A Look at QPR....Briatore Comments.....Updated Pre-Season Calendar

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PFA's Give Me Football Look at QPR Under Dowie
(Couple of items already oudated)

Loftus Road has hardly been simmering over the past decade as the O's have dropped into League One only to return to the Championship and find themselves as perennial strugglers.
However, with wealthy Formula 1 owners Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore bankrolling the Shepherds bush club there is a growing feeling that this is their time once again.
Not only are the two F1 bosses revving up for a season of success but they have also sold a 20 per cent stake in the club to the family of Lakshmi Mittal, the world's fifth richest man.
So with money apparently no object to QPR, they will be expected to push for the Premier League and glamour fixtures against the likes of spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal once again. A 14th placed finish last term wasn't enough to satisfy the appetite of Ecclestone and Briatore so Dowie has been ushered in at the expense of Luigi De Canio.
Zinedine Zidane was mentioned as a possible replacement for De Canio but Rangers have settled for a proven Championship manager in Dowie. However, the former Oldham, Crystal Palace, Charlton and Coventry manager will be under no illusions that expectations are sky high in West London.
Five million pounds was splashed out in January to entice the likes of Akos Buzsaky, Damien Delaney, Gavin Mahon, Fitz Hall, Rowan Vine and Patrick Agyemang to Loftus Road for the Rangers' revolution. There are no signs of the spending letting up this summer either as Tottenham goalkeeper Radek Cerny has agreed a two-year contract and Newcastles Peter Ramage is also on board with a three-year deal.
QPR have also agreed the signing of midfielder Matteo Alberti for an undisclosed fee from Italian Serie B side Chievo. The 19-year-old will put pen to paper on a four-year contract at Loftus Road on July 1. Alberti has yet to make his full league debut for Chievo but Rangers claim they have beaten off competition from a number of Serie A clubs to land his signature.
Crystal Palace captain Mark Hudson looks set to snub the offer of a new contract at Selhurst Park and could also be on his way across London to join QPR. The 26-year-old centre-half will be a free agent at the end of June and Palace boss Neil Warnock believes ex Dowie is leading the chase for his signature.
"I think Mark has already told people that he'll not be signing a new contract and he'll be leaving," Warnock said. "He's got one or two offers and money talks - that's his entitleFive million pounds was splashed out in January to entice the likes of Akos Buzsaky, Damien Delaney, Gavin Mahon, Fitz Hall, Rowan Vine and Patrick Agyemang to Loftus Road for the Rangers' revolution. There are no signs of the spending letting up this summer either as Tottenham goalkeeper Radek Cerny has agreed a two-year contract and Newcastles Peter Ramage is also on board with a three-year deal.
Looking ahead to next season's challenge, Dowie said: "My contract's two years so I hope it's realistic. We're going to be a very competitive team and I think within two years I'll have to bring success to this club. I want to make sure people at QPR think of me as a manager who knows how to get the job done and also brings attractive football to the club." PFA


Teamtalk - Briatore: We achieved target
Chairman Flavio Briatore believes QPR achieved their objective for last season by surviving relegation from the Championship.The financial backing of Briatore and co-owners Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal enabled the signing of nine players during the January transfer window, which helped Rangers extinguish relegation fears and secure a mid-table finish.
Briatore told the club's official website: "Everyone has done an amazing job to make our target - when we arrived it was to stay in this division.
"It was not easy and we made it and this is very important.
"The moment we arrived it was impossible to modify the club because the transfer window was closed and we suffered a lot because we lost a lot of points."
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Football League - 2008/09 CARLING CUP FIRST ROUND DRAW DETAILS
"The draw for Round 1 of the Carling Cup will be announced on Friday 13th June 2008 at 10.00am.... Football League [Game to be played August 13 or 14)


QPR's UPDATED SUMMER SCHEDULE
Just over a week till Carling Cup Draw...Less than two weeks till 2008-09 Fixtures relased...... Still to come: More Friendlies announced; more players signed! (Several players we reportedly were interested in have already moved to other clubs.) New 1st team strip (how many hoops, etc, etc?)

JUNE
- June 13 - Carling Cup Round 1 Draw
- June 16 - 2008-09 Fixtures Released
- June 30 - First Day of Training

JULY
- July 19, Stevenage, Away (Friendly) 3:00 pm.
- July 23 - Northampton Town, Away (Friendly) 7:45 pm

AUGUST
- August 2 - AC Chievo Verona (Home) 3:00 pm
- August 9 - 2008-09 Championship Season Kicks off
- August 13 or 14 - Carling Cup First Round