- 1967: The QPR Path to Wembley - From the Bushman Archives
_____________________________________________________
- Reminder: QPR Fan Forum Today (Thursday, February 7)
- Flashback: The last QPR Fan Forum
- QPR: Club-Fan Communications at Loftus Road
- Next: QPR at Swansea: Past Photos, Reports, etc (Including Reports from the August Disaster)
- Flashback: The last QPR Fan Forum
- QPR: Club-Fan Communications at Loftus Road
- Next: QPR at Swansea: Past Photos, Reports, etc (Including Reports from the August Disaster)
A Sentiment probably not shared by most QPR Fans!
Tony Fernandes @tonyfernandes
"With the Owner of Cardiff City Tan Sri Vincent. Hope we are both in Premier league next year. http://lockerz.com/s/281904764
Ben Kosky - Kilburn Times
Comment: Fernandes keeps making the same mistakes at QPR
“Trust us” has been the simple, yet impassioned message emanating from QPR this week, in the wake of criticism of the board’s transfer policy.
Chairman Tony Fernandes was first up with an interview in a Sunday newspaper, defending Rangers’ player recruitment during January and insisting there is no danger of financial meltdown even if the club lose Premier League status.
Fernandes was quickly followed by chief executive Phil Beard, who issued a statement via the club website, assuring fans that there was no cause for panic with regard to the balance sheet at Loftus Road.
Both stressed that there is a contingency plan in the event of relegation – and that Fernandes and his fellow investors certainly have no intention of pulling the plug.
No doubt this may have reassured some QPR fans. But others will surely be exceedingly concerned by the gaping holes in their chairman’s argument – and the way he spectacularly misses the point so often.
Firstly, Fernandes’ over-use of the word ‘project’ – an unpleasant echo of the Flavio Briatore regime – should set alarm bells ringing, but that is just a minor issue.
Fernandes claims that QPR were ‘underinvested’ prior to his arrival and points out: “We inherited a squad where every single player who has left is no longer playing in the Premier League, doesn’t that say something?”
Indeed, Tony – but not what you think it does.
Briatore and his cohorts did invest in the club, they just did it very badly and with only short-term thinking in mind. That is why the majority of the 13 players signed during Rangers’ promotion year were never likely to be part of the squad in the Premier League.
Never mind the players ‘inherited’ by Fernandes, what of the clutch of signings made during that first season back in the top flight – 15 in total? Where are they now?
Joey Barton, Anton Ferdinand and Djibril Cisse are all in exile overseas but still under contract for some time, with DJ Campbell likely to join them when the loan window opens.
Three more have been released. Luke Young has disappeared off the face of the earth, Shaun Wright-Phillips – aside from his winner at Stamford Bridge – has done next to nothing and it’s fair to say that Bobby Zamora, Armand Traore and Samba Diakite all have their critics.
That’s not a particularly impressive return on your investment – and, while Fernandes seems to think offloading players on loan ‘has taken a massive chunk off the wage bill’, Rangers can expect to make a loss on all those players. Great business sense.
Come to think of it, when did QPR last sell any player for profit? Clubs like Fulham, Swansea and Wigan seem to manage that on a regular basis and so far, have remained in the Premier League.
It’s truly horrifying to think Fernandes has been so easily hoodwinked by his managers that he believes the amounts of money lavished on players are “what we need to survive”.
There is no other club that spends so much on recruiting approximately 15 players EVERY season just to stay up.
And this is why Rangers fans should be wary of trusting Fernandes. He says nothing to indicate that he realises mistakes have been made – and presumably will stick to the same policies next season.
If QPR stay up – and probably even if not – expect another wave of new arrivals to show just how ‘ambitious’ the club are. More upheaval, no continuity and a lack of team spirit yet again.
Meanwhile, Fernandes will continue to labour under the misapprehension that QPR are a bigger club than they are, waffling about 30,000 to 40,000 seater stadiums that he could never hope to fill.
