Peter Ramage (Newcastle)
The simple answer is gawd knows! There are so many factors to consider when you look at QPR and so much could go brilliantly right or horribly wrong. We've been called the Chelsea of the Championship but at look at the summer transfer work shows QPR are in the bottom half for transfer fees spent having spent just 250k. Of course the loans and bosmans
have not come cheap and the potential value of Cook and Ledesma
if they stay will be close to £5million. Rangers are not doing
things on the cheap but we're also not as free spending as some
would have you believe. The mood around the fans is mixed.
The delight of fans at some of the summer signings has been tempered
by the season ticket rises and rumoured problems between Iain Dowie
and Flavio Briatorie. Ranger's pre season form has not
been particularly good. Two wins were followed by three defeats
against mediocre opposition although the performances have not been
too bad. A look through the squad shows
that this is probably our strongest squad in ten years. Iain Dowie has two quality keepers
to work with. Lee Camp was close to winning the player of the year
last year and deserves the chance to start the season but he faces
a stiff competition from Radek Cerny who proved at Spurs last year
he can be a top class keeper.
Peter Ramage and Matthew Connolly look good options at right back but at left back if anything happens to Damien Delaney we look short of options. A fully fit Fitz Hall will be
a bonus this year and he should spark a good partnership with Kasapar
Gorkss. The Latvian is a big commanding defender who is happy to
bring the ball out of defence which should help with our passing
game. Again beyond those two the options are limited with Damon Stewart the main back up although Connolly and Ramage could move across if needed. A loan move for Martin Cranie might solve these problems and if he were to join I think our defence would look very impressive. Ranger's strongest area is in midfield where we have an embarrassment of options.
Rangers have the experience of
Mahon, the energy of Leigterwood, the passion of Rowlands, the elegance
of Buzsaky and promise of Parejo. Picking a midfield from those
players won't be easy but should be better than the old Steve palmer/Marcus
bean partnership. It will be interesting to see how Dowie fits all this talent in and I think it may be worth using the Spain system of 4-3-2-1. This would see us play Parejo and Rowlands for example in the Xavi and Iniesta role with Buzsaky or Ledesma given licence to roam forward and support the front man and we'd have two players out wide supplying the attack. For those tough away days we could
put Mahon or Leigterwood into the midfield and allow Rowlands and
Parjeo to break forward. we certainly have options. Ahh the attack, now here's where we may have a problem. Rangers struggled for goals in pre season despite creating bags of chances and the forwards we have don't see to have many goals in them.
Dexter Blackstock is my big hope
as I think he could score a lot of goals if he gets off to a good
start and is full of confidence. The pressure is on Dexter though
and if he fails to hit the ground running I think he could find
himself in the stands. Angelo Balanta is the wild card
but I think we'd be foolish to expect too much from him so early
in his career and I know little of Di Carmine and am not sure how
he will fit in. A new forward will probably be Dowie's priority but again it depends on how he wants to play and what kind of forwards he wants to play with. Personally as I said before I'd try out this 4-3-2-1 formation as I think it would provide goals from midfield. A successful forward in that system though would need pace and be able to link play well and I don't think that's a striker we currently have. So looking at the squad it is
clear we have plenty of quality but still need more if we are going
to challenge for the top two.
I think we have a few too many wildcards in our squad though and it will take time for everything to settle. The likes of Parejo, Ledesma and Alberti will need time to settle in a new country and new style of football so I wouldn't expect miracles from them straight away. Lee Cook has hardly played football for a year so will need time to get his form and fitness back and we will be missing arguably our four best players for the first part of the season with Connolly, Buzsaky and Vine injured and Rowlands suspended. I don't expect us to hit the ground running and the fans will need to be patient and allow the team to blend together. I think with time this squad could easily click into something special and really challenge at the top of the table but we may not see that until the second half of the season. It will be important then early on to stay in touch with the top six and make sure we are in a good position to get stronger as the season goes along. Whether the fans and the board will have the
patience for that is anyone's guess and I think that could be our
biggest obstacle. For me though I'd be happy to see us progress
from last season and finish in the top ten. This is a team remember
that has spent just one day in the top half of this division in
the last two seasons so automatic promotion would be a huge leap
forward. To build a promotion winning side that can then survive in the top league takes time but on the pitch at least I think we are going in the right direction and could be in for some better days than we've seen for a while at QPR. I think we'll do well and improve as the season
goes on. I can see us finishing just outside the playoffs but if
we click straight away then there is no reason why we can't finish
in the top six. Prediction: 7th 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 Pete for your help
How do you
think QPR will fare this season? I think we'll just make or just
miss out on the top six depending on who they get to play up front.
