Cerny Set for QPR Debut ...Starting Goalie Not Yet Announced...Dowie on Saturday's Loss

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Lee Camp makes it sound as if the #1 position is up for grabs. Radek Cerny makes it sound more like he's the #1 goalie.


David McIntyre/Ealing Gazette - New keeper ready for first Rangers' outing

Jul 28 2008
Radek Cerny is set to make his QPR debut in Tuesday night’s pre-season friendly at Kilmarnock .
The Czech goalkeeper, signed on a free transfer this summer following a spell at Tottenham, has been given all-clear after missing Rangers’ first three friendlies with a hamstring strain.
Mikele Leigertwood is also hoping to play against Killie after recovering from a slight Achilles problem.
Boss Ian Dowie confirmed: "Radek has trained fully and will play some part at Kilmarnock .
"I could maybe have put him on the bench at Falkirk but he’ll train again and then play, which is great.
"We’ve also got Mikele Leigertwood on the fringes of it which is also important for us."
Cerny’s recovery gives him the chance to stake a claim for a first-team spot ahead of Lee Camp.
Deciding on his first-choice keeper is one of the major decisions facing Dowie ahead of the game against Barnsley on the opening day of the season.
But Camp insists he is not fazed by the prospect of having to battle for his place following Cerny’s arrival.
"It’s part and parcel of the game," said Camp.
"The club wants to go to the Premier League and for it to move forward there is going to have to be competition for places.
"You have to add quality to the squad and make everyone accountable for their performances. As far as I’m concerned, I’ll work hard and see what comes.
"It’s something for the manager to decide and he’s not given an indication of who’ll play. All I can do is work hard and try my best in the games, which suits me fine."
Camp was powerless to stop Rangers suffering a 2-0 defeat in their friendly at Falkirk on Saturday.
Falkirk’s first was an own goal by Damion Stewart, who turned in a left-wing cross after Emmanual Ledesma had been caught out.
John Stewart volleyed in the Scottish side’s second goal before Rangers improved after the break.
Of greater concern for Rangers was an ankle injury suffered by defender Matt Connolly, who was taken off on a stretcher. His condition was due to be assessed on Monday.
"We had a mad two minutes," Dowie admitted.
"To lose someone in the box at a set-piece is poor and for the first goal, after some good passing by them it flashed into the net when on another day it would have gone somewhere else.
"After that though I thought as a defensive unit we played very well, particularly in the second half when we weren’t under too much pressure.
"I was pleased with the second half but Falkirk deserve a lot of credit, particularly for that 20-minute spell after they scored when they got a bit of wind in their sails and popped it around very well.
"We then came into it and had opportunities to get a goal but our final ball was poor, which was a disappointment for me. But I was pleased with our response.
"It was a good lesson to learn. Rather than me doing it it’s about solving things on the pitch, and the sad thing was that we didn’t solve it during the first half. In the second half we solved what was causing us a problem.
"You don’t get too excited about winning games in pre-season and you don’t get too disappointed about losing games either. The fitness is getting there and that’s the most important thing." Ealing Gazette


Also Official Site Cerny's Perspective - WE MUST START STRONG
As the R's continue their pre-season tour of Scotland, one man who is enjoying his time north of the border is Radek Cerny.
Brought in over the summer, the former Tottenham loanee has been enjoying the climate, which is ideal for training. "Many teams go to places like Italy or Spain, but the weather is very hot, and it makes training difficult," he said.
"It isn't as warm here in Scotland, so it is better for us when we are training ."
Cerny, who is looking forward to his 15th season as a professional, has now had the time to get to know his fellow team-mates, and he admits he's been impressed by their character and attitude.
"I know all the players now, and I think the squad here is very good," he told www.qpr.co.uk. "We have a lot of good individuals and they are all working very hard."
With expectancy high in W12, Cerny knows the team need to hit the ground running when the first match comes around against Barnsley on 9th August.
"It is important for us to start the season well," he added. "If we achieve that, then we need to push on and be consistent, but a strong beginning to the campaign is vital for us."
Cerny is yet to make his debut for the R's, owing to a hamstring injury he sustained in training two weeks ago. Thankfully, he has overcome that and is looking forward to his first chance to pull on the QPR shirt, which could arrive on Tuesday evening against Kilmarnock.
"I have returned to full training in the last couple of days, and thankfully I feel OK," he revealed. "Hopefully my injury problems are behind me now.
"I am so happy that I am back so quickly because initially I thought I might be sidelined for as much as six weeks."
Like his team-mates, Cerny has been impressed by the intensity and high-tempo of Iain Dowie's carefully structured pre-season training.
"The first couple of weeks were very intense," he said. "It isn't as intense here in Scotland, but it is nice to have a new environment and it has been a good few days' training so far."
Following the match against Killie, the R's will return to London on Wednesday, and prepare in earnest for the visit of Chievo to W12, for what is our final pre-season fixture.
"I am really looking forward to playing at Loftus Road," he admitted. "I have been speaking with some of the players, and they all tell me what a great ground it is to play at.
"I hope the supporters get behind me. At Tottenham they were very good, they took to me right away, and my aim is to try to achieve that with the QPR fans."
With one eye on the final pre-season fixture, Cerny acknowledges: "Chievo is an important match for us, as it is just seven days before the new season. It could be quite a competitive fixture."
And as Dowie makes his final tweaks to the squad, his keeper is clear on what the target should be for the R's. "Hopefully we will not only be around the top six, our first aim is to finish in the top two," he said
"That's what the players are after. If we miss out on that, then we certainly hope to finish in the play-off places."
QPR


Meanwhile, the team trains in Scotland - Photos