Rodney Marsh Responds

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Apologies in advance for reposting it; but when your boyhood hero posts on your blog - even if only to take exception to something said - well that's something to take note of - especially when he also, in passing, says something nice about the blog! [That March 1972 day when Marsh left QPR for Manchester City was at the time one of - if not the most - depressing days in QPR history!]

The sequence:
- Rodney Marsh posted on his personal blog on Tuesday a great, positive piece re QPR, "QPR's Year". .

-Marsh's piece was then posted on my blog - "Rodney Marsh on QPR's Prospects with my 'comment:' "Roddddd...neeee! - Although his comment about Gerry Francis...!"

- A link to Marsh's piece was again included in today's QPR Week in Review in which I characterized the Marsh piece as "Rodney Marsh looked at QPR's chances (and made a somewhat snide comment re Gerry Francis)." (Marsh had written one sentence "The closest QPR came was in the early nineties under Richard Thompson, but had the wrong manager in Gerry Francis !")

- Rodney Marsh Then posted a response on QPR Report
"Rod said...
Why is that a 'snide' comment about Gerry Francis ?! It is an honest straight forward opinion without bias in any way. I did not say Gerry did a bad job or that he was not worthy of being manager, my only comment was that at that time I thought he was not the right manager to take QPR to the next level.
I might add I played with Gerry when he was coming into the QPR team in the early 70's and was one of the most exciting young players in the country who never got anywhere near the praise he deserved.
By the way I read the site from time to time and really enjoy it. Is that a 'snide' remark !?
What is it with you people !? why do you always look at the negative in an innocent analytical comment" - QPR Report


Rodney Marsh's Original post Tuesday, 22 July 2008 QPR"s Year?
I remember with great fondness the days when we were a big team and the likes of the 'Great Scot', Dave MacKay kicking lumps off me.
For the first time in a long time I look at the super hoops and think to myself " This could be the start of something good " Looking back on the days when we were perenial winners, 3rd Division champions, promotion to the old first division in the following season, league cup final winners, I've not really had the sense that QPR were serious about being great again.
The closest QPR came was in the early nineties under Richard Thompson, but had the wrong manager in Gerry Francis !

Now, with a new ownership group and an optimism I've not seen for years QPR set off of what could be a season of destiny. Loftus Road used to be a fortress that people were not happy coming to and we have to get back to that.

Every game the midfield has to compete for possesion agressively and like always the team will only be as good as the goalscorers. At the start of each season Alec Stock used to predict how many goals each player in the squad would score and would have a goal to achieve at the end of the season. If we reached those targets we would be successful in his plan ! Of course it helps if one player can get 44 :) Marsh post


Postscript
Over the years, there has been a lot of messageboard debate: "Who was better Stan Bowles or Rodney Marsh." It's one of those futile - never to be proven debates - and the bottom line: Both were incredibly great players; and QPR was the better for having been graced by their presence. For anyone who actually saw Marsh play for QPR, there will always be a special warm sport in their heart for the player and the QPR he was part of at that time.


See Also re Rodney Marsh and QPR:
- April 2007 - Remembering Rodney Marsh's Sale

- March 15, 2007 - Thirty-Five Years Ago, Rodney Marsh Left QPR for Manchester City

- March 2006 - Forty Years Ago, Rodney Marsh Joined QPR