Alejandro Faurlin (undisclosed,
Instituto)
So year three of the project at
Loftus Road and this really needs to be the one where we push hard
for the playoffs at the very least. Looking at our squad with just
three additions so far I think we're just as likely to be a side
facing a relegation battle as we are a side who could challenge
at the top, it's fine line between success and failure and Rangers
don't appear to have done much to make sure we are better prepared
than we were last season. It feels like Groundhog Day writing this preview, a year ago I wrote how I was torn over the new season as to how Rangers would do with a new Northern Irish manager, a midfielder from Argentina and a forward from Italy. A year on I'm again unsure how
we'll do with our latest manager from Northern Ireland, our latest
Argentinean midfielder and our new Italian striker. Of
course there is nothing to say that this year's Italian and Argentinean
will be as disappointing as the last two but you have to really
question again who is signing these players as they hardly look
like players Jim Magilton and John Gorman would be looking to bring
in. The club of course claim that
Faurlin was scouted and picked by John Gorman but then again they
claimed Iain Dowie was the man behind Di Carmine and Ledesma last
year and I'm not sure anyone believed that either. I hope I'm wrong on this and Faurlin
& Pellicori become excellent signings for us but they are just
as likely to be the new Nick Ward, Egthu Oliseh or Ledesma and be
gone by January as be another Buzsaky. Time will tell how good these
players are but you can't help but feel the money may have been
better off being spent on a few British players that we actually
need. We have been crying out for full backs and a striker for over
a year and to see Chris Gunter, Daniel Fox and Ched Evans all being
moved on this summer it feels like we've missed the boat again and
are going into a new season with pretty much the same problems we
did last time out. Hopefully we'll solve our problems
up front but with Blackstock gone we do look very short of options
up front the entire squad looks weaker now with the sales of Camp,
Delaney and Lopez. Blackstock's 12 goals can be replaced by the
returning Vine and Buzsaky along with Taarabt but i'm not sure where
the extra 20 goals needed to push for the playoffs are going to
arrive from. It is a new season though so I
don't want to go into it moaning too much so I'll try and show some
optimism and give a few reasons to be cheerful ahead of the new
campaign by going through the squad. In goal we have pretty good competition
if we do sign Andy Marshall we have someone who could well challenge
Radek Cerny for a regular place in the QPR goal. The defence should continue to
improve with Connolly now gaining experience and Ramage showed plenty
of promise towards the end of last season. Gorkss got better with
every game last season and with a full pre season should hit the
ground running. It's also worth keeping an eye out for youngsters
lee Brown and Joe Oastler who could well break into the first team
this season. As mentioned before though I do
feel we lack quality at full back and could do with strengthening
that area of the squad. In midfield we again look pretty strong. For all the criticism against him Gavin Mahon is a good solid player if played alongside a more creative player. Mikele Leigterwood can also do that role well and can also play at full back which is where he may end up this season. Providing he's played in the centre
rather than out wide Akos Buzsaky is a major player in this division
and should make us a more exciting side going forward and add those
missing goals from midfield. It's also good to see Martin Rowlands
back and with a more attack minded focus in midfield he could shine
as bright as he did under De Canio. Out wide we have Wayne Routledge who for me is the new Andy Impey, he can be brilliant or awful and rarely anything in between. Ainsworth is also back as a player so we at least now have a plan B of lump it high to the right winger if all else fails. Hogan Ephraim has a big season ahead of him and showed signs last season he could be a good player for us. Lee Cook is also on his way back from another knee injury, this will be a big season for Cook and he really needs to recapture his old form this time around. Up front we have the promising
Angelo Balanta who is surely due a chance to shine this season and
deserves a good run in the side that he was too often denied by
loan players last season. I also think Helguson may prove to be
a good player for us if he can stay injury free and someone can
show him where the goal is. The return of Rowan Vine will
also be a big factor and will hopefully get the best out of another
injury victim in Patrick Agyemang. The signing of Adel Taarabt will
also be a big benefit to us and he showed last season if he stays
fit and plays as well as he can then there are few better players
in the Championship. The manager as well talks a good
game and if given the time (stop laughing at the back) then he has
proved at Ipswich he can get a side challenging for the playoffs
which would be a good effort considering the strength of the division
this year. Now that's better I fell all optimistic again and ready for the new season. I quite fancy us to do well this year with far less expectations on us from both the media and our own fans. We'll need a good start and for Flavio to stay out of team affairs and let the manager do things his way. Pateince is also key as we will hit a bad run at some stage and the fans and owner will need to stay patient and make sure the panic button isn't pressed again. Rangers certainly have the players
to do well this season and if our key players can avoid injuries
then I feel we could just scrape into the playoffs which would be
a pretty good season. Prediction: 6th in the Championship
I've asked around the editors of other QPR web sites and fanzines for views on the new season and here is the response. Thanks to Clive, Ron, Adam and Mike for your help
Dave Thomas How do you
think QPR will fare this season?