Like it or not, Rangers were never one of the bigger clubs in the top flight last time they were in it. But that isn’t to say they couldn’t survive – and thrive – by playing to their strengths.
Namely, being a community club with close ties to their traditional support, developing their own players and recruiting others who were hungry and looking for a step up.
More recently, Rangers have only been interested in big-name players on their way down from bigger clubs – and why would they feel motivated to perform at Loftus Road?
It’s not too late for QPR to be a club of which fans can feel proud once again. But they literally can’t afford to keep repeating the same mistakes. Kilburn Times
Comment: Fernandes keeps making the same mistakes at QPR
“Trust us” has been the simple, yet impassioned message emanating from QPR this week, in the wake of criticism of the board’s transfer policy.
Chairman Tony Fernandes was first up with an interview in a Sunday newspaper, defending Rangers’ player recruitment during January and insisting there is no danger of financial meltdown even if the club lose Premier League status.
Fernandes was quickly followed by chief executive Phil Beard, who issued a statement via the club website, assuring fans that there was no cause for panic with regard to the balance sheet at Loftus Road.
Both stressed that there is a contingency plan in the event of relegation – and that Fernandes and his fellow investors certainly have no intention of pulling the plug.
No doubt this may have reassured some QPR fans. But others will surely be exceedingly concerned by the gaping holes in their chairman’s argument – and the way he spectacularly misses the point so often.
Firstly, Fernandes’ over-use of the word ‘project’ – an unpleasant echo of the Flavio Briatore regime – should set alarm bells ringing, but that is just a minor issue.
Fernandes claims that QPR were ‘underinvested’ prior to his arrival and points out: “We inherited a squad where every single player who has left is no longer playing in the Premier League, doesn’t that say something?”
Indeed, Tony – but not what you think it does.
Briatore and his cohorts did invest in the club, they just did it very badly and with only short-term thinking in mind. That is why the majority of the 13 players signed during Rangers’ promotion year were never likely to be part of the squad in the Premier League.
Never mind the players ‘inherited’ by Fernandes, what of the clutch of signings made during that first season back in the top flight – 15 in total? Where are they now?
Joey Barton, Anton Ferdinand and Djibril Cisse are all in exile overseas but still under contract for some time, with DJ Campbell likely to join them when the loan window opens.
Three more have been released. Luke Young has disappeared off the face of the earth, Shaun Wright-Phillips – aside from his winner at Stamford Bridge – has done next to nothing and it’s fair to say that Bobby Zamora, Armand Traore and Samba Diakite all have their critics.
That’s not a particularly impressive return on your investment – and, while Fernandes seems to think offloading players on loan ‘has taken a massive chunk off the wage bill’, Rangers can expect to make a loss on all those players. Great business sense.
Come to think of it, when did QPR last sell any player for profit? Clubs like Fulham, Swansea and Wigan seem to manage that on a regular basis and so far, have remained in the Premier League.
It’s truly horrifying to think Fernandes has been so easily hoodwinked by his managers that he believes the amounts of money lavished on players are “what we need to survive”.
There is no other club that spends so much on recruiting approximately 15 players EVERY season just to stay up.
And this is why Rangers fans should be wary of trusting Fernandes. He says nothing to indicate that he realises mistakes have been made – and presumably will stick to the same policies next season.
If QPR stay up – and probably even if not – expect another wave of new arrivals to show just how ‘ambitious’ the club are. More upheaval, no continuity and a lack of team spirit yet again.
Meanwhile, Fernandes will continue to labour under the misapprehension that QPR are a bigger club than they are, waffling about 30,000 to 40,000 seater stadiums that he could never hope to fill.
Like it or not, Rangers were never one of the bigger clubs in the top flight last time they were in it. But that isn’t to say they couldn’t survive – and thrive – by playing to their strengths.
Namely, being a community club with close ties to their traditional support, developing their own players and recruiting others who were hungry and looking for a step up.
