Bring back the Tarbs!

As we approach the year's end and the mid-point of this season, the short and long term future of the club look rosy! The prospect of an immediate return to the promised land of the Premiership following last season's ignominious exit  seems a realistic one, whilst the recently announced news of the probable location of the club's new stadium has provided further proof of the long term commitment of Tony Fernandes and his fellow directors. Fernandes invitation to the Rangers fans to assist in the design of a new club badge, with a far more traditional feel to it than the much maligned Flavio Briatore inspired present badge, provides further cause for celebration. One only has to observe the recent events at Cardiff City and Hull City to know how fortunate we are to have a chairman that listens to, and cares about the fans' feelings.

This season has seen a remarkable transformation in terms of the levels of professionalism, commitment and team spirit shown by the team compared to last season. It still amazes me that the chaotic shenanigans that punctuated much of last season were allowed to prevail, but clearly these events provide proof of a football world dominated by unscrupulous, greedy agents and mercenary players with inflated, fragile egos. A pile, in my flat, of largely unread match day programmes from last season bear witness to a hugely disappointing season of glorious underachievement - has the ordinary Rangers fan ever been so disconnected from the majority of players on the pitch? Clearly, the rot had well and truly set in before Harry Redknapp took over at the helm from Mark Hughes, so why did Tony Fernandes wait so long before publicly lambasting his frequently pathetic players?

Whilst I recognise that Harry Redknapp and his back room staff deserve much credit for turning round the club's fortunes on the pitch, I must admit I have struggled to get excited about the performances the team have put together. This is in total contrast to the Championship winning season under Neil Warnock three seasons ago, when admittedly the surpassing of far lower pre-season expectations in terms of style of football adopted and ultimate finish made for a truly memorable season. This season, Rangers have justified, broadly speaking,    their pre-season tag as promotion favourites, expectations based on a recognition that the club clearly has the strongest squad on paper in terms of proven quality at the highest level and strength in depth. However, whilst there have been frequent glimpses of the expansive, attacking football traditionally associated with Redknapp's teams - witness the excellent build-up play that led to great scoring opportunities for Gary O'Neil and then Matt Phillips in last Saturday's defeat against Leicester - much of the interplay between the team seems to be executed solely with the intention of constantly improving our possession stats! There has been plenty of honest endeavour, good shape and strict discipline on show, but a distinct lack of guile, creativity, and consequently goals. Many a Rangers' fan has questioned why Redknapp has persisted with playing a lone striker, often when a suitable and fit striker was available to partner Charlie Austin. This approach only works when the lone striker can play effectively as a target man, both winning balls in the air and holding up the ball allowing team mates to come into play, and also if there is sufficient support from the midfield players pushing forward into the box during attacks. Austin, for all his commendable efforts up front this season, is no Heider Helguson in the air and, often outnumbered by defenders, inevitably cedes possession. Of the various personnel that have filled the midfield positions this season, only Jermaine Jenas seems able to time his runs into the box and then execute a decent finish. I also have some issue with Joey's Barton apparent transformation from pantomime villain to model pro - whilst it has largely been welcome and much needed, it has also resulted in a team with a rather colourless, vapid collective character. Rather perversely perhaps, I almost long to see a Mbia meltdown or a Tarbs strop just to up the entertainment levels!   

The situation, as it stands, is surely crying out for the club to bring Adel Taarabt back into the fold, on the understanding that he must both win his place back in the team and fully complies with all club rules and regulations. Thus far, Tarbs' loan spell at Fulham has failed to ignite his floundering career, but he still possesses that X-factor, that ability to turn a game with one moment of sheer brilliance. With the possible exception of Niko Kranjcar, who presently is clearly lacking fitness and carrying a bit of extra timber, no other player in the Rangers team is capable of making that sort of impact. Managed effectively, Tarbs' re-introduction could be the catalyst for a successful second half of the season, and provide a collective focal point to rally a, so far this season, strangely subdued Loftus Road crowd.     

Hope springs eternal!

Before the start of each game, Mick, a fellow QPR season ticket holder in the South Africa Road stand, requests me to look in my programme and reveal the name of the match referee. My response is usually that of incredulity (do you really need to ask?), based on the observation that all referees are sh*t! Indeed, judging by the popularity, this season, of the terrace chant – “Sh*t ref, you’re just another sh*t ref!” my views are clearly shared by many a Rangers fan!

