The New QPR: Evolution Not Revolution - Views of Ian Dowie, Stan Bowles and Ali Russell

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PFA's Give Me Football/Ian Clarkson - It's not revolution, it's evolution, says Dowie as excitement grows at the Bush

These are heady times at Loftus Road and supporters are revelling in the feelgood factor. With Flavio Briatore recently voted as the most popular chairman in London in an Evening Standard poll and season ticket sales having to be capped because of a surge in interest, expectations are sky high in Shepherds Bush.

That optimism hasn't been deflated with the news that the Hoops have pulled of a major coup by sealing a two-year loan deal for Spanish starlet Dani Parejo.

Such is QPR's pulling power that they beat off competition from the likes of Deportivo La Coruna, Espanyol and Osasuna to secure the services of the Spanish youth international.

"This is a big chance and I hope I can profit from this opportunity," commented Parejo, who is currently in Austria at Real's pre-season training camp and he will travel to London this weekend with Madrid for the Emirates Cup, before he links up at Loftus Road.

The arrival of Kaspars Gorkss from Blackpool is also a major signing for new manager Iain Dowie as he completely revamps the West London side.

Briatore, co-owner Bernie Ecclestone and billionaire investor Laksmhi Mittal have big ambitions for Rangers, but at the moment they intend to stay at their spiritual Loftus Road home. "First, let us fill Loftus Road," Briatore said.

"If you have a small restaurant then you try and make sure all the tables are busy at night before you move on to the next restaurant."

Italian restaurants might be an apt analogy as Rangers are not limiting their ambitions to England in their pursuit of glory. Samuel Di Carmine has been recruited on a season-long loan from Fiorentina whilst Genoa's Emmanuel Jorge Ledesma is also on a year's loan deal.

Radek Cerny, Peter Ramage and Matteo Alberti are also on board with the Hoops and Dowie is still searching for more new blood as the big kick off against Barnsley looms ever closer.

"I've always said I'm very happy," said Dowie. "It's not revolution, it's evolution. I do think we need one or two areas strengthening. We may be in a situation where we can bring one or two in; that may change the picture."

With the club's wealthy owners talking about Champions League football within five years the landscape has certainly changed at Loftus Road. Rangers have not graced the top flight since 1996 and a 12-year hiatus from the games elite has been torturous for their supporters.

They finished eighth in the Premier League as recently as 1995 and fifth in 1994 so their fall from grace has been dramatic. They fell to the third tier of English football and have rarely threatened a return to the Premier League but there is genuine optimism now and that mood has been encapsulated by Hoops' legend

Stan Bowles."They're favourites to win the league this year but I've not had a bet on them anyway - they'll probably win it now," he said. "The feeling I get from the new owners, I think they will be a top-four side - maybe not here, but when they move on. Whoever's got the money are going to get the best sides obviously."

And supporters are buying into Bowles' theory that QPR will once again be competing for the title of best side in London. Season ticket sales are going well and deputy managing director Ali Russell admits they have been forced to make a sensible move regards season tickets in their 18,000 capacity ground. He said: "We've decided to cap it at 10,000.
"We've had fantastic demand for season-tickets, there's a huge feel good factor at QPR at the moment and we're absolutely delighted with that. I think we're very conscious that people are starting to talk about a recession, not everyone can afford a season-ticket so we certainly want to have tickets available for those people that potentially can't afford a season-ticket."

"I think it's the right thing to do. We're trying to grow the fan base and really grow the club from the really strong base that we've got."

Ecclestone is usually a man who gets what he wants on the F1 circuit so the pressure will be huge on Dowie but after his last spell at Coventry, who were on the brink of administration, this opportunity will be manna from heaven for the former Crystal Palace boss. Give Me Football