The Pre-Season Thread

Queens Park Rangers Pre-Season 2016/17
(This thread is as much for me as it might be for anyone else!)

Please post your opinions about the pre-season. It would be nice to hear about these things by people who have been following the Rs closely so far this pre-season. I haven't been able to so far and the highlights don't help that much.

• Which players look good?
• What are we lacking in terms of playing personnel?
• What are we lacking in or getting right with regards to organisation?
• What do you think of the 3rd kit now that you've seen it on the pitch?
• How do you think JFH is coping?
• Are the results that important at this stage?

 

I think it's fair to say the squad, as it is today, is not good enough to challenge for the play-offs. We desperately need a striker who scores and a creative midfielder, without those we will be below half-way. Whether our new Polish midfielder will fit the 'creative' bill remains to be seen.

JFH can only do so much with those we have, he has stated the type of game he wants us to play so getting his transfer targets, as Sir Les has said, is vital to progress. I like what JFH aspires to and hope to see a better passing side this season.

The 3rd kit is ok, a bit Bradford-like but distinctive. I never take much notice of pre-season results so the two so far would baffle most of us anyway...

 

I agree with you on the first paragraph there.. I think we could muster a good 11 that would be a difficult team for a lot of teams in the league but past that 11 we have a bit of a shallow squad. We have a large number of youngsters who are a bit wet behind the ears. JET has proven he can score but we should not be relying on him or Polter. We do need to get a goalscorer or two in quick. They're hard to come by these days!

I think we have a midfield that could positively surprise us this season. Which doesn't mean it's going to happen. In that case, we should get in a good creative midfielder, as you say. But with that said, if Massimo, Chery, Hoilett and co. play to their full potential, we could have many pleasant surprises along the way.

 

Pre season don't worry me, it's all about match fitness & style of play, you can win every match then lose the 1st league match, some players can look good & then **** in a comprehensive game, train hard & be prepared.

 

I think that we still need a few more players, but much depends on our preferred formation: 4-2-31,4-3-3 or 4-4-2. Ideally, it would be great to have a squad that is flexible to play all of these formations dependent on the opposition and our tactics.

We should now be ok in defence, but I think that we need a midfielder (Cousins?), a winger (or two) and a forward. I hope that we fill any missing positions soon as there is now less than a month to the start of the new season.

p.s. Can anyone clarify the contractual status of Hoillet? I thought that his contract has expired and we have not agreed any new lower cost contract. I also believe he is not in the pre-season tour. As a result, it is unikely that he will be available to play for us next season.

 

I feel quite certain that Hoilett is going to stay. In fact, I thought I had heard somewhere that it's been agreed but can't remember where I read that. Anyone?

 

I do not expect to see him next season in a QPR nice wide hoop shirt and expect that we will buy at least one new winger.

 

Pre season, is all about the players getting themselves fit. JFH is introducing this 'High Pressing - Intensity' game so the players have to be mega fit for it.
They looked all over the place in the 2nd half against Gronigen, but again I think its more down to getting 90 minutes under thier belt. From the interviews I've seen on playerhd, it seems all the players are together and up for the challenge that JFH is setting for them.
JFH - said as much afterwards.
If they get the fitness right for the start of the season then I think we can do really well, however I still think we are a few players short of having a squad that can really push for promotion this season.
Definately need a striker and a goal scoring midfielder, I thought Cousins could fill that role, but then saw he only scored 2 last season.
Hoilett has gone, I think I read that somewhere a couple of days ago.

 

I have a feeling that Chery is being lined up to be the goal-scoring midfielder....and the others are being set up to support him (Ariel/ Cousins/Luongo/El-K (from the bench).
I would like to see Doughty in front of the back 4 too.

So I think we are a prolific centre-forward away from having a team. I am really not sure who that is going to be though, BFG is a perfect bench impact sub/ holding CF for a few games we will be under the cosh...but we have not got a starting CF for games we need to win, (so far I do not think we can trust in Conor...but lets see what he is like when JFH's team is built behind him).

 

If we're allowed to play 4-2-31, we ought to score enough goals...

 

...I'm glad you are on the ball.

I think the ref might notice the slight infringement!

 

You are right Beth, forgot that Chery will probably play from midfirld...in that case a striker it is, been scouting around, all the good un's have gone to bigger clubs already, there is the lad Winnall from Barnsley who got 25 goals last year, otherwise there's a youngster at Utrecht -Sebastien Haller got 20 odd last season, but then we'd have two stikers with the first name Sebastian

 

Who's gonna provide the width,i don't see one quality winger in our squad ?

 

The full backs?

 

I wonder too. Surely the Club are looking for both a quality striker and wide man now both Phillips and Holliet (probably) have gone.

 

Give me proper wingers any day,they can beat players and put in quality crosses for centre forwards to get on the end of. Also they score goals,Phillips and Hoilett aren't top wingers but they still scored the odd goal for us,i can't recall any of our full back s scoring a single goal ! Also I prefer my full backs to first and foremost to be able to defend,i realise the way forward is having your full backs turn into wing backs,but I'd much prefer watching an out and out quality winger !

 

What about an older tried and tested striker for now? It's worked for us before in the case of Helgusson.

 

Who for example?