lose, the shackles were off, went all-out-attack, and here we are with 4 wins from 4! And we're still no way near safe I really do hope you stay up (my old man is a Rangers fan), but obviously not at our expense
The big difference between Leicester and us is that you have pace, energy and mobility in attack. We sadly don't. You've given yourselves a great opportunity to stay up with four wins on the bounce, and I think you will. The momentum is with you and you will pick up at least a point v Chelsea.
That's all well and good and against the likes of Liverpool and City away we would be mad to go all out attack. However, we SHOULD have been much more attacking against West Ham who were so there for the taking. Ramsey can spout as much tosh as he likes, but he ****ed up big time on Saturday.
When have we been solid defensively? We couldn't defend a lead for 12 minutes at Villa nor keep Chelsea out when they have nothing up front. Liverpool and City will take us apart if we play for a point, we upset both of them at home by going for it and we should do the same in the next two games. It doesn't do us any good bravely losing 1-0 trying to defend, it's still 0 points...
