STOP PRESS – Within an hour or so of this going live QPR fans were quick to step into the breach described in the introduction. Thanks to JC and Josh (and any others waiting in the wings) for promptly filling the gap.
All seemed in order when Monsieur Salut went off to Cuba. A QPR fan, who had long ago volunteered to do the Who are You? interview, had the questions and promised replies. Thinking only of the transfer window and intervening results, I told the interviewee, Gareth Parker, to take his time as ‘things – and therefore your answers – will change between now and Feb 10-ish’. I was not thinking of ‘Arry’s dodgy knees (M Salut knows all about those) and I certainly wasn’t implying that the answers could wait until after the game.
But despite returning from holiday to an email suggesting some revised post-Redknapp questions, which I duly sent last Friday, Gareth has remained silent.
If any QPR fans fancy answering in his place, just go to Comments, specify the question number and give your reply. If there is a good response – and that’s a big if, given how close we are to the game – we’ll come up with a prize.
And apologies to all readers who enjoy this series for this one lapse. I am sure Gareth either overlooked it of has a perfectly good reason for not being able to oblige. We should, however, have a cracker for the Bradford City cup game …
1: On holiday in Cuba, I saw news of ‘Arry’s resignation in a Spanish newsreel headline without further explanation. Then I arrived home and read about his dodgy knees, What ‘s going on, why and what do you make of it?
2: Some decent results at home, woeful away. What does Redknapp’s successor need to do to turn things around – and do you have faith in Fernandes?
3: Even without Harry, since you’re playing us at the Stadium of Light, I bet you fancy your chances of stopping the rot.
4: I must have led a sheltered life but was utterly amazed to read recently that Joey Barton is on £90K a week. He was good against us at Loftus Road but I was utterly amazed, even allowing for a bit of exaggeration of the figure. Is he worth anything like that to QPR?
5: I’ve always liked Junior Hoilett but obviously Charlie Austin’s your star man, with Robert Green doing great stuff in goal. Now the window has closed without him departing, is he the man to keep you up?
6: QPR have an advantage over provincial clubs in that players or their WAGS all seem to want to be in London. Obviously size and profile of club then come into play but do you think you exploit that advantage enough?
7: What have been your highs and lows of supporting QPR?
8: If not mentioned in the last reply, were you outraged by, or understanding of, the meek FA Cup exit?
9:And who are the greatest players you’ve seen – or wish you’d seen in the hoops? I imagine gentlemen named Rodney, Stan and Terry may come into the reckoning, though not Anton or Kieran
10: Can you think of anyone who should have been allowed nowhere near the club?
11: What will be the top four and, hand on heart, bottom three this season?
12: Where will our clubs finish if not mentioned?
13: Your thoughts on Sunderland: the club, the fans, the city and region, Poyet?
14: Best ref, worst ref in the Premier?
15: Diving, manhandling at corners/set pieces, shirt-tugging, feigning injury, badgering refs to book opponents or send them off. So prevalent that would we just give up and put them all in coaching manuals, or still worth fighting?
16: What one step should your club of the football authorities take to improve the lot of ordinary fans?
17: Will you get to the game and what will be the score?
Thanks JC. I almost need a three-sided coin to decide a winner. Josh and MT would have been equally deserving but you were first, so I will be in touch re the mind-blowing prize (we’re clean out of luxury cruises but might find a coffee mug)
All the best for the rest of the season. Like the site, will check in now and again. Youve no idea how shocked we all are this morning
1: Arry seemed less mobile for the play-off final. He sold Mutch in the hope of freeing up funds for his habitual wheeling and dealing and was either prevented (in which case the board wanted him out) or couldn’t. He left in a strop knowing he had nothing more to offer and gave an excuse that he hoped would leave his reputation intact.
2: We park the bus but leave the windows open – we just can’t defend. Someone that can motivate us to a high energy performance of any kind would get a better return. Attacking helps.
Fernandes is a good guy and we’re all hoping his lessons are being learnt but there is a growing skepticism about what he can do and how well he can do it (both in terms of football and infrastructure).
3: Every transfer window since the dawn of time has had Defoe linked with us – he’s guaranteed to sink us.