As it would be for any manager,
only time will answer that question. None of us sat in on the interview,
so we have to trust that what he said, how he spoke, his ideas and
ambitions for the job, impressed enough to land him the job. With
not much else to go on, that's good enough for me at this stage.
I have reservations about his ability to do the job unhindered -
but I am happy with all I've seen pre-season. He's our man now,
and he will have my support from the off. I think the defence should be replaced in full, a rookie goalkeeper brought in from non-league somewhere and only use our recognised wide players in midfield. I am joking, of course. Really, it's what everyone knows - we need a left-back and a proven striker. Which three
teams will be promoted this season? West Brom, Sheffield United & Cardiff Which teams will be relegated? Plymouth, Coventry & (sadly) Scunthorpe
Clive Whittingham How do you think
QPR will fare this season? I think the players we have will suit Magilton's style of play more the Ipswich ones did - it's got to be easier to get two touch, passing football going with Buzsaky and Taarabt than Norris and Walters surely? We will also be very unlucky to suffer the injuries we did last season - we didn't get many, but they were all to our best players and it would have to be a stroke of extreme misfortune for us to lose Buzsaky, Vine and Rowlands again. However Magilton's style of play involves the full backs quite heavily, expecially receiving balls from the goalkeeper, and we are lacking at both right and left back in my opinion. We also have poor strikers. I don't care what anybody says about having Buzsaky, Rowlands, Routledge, Cook, Faurlin etc you ultimately need somebody clinical right at the top end and I don't think we have that. Who are the key players to our season? With the striking options looking poor we need Taarabt and Buzsaky to be fit and scoring regularly. Wayne Routledge was very poor a lot of the time last season and can do much, much better. Likewise Lee Cook. If we don't score enough goals again then the key men are as they were last season - Gorkss, Connolly, Cerny, Stewart, Hall and anybody else that plays at the back. Everybody seems to be taking our defence for granted this summer, we will do very, very well to concede as few goals as we did last season again. It is very rare for a team to keep 19 or 20 cleans sheets two seasons running, and magilton has already reintroduced Hall to the defence instead of Stewart which worries me. It only needs the attack to perform as it did last year and the defence to regress for us to have a serious problem. Is Jim Magiltion the right man
for the job? Must be given time to build the side that he wants, making the signings he wants to make, and not be put under any pressure by the board or the QPR fans to play this formation or that player. We must stick with a manager and give him a chance - another October sacking would be mind blowingly stupid unless we're bottom of the league. Which area if any of the squad
needs to be improved? Which three teams will be promoted
this season? Sheff Utd and West Brom automatically, and I have Boro, Cardiff, Forest and Ipswich down for the play offs but I'm not sure on a winner. can't shake the horrible feeling that it might be the Welsh lot's turn. Which teams will be relegated? Barnsley have lost several quality players over the past 18 months without replacing them. Doncaster have lost Wellens from an already mediocre side and will find the second season syndrome tough to tackle with no new arrivals. Scunthorpe are attempting to assemble a squad
on a similar budget to the one I have for my weekly shop - that
didn't work for them two years ago and won't do this time either.
Plymouth, Coventry and Watford also have reasons to be fearful.
