- Englarged Photo - Caption: "Guess Who Just Did What to Whom"-
- (Thanks as always to "Bushman") Enlarged Photo - Left to Right: Back row: Pigg, Pearce, Hebden, Symes, Higginbottom...Second row:Draper, Sweetman, Plunkett, Harris, Middleton, Thomson, Birch, Rowe, R. Hewison (Manager)...Third Row: Whitehead, John, Burgess, Campbell, Hurst, W. L. Wood (Secretary)...Front Row:Brown, Spottiswood, Richmond. Young, Ford. -
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- QPR STATS: QPR Compared to Previous Seasons and Other Clubs at Year's End
Football League - Warnock Wrong But So Right
As the npower Championship season hits the half-way mark with Queens Park Rangers clear leaders and bang on course for promotion to the Premier League, Manager Neil Warnock admits he has surpassed even his own expectations.
After their final game of 2010, a 2-0 win at Coventry City, QPR have opened a seven point gap at the top - a position that easily exceeds Warnock's pre-season prediction. "I told the Directors that with 10 new players in the team at the start of the season," he said, "we'd be between fourth and seventh in the table at Christmas.
"If we were any higher than that, I told them, I'd be delighted - and that's exactly what I am at the moment. I never thought I could get a team with so many new players to gel as quickly as we have done, but now I've raised my own expectations.
"I've not got long left (as a Manager) and I want to get to the Premier League as quickly as possible - and I'm trying to do that this season."
At 62 Warnock has hopefully got quite some time left in his managerial career, and he certainly has time enough to enjoy another stint in the top flight after previously taking his home town club Sheffield United up there.
QPR have unquestionably been the team of the season so far and they are hot favourites to clinch a place in the Premier League after a 15-year absence.
But despite his present delight Warnock is taking nothing for granted and, just as importantly, neither are his players says the Manager. "Look at my team sheet - Clint Hill, Shaun Derry, Kaspars Gorkss, Paddy Kenny, Heidar Helguson - we've got so many good pros and none of them get carried away.
"We all know there are six or seven teams who could get automatic promotion. We showed two weeks ago that we can lose two games on the trot, and we could lose four on the trot - that's the division the Championship is.
"But so far we've been more consistent than anybody else, and that's what we've got to try and be in the second half of the season."
QPR's consistency shows in the Championship table's statistics, Warnock's team having collected 47 points from their 23 games and also having by far the best goal difference - their 28 is 16 ahead of next-best Cardiff City's.
So what's the secret of the Hoops' success? Happiness, reckons Warnock as he reflects on an excellent first five months of the campaign. "When you're happy you do your job better," he said, "and we're very happy as a team.
"It all goes back to pre-season. We had two great weeks, one in Cornwall and one in Italy, and it was the best thing we ever did. We had fantastic training facilities, relaxation, lads going out together - and all coming back together! I knew we were on to a team spirit, and that's shone through from day one." Football League
PFA Give Me Football - QPR continue to show they're not 'southern softies'
QPR - Neil Warnock hails the tenacity of his side after beating Coventry
By Mark Shail December 29, 2010
Neil WarnockMy team has got a bit of Yorkshire grit, if I can say that
QPR are now seven points clear at the top of the Npower Championship following their 2-0 win at Coventry yesterday and their Sheffield-born manager Neil Warnock says his side are showing “Yorkshire grit” in their challenge for automatic promotion.
Former Blades’ boss Warnock said, “When I was at Sheffield United, I used to call teams south of Watford “southern softies”.
"But my team has got a bit of Yorkshire grit, if I can say that. We stood up well (against the Sky Blues) and I thought it was superb team performance.”
On-loan Spurs’ full-back Kyle Walker was one of the men on target for Rangers at the Ricoh Arena, and Warnock revealed he is trying to keep the 20-year-old at Loftus Road beyond the New Year.
He added, “I have spoken to Harry (Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp) a number of times and he is very, very happy that he’s playing games.
“He is not going to get in their side at the moment and the next best thing is to go somewhere he can learn his trade and come up against different wingers.
“I believe, and Harry does the same, that he is better playing games, unless a Barclays Premier League club came in and offered millions.
“There is very much a chance (that he will stay at Rangers for the remainder of the season) and I will be speaking to Harry again.” Give Me Football
Matt Holland/Football League Blog
- "....I spent Boxing Day at Loftus Road watching Queens Park Rangers dismantle Swansea City 4-0 en route to a perfect Christmas that also included a 2-0 win at Coventry.
- Beforehand the mood in West London was buoyant even though Neil Warnock's men went into Christmas on the back of two surprise defeats. The fans I spoke to at the stadium felt it was just a blip and from the evidence of what I saw in person and on TV they were spot on to make that judgement.
- QPR are superbly organised and well disciplined, and are set up perfectly to defend properly before catching sides on the break. At times Swansea City outplayed them with their brand of beautiful passing football but there was no way through Rangers' solid defence and midfield. Then, on the attack they had the ideal combination of Heidur Helguson's endeavour and Adal Taarabt's skill which functioned perfectly to help earn the Hoops three valuable points.
- One player stood out for me in both matches, and that was right-back Kyle Walker who is on loan from Spurs. He was outstanding.
- Against the Swans he played on the right and left hand side with equal assurance but it's his bursts forward down the flanks that caught my eye the most. He's got so much energy and pace but allied with that he also possesses excellent quality on the ball.
- I rate Kyle highly and even if he doesn't make it at White Hart Lane I still suspect he will go right to the very top. Watch out for his name in the coming years… Football League
Mirror - Warnock launches loan move for Waghorn
- Neil Warnock has launched a bid to sign Leicester’s £3million striker Martyn Waghorn on loan.
- QPR boss Warnock wants to end Waghorn’s frustration at the Foxes and lure him to Loftus Road.
- Former Sunderland striker Waghorn was signed by Paulo Sousa in the summer after a successful loan spell last season.
-But the 20-year-old has fallen out of the picture since the arrival of Sven Goran Eriksson, making only five starts under the Swede.
- And Warnock is ready to pounce and offer Waghorn the chance to play a part in Rangers” promotion challenge.
- He said: “If someone comes available and we think is going to be better than what we’ve got or will give us an extra chance to take that step up then we’ll go for it and I’ll speak to the directors.
- “I think it may be a case of getting a few loan players in. We’re all in the same boat in the Championship - we don’t want to spend too much money until everyone knows where you are.
- `We’ve got to look at who becomes available.’
- Rangers moved seven points clear at the top of the Championship after their win at Coventry on Tuesday - but Warnock still wants more firepower. Mirror
Hounslow Chronicle/Jacob Murtagh - QPR striker Rowan Vine has Brentford loan cut short
- ROWAN Vine has returned to QPR after his loan spell at Brentford was cut short through injury.
- The 28-year-old has failed to make an appearance for the Bees since making the switch to Griffin Park in November.
- Andy Scott said Vine wasn't fit enough to feature for the first-team, and his comeback suffered a setback after he picked up a calf injury in training.
- And the Bees boss confirmed he won't be renewing the loan when it expires next week.
- Scott said: "Rowan went back to QPR for treatment.
- "Unfortunately he wasn't able to play a game for us because he wasn't fit.
- "The loan's up on Tuesday, so it will probably be too late to get fit now.
- "He's a good player, but these things happen." Hounslow Chronicle
- Flashback Five Years: "QPR are now sailing in safe waters."
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