The frequently poor standard of officiating has genuinely surprised me. No one can deny that having to make split second major decisions in a sport played at breathtaking pace, where your every decision is tracked and recorded by numerous TV cameras, and immediately commented on, in no uncertain terms, by tens of thousands of partisan fans, is no easy task.  FIFA’s continuing reluctance to embrace technology, and so deny the referee welcome assistance in making accurate decisions does not help matters. But what is unacceptable is where obvious decisions are called incorrectly by officials with access to a clear line of sight to the point of incident. Where a game changing decision is potentially about to be made, surely a cautious, common sense approach is required from the referee and his assistants? Had that been the case in the Hoops away game at Man Utd, perhaps referee Lee Mason may not have made two major mistakes in a matter of seconds, and similarly, Mark Clattenburg might not have sent off Adel Taarabt in the recent home game against Spurs.  Perhaps what is most frustrating for many football fans is the frequent lack of consistency shown by the officials in their decision making. Again referring back to the home match against Tottenham, a must win game for both teams that, not surprisingly then, turned a little feisty in the latter stages, four Rangers players were booked but no Tottenham players. Scott Parker escaped punishment, save a severe reprimand from the referee, despite giving away free kicks for a heavy and late challenge, and for simulation. I would argue that either indiscretion merited a booking, but not, apparently, for Scott Parker,  current England captain. I am usually reluctant to even entertain popular conspiracy theories, but based on what I have seen in this season’s Premiership, there is no doubt in my mind that the higher profile players and clubs get preferential treatment from the officials.

My other big gripe this season has been the sheer level of gamesmanship that some Premiership players are prepared to stoop to gain their team an advantage. I can’t help feeling that the Championship, and probably the leagues below it, is far more honestly contested. It may well explain why Rangers, at times this season, have been rather naive in dealing with opposition players who are prepared to bend the rules as much as possible. Consider the recent ridiculous diving antics of Ashley Young, or Daniel Sturridge, and then compare them to Jamie Mackie’s determination to play fair and so stay on his feet during his frequent forays into the opposition’s penalty area. Mackie’s honourable approach to the game is refreshing to see, but sadly it seems increasingly out of place in the modern game.

My frustrations with the aforementioned poor officiating and the level of gamesmanship in the Premiership, together with a string of abject performances by a Rangers team seemingly consisting of largely underachieving, overpaid mercenaries has not made it a particularly enjoyable season. Indeed, not long ago, a return to the Championship seemed a relatively welcome prospect, as perhaps it would provide the club with a chance to regroup and rebuild. However, recognising that there was always quality within the squad expensively assembled by, first, Neil Warnock and then Mark Hughes, there was always hope that eventually the team would ‘click’. Sure enough, the last four home games have seen a remarkable upturn in form, where suddenly there is real shape and purpose to the team’s play, the tactics and team selection seem largely spot on, and finally there is the courage, team spirit and belief that has been lacking for so long. Roared on by a partisan Rangers crowd, the team have finally made Loftus Road the fortress that it always needed to be if we were to survive. It remains to be seen if, crucially, we succeed in maintaining this home form in our remaining three fixtures, but suddenly there is hope where previously there was solely despair!

      

    

It was all looking so good!

On leaving the ground, disconsolate, after the 2-1 defeat at home to Norwich, I was privy to the following comment from a fellow Hoops fan:

“Well, the Championship is more exciting than the Premiership, and it’s more our level really”.

My, how quickly that early season optimism that diffused throughout the club following the Tony Fernandes’ takeover has seemingly evaporated into the ether! Football is, of course, a results business and for all the plaudits gained by the team earlier in the season, a winless streak of eight matches –six defeats and two draws - has really dampened the mood and set the alarm bells ringing! Inevitably, such a slump only serves to fuel the rumour mill and indeed there is talk of dressing room unrest, a split within the camp, and a possible change in management. Against this uncertain backdrop, Neil Warnock has cut an increasingly frustrated figure, blaming the club’s recent poor results on a combination of bungling refereeing, ‘gamesmanship’ from the opposition and just sheer bad luck. Uncharacteristically, Warnock seems increasingly reluctant to criticise his charges for their ever more lacklustre and incompetent displays, readily trotting out the anodyne line that he “couldn’t have asked for anything more” from his players.

