Ainsworth on The Takeover and the Defeat

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Gareth Ainsworth/Kilburn Times - Step on the Gaz
05 September 2007

LIKE everyone connected with QPR, I'm relieved that all the uncertainty about the club's future has finally been put to bed.
The takeover is brilliant news and I'd like to offer my thanks to Messrs Briatore and Ecclestone as much as the next man. But I think we should also sound a note of caution to any fans who think they can sit back and watch the new owners buy their way to the top.
Money is not an automatic passport to the Premiership. I remember, as a Blackburn fan, when Jack Walker began investing heavily in the club and, even then, there were a few failures before promotion to the Premiership was finally achieved.
What's important is that we can move forward without all that debt, but it doesn't mean QPR suddenly have pots of money. There are a lot of big clubs in this league and it'll be tough to match them.
Personally, I don't like to set targets - for me the next game is the only target. But the men at the top will have a business plan and a football plan, and both involve getting back to the Premiership.
Takeover talk was probably the last thing on the minds of the players, though - we are grieving for Ray Jones and our lost team-mate will always be in our thoughts.
Last Saturday, of course, was an occasion to remember Ray and, emotional though it was, I don't think anyone can use that as an excuse for our performance on the pitch.
No-one was feeling drained in the dressing-room before the game, so it's worrying that heads seemed to drop so quickly. Southampton were really on form, we had a stinker, and that combination meant that the gulf between the teams looked massive, much more than it actually is.
But it was a kick up the backside for us. We can't keep losing at home and it's a pity we don't have another game to focus on this week. On the other hand, it gives us more time to concentrate on getting ready for our next game and the aim is for every member of the squad, except Simon Walton, to be available for selection at Leicester.
That includes yours truly. I hope to be joining in training at some stage next week and, although tackling on the leg I broke will be a massive thing for me, I need to get through that.
We are a young side and, if some experienced people like myself and Danny Cullip are around, I hope it'll benefit the whole team Kilburn Times

See Also: Ben Kosky Comments on the Takeover - Kilburn Times - Spend it wisely
"....Briatore's track record for achieving his business targets is impressive - and, if this one is also to end in success, he and Ecclestone need to learn the lessons of QPR's past. Namely, to keep a very close eye on how their cash is being spent. How much, by whom and whether they're getting value for money....
".... having come so close to a catastrophe, it would be unwise to begin throwing cash around in a fresh wave of extravagance.
Mikele Leigertwood is a proven player at this level, but the fee Rangers forked out for him - the highest since Houston paid £2.75m for record signing Mike Sheron a decade ago - has to be questioned.
We must hope the club's new owners will adopt a hands-on approach and enable their manager to compete in the transfer market without giving him a blank cheque straight away.
Rangers fans crave success as much as anyone. They should also realise that money doesn't always guarantee it."
Kilburn Times

Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times Interviews QPR Goalkeeping Coach, Ed de Goey about English Goalkeepers
"....And the Dutchman has already seen enough to suggest that the current Rangers number one, who was a regular for England's under-21 side, could be in line for senior honours one day.
"I don't see any reason why not," added de Goey. "He's played for the under-21s, so they know him and, if he keeps developing the way he is, he could be a contender in the future.
"He's still young and needs to learn a lot as well, but we've got time. It's a pleasure to work with him and the other goalkeepers at the club are also picking up well." Kilburn Times