At the moment the defence looks very solid to me with Fitz Hall
back to full fitness and Gorkss an impressive signing - add Connolly
and delaney to that and it's a good back four. We've got loads of
midfield options for different occasions - defensive minded players
like Leigertwood and Mahon, tricky attacking players that teams
will struggle to deal with like Buzsaky, Ledesma, Cook and Ephraim
and good all rounders like Rowlands and Parejo. It's up front that
we're short.I'm not convinced Blackstock and Agyemang can cut it
and think that we'll see Vine and one other up front come the winter. Who are the key players to our
season? It's important that Gorkss and Hall get an understanding
going and all the signs are good there but apart from that I'd say
none of our key players will actually start the season with us.
Buzsaky, Vine, Rowlands and Connolly will all be crucial and the
real key is getting a goal scoring striker in here. Other than that
we've just got to hope that one or two of the foreign lads settle
in and do the business - the signs are good with Parejo and Ledesma
at least. No, but he's better than a lot of the names that were touted around at the time. There's still a suspicion in my mind that the manager isn't totally in charge at QPR - either of the transfers or the team selection. De Canio knew nothing of the players we brought in last January and those in the know across the message boards thought it was fantastic that the board had told him no more 4-5-1 after the defeat at Cardiff last season. To some extent that was ok because Italian managers
do generally just coach the team and all the rest of it is done
higher up but with the appointment of Dowie we must dispense with
that system now. If Paladini, Briatore and people like that want
to buy the players and have a say in the team then they should have
appointed another Italian coach - Walter Novellino was available
and has a great track record. They've appointed Dowie now and he
must be allowed to manage the team his way and bring in the players
he wants for better or worse. If he wants to play 4-5-1 we should
let him. I may be being cynical and miserable about it all but I
think you can tell this summer the players Dowie wanted (Hudson,
Watson, Morrison) because they're the ones we get linked with once
and then never see at Rangers, meanwhile another foreigner arrives
and I'm really not convinced they're Dowie's picks. Time will tell
though, maybe I'm wrong. A striker is desperately needed. Agyemang looks to have regressed to where he was before he joined us when I saw him against Chievo - he looked leggy and unfit to me and a long way off the pace even for a friendly. Blackstock too isn't convincing me at the moment and as it stands I just don't know where the goals are coming from. Obviously with Vine and Buzsaky to come back in that will help but we've got a multitude of quality attacking midfielders ready to supply chances and nobody to really finish them off. I'd have gone for Mifsud but clearly with Coventry not too bothered about him leaving, Bristol City pulling out of the deal and his former manager Iain Dowie showing no interest there's something wrong there. Jason Roberts from Blackburn would be good although I don't think he'd drop a division and I'm not sure Blackburn want to sell. David Nugent from Portsmouth likewise. In the end I don't care who we get really as long as we get somebody - at the moment our strike force will hold us back. Which three teams will be promoted
this season? Birmingham - unless they lose players in the rest
of the transfer window they've got a lot of quality there, people
like McFadden and McSheffrey are quality in this league, and in
Kevin Phillips they've recognised that a two year contract on big
money will soon pay for itself when he scores you 20 goals. It's
a gamble we should have taken ourselves. Sheffield United - were in a great position squad
wise to bounce straight back last season but had that moron Bryan
Robson in charge. Kevin Blackwell isn't great but again with Beattie
up front that means goals and they look to have one of the best
teams in the league to me on paper. Then take one from about eight. Wolves have a good chance if their own fans give them a chance, Palace obviously finished strongly last season, Bristol City I expect to suffer from second season syndrome particularly after losing Carle but they've added good strikers to their line up, Ipswich should be there or thereabouts. There's no reason why QPR can't go close but one thing just about every side I've mentioned there has that we don't is a good goal scoring forward line. Which teams will be relegated? Doncaster - made the nation very happy last
season by beating Leeds in the play off final and they play some
very nice football but they've struggled to bring in players this
summer and have easily the worst team in the league on paper. Blackpool - lost their two best players from
last season in Hoolahan and Gorkss and have replaced them with,
from what I can tell, a load of tat. Disastrous pre-season as well
where they've lost to people like Tranmere and St Mirren. Southampton - bloody lucky to survive last
season and with Rupert Lowe's ego back on the scene they've gone
for a complex coaching set up with unknown foreigners rather than
an actual manager. There's no way in the world Stern John will score
as many goals again this season and they've lost far too many quality
players. Shutting parts of the ground because they can't afford
to steward them doesn't bode well.