This change in Warnock’s media persona is perhaps telling. Is his reluctance to criticise members of his expensively assembled squad due to his own reluctance to admit that, blessed with a generous and supportive chairman for the first time in his career, his own managerial skills have been found wanting? I must admit that, like most Rangers fans, I did get carried away with the feverish excitement of the transfer deadline day. However, I soon became concerned when further analysis revealed that, with the exception of Luke Young, all the other players signed on that day carried baggage – the same, in fact, could be said of the players signed immediately before the Fernandes takeover.  Warnock did allude to this observation when he stated that he liked players who were hungry, who had something to prove.  At the time of writing, just over halfway into the season, of the new recruits only Luke Young and Armand Triaore and, perhaps, Anton Ferdinand have proved themselves to be definitely up to the mark. The erratic displays of the other new signings only serve to prove that they are still haunted by their own personal demons, be that lack of self-belief, volatile temperament, or susceptibility to injury.

Throughout the season, our progress has inevitably been compared with that of our fellow promoted teams, Norwich and Swansea. Interestingly, both these teams have adopted a similar approach to life in the Premiership, a far more measured approach than that adopted at QPR. There have been no big money, high profile signings for the Canaries or the Swans, just a few prudent additions to the respective squads of players that achieved promotion last season. Both clubs are managed by promising young managers, with no experience of the top flight, no apparent baggage, who share a determination to play expansive, attacking football. Quite rightly, both Norwich and Swansea have been praised for their positive approach, and some impressive results, and at present, seem better equipped to survive in the top flight than Rangers.

Tony Fernandes’ takeover at Rangers has been widely welcomed and certainly, it is difficult to fault his input thus far. He has started to put into place sensible plans aimed at developing the club from the bottom up within a realistic timeframe. Crucially, he has opened up dialogue with the fans, and got them on board.  He has also supported his manager with the necessary funds needed to improve last season’s Championship winning squad. Inevitably, expectations have been raised as a result of the takeover, but a sensible target of 17^th place or better, and so Premiership survival, surely should not be beyond this group of players? Instead, the January transfer window has rapidly and openly evolved into Warnock’s potential ‘get out of jail card’, perhaps a tacit admission from Warnock that his recent signings simply haven’t worked out. This reliance on further new signings, permanent or otherwise, to get us out of trouble, concerns me greatly. Firstly, Warnock’s recent track record in the transfer market obviously does not engender confidence. He has stated that he is looking for young players, but are players short of experience likely to be able to handle a relegation dogfight? Then, even if Warnock does succeed in buying players able to stomach this fight, they will inevitably take time to settle in, and time is in short supply.

If the R’s are going to retain their Premiership status, Warnock will need to draw upon the man management skills that he has become renowned for and eke out a number of match winning performances from his squad. He will need to keep the fragile egos of his higher profile players in check, and combine these players effectively with some of his less able but more reliable foot soldiers. I feel that Warnock needs to be more flexible in terms of formations and tactics – certainly, his reluctance to make substitutions, and his persistence with playing a lone striker has caused much frustration amongst the Rangers faithful. The choice of team captain also needs to be looked at again as I feel Joey Barton has not really delivered in this role. Indeed, the overall contribution of Warnock’s most vaunted and highest profile signing has been disappointing. His displays in the Rangers’ midfield have largely been mediocre, particularly when compared to those of his usual central midfield partner, Alejandro Faurlin, who has impressed all and sundry in his first season playing at the top level. Barton’s reputation for having a volatile temperament means that he will always attract the unwelcome attention of willing aggressors such as Bradley Johnson in the Norwich game. Whilst Barton’s sending off in that particular game was certainly harsh, it is difficult to be sympathetic towards him when one considers his involvement in the sending off of Arsenal’s Gervinho at the start of the season. Joey Barton delights in being far from ordinary, and certainly with his intelligent and articulate musings on everything from the state of the nation, the relevance today of the work of Nietzsche, to the music of The Smiths, he is certainly not your average monosyllabic footballer! However, it is determination to speak his mind, often via popular social media platforms, and his desire to seemingly court controversy at every opportunity, together with his aforementioned volatile temper that renders him a potential liability. Warnock needs to ensure that Barton’s influence on the team and his input to the club in general is a positive one if the club are to stay up.

