Here's an interesting article from Vital QPR. Do you agree with their selections? With the business end of the Championship season fast approaching, Vital QPR takes a closer look at the similarities and differences between the 2010/2011 Championship winning side and the current 2013/2014 squad aiming to replicate the Rs title glory. Both sides had played 26 games by this point, both mounting serious promotion challenges. The 2011 side were sitting top of the pile come the middle of January, three points clear of second place Swansea City with a game in hand to their name. In contrast, the current QPR side find themselves in second place, five points off pace-setters Leicester City. The discernible difference between the two sides is found under the goal difference column; the 2011 side outshining their 'opponents` by a full 12 goals. Neil Warnock`s side had managed to net 44 times compared to Redknapp`s poor 31. Clearly both managers had set their stall out on a watertight defence though - the 2010/2011 side conceding 16 goals compared to the 2013/2014 sides` equally impressive 17. Goalkeeper Every title winning side is always built on a resolute and sound defence and in Paddy Kenny and Robert Green QPR can lay claim to possessing arguably two of the league`s finest goalkeepers. Amazingly, both shot-stoppers could boast a total of 14 clean sheets to their name by this point in the arduous Championship season; Kenny went on to make a club record 24 by the end of the 2010/2011 campaign, picking up the Players` Player and Fans` Player of the Year Award in the process. The similarities between the two are uncanny; both guilty of somewhat inauspicious starts to their QPR careers, mistakes all too often creeping in to games before going on to become one of the side`s most reliable performers. Probably the hardest decision to choose between, the final decision as who to pick came down to match-winning saves. While Green has undoubtedly made some impressive saves this season, Paddy Kenny came to QPR`s rescue on more than occasion and at times won points singlehandedly for his side. Kenny gets the nod ahead of his counterpart for this one, just. VERDICT: PADDY KENNY Read more and see the other selections here: http://www.qpr.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=346842#ixzz2rM7BNcSy
He's banging on about the "discernible difference" being the superior goal difference from three years ago but he ain't mentioned the more important fact that we're better off points-wise this time round. I already get the feeling that this write up is going to be biased so I'm not going to read the rest of it. Thanks for posting it up though Ninesy.
HTML: With the exceptions of Faurlin and Adel (don't start, on 2010 form) and perhaps Routledge and Walker when they were around, I'd say we have better players in every position now. But that doesn't necessarily make a better team, as we know only too well. Rating Hill as a better LB than BAE does rather dent the flimsy credibility of the article though.
I'd have green and BAE in that team, but the standard of the oppo was much less then than now.. As Sb said ...Hill at left back? Really? I like the guy but he is no left back !
Walker over Simpson, Taarabt over Kranjcar, Derry and Faurlin over any defensive midfielder of the current era. Those are easy, how about Warnock over Redknapp?
To my own amazement I'd have to say Warnock. I've never liked him, but he dug us out of a hole the season before and had the nous to get Adel playing like a God. Harold has presided over a relegation, he may well get us promoted but in the most desultory fashion imaginable. We'll remember Colin long after H has gone. Its going to be crap with no game this weekend though, even the way we are playing.
It's the old horses for courses thing as far as managers go. Warnock was the right man at the right time, he said he built the team around Faurlin and Taarabt, brought in Kenny, Hill, Derry and Mackie and the rest is history. Conversely, Redknapp was the wrong manager at the wrong time inheriting the most fractured and dysfunctional squad the PL has ever seen and basically giving up last season. The fact he's got us in 2nd place with a comparable record is more luck than judgement but the goal difference tells the story quite accurately, we're a real curate's egg form wise but getting results and, if Redknapp can pull off a couple of signings that can make us play more expansively we might give Leicester a run for their money. I'm not overly confident though...
Agreed. It's difficult to choose between a few of them because, whilst some of our present players are better players, their counterparts from Warnock's team may have been more effective for us at that time. The same could be arguably said about the managers too. The main thing I agree with from that article is my amazement that a lot of QPR fans seem to have forgotten just how amazingly fantastic Taarabt was that season. He made going to the games worthwhile on his own. I can't think of one player in the present team who makes me feel like that. Austin comes close, but for sheer entertainment, there's no one! (Please God........this isn't an attempt to open up THAT debate again!!!!)
COL your fawning over that dozy lad is a little unsettling. I hope Mrs COL don't know about your infatuation with a 24 year old man
Oh don't worry about her Swords, she takes a look on here occasionally and she has the same opinion of you as me. You wouldn't know a good player if you tripped over one and even then, you'd probably not realise that he played for QPR!
Technically I feel that the side this season has more ability but the championship winners were a better team. For me Green would be in goal but the right back is a real problem. Did Walker play enough games to be considered? Surely the choice is Orr Simpson. Therefore Simpson has my vote. At left back BAE is by far the better footballer but does he give as much to the team as Hill did? I would need to flip a coin to fill this spot. My first choice at centre half would be Ned & probably put Dunne alongside him, but Matt Connolly won the chamopionship three seasons running. Perhaps he should be there to bring the side luck. Fot the rest of the team, Faurlin, Barton (sorry roller), Tarrabbt & Austin pick themselves with th Icelander being a worthy sub upfront. So two spaces left to fill. If Routledge played enough games he would be in. I don't think that Phillips has done enough yet to demand a place so I will leave these last two for sugestions!
Even i would have picked the adel of those days in that form...over the fat Kranky...problem is...AT is as fat and overweight as kranky today ...and..based on what hey have achieve..kramky makes adel look mug...!! just stating the facts.... but as i said..at his peak 3 years ago..versus and aging striker who played in the world cup previouslyu....Id take Adel...!! REALLY?
