hoping for a continuous improvement. We have played well since start of the year and I would hope that this continues. There will be comings and goings but hopefully the ones that come in can lift the club as the loanees have done. Looking forward to a west london derby against the ruperts, a london middesex game against BSW and wins against the fakes.......unless of course they go bust.
Ski, you can put me down for a bit of 'Walking the Dog" etc, providing of course, we didn't send the club broke like with Harry. I'd rather honest / sluggers over mercenaries though. Look at clubs like Norwich, as much as dislike them, they don't seem to implode when they go down. They bounce back fine each time. There must be something about the way they do it. ....................... wish we knew.
I never understand comments about not being ready for the PL or better in a years time. We are ready when we get in the top 2 or win the play offs, and if we do come straight back down again we can go for it again with a lot more money both from the PL, and from parachute payments to make an even stronger challenge in 2 years time. Better to be a yoyo for me than a fixture in the Championship, certainly financially if managed properly. Whilst in the PL we can not only make a lot of money if we use what we get much more carefully than we did last time, we can also enjoy giving the best in the land a scare or two while we are there.
I tend to agree with this - I think the crucial thing is the management of the club and the players if [and hopefully when] we go up. You don't want to waste all the money you gain, or demoralise the players that get you there, but equally you don't want it to be so embarrassing and deflating that the players get into a 'losing mindset'. Norwich have essentially set the perfect example - don't change your style too much when you go up, let the players enjoy it, and keep a feelgood factor even when you're relegated back to the champ.
If we don't tie down the 4 loanees then I think we may need to temper hopes/expectations. We can't overestimate the impact Austin and Johansen had and Jordi and Field to a lesser extent. To counter that though we've had the emergence of a great keeper, a decent centre back, more improvement from Chair, Dykes showing some grit and Chris Willock now looking like the jewel in our crown. To be fair across the board players have improved with only a few being shown as not good enough at this level. Dependent who we lose, whether some or all of the loanees stay plus any other additions its hard to really say what to expect. We may have over achieved this season so I would say anything in the top half next season wouldn't be a bad result but inching towards play offs if we have a good transfer window.
I’d be delighted to be a yo yo club for a few seasons if we do it right and use the cash wisely. But we better do it fast, the yo yo gang is reaching maximum capacity, I reckon 2 of the 3 relegated clubs are virtually guaranteed to go straight back up every season and some years it will be all three.
If Bournemouth win the play-offs this year, all three relegated clubs will have gone back up again. As you say, I'd be happy to join the yo-yo club.
It both delights and pains me to watch Leicester and reflect that we were promoted together. However, since that time we have gone down totally different routes and today we are in different football worlds. I think that we have now taken on-board many Lessons Learned and if (when) we do again get promoted to that football Holy Grail of the Premiership, then we will perform better and in a more sustainable manner.
In May 2015 Mr 999s of this parish and myself attended the Leicester City v QPR fixture. The season before both teams had been promoted from the championship, and both teams had struggled throughout the season in the PL, though Leicester went on a great late run to save themselves. QPR were already relegated by this game. Leicester won 5-1, amid much bitter gallows humour in the travelling Rs area. Fortunately we were numbed to the result through having visited several of the local hostelries pre match, accompanied by our Foxes mate, and we drowned our sorrows in a few more afterwards. Actually it was a good day out, because we were dead already and I cared almost as little as the players by that stage. I wasn’t furious like I was for the pathetic home loss to Newcastle a couple of seasons before, also when relegated, Brixton’s last game, where he left early…… Next season QPR finished 12th in the Championship (our best position until this season). Leicester City won the Premier League. This year they are in the FA Cup Final and are very likely to qualify for the Champions League. It’s a funny old game, innit? I want some of that now please, it’s my 50th anniversary of following this mob, it’s my turn.
Completely agree. I never understand people not wanting success. There's no point taking part if you're not in it to win something.
Good post, sb. It’s my 50th anniversary this year too! l scored 21 goals in 7 games and the only goal in the grand final in the under 10’s competition and l started a lifetime following of Queens Park Rangers. What a great year 1971 it was.