More recently, Rangers have only been interested in big-name players on their way down from bigger clubs – and why would they feel motivated to perform at Loftus Road?
It’s not too late for QPR to be a club of which fans can feel proud once again. But they literally can’t afford to keep repeating the same mistakes. Kilburn Times
TABLE A YEAR AGO
POS
|
LP
|
CLUB
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
PTS
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
|
(2)
|
Manchester United
|
25
|
18
|
4
|
3
|
61
|
25
|
36
|
58
| |
2
|
(1)
|
Manchester City
|
24
|
18
|
3
|
3
|
63
|
19
|
44
|
57
| |
3
|
(3)
|
Tottenham Hotspur
|
25
|
16
|
5
|
4
|
49
|
25
|
24
|
53
| |
4
|
(6)
|
Arsenal
|
25
|
13
|
4
|
8
|
48
|
35
|
13
|
43
| |
5
|
(4)
|
Chelsea
|
25
|
12
|
7
|
6
|
44
|
31
|
13
|
43
| |
6
|
(5)
|
Newcastle United
|
25
|
12
|
6
|
7
|
36
|
36
|
0
|
42
| |
7
|
(7)
|
Liverpool
|
25
|
10
|
9
|
6
|
29
|
23
|
6
|
39
| |
8
|
(9)
|
Norwich City
|
25
|
9
|
8
|
8
|
37
|
41
|
-4
|
35
| |
9
|
(8)
|
Sunderland
|
25
|
9
|
6
|
10
|
34
|
26
|
8
|
33
| |
10
|
(11)
|
Everton
|
25
|
9
|
6
|
10
|
26
|
27
|
-1
|
33
| |
11
|
(10)
|
Swansea City
|
25
|
7
|
9
|
9
|
28
|
32
|
-4
|
30
| |
12
|
(14)
|
Fulham
|
25
|
7
|
9
|
9
|
31
|
36
|
-5
|
30
| |
13
|
(12)
|
Stoke City
|
25
|
8
|
6
|
11
|
24
|
38
|
-14
|
30
| |
14
|
(13)
|
Aston Villa
|
24
|
6
|
10
|
8
|
29
|
33
|
-4
|
28
| |
15
|
(15)
|
West Bromwich Albion
|
24
|
7
|
5
|
12
|
24
|
34
|
-10
|
26
| |
16
|
(16)
|
Queens Park Rangers
|
25
|
5
|
6
|
14
|
27
|
44
|
-17
|
21
| |
17
|
(17)
|
Wolverhampton Wanderers
|
24
|
5
|
6
|
13
|
27
|
44
|
-17
|
21
| |
18
|
(19)
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
25
|
5
|
6
|
14
|
37
|
56
|
-19
|
21
| |
19
|
(18)
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
25
|
6
|
2
|
17
|
29
|
51
|
-22
|
20
| |
20
|
(20)
|
Wigan Athletic
|
25
|
4
|
7
|
14
|
23
|
50
|
-27
|
19
|
Company House - QPR HOLDINGS LIMITED
Form: MG02 - Full or part satisfaction of the debt
DECLARATION OF SATISFACTION IN FULL OR IN PART OF A MORTGAGE OR CHARGE /FULL /CHARGE NO 54 - Click to View
A QPR REPORT PERSPECTIVE - CLUB RESPONSE AWAITED
The Club and its "Associations"
An ongoing matter of continued "regret" to at least this blogger: That Queen's Park Rangers FC continue to provide a forum on its Official Match Day broadcast show to "QBlockPete" - Pete Davies.
Ultimately, obviously the owners and senior management of Queen's Park Rangers Football determine who they want to employ or utilize. But equally, QPR supporters - quite a few of whom have been supporting QPR a lot longer than any of the current QPR owners, employees, or "Associates" - retain the freedom to express their views (whether supportive or critical) and concerns on matters pertaining to QPR.
If you want to express any views on this matter either privately or publicly, pm me on the QPR Report Messageboard or email at qprreport@hotmail.com
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