4: More like 65K and no he isn’t. I think he’s a better right mid than central but we’re playing strikers and other central midfielders out wide so he doesn’t get that chance (although Ramsey actually did play wingers on Saturday).
5: He’s gone off the boil a bit (and is injured now) but I think our survival depends on others stepping up rather than Austin maintaining his pre-Christmas form.
6: We act bigger than we are and Fernandes is pretty good at winning potential targets round with his FIFA skills – that seems to get a few players in. In fairness, Arry was also a draw but I don’t know why.
7: The New Years Day game in 1992 against Man U that cemented my love of the club is a high. The more recent promotion (with Warnock) another. Seeing them get battered against Cheltenham in the league but hold on for a 1-1 draw was pretty bad since I got there 2 minutes late and missed our goal.
8: The FA cup starts on the first weekend in January at 3pm and usually finishes at 3.20 – we’ve lost to worse (and better and everyone else).
9:Les Ferdinand the best I’ve seen. I wish I’d seen Stan Bowles.
10: There’s a number of disappointing ones (especially in the last few years) although Luke Young is difficult to beat.
11: Chelsea, City, Arsenal and United. Leicester, Hull and either us or Villa depending on if we can find some form in the next 2-3 weeks.
12: You’ll be about 12th.
13: Sunderland need some stability (I remember Bruce bought in a new team one window and it’s not been very consistent since. The support seems good and the club should be looking upward. Poyet seems OK when it’s going well but, if there’s a rot, I’m not sure how good he’d be at turning it round (last season aside).
14: As others have said, Clattenberg seems OK. Lee Mason isn’t against us but I doubt we’d see any difference if he was.
15: I don’t even like the “take one for the team” mentality although at least it’s clearly punished. Clean up the game, retrospective bans, whatever it takes to remove cheating.
16: I think that clubs should be forced to use the Sky money to subsidise ticket prices (and non-alcoholic refreshments).
17: I can’t afford the bus fare to the station so won’t be there. 2-0.
Cheers for the input MT. Looks like M Salut has hit on a formula that could save him a lot of time and effort seeking out contributors. I’ll forgive you for 17 – typical PL fixture – midweek game for a short 520 mile round trip. Still it could be worse as it’s unlikely to snow and be abandoned after 20 minutes as happened to Fulham a few years back.
At half time, looks like the Guess the Score mug won’t be needed this time unless i missed someone predicting a QPR rout.
1. The best news of the year thus far. We now have a chance of staying up whereas under Redknapp we were nailed on to go down. The excuse of his knees are clearly nonsense not helped by media cronies fawning over him since it was announced. In 30 years of management has there ever been someone so lauded for such mediocrity?
2. Have a bit of a go. On the rare occasions away from home we’ve attacked we’ve scored or come close to doing so. It’s been clear for a long time that sitting in for a 0-0 doesn’t work.
3. No. We’ll have half a dozen players in gloves playing like southern fairies and longing to watch the latest team gang bang video on their phones on the team bus.
4. Of course not. When he sticks to what he’s good at (tackling and giving the ball to someone better) he’s good but not great. When he takes it upon himself to go into Gerrard-esque Hail Mary pass mode, he’s worse than useless.
5. Hoilett couldn’t keep a rubber duck up in the bath.
6. Frankly if they’re coming to us so the missus can enjoy a shopping trip and frappucino in Knightsbridge they probably aren’t who we need. Sadly after several years, Fernandes is yet to see this.
7. I’m reasonably young so the highest highs have been Zamora’s goal at Wembley and the other promotion season under Warnock. Lows- to name a few, losing at home to Vauxhall Motors, barely an FA cup win in 15 years and employing Paul Hart as manager.
8. I wouldn’t have minded so much if Redknapp had sent the kids out. Many of our ‘stars’ played, including Austin, and we were shown up as dreadful. Redknapp then blamed tiredness- Sheffield Utd had played about 250 games this season at the same point.