West London is ours!

Jamie Redknapp, he of the overly tight trousers and breathless punditry, described Sunday’s premier league encounter between QPR and Chelsea as “old school”. What with the two clubs locking horns in a league fixture for the first time in fifteen years, and the match taking place at a packed Loftus Road, very much an “old school” type of football stadium, Redknapp’s description seemed an apt one. Even the result, a 1-0 win for the Superhoops, recalled a bygone era when QPR regularly finished above their bitter West London rivals in the top flight.


There was no shortage of passion in the stands, nor any lack of commitment on the pitch, and yet, despite the favourable result, I felt strangely flat at the final whistle. Maybe it was due to the realisation that decisions made by referee Chris Foy undoubtedly had a significant impact on the game, or because I felt a certain frustration, evidently shared with many fans around me, that Rangers failed to take the game to Chelsea and so fully exploit their two man advantage. That said, it is often remarked that is harder to play against a team a man down, and Chelsea seemed determined to prove that is harder still to play against a team two men short. Credit must be given for their steely determination and their excellent levels of fitness, if not for their palpable lack of discipline which, it could be argued, ultimately cost them the game.  Rangers, for their part, clearly had a game plan which seemed to revolve around closing Chelsea down quickly and so not allowing them time on the ball, whilst looking to hit them on the counter attack. This approach seemed to work well in the early stages of the game, and indeed did result in a one goal lead as early as the tenth minute. Whilst their decision to retain this approach, even with a two man advantage, was questionable – I would have preferred to see more men pushed forward in search of that killer second goal – the composure and discipline displayed by the team during a tense, ill-tempered, fractious second half was commendable, and pivotal to the eventual victory.


My vantage point in the upper tier of the South Africa Road Stand provides me with a good view of the goings–on in the school end of the ground, where interestingly, most of the significant events during the game took place. My initial reaction to David Luiz’s clumsy challenge on Heidar Helguson was that it was a certain penalty. Action replays that I have since viewed suggest the penalty decision was less clear cut, with Helguson, whilst not going down like the proverbial ‘ironing board’, perhaps going to ground a little too easily. José Bosingwa’s dismissal, for his challenge on Shaun Wright-Phillips, initially seemed harsh, but viewed again in slow motion it is evident that it was not simply a case of the two players racing towards Adel Taraabt’s through ball and colliding as I had thought. There is a definite foul committed by Bosingwa, who is clearly last man and whose actions deny Wright-Phillips of a goal scoring opportunity – a sending off offence if you apply the letter of the law.

Drogba’s sending off, resulting from an ugly and dangerous challenge on Taraabt, was clearly   not in doubt. Chelsea’s two penalty shouts in the second half seemed justified at the time, though David Luiz’s ridiculous theatrics after being upended in the box did not help his cause. Analysis of all these incidents, both in real time and in slow motion, only serve to emphasise how difficult a job it was for referee Chris Hoy, who of course does not have access to action replays and must make a decision in the heat of the moment. It also puts into perspective Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas’ post-match comments. Unsurprisingly, Villas-Boas was highly critical of Hoy, accusing him of being “led by the emotions of the crowd”, clearly overlooking the fact that Chelsea’s two penalty shouts took place right in front of their own noisy, charged up, three thousand strong travelling support, and that Hoy chose not to send off David Luiz or John Terry despite justified encouragement from the home support.