How do you think QPR will fare this season? I think we'll do better than I think we'll do but not as well as the media think we will, if you follow that. I'm not used to thinking we might do OK but I do think we've got the best squad we've had in years and in a tight division anything is possible. That said we have been ridiculously over hyped and I don't see us as promotion favourites at all. I think we'll finish just outside the play offs and challenge properly next season. Who are the key players to our season? The return of Lee Cook will give us what we've lacked since he left, quality, regular service into the box, it's no exaggeration to say he could lay on 15 extra goals this season if, and this is the big if, he can get back to the same form of two years ago. Is Iain Dowie the right man for the job? I cant say he was top of my wanted list but he has a decent record at this level and he'll know he really has to perform after having his reputation dented over the last couple of years. I think he'll get the squad the fittest it's been in years and we'll play some decent stuff. Ultimately I don't see him being our boss in a couple of years time but right now he might prove to be a sensible appointment. Which area if any of the squad needs to be improved? Another midfielder perhaps? Maybe not….. I think we need some cover at left back and a proven striker for this division. I'm stunned we never moved for the likes of Earnshaw or Ellington and I think we might regret it. Which three teams will be promoted this season? Generally one of the relegated sides does well and romps back up and I think that'll be Birmingham this season. Other than that you could stick a pin about twelve teams. I think Reading will do well and perhaps take second and I'll have Wolves for the play offs. Which teams will be relegated? Blackpool could be this seasons Colchester, impressed in their debut campaign then woeful the next. Barnsley will be there or thereabouts again and I really feel like the massive gamble Southampton have taken could bite them on the arse come May.
How do you think QPR will fare this season? My views will echo that of many Rangers fans in that we simply do not know how it's going to go this season. Early indications from the friendlies will show that our style of play is undesirable in spells, and we lack a goalscoring predator that would make us a top two team in my opinion.
However I believe the squad the we finished last season with, coupled with some useful additions will make us a good bet for the play-off places. As for the favourites tag, I'm certainly not expecting us to be challenging the top two with the current squad, but with Parejo and Cook coming in we'll certainly have the creativity at our disposal. Who are the key players to our season? Daniel Parejo certainly appears to be an excellent prospect and it will be a case of making sure he's not kicked about, the same goes for Lee Cook. When Cookie was at the club last time, he was the only creative outlet, now with such creative flair in the side, it will free him up in what I believe will be an exciting season for the pair.
Evidently Emmanuel Ledesma comes highly rated, and Martin Rowlands will look to continue excelling in the middle following his suspension, but Samuel Di Carmine is yet to get the game time, and looking at his technique and a powerful right foot, he certainly will be one to watch in the coming season. Is Iain Dowie the right man for the job?
It is too early to say whether he is the man to take Rangers forward, evidently I'm not saying he should be sacked, but time will tell if his style of play will please Mr. Briatore et al, and whether they will see through what has been a facade by Dowie.
The system that Rangers seem to be playing to is a worrying aspect of Dowie's tenure thus far, with high balls being pumped out to the flanks, it is a shadow of some of the football the R's played under Luigi De Canio. However I am nitpicking, and Iain has taken sides to the play-off's three times, and providing we do it the right way, I have no qualms with his management. Which area if any of the squad needs to be improved?
