bitter fulham fan says

QPR Preview – Mark Hughes Just Doesn’t Get It, Does He?Posted: February 25, 2012 in Preview
Mark Hughes still doesn't get why Fulham fans dislike him
With Fulham heading to their cross-town rivals today, there’s a tension in the air you could cut with a knife. At the forefront of that tension is QPR manager Mark Hughes (that still sounds weird to type, but at the same time somewhat fitting). Hughes, who very publicly quit Fulham for not being ambitious enough, was left jobless for a while before settling back in London at Queens Park Rangers. Now, after everyone’s had time to think, he still says he doesn’t understand why Fulham fans feel any kind of ill feelings towards him.

“I’d back my record at Fulham against anyone else’s,” he said. “eighth in the Premier league was an outstanding job. That’s not a lack of success. It seems to be quite difficult to leave Fulham and stay on good terms. That’s a shame because I enjoyed my time there, it’s a great club. I will shake hands with Al Fayed if he is there. Fulham have done a great job in the Premier league for 11 years, QPR have had only eight months. We have to get up to speed very quickly. The importance of staying up cannot be underestimated. But if you look at what Fulham have done, we need to emulate that and, with a fair wind, hopefully surpass it.”

I’ve come to the conclusion that some people just have an inability to see things from other people’s perspectives. It’s not your record that we were upset with Mark. In fact, I think a lot of Fulham fans had really taken a liking to you simply because you HAD such a good record at Fulham. I even wrote a post a while back saying how I thought you were the right man for the job. No Mark, it’s not your record we had an issue with. You say it’s not easy to leave Fulham on good terms. Let me say fix your sentence for you: “It seems to be quite difficult to leave Fulham without notice, say you’re better than the club and insult the club’s future intentions, and sign with their bitter rivals a few months later and stay on good terms.” Had you said that, we’d all be in agreement. Fair?

/rant. Now let’s get into the little thing that’s happening called a match.

State of Fulham:

Fulham come into this match on the heels of a much-needed and strong showing against Stoke, winning 2-1. That win could be even more important when you look at their next 3 matches against QPR, vs Wolves, and at Villa, all 3 of which will be tough but certainly winnable. These next 3 matches, plus the Stoke one, present the opportunity for Fulham to cement their rise up the table to the top 10. In fact, if you take out the Manchester City match, Fulham’s Premier League form has been very good of late. Wins against Newcastle and Arsenal show this team has the ability to win at any time, they just need to take care of the winnable matches like these, which have sometimes given them issues. If they play their cards right, Fulham shouldn’t be in 12th for much longer.

State of QPR:

Not so good. After starting the season strong, they’ve fallen of late. However, they certainly have a bone to pick with Fulham. Not only is Mark Hughes their manager, but Bobby Zamora is now on the enemy’s side as well. Fulham and QPR fans alike certainly also remember the last time these two faced off, a 6-0 drubbing by Fulham at Craven Cottage (although Hughes wasn’t manager yet and Zamora was on our side). So it’s a grudge match for the ages. QPR are in 16th place and in a freefall Mark Hughes is hoping to avoid. If I’m a betting man, I don’t see a reason why this side should get relegated, but wouldn’t be surprised to see them finish where they are now. The 4 sides below them (Blackburn, Wolves, Wigan, and Bolton) are all pretty bad and are the ones who should be going down (except Bolton who I expect to climb out), but QPR will have their hands full fending them off if they keep playing like they have.

Prediction:

I’m keeping this prediction short, as I’m currently vacationing in Bali in a beautiful hotel room. I’m expecting a draw, simply because of the style Martin Jol has Fulham playing of late with Andy Johnson injured and a shortage of strikers brought on by that injury plus a lack of activity in the transfer window. I’m surprised with Marcello Trotta playing so well they sent him out on loan instead of kept him, since it’s the ideal time for him to get first-team action, but I’m not in charge. Andy Johnson will be back for this match, and I say he and Pogrebnyak both play, but Jol’s style is defend and counter at the moment, and I think that nets these clubs a 1-1 draw, especially with it being on the road.

 

Hughes was unpopular before he left, when we lost to West Ham around the New Year he was booed from the pitch by a sizable portion of the Fulham fans.

Things picked up for us when he started playing Hodgson's system.

I never took to him, he was a great player but the manager Hughes imagines himself to be is very different to the reality. Wears nice suits though!

 

Well, there you have it, they didn't like the man but liked his suits...

 

"It seems to be quite difficult to leave Fulham without notice, say you’re better than the club and insult the club’s future intentions, and sign with their bitter rivals a few months later and stay on good terms.”

We're not bitter rivals. Fulham seem like a club without an identity, eager for someone to dislike them as if they've been missing out. You'll find very few QPR fans who would put Fulham in their list of three most hated clubs.