Turning points

If and when we go down it will be easy to write off the whole season as a disaster, but looking back what have been the key moments that have sealed our fate? Here's a few: pre-season and the signing of Rio with a view to playing 3 at the back, put us on the back foot from the start. Charlie's missed pen against Hull in our first game. Conceding so late against Liverpool, Swansea and Hull. Getting nothing at Burnley or Hull. I think conceding late at home to Swansea was the real choker. I'd like to think that things could turn in our favour over the remaining 9 games, but I can't see it. Whatever happens always Qpr, you Rssssssssss!!!!!

 

We live in hope Peruvian but like you, I can't see things changing any time soon. Yes, we can point to bits of bad luck here and there that you mention but I believe in making your own luck and we have not been good enough to do that.

Overall, we have to accept that the blame and responsibility lies with those at the top of the club. We have been badly run for a few years now and relegation for the second time in 3 years is the price we must pay. TF and Philip Beard simply do not have the knowledge to run a football club professionally. They have appointed the wrong people at the wrong time who in turn have chosen the wrong players and here we are once again on the brink of relegation.

To me, the blame lies squarely at the feet of TF. The one thing for certain is that we the club's loyal supporters will be here for years to come (hopefully) while owners and coaches will be long gone. You R's.

 

The sale of Simpson to Leicester and the sale of Remy to the Scum, neither were replaced. To start with 3-5-2 and abandon it without a proper right back was cretinous. To not sign another striker even if we' d kept Remy would have left us light up front, Vargas was never used properly and to then sign only Zarate without even ensuring he was match-fit was beyond dumb.

Once again, a scattergun approach to signings with little thought of how they would fit in the team has left us disjointed and weak in key areas. Forget the late goal here and there, the game was up on Summer deadline day when we were left with the weaknesses that resulted in not winning a point away until Redkrapp resigned...

 

I think losing Sandro Ale and Fer to injury has cost us. But not recruiting in January made little sense to me. We should have tried everything to stay up

 

TF seems to go to one idea to another in a blink of an eye. Hopefully with Les now at the club we can have some footballing stability.

 

For me its simple & comes down to TF & the board for their lack of actions/activity in the January window.

If you look at where we were at the end of the year to where we are now (as below) it's fairly clear that us doing nothing whilst other teams changed managers or strengthened squads was a catalyst for us heading down.

31/12/14
13 Aston Villa 19 5 6 8 11 22 -11 21
14 Sunderland 19 3 11 5 16 27 -11 20
15 Queens Park Rangers 19 5 3 11 21 34 -13 18
16 West Bromwich Albion 19 4 5 10 18 28 -10 17
17 Hull City 19 3 7 9 18 26 -8 16
18 Crystal Palace 19 3 7 9 20 30 -10 16
19 Burnley 19 3 7 9 14 29 -15 16
20 Leicester City 19 3 4 12 17 31 -14 13


15/03/15
Everton 29 7 10 12 36 41 -5 31
Hull City 29 6 10 13 26 37 -11 28
Aston Villa 29 7 7 15 19 38 -19 28
Sunderland 29 4 14 11 23 43 -20 26
Burnley 29 5 10 14 26 47 -21 25
Queens Park Rangers 29 6 4 19 30 52 -22 22
Leicester City 28 4 7 17 24 44 -20 19


So in 10 games since the end of the year with got 4 points which is the worst of any team in the relegation zone.

 

Appointing Redknapp in November 2012 and failing to sack him in May 2013 are at the root of all this. And as Chairman who made/sanctioned the decision, Fernandes carries the can.

I don't believe seasons and success are built on individual moments, they are built on culture and professionalism.

 

Good thoughts Peruv. I've thought of us as the 'nearly' team this season for the games (and others) you have listed. However, as well as 'nearly' moments, there were some abject capitulations too (United and Spurs away).
The PL punishes any team for those moments.

 

Having supported Queens Park Rangers since 1971, I can't recall feeling so peeved as to how this season has panned out.
I had always been in the Redknapp camp, thinking his knowledge, his standing in the game and charisma would auger well for our great club.

How could I be so gullible .........

Football is a business and like anything else, if the foundations aren't set firmly in place, everything there after will eventually fail.
Truth is, if we are serious about dissecting the season, look at how we started ...............the pre-season by Harrys accounts was a shambles, thus so has been the season.

Meanwhile, Harry has continually carried on talking it up for every other team but ours.
The ultimate insult was then inflicted by Harold ............. quit the day after the mid season window shut.
Yep, it was all about his knees, not the friggin club being shafted by him or the players that he bought and refused to play or that they couldn't play cause they were so unfit ................... nah, just that his dicky knees needed some immediate work.