Not surprisingly, the tone of Neil Warnock’s post-match comments contrasted sharply with that of Villas-Boas, with Warnock going as far as saying that the match marked “the finest day of his career”.  This comment indicates, in no uncertain terms, the shock nature of the Rangers victory and the consequent sense of achievement. Since the two teams last met in the Premiership, in March 1996, Chelsea’s upwardly mobile progression within the game has largely run in parallel with Rangers’ fall from grace. Last season’s Championship victory and consequent promotion back to the Premiership promised a change to this trend, but even at the start of the season, a QPR victory over Chelsea, let alone Premiership survival still seemed highly unlikely. The fact that the former has been achieved, and that the ultimate goal of survival, at the time of writing, seems distinctly possible, is testament to the remarkable progress that has been made by the club in the last two months. Of course, much of the credit for this turnaround must be taken by Tony Fernandes and Amit Bhattia, the two men now at the helm of the club. Their efforts to open up clear and effective communication with the fans to ensure that the fans’ needs and opinions have been given due consideration has been much appreciated, particularly in light of the approach adopted by the previous régime at the club, which only served to antagonise and marginalise many loyal supporters. Their significant yet sound recent investment in the playing staff (resulting in probably the most exciting transfer deadline day in the club’s history!), and their sensible yet ambitious long-term planning has also been very well received.  

Twelve points from the opening nine fixtures represents a sound start to the season. Aside from the matches against Bolton and Fulham, the defence has looked pretty solid with the introduction of Luke Young and Armand  Triaore adding some much needed pace to the back line.  The central midfield duo of Sean Derry and Alessandro Faurlin have continued where they left off last season, with Faurlin impressing many a pundit with his composure and accurate distribution. Shaun Wright-Phillips and skipper Joey Barton have provided pace, guile and premiership know-how in the wide positions but a stat of just seven goals scored in the nine games is a telling one and requires some investigation. Jay Bothroyd, who started the season in the lone striker role, is clearly lacking in confidence in front of goal whilst injury has limited the availability of viable alternatives in the role - DJ Campbell and Jamie Mackie. The reintroduction of Heidar Helguson to the side has been a successful one so far, but much of his good work in the air often goes wasted because there is no one near him to make use of his knock-downs. The 4-2-3-1 formation adopted by the team requires the attacking trio behind the lone striker to provide support by getting forward in numbers, but this is not happening – far too often when a telling Rangers ball is played into the opposition box the Rangers attackers are outnumbered and a member of the opposition defence is first to the ball.  A further explanation for the team’s lack of goals stems from an apparent change in Adel Taraabt’s role within the team. Last season, Taraabt was given a free role within the same formation, and so given licence to make full use of his undoubted individual brilliance. This season, Taraabt has clearly been encouraged to curb his showboating and play more for the team, which is not a bad thing in itself.  However, he has yet to appear on the score sheet, and has also failed to register an assist and, if recent games against Fulham and Chelsea are anything to go by, is clearly not happy with his lot at the moment. Perhaps he simply needs more time to develop the judgement needed to decide to when to keep it simple, and when to fully express himself. More likely though, mercurial and magical talent that he is, we just have to accept that he will always frustrate and excite in equal measures.

  

We're Queens Park Rangers, we're Premier League!

"Where were you at 11.44 a.m.on Saturday 7th May 2011?" will be a question that no Rangers fan will have trouble answering for years to come! Me? I was in "The Adelaide" pub on the Uxbridge Road, enjoying a pre-match brunch and pint (or two!) with friends. Whilst there was certainly a celebratory air evident within the pub, it was all rather muted until THE news came through from Wembley. A Hoops fan sitting near me received a text instructing him to check the BBC website. Informing everyone that important news had come in, and commanding all around him to be quiet, he announced that there was to be no points deduction. The collective outpouring of relief and then unadulterated joy displayed by the Rangers fans around me is something that I will never forgot! After all the conjecture, the speculation about the Alejandro Faurlin enquiry outcome, that has for weeks dampened spirits and held celebrations in check, justice was seen to be done as QPR were rightfully crowned Football League Champions!





Events on the pitch during the match against Leeds that followed were largely irrelevant. Promotion had been secured, and the Championship had been won, and so it was all about celebrating these achievements! Celebrate I did, alongside the same group of people that I see every other week during the season as we make our fortnightly pilgrimage to Loftus Road. We've kept the faith, held onto the dream as the club lurched from one crisis to another, and now our commitment and belief had finally been rewarded! The celebrations taking place on the Uxbridge Road, after the game, will long live in the memory, as fans from various packed out hostelries spilt out onto the streets. Handshakes, high fives, embraces, celebratory chants, the popping and imbibing of much champagne, even impromptu conga dancing in the streets, were all in evidence!