Ron Norris How do you think QPR will fare this season? Honestly, I have absolutely no idea. One day I start thinking it over and decide we might do alright, the next day I find myself questioning my sanity. On one hand we've done quite well in pre-season, been knocking it about fairly nicely and look pretty composed and confident but the other side of the coin says we've got a manager who no one really wanted and a squad that already needed at least two strikers adding to it now also missing its top scorer. Today's mood says that this will be a better season than last year, I don't really expect us to go up but I'd like to think we'll at least nibble away at it this time around. Who are the key players to our season? Three men for me, first up Radek Cerny. He was outstanding for the vast majority of last season and needs to carry that form over into this. Importantly though we need some luck with keeping him injury free too. Whilst the whole defence was solid last year I feel we have enough quality cover at centre back to change things around if there are problems, if Cerny gets crocked we're screwed. Second is Akos Buzsaky and there are two big ifs in this one. If he comes back from his injury the same player he was previously then I'll be a happy man. The worry is he might just have lost that little something that made him special but we shall see. The second if is where to play him. Personally I think he needs to play just off a striker, I have a feeling he'll end up out on the left wing and whilst he can do a job there he's not as dangerous as he could be. If he is over the injury and we find the perfect position for him then we have an inspirational match winner in our side who on his day is unplayable. My final pick is Heidar Helguson. Last season the big positive for me with Heidar was he continually found himself in goal scoring positions. The big negative of course was he missed most of them! Finishing can improve though so if he can still find that bit of space and keep a cool head (as well as a strong pair of legs) he could yet be that dangerous front man we all want. Is Jim Magiltion the right man for the job? I didn't want him appointed and it still smacks of a desperation move but he is here now and I only want to see him do well. He has the title of manager which for me was so important and I don't believe he will be a push over for Flavio in any way. Going on pre-season it looks like he wants to play decent football (if not a little too much at times!) and he has a good knowledge of the division plus an excellent right hand man in John Gorman. It's so important they are given time and space to do the job their way, if they are I think they could do OK in the long term. Which area if any of the squad needs to be improved? I don't know if anyone has mentioned this anywhere before but I would say we could do with a striker and a left back. Which three teams will be promoted this season? I suspect West Brom will continue with their topsy turvey lifestyle and go up once again, probably as champions. Sheffield United will be strong and I quite fancy Middlesbrough to do well too so I'll have them battling it out for second with the other coming up in the play offs. Newcastle of course should walk this league but I think they're in for a big, big shock, I also think Reading are about to experience a slide in fortunes. Which teams will be relegated? Watford seem to me to be a team on the verge
of a slump and I think this could be their year to struggle. Scunthorpe
may find themselves a bit smarter having had a year in this league
two seasons ago but they'll still find it tough going whilst Doncaster
would be my third pick.
Adam Boxer How do you think QPR will fare this season? Without wanting to sound like something out of Yes Minister, you’ve raised an important question here, one with many possible answers! Last season was a disappointment, whichever way you look at this, you can attribute this down to bad luck with injuries or managerial turnover, but from the noises coming out of the club at the start of the season, supporters should have had a greater product for their cash. This season there is a different feel around the club in my opinion. A manager who wants to play the game in the right way, a positive attitude among the squad and the amalgamation of the positives of previous regimes. The flair of De Canio, the defensive organisation of Dowie, the skill of Sousa and the grit and determination of Ainsworth – all tied together, hopefully by the current regime with it’s own ideas on the game. If the squad comes together and performs to its potential, I see no reason why we cannot finish in the top six, most likely a playoff position. If however the frailties of last season take hold QPR fans must temper their optimism for the realities of life under the current regime. Who are the key players to our season? Our goalscorers, whichever of them come to the fore this season. Rangers sorely missed the partnership of Vine and Agyemang last season, with Heidar Helguson clearly struggling for confidence in a disappointing season in front of goal. Pellicori has looked useful in pre-season, most notably in the air along with Balanta attacking from wide areas and foraging towards goal. While we have a decent unit to work with I feel that Adel Taarabt could be the player to stand out this season. While it’s disappointing we have to look to borrow others, this lad is an unquestionable talent, and one which Rangers should seek to harness and use to their advantage. His skill and flair give the R’s a different