As far as the club goes, yeh ............ he reckoned he would of kept us up but who cares ................ Harrys knees come first, get it or get out.
( a reading from the word of Redknapp 04:02:2015 )

The team, well .................. full of misfits, half wits, nit wits and you know the rest, f--k wits and don't forget to throw in a novice coach and club owner who is just as naive and here we go into the last few games of the season hoping for a miracle.
The prospect of a massive fine from the FA really makes me wonder if TF will do a 'runner' ............... if he had any brains he would.

Here we are then, the loyal supporters who continue to ride the rollercoaster in downhill motion with a few jolts thrown in for good measure.
Yeh, as always ................... I will continue to support the club I / we love forever and a day, providing of course, my liver holds out.
Yours faithfully & loyal,
Aussie

 

Cannot really disgree with anything that has been written here and to add to the misery......an absolutely shocking pre-season

 

Fer has been a massive loss for us, if we go down you think we have a chance of holding on to him and our better players bar Austin sure he will go.

 

Since Sir Les has been in overall charge we have become worse!

People talk about CR's tactical mistakes, etc, but you forget that Les does have an active role in all of this. Why are the players not seeming to put a shift in? If he is so bloody good for the club why aren't the players responding to him and CR?

Accurate passing, closing down quickly, running into the box when the ball is moving forward up the wings, supporting the fullbacks and tracking back quickly when the ball is lost. None of this is rocket science, it is football 101.

Several players did not like the way Les was sneaking about undermining Harry within a couple of weeks of arrival and complained. He was even told off by TF for being too obvious about it.

Les Ferdinand is NOT the saviour and never will be.

 

There have been no turning points, just endless roundabouts of bad decision after horrendous decision after lunatic decision.
We're off to Hell - and I don't mean Galatasary!!

And for Aquaboy and the other deluded ones who say we are not down - We have eyes and brains, we're sold out of blind, deluded faith.

 

Losing Loic Remy when we did was disastrous. I believe that he and Charlie would have weighed in with 25 league goals between them at this stage. He was the only forward we have with pace and more importantly he knows how to use it. Still with the contract get out he has there was always the risk that would happen.

Just as disastrous was not using the money we got for him to buy another striker on January 1st.

 

The 2 losses to Hull defined the season for me..
a missed penalty and Barton's self destruct gave them 6 points and cost us 6 points..

 

Les has never struck me as being particularly bright. Like Wormwood, I remain unconvinced that he brings anything to the party.

 

I disagree with all TF's critics. He has agreed to wipe off a large amount of debt AND has been distracted from running the football club but by a the accident reason hitting his main activity.....

 

I agree with many of the points that have been made, but I reckon the root of the problems at QPR goes further back than the appointment of Harold, or his resignation, his signings or any 'point' in the season. The root of the problem is found in 2007 and the idea of a 'four year plan.' Ironically, if you google 'four year plan' the main reference is to the regime of economic reforms put in place in the late 1930's by the Nazi Party, perhaps let's use a different catchy title next time...

What is my problem with 'the four year plan', well, in terms of the aims I have no problem, achieving premier league status, champions league football, shiny new stadium...all well and good. It's the time frame that bothers me. If we look at a club (I'm sure there are others, but this one immediately springs to mind) who have really achieved those stated aims year after year it's Man Utd, and even they are struggling a little now. My point is, you don't achieve those things overnight, and if you do, you do it as City and Chelsea have done, and it means your club is reliant on wealthy owners. A reliance we know can be all too costly.

To really achieve success, we need to be thinking 10-15 years ahead, knowing it might mean a tough few years, relegation, and a proper plan for bringing through young players, and scouting top players to bring in. Everyone wants a quick fix, and a few years work to achieve success, that is not realistic. A 15 year plan sounds painful, but if United fans knew where they'd be 15 years after Alex Ferguson started as manager in 1986, I'm sure they'd have been happy with a few years of underachieving. Question is, where do we find our Alex Ferguson...?

 

Being promoted with a squad full of loans didn't help.

Question is was that down to TF not wanting to spend out last year. Hmmm, sod it Blame 'Arry.

Gary O'neil not getting a contract. As he was clearly the right sort.

 

Burnley's win v Man City.
Soton's goal.
Villa's pen v WBA
Not signing a striker in tfr window.
And many of our injuries, in particular Dunne & Faurlin. We're gone now, so let's relax and enjoy Brentford, Fulham and Cardiff!