Looking ahead to next season, in the Premiership, and inevitably there has already been much speculation in the media as to who's in and who's out amongst the playing and coaching staff. Marcello Lippi anyone? No thanks, I'd rather stick with Neil Warnock - he may not have the best Premiership track record, but he's worked wonders in getting us up and surely deserves the opportunity to prove himself in the top flight. No one can doubt that the playing squad needs a considerable overhaul. Warnock will have to be somewhat  ruthless as he attempts to mould and shape a team capable of holding their own in the top flight. He may well have to dispense wih the likes of Clint Hill and Shaun Derry, outstanding foot soldiers both during this promotion winning campaign, but whose aging, creaking bodies are unlikely to be able to cope with the weekly rigours of Premiership football. Whatever changes are made, I know most Rangers fans share a hope that the club don't go down the road of the likes of Blackburn, Chelsea and Manchester City and simply go out and buy success. Despite having a board of directors with considerable financial muscle, for a few years now, the club has retained its core identity, that of being a friendly, family club with a relatively small but loyal fanbase, and a cramped but atmopheric ground. I think it's very important that this identity is not significantly compromised in the quest for success - no invasion from the prawn sandwich eating, faceless corporate brigade please!



You might recall...

Let's go back in time to Saturday 27th April 1996. QPR, literally clinging on to their Premiership status by their fingernails, face West Ham United in front of a packed Loftus Road. A Kevin Gallen brace, and a goal from Karl Ready see Rangers coast to a 3-0 lead mid-way through the second half, and spark scenes of wild jubiliation in the stands. I find myself in the middle of a spontaneous embrace with two strangers, which I break away from to find out the all important news from the games involving our rivals striving for survival at the wrong end of the table. This being 1996, mobile phones and the internet were in their relative infancy, so it was a case of tuning in to Radio London on my Sony Walkman. Alas, Manchester City, Southampton and Coventry, the three teams above us, were all winning away from home, devasting news that I had to relay to the small group of R's fans that had gathered around me. We watched the rest of the game in relative silence, knowing that our 13 year stay in the top flight was about to come to an end. I can still recall Rangers player-manager, Ray Wilkins, trudging off the pitch, disconsolately, and then taking out his frustration out on an approaching photographer by spraying him with the contents of a water bottle.  I could but only empathise with his disappointment, as  I contemplated the prospect of second tier football the following season.


Fast forward 15 years, and again I'm in the South Africa Road Stand as Rangers face Hull City needing a victory to secure a return to the promised land of the Premiership. An early Wayne Routledge strike results in pandemonium in the stands  and we look calm and comfortable as the game is played out. Even a late Hull equaliser fails to dampen the spirits - nearest rivals Norwich are drawing at home to Derby, so a point is enough to ensure promotion. The game ends in a draw, and the full-time whistle is cue for the inevitable pitch invasion. I look down from my vantage point in the upper tier of the stand, and as I'm surveying the scene, I receive a text from a friend telling me that Norwich have scored again, in the 96th minute! I break the news to the people around me, and sure enough confirmation of the Norwich result is announced over the tannoy. It's all a bit of an anti-climax, but it's only a few days to the next match, away at Watford, where a point will be enough to clinch promotion. A cautious optimism prevails amongst the Rangers faithful:

  

Well, the Watford match has now been and gone, and promotion and the Chamionship has been secured. I couldn't get a ticket for the game, and celebrated in a rather low key manner with a few beers in some local hostelries. I've been waiting 15 years for my beloved Superhoops to return to the top flight, but I can not be sure whether the moment has truly arrived. There is a dirty big black cloud overhead, in the shape of a possible points deduction, and the FA have chosen to pronounce their verdict on May 6th, a day before the end of the season! The issue in question is, of course, the ownership of key Argentine midfielder Alessandro Faurlin, signed in July 2009. Last September, Rangers applied to the FA to buy out a third party that owned Faurlin's economic rights, and the FA have been investigating the case ever since. Quite why they have taken so long to arrange a hearing is anyone's guess, and as for the timing of their verdict, it potentially throws the denouement of the Championship season into utter chaos! Having found out that Rangers were making use of a player that they did not actually own, why didn't the FA simply ban Faurlin from playing till he was registered as a legitimate QPR player, and fine the club retrospectively for his use during the previous season? It all threatens to conclude a wonderful season on a farcical note, something that Rangers fans have sadly become all too familiar with during the last 15 years. Administration, relegation to the third tier, the chairman allegedly being held at gun point in the boardroom, collection buckets around the ground, we thought we'd seen it all! Then came the billionaires, and so supermodels and African kings in the directors' box, the chairman picking the team, and numerous management changes, one of which allegedly resulted from a headbutt on a star player! Add tragedy to farce, in the shape of the deaths of promising young players, Kiyan Prince and Ray Jones and no one can deny that we Rangers fans have certainly been through the mill! 