Certainly the strike force, the defence has been bolstered over the summer with the likes of Kaspars Gorkss and Peter Ramage coming in, and the midfield is fit to burst with several attacking options being brought in. However there has been no effort directed towards a neglected area the strike force.
Goalscoring has been a major theme of pre-season with Rangers managing six goals, half of those against Stevenage. Make no mistake about it, if Rangers are going anywhere they will have to get not one but two proven strikers at this level to score the necessary goals. It's all very well creating the chances, but we need to stick them away! Which three teams will be promoted this season? It will be hard to bet against the obvious teams, Birmingham City will be strong, Alex McLeish is a top manager and I firmly believe they will bounce back, they've brought in some excellent experience in Carsley, Bent and Phillips. Sheffield United finished strong last season and I expect them to be there and there abouts come the end of the season.
I'd like to say us through the playoffs but there are alot of teams vying for those positions. Reading are a machine at times and Derby are an unknown quantity this season, but I think I'll go with Birmingham, Sheffield United and QPR, just to make things interesting!
I must admit I worry for a few clubs down there. I don't think that Doncaster have strengthened as well as they should have, and their short stay could come to a end, along with them Plymouth also look like they could underachieve this season, admittedly the relegation tag may be a little harsh.
Barnsley always seem to have just about enough but this year their luck may have run out, but then again a depleted Southampton side may not be able to cope this time round with a lot of youngsters drafted in. I'm going to go for Doncaster, Barnsley and Southampton.
How do you think QPR will fare this season? Think we will get into the Play Offs, in order to
get automtically promoted do think we need to strenghten in January Who are the key players to our season? Rowlands, Parejo and Cerny Is Iain Dowie the right man for the job? No. Have my reservations. He will certainly get
my support, but not sure he is the right man for the job. He has
more pressure then anyone else at the club, one bad result and the
fans will be on his back, quicker then you can say "where's
my dinner" Which area if any of the squad needs to be improved? We need a striker. Not sure Patrrick Ageymang will
be able step up a gear this season, though it might surprise everyone
that I think Dexter Blackstock will do a lot better this season. Which three teams will be promoted this season? Birmingham City, Reading and QPR Which teams will be relegated? Blackpool, Barnsley and Southampton.
How do you think QPR will fare this season?
After the last few seasons anything upwards of mid table would be welcomed and a decent cup run.
However on the back of the take over we are now seeing our hopes raised. Who are the key players to our season? Parejo,Akos,Vine, Gorkss,Vine,Cook,Rowlands,Delaney and Ledesma Is Iain Dowie the right man for the job?
Again a strange one last season you would have jumped in the air for joy if we had someone of Iains standard but again with all the talk of money he was appointment was not what many fans hoped for but Iain had a decent record at this league and has got a team up and out of it so you have to hope that experience will come into play during the season. Which area if any of the squad needs to be improved?
We lack in my mind a 25 goal a season forward and need maybe one other or two others from the youth team to step up and take their chance in the squad like the young lad Rose he may well be someone who givin the chance will make a name for himself this season. Which three teams will be promoted this season?
Derby,Burnley,B'ham,Charlton,Reading,Forrest,Sheff Utd even Coventry have done some good buys in the pre season.
but last season no one could have seen Hull and Stoke going up Bristol Citiy i think have made a few good signings and also the other play off semi Final team Palace need to be watched but as if we go up i will be too happy drunk to care if i am honest. Which teams will be relegated?
To be honest for once i feel great that i have no fear for us in that way this season.
Love to see Cardiff go down but that is just a dream.
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So
the big question is where QPR will finish this season?
The
back four certainly looks stringer than it has for some time but
does lack a bit of depth. 
On
the left wing we have Lee Cook back (hurrah) and as an alternative
we can play Ephraim, Ledesma or Vine on the left. Alberti, Ainsworth
or Ephraim look set to fill the right wing whilst the middle of
midfield could be anyone. 
Patrick
Agyemang started well but I have my doubts that he can do that over
a season. Rowan Vine is still a while away from a return but again
is not really an out and out goalscorer. 
Iain
Dowie has a tough job on his hands but he is a manager who can get
teams organised and if he can get the balance right at QPR between
flair going forward and a tight ship at the back then we really
will be in business.