angle of attack, and while he is a tad one-dimensional he creates that spark of life that Rangers need in the final third. Is Jim Magiltion the right man for the job? It’s very early days to tell whether he will be the right man, but the positive signs are there in pre-season to suggest he’s going about it the right way from a fans perspective. Last season as mentioned was a great disappointment, most notably in the final third, but Jim has brought goals and good football, something which the supporters craved last season. Initially if you’d have asked the fans, you’d have got a generally negative response to the appointment. Now the dust has settled along with the hysteria, his appointment along with the vastly experienced John Gorman could well be the one required to take Rangers on to that all-important next phase in the project. Which area if any of the squad needs to be improved? For a number of years now we’ve had a squad with a great level of adaptability, but for some positions it appears we’re ‘jack of all trades; master of none.’ For example we have several players that can play left-back, but none that either see it as their natural position or have the prowess the feature in the Championship. Another problematic area appears to be upfront, despite additions such as Adel Taarabt and Alessandro Pellicori, Rangers require more viable options up front in way of a goal-poacher. The obsession that some supporters have with signing ‘a name’ is boarderline ridiculous, with supporters giving such importance to signatures of Beckford, and Cox. In truth neither have managed to make the grade in the Championship and the R’s would be paying over the odds for another unknown quantity. Which three teams will be promoted this season? I can’t look beyond the likes of Sheffield United – they have spent good sums of money in strengthening their squad and if these deals come to fruition and gel with the current crop of players, I see no reason why they can’t win the league. They should be accompanied at least one of the relegated sides, Middlesbrough are my favourite out of the three to bounce back. When their younger players have stepped down on loan, by and large they have excelled. With such an impressive youth policy they won’t need the so called ‘bigger players’ to get them contesting the upper echelons. There has been a lot of talk about Nottingham Forest this summer and if their new signings can gel in time, Billy Davies has the pedigree to lead them to playoff glory. Their fire-power should be enough to secure their playoff place, but their back line will remain a concern to many Forest fans. Which teams will be relegated? This year seems far more clear cut than any previous seasons for me, with last year’s strugglers such as Derby, Forest and Plymouth all looking upwards and strong promoted outfits with ambitions of their own. One who may not have enough is Scunthorpe United – Nigel Adkins’ side has relied heavily on the goals of Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes, two players that have failed at this level with Southend United and Barnsley respectively. A modest sixth placed finish in League One was enough to see them up through the playoff lottery and their signings thus far haven’t displayed the ambition of a side intent on staying in the league. This may well be the year that Barnsley lose their battle to stay in the league. Simon Davey was under pressure in spells last season after failing to make a significant impact away from the relegation places despite shelling out good money on fees and wages. The grit and determination of British players is being largely replaced by foreign flair, and in a relegation battle this change of tact could cost them their place. Finally I may surprise a few with my last selection, but I cannot look beyond Watford for a relegation place this season. The Hornets are restricted financially, something epitomised by their appointment of Malky Mackay – overlooked for Brendan Rodgers first time around, but now perfectly suitable for Watford’s current plight. While they have some talented individuals, it remains to be seen whether they can turn this into team performances and fire Watford away from the dreaded relegation zone.
Mike - QPR Report Many thanks to Dave Barton for inviting my view. I presume people are aware of my unique "from afar" perspective! Just a word re this site of Dave's: It's truly a treasure trove for QPR fans. How do you think QPR will fare this season? Barring some serious minute signings,
I don't expect us to finish in either the top two; nor the top six;
nor in the relegation zone. I'd expect us to finish about 10th,
uite a few points back. We haven't been really serious this Summer
in terms of squad strengthening Buzsaky. Someone has to be a goalscorer.
Whether that's Helguson (highly unlikely); or Balanta: Possible... Is Jim Magiltion
the right man for the job? I didn't really want him. I would
have stuck with Sousa. But the Magilton appointment finally and
once and for all, put to paid a lot of the QPR hype about "Richest
club" etc. Magilton is a solid Championship appointment. But
not one of the myriad of names we've been linked to. If given the
tools and left to do the job, Magilton will do fine. If there is
constant "external involvement" wouldnt really matter
who was manager, for us to truly succeed. We need a goalscorer...We need youth players coming through and being developed
Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest
and WBA Which teams will be relegated?
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