9. I’m far too young for Bowles/Marsh and even Ferdinand really. The boy Taarabt was a joy to watch a few years ago.
10. Redknapp, Hughes, Kia Joorabchian, Myra Hindley, Richard Keys, Joey ‘Lord and saviour’ Barton.
11. Chelsea, City, Arsenal, Southampton. QPR, leicester and Hull.
12. Sunderland- 15th
13. I’ve only been to the SoL once ( the 2-1 in your promotion season when Leadbitter scored, it was grand national day). I can’t say I was too enamoured with the town but it’s clearly a good, old-fashioned club with big support. Poyet seems to be maturing as a manager. He’s not terribly popular in the game so I’m told but in the PL era of staying up at all costs he seems to have a knack of doing just enough.
14. Best- probably Clattenburg as he seems to have a bit of a feel for the game and not just the rules. Worst- any of those short refs who clearly got bullied at school e.g. D’Urso, the guy with the turban etc.
15. Refs should have a mandate to clamp down on it. It will be bizarre for a few weeks then much better. Retrospective bans for diving and increasingly harsh bans for repeat offenders.
16. A salary cap. Clubs can’t keep pissing away money and charging a fortune to make up for it. The game will consume itself soon with a bit of luck. Also, just allow standing for god’s sake. Hillsborough was clearly terrible but safe standing is doable and safer than seats.
17. I’ve a meeting that I couldn’t get out of unfortunately but would be surprised at anything but a comfortable home win.
Couldn’t keep a rubber duck up in the bath – classic.
I’m not too enamoured with West London (lived near Latimer Road for a time) and the view from the away sections at Loftus Road is poor at best but have to say the quality and rapidity of the responses from Josh and JC are warming me to QPR.
Didn’t we SAFC lose the milk cup final in 85?
We did but QPR lost it in season 85/86 (April 86) so I think it’s an understandable error in a quickly worded set of replies. JC obviously responded immediately to the posting.
sorry – edit – 86 – it’s just a memory I’d like to forget, looks like it’s working
I’ll change it for you – newcomers to the posting can work it out for themselves!
1. Too much of a coincidence that this is announced the day after transfer window closes. Most of us feel that Harry’s heart has not been in it for a while now.
2. How about the novel concept of playing players in their natural position.
3. No.
4. In relative terms, If Shaun Wright Philipps is on 40k a week, then Barton easily worth the money. In absolute terms, you’re right.
5. Has Junior ever done something we’re not aware of? Without Austin, I think we’re down. Though even with him that’s also probably true
6. I think we’ve already overplayed it massively. We tend to overreach ourselves and end up with problem in answer 4.
7. High – the 75-76 team. Winning playoffs last year. The lows..where to start? Milk Cup final in 1986, losing out to Liverpool on last day of 75-76 season, going down so abjectly 2 years ago, the whole Ecclestone / Briatore circus, going down to league 1 with a whimper, the whole Chris Wright circus. Going from a team that was a popular ‘other club’ for supporters to being disliked…
8 As opposed to the meek cup exits the past 10+ years?
9. The whole 75-76 team was extraordinary – Gerry Francis was unlucky with injuries. Terry Venables was past his best with us. The early 90s saw a pretty good team, with Les Ferdinand, Ray Wilkins David Bardsley, Clive Wilson to name a few. In recent times, Adel divides opinions, but has given us more excitement than the previous 10 years put together.
10. Mark Hughes, Flavio, Bernie, Chris Wright, Stewart Houston, Mark Hately, Vinnie Jones
11. Chelsea, City, United, Arsenal. Leicester, QPR, Burnley
12. about 2 or 3 off the relegation zone.
13. Always liked the club – seemed genuine, not too big for their boots, well supported etc..Would love to have seen Gus Poyet join us. Thought Di Canio was an awful appointment. Thought the club had real class when Niall Quinn was there. And the 73 final was a great early memory of what cup finals should be all about.
14. Always think Clattenburg tries to ref in spirit of game. Have to say we’ve seen too many really poor ‘big team refs’ this season.
15. As a caveat to 14, its impossible to referee given the sheer scale of cheating going on. The only way to deal with it is by video replay post game with a panel of ex-players. Money fines or bans won’t work, go for points deductions. Would clear it up overnight.
16. Ticket prices in line with the average working wage would be a start.
17. Home win. And no, I’m working.
Cheers JC – fast enough to beat my proof reading of M Salut’s initial posting – you even noticed the missing number – since corrected!