K, what does everyone think, now that the season's done. some of my thougts: 1) ********ing Paul Furlong, amazing. 2) Dan Shittu should be bronzed (or at least signed asap). 3) The squad as a whole was not deep enough to get through the bad patches of injuries, and it's only going to get worse with the transfer window next season kicking in in the lower divisions. 4) Thorpe, Cureton and Padula are probably done. 5) Thank the lord for Ian Holloway.
11th place is a solid showing. To be honest, I am pretty damn happy with it. And to continue with my honesty, i woudl be happy for the next few years with solid finishes in the Cola given what happened in years 1997 to 2003. I don't know how they're going to do it - but it would be nice to gather some players for a 5th or 6th place finish next season.
I actually have the feeling that we can finish in a playoff spot next season. We may not have the perfect financial situation to do so, but I think we could have finished in the playoffs THIS season if we'd had a better run of it with injuries and all in March and April. Staying healthy will be the key to success next season. Also, Northside Rovers...take that FC Dallas/Chelscum quote off man! Being a fellow Texan, I don't want my MLS team to be associated in any way with those glory-hunters whose fans only come out of the woodwork when the Abramovich money comes around... And I don't know if any of you are QPR World subscribers, but if you are, watch Ollie's press conference after the Cardiff match. Quite possibly the best press conference EVER. Beats Bob Knight with the whip, John Cheney trying to bust up Calipari, anything...it's great stuff... "That's absolute...rubbish. Oh--I almost said bollocks, didn't I?" -Ollie
i agree with you on the final position, there are a few things i can think of to moan about regarding the season, but when i look at the overall outcome i'm perfectly happy, so i wont moan. however, the way the division is we could just as easily be in relegation trouble next season as be in the play-offs. holloway needs to work some transfer magic in the close season, involving about 3 central midfielders and at least one more striker. (i really hope that we don't see any rhetoric from him suggesting that we dont need a fourth striker because santos can cover that position. that would make me cry).
Good season overall. If you'd offered me a midtable finish at the start of the season, I would've taken it. One worry for next season though, is the continuing thinning of the squad. So we might suffer even more from injuries than we did this season. Oh, and who's going to be our new keeper? I hear Olly released Day.
Here is an interesting article from QPR's site regarding attendance at Loftus Road this season. The highest they have been since '78-'79 plus gives every other team's in the division. http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~664478,00.html
More support than all those years in the Premiership. Just goes to show that should the club get it's financial house in order there's no reason the R's cant get back to the Premiership, did it before with less support. Granted the game was vastly different then in terms of money. You kind of get the feeling that Rossi maybe isn't here for the long term and I was surprised that Day got let go. One name I've heard a few times is Simon Royce, who's out of contract with Charlton and is said to be a QPR target. But he's, what, 34?
Just a bit. I'm a new fan (as of January), and am Rangers Till I Die (Texas Rangers as well!). Having Chelsea win the Premiership just gave me more reason to hate them while QPR was trying to make our puch for the playoffs in March. I just hope that we don't get mired in the mid-table of the Championship, and turn into England's version of the Cubs' "Wait Till Next Year." Let's find a way to get some money and get in the Prem, and beat everyone. ---- On the keeper status, I think that Royce would be a good short term solution between the sticks, but only for a year or so. Ollie's GOT to have his eye on somebody, it seems that he always does. Not sure if I'd consider Rossi over Royce though, seeing Ollie's comments earlier in April about Rossi's lack of commitment or whatever.
Having spent three years in the Second Division and two of the three years before that either getting relegated from the First or surviving on the final day, a couple of years of mid-table mediocrity in the Championship sounds pretty nice, actually. Yes, a push toward the premiership is desired... but not before we have a half-realistic chance to stay up. And that probably means, at a miminum, getting the ABC Loan taken care of and being able to increase squad size.
I'm just saying that we don't need to be here for a looooong time. This season showed that we've got the potential and the support to be a Premiership club. Once we get the finances straight, there's no reason that we shouldn't be in the top flight for a long time. Honestly, even ONE year in the Premiership would really seem to help the financial situation. As long as the front office people keep their heads on straight, I think we've got the groundowrk laid to shoot for the top in the near future.