Whatever the FA verdict, it's important that we do not lose sight of the miraculous turnaround achieved by Neil Warnock, his backroom staff and the team in little over a year. We sit at the top of the table as Champions, and deservedly so in my opinion. A championship winning team is not necessarily a team that plays the other team off the park, game after game (Steve Claridge please take note!). A team that are worthy champions surely prove to be consistently hard to beat, and just five defeats in one season is an outstanding effort! Add to that, the best overall home and away records, the most wins, the least goals conceded, the most clean sheets, the best goal difference....I could go on!  Rangers' success has been founded on hard work, organisation, great team spirit, and a potent mix of grit and flair. Let's hope that that they get their rightful reward, and that come next Saturday, the pubs and bars down the Bush are jumping for all the right reasons! 



Barnets and Brilliance!

QPR’s Loftus Road ground was the venue for a Brazilian training session last week, ahead of the Samba Boys’ friendly fixture against Scotland at the Emirates Stadium. Watching Rangers boss, Neil Warnock, could only look on in envy as he admitted “we’re a fair distance away from attracting players like this to the Club”.
Fast forward a few days to the game itself and in the stands it was very much a case of the Scottish bagpipes being drowned out by the seductive samba beats of the travelling hordes of Brazilian fans. It was a similar story on the pitch as the Scottish defence was subjected to wave after wave of traditional Brazilian attack. Much of the football played by Brazil was quite simply breathtaking, with sensational young star, Neymar, proving to be pivotal. The slightly built 19 year old put Brazil in front before the break, curling the ball beyond Scottish keeper Allan McGregor after skillfully finding space in the box. Deep into the second half, having been fouled by Charlie Adam, Neymar picked himself up and coolly slotted home the penalty. Every time he touched the ball, a wave of anticipation seemed to ripple through the stands, a reaction not too dissimilar to that frequently seen at Loftus Road this season when a certain Adel Taarabt is on the ball. Both players, certainly, share a love of tormenting the opposition’s defence through the effective use of audacious skill, exquisite balance, and close ball control. The free role given to both players enables them to attack the opposition from either flank, or through the middle, drawing throngs of defenders in their wake, and invariably soliciting a foul. They will then get up, dust themselves down, and take the resulting penalty or free kick, often with a certain nonchalance. They also share an extraordinary awareness of the positioning of their team mates, and can pick them out in open play or from a set piece with ease. Neymar and Taarabt both exude a youthful swagger, a restless energy, sport a dodgy Barnett (!) and, perhaps, in keeping with their relatively young age, show a tendency to throw tantrums when things don’t go their way.

 

Regardless, they are both the sort of players that you and I would gladly pay to see:

Whilst Neymar contends with the sheer weight of expectation of a football mad nation being placed on his slim shoulders, Taarabt will need to continue to exert his talismanic influence if the Superhoops are to secure promotion to the Premiership. QPR’s promotion push seemed to have hit the skids earlier in the month when a shock 2-0 reverse at Millwall was followed by media speculation that the Superhoops face a possible points deduction as a result of alleged improprieties in the transfer of key Argentine midfielder, Alejandro Faurlin. Three weeks and two wins later, and the promotion dream is very much alive. The FA have been strangely quiet about the Faurlin affair, implying that any wrong doings committed by the club simply merit no more than a fine. On the pitch, the team continue to display an unwavering resolve and the competence and confidence of a well drilled unit. As we approach the denouement of the season, a phase famously dubbed “squeaky bum time” by Sir Alex Ferguson, many QPR fans are clearly both optimistic and emotional at the prospect of promotion: