A Stitch In Time

They say a week is a long time in football and when it comes to Queens Park Rangers it is no different. But in QPR’s case they cram everything into the end of a week. The loss last Saturday to Southampton lead to frenzied expectation of Hughes dismissal, which peaked on Monday when reports falsely emerged that Hughes had gone. After suffering the disappointment that Hughes was still in charge, it began to look as if a reprieve until Christmas was on the cards. Then on the seventh day, on the Friday morning, came the welcome news that Fernandes had finally agreed to fire Hughes. But why then? On the eve of our visit to Man Utd? The club said it took time to get the directors together as many were in different parts of the world. Or was it because the likelihood of any points at Old Trafford were very slim and we had to act fast to get the man we had in mind to replace Hughes. (Before he accepted alternative, highly lucrative employment managing the Ukraine national side!)



Harry Redknapp committed to QPR

What was the reason for Tony’s change of heart? Did he finally see sense or did he succumb to pressure from the fans? Some are saying he fired Hughes reluctantly, under pressure from the rest of the board as he found himself alone in his support for Hughes. The same board that was duped into hiring Hughes because Fernandes and Beard favoured his supposed business like, middle class persona, which, like his ability, proved to be non-existent. His tenure was a waste of eleven months and I could never thank him for his time at QPR. Yes we survived relegation last season, but it was not because of him, more like despite of him. Hughes has proved to be an abject failure since his appointment leaving us in a much worse position than when he took over from Neil Warnock. He was guilty of bad man management and bad buying in the transfer market as he relied heavily on dealing within the circles of his agent in another example of his “jobs for the boys” mentality that also saw him employ his inadequate coaching staff. Hughes never was, and was never going to be, suited to QPR and his appointment was down to the bad judgement of the board, with Fernandes and Beard the protagonists. Good bye Leslie, statistically the worst manager in QPR history, good riddance and don’t come back.

So onto Saturday’s game at Old Trafford with Bowen and Neidzwiecki in charge for one game only (hopefully their last) as QPR officially announced the appointment of Harry Redknapp as QPR manager. Hardly a surprise to the world of football, but very popular with the majority of R's fans. The R’s starting eleven contained five players that earned promotion under Warnock and they lead by example with a grittier, hardworking and fighting performance (sadly lacking a week ago) and that encouraged our newer acquisitions to follow suit. QPR held their own for 60 minutes even taking the lead before and 8 minute period of capitulation saw the R’s ship three goals, two of which were headers from corners when we had four centre halves in the back four, Hughes legacy to our defending. Mbia looked comfortable as he continued to find his feet in the premiership. Mackie deservedly got our goal as he epitomised everything that we want a QPR player to be. He would die for QPR and loves to play. When he is picked, that’s exactly what he does, plays his heart out for our club and never lets us down. He’s still on a championship contract unlike some of the newer acquisitions on their hyper inflated, premier league, “lottery winners” contracts that could do with following Mackie’s example. We predictably left Old Trafford without any points, but didn’t get the credit we really deserved, as Harry watched from the stands ready to take the reins starting with training on Sunday.

Mackie - would die for QPR

Harry was always set on getting back in the Premiership and seeing as he’s never managed a club north of Tottenham and we are south of Tottenham and in the Premier League you can be sure Harry has had one eye on the goings on at QPR for the last few weeks. At this moment in time, Harry suits us and we suit Harry and his appointment is very good for our club. He is straight talking and fits the mould of the “QPR type” and is in keeping with QPR’s traditions and the way we like to play the game. I would never have dreamed that Harry would be a QPR manager in a million years and I think we are fortunate to have him, even though he has one or two minor shortcomings. He has made his mistakes and had his share of bad buys and he does tend to have a large entourage of staff, but I think he has learned from them and he does have an excellent record and a way of getting the best from his players. He did wonders at Pompey and I think he is more comfortable with that kind of club and we fit that bill. I think it’s a good time for Harry Redknapp and QPR to be together.

Harry took training on Sunday with his usual assistants Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan, whose appointments to QPR are imminent. Training went well and it was reported that the players’ spirits were the best they have been for some time. It would seem Harry has done his homework and is quite knowledgeable of the group of players he has inherited. QPR officially unveiled their new manager on Monday and Harry was quick to tell the players exactly why we are bottom of the league. He told them they haven’t worked hard enough and don’t run after the ball, simple as that. He also told them, if they don’t start to work hard and run, then he will find eleven players who will. He continued that the position we are in is an embarrassment and it’s up to the players to work hard and get us out of this. Words that we are not aware of being spoken before by Harry’s predecessor, maybe because the players responsible were his (Hughes) acquisitions and it may have looked detrimental to him or maybe because he was just plain arrogant. Either way Harry has told them what’s what and it is now up to Harry to knit these players together and try and get us out of the mire. Harry also showed that he was committed to QPR and that QPR was now his families club, exactly what we want to hear from a QPR manager, I just hope his son Jamie will now be a little less scathing of us in the media.



Redknapp - told the players what's what

With little time to prepare, Harry took the R’s up to Sunderland on Tuesday in a game that we had to get something from. Harry picked a solid midfield including Mbia, Diakite and Granero. Mackie started again as did Taarabt and Cisse. Interestingly Hill partnered Nelson at centre half as Nelson prefers playing there with Hill. Bosingwa and Traore completed the back four who on the whole were pretty solid and never looked like conceding from set pieces. Cesar picked up an injury and was replaced by Green at half time and returned a solid performance as QPR managed to earn only their second clean sheet of the season with a much better performance from the team taking a point in a goalless draw. Park came on for Diakite who was again booked (Harry taking no risks for a 2^nd Yellow) and SWP also got a late run out and failed to convert our best chance of the game. More importantly the attitude and effort was much improved, had they performed at this level all season we would not be in the position we are in at the moment. We could do with winning more of the aerial battles and getting the ball to Mackie more, but this was an improvement and there are more positives than negatives to take away from this game.

So after one game, Harry has amassed half the away points that Hughes managed in almost a year. It’s not going to be easy to get out of the mess we are in and we have to be fair to Harry because survival is a massive ask. A lot will depend on how we do in the remaining six games to the transfer window, when Harry will be able to change things round a bit more. (Dawson and a striker in and a bit of a fire sale.) I would say if we can get to January 1st on 15 points, the same points as last season, then Harry will get us out of this. It’s the next six games that are going to be massive, so we’ll need 10 points from 18 with what Harry’s got to work with at the moment.

I just hope that Hughes dismissal and Harry’s appointment was a stitch in time and that we haven’t left it too late. A lot rests on the games up to the end of the year, we have no more margin for error, and it is “must do” now, starting with Villa at home Saturday. Should we fail in our fight for survival, we have at least taken steps to ensure we have someone in place that is capable and has the stomach to fight and get us back at the earliest opportunity? Hopefully it will not come to that and the right decision has been made to save our season.

Wigan is our next away game the week after Villa home, it’s a really good away day and only £20.00 to get in and £5.00 for under 16’s. Our allocation is over 2000 tickets and it’s well worth going to. This could be our first away win in over a year, try and get along and support Harry’s Blue and White Army.

Come on you R’s
 

The Bush Ranger

Time to Start Again

This week’s blog is a little late as I have been waiting in anticipation, monitoring the media desperately seeking confirmation that Leslie Mark Hughes has finally parted company with our beloved Queens Park Rangers. It’s now Tuesday afternoon and apart from a speculative frenzy last night, when the social media was frantic with rumours of Leslie’s demise, the latest from the Club, is that Hughes is still in his position.

Time to weild the Axe... NOW
 

Looking back to the debacle that was last Saturdays game against Southampton, which I’m sure you all know, was a game in which we were comprehensively beaten in what I think was our worst performance since we were promoted back to the Premiership. Worse even than the disgraceful displays away to Fulham and Chelsea and they were bad as well as painful and embarrassing. 

Hughes managed to surpass even his dizzy heights of ineptitude as he failed to inspire his team of now demoralised players. From start to finish we looked like a team beaten, without spirit or fight. These are the same players that looked to have turned a corner at Spurs, the same players that looked like they were going to take QPR to the next level. Sadly that no longer looks the case. Hughes has managed to take a group of talented and proven players and turn them in to quivering wrecks, devoid of any direction or hope and with no idea how they are supposed to be playing. Like us R’s fans they have also had to endure the complete rubbish that Hughes continually churns out. They now know he’s not up to this task, they have seen through all the spin and patter that he used to entice them to sign for QPR. We all fell for it, especially Fernandes and Beard.

The players, like the rest of us, have now realised there is no substance to Hughes, so imagine how they must feel. If we the fans are sick, angry and gutted,  imagine how the players feel. Imagine running your socks off in training working really hard only to see him pick SWP. Imagine how the likes of Hill, Derry and Mackie feel and in particular Hill who obviously doesn’t like playing at full back or he wouldn’t have publicly admitted his short comings in that position. (Hughes wasn’t happy with that) Imagine how Ferdinand felt when Zamora  said Terry was a top bloke before we played Chelsea this season, not the most tactful act in the interest of team harmony. How did  Granero, our best  central midfielder this season, feel on Saturday when Hughes played him on the right effectively taking him out of the game. The same applies to Hoilett, removed from the left (where he made his name at Blackburn) to do an unconvincing job playing just off Cisse, even though he did score. Hughes again wasted Taarabt by playing him wide and when we did attack there was never more than one man in the Saints area, why wasn’t  this addressed during the game?  I could go on but you’ve all seen what a mess he makes of picking this team. The point is he has unsettled the players (And that is putting it mildly). Many of  us have worked at places where the management hasn’t got a clue what they’re doing and meddling with what works. Sooner or later that wears you down and you can’t be bothered or at the very least you do not work at your best, it’s human nature. That’s what we have here,  the players have lost faith in Hughes and his staff. Nelson, Taarabt, Mackie are still fighting for our cause but they can’t do it on their own. It’s even got to the fans, the atmosphere on Saturday was far from what it should be at QPR. Even when we scored early in the second half, the R’s faithful seemed subdued, worn down and battered by Hughes repeated failings. Deep down we knew we weren’t going to turn this around today.

Some people feel the players are to blame, that they are showing no passion and are just here for the money. But it is also a fact that these players with the exception of Bosingwa and Traore( who should never wear  the hoops of QPR) started off playing well for QPR, but I think they are now completely demoralised and have no faith in the management.  Some of the players just are not good enough (SWP, Ferdinand, Traore, Bosingwa, Onuoha and Zamora) and are part of QPR’s flawed transfer policy (or lack of policy). The rot started with Warnock’s panic buys of Barton, SWP and Traore and continued with Hughes even worse transfer dealings. Quite simply Hughes was given too much power and secured “jobs for the boys” as he brought in his equally useless  backroom staff and he has had far too much input in the infrastructure that we are putting in for the future.

Taxi For Leslie
 

Hughes said he would complete QPR’s transfer deals early in the summer so that we could hit the ground running. We all new that the defence needed to be strengthened, but that did not happen. Not until Swansea destroyed us in August then it was more panic buying. Despite having the best ever transfer budget and resources in QPR history, Hughes has continued to make bad decisions and has wasted the talent and resources he has been afforded by Fernandes and the board. Ultimately this has culminated in Hughes being the worst manager in our history and his excuses for his continued failings no longer wash with us. (His latest was that it was difficult against  the Saints because we failed to perform. I thought it was his job to get the players to do that.) As I said before, Hughes and QPR peaked at Spurs,  (and we still lost) it was the only time we looked like an established premier league side, but that was the peak. It’s been all downhill from there with Reading in the cup being the catalyst in our downturn and Hughes had no answer or idea how to pick the players up after that disappointment. (This is the cup Hughes thought we could do well in) I thought that we might just get up to the next level after the Spurs performance, but now think we are fated never to have it good at the Bush, not while Hughes is at the helm. The time to have acted  was after the Everton game, but I think it may now be too late and we should be prepared for the worst.

The time has come for us to start again and this has to be done now to have any chance of avoiding relegation or a good chance of promotion should we fail to survive. This all starts with  the dismissal of Hughes and his staff. But will Tony Fernandes have the balls to fire him. We don’t want to make the same mistakes as Bolton and Blackburn where they did not fire a failing manager or worst still as Wolves who fired their manager too late. All three were relegated. On the other hand Sunderland successfully took evasive action in time last season, when they replaced Bruce whilst hovering at the bottom of the table and Chelsea sacked AVB and won the Champions League.

So Mr Fernandes you have to bite the bullet and remove Hughes from our club…NOW. It takes a big man to admit when something isn’t working and I believe you are big enough to do that. Failure to do so will only alienate you from the supporters you claim to listen to. The same supporters you have been trying to get to fill Loftus Road, a task you still find difficult to do, alienating them will only keep them away.  The stability  you should be aiming to achieve is continued membership of the premiership, essentially next season for the enormous amounts of money that will provide financial security as the new TV deal kicks in.

We at QPR have been the subject of ridicule in recent years due to the very instabilities that Fernandes fears, but at the moment some people pity us for the plight we find ourselves in, others are gloating and wish total oblivion on us and we are again  seen as a laughing stock. This is not good for the brand Fernandes is trying to cultivate on the world stage. Either way R’s fans love our club, but QPR is the cause of misery in the lives of many a QPR fan at the moment and that is down to one man.

As I come to the end of writing this blog, the media is reporting rumours that Beard asked Hughes to resign in a meeting yesterday but he refused. Has he got no shame. No one wants him at QPR, why doesn’t he do the honourable thing and go before Fernandes comes back to England and eventually sanctions the millions it will cost us to get rid of Hughes. A small price to pay for the chance to get someone else in to try and save us and the reward of next season’s multi millions on offer.

Here’s hoping to QPR being a Hughes free zone very soon.

Come on you R’s 

The Bush Ranger.

The End is Nigh....but for Hughes or QPR?

Wasted chance
 

One week on in the season and I made my way to the Britannia Stadium to see the R's, armed with blind optimism, a characteristic of R's fans, having convinced myself (again), that this will be the day QPR win. I arrived in the Potteries to be greeted by arguably the glummest match day ambiance I've encountered anywhere. Everywhere , Potters fans were trudging their way toward the ground, hands in pockets staring at the ground in silence like the matchstick men in LS Lowry's industrial paintings. Where was the match day buzz? And this was just outside the ground! Yes they are the loudest fans in the country, its just that it doesn't happen for long or that often. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the poor Stoke fans have only seen them win once in sixteen games but fortunately for them QPR were in town today to gift them a rare three points. 1200 or so faithful R's made the trip knowing their support was unlikely to be rewarded with points. In fairness to our Chairman, Tony Fernandes, he made the effort to thank us by visiting the R's in the away end, I even got to shake his hand but stopped short of asking him why Hughes was still with us, as up to that point I was still on the fence. After 90 minutes of football I had no option but to plant both feet firmly in the Hughes out camp.

The game itself was much like the season so far, with QPR seemingly unlucky to come away with nothing again. Stoke for their part, choose to play an ugly style of football, hoofing the ball long up to Crouch to knock down for Walters to gobble up. Ironically, on the odd occasion they decided to keep the ball on the deck and pass it, they did it quite well. But Stoke value their Premiership status above football so will not risk playing a prettier game for fear of ending up like, dare I say it, QPR.

Hughes made only the one change from the Reading game bringing back Faurlin at the expense of Mackie. Hoilett predominantly played on the left, as he used to at Blackburn last season and Taarabt played behind Cisse. (It has only taken MH 11 games to work that one out) On the whole the back four coped pretty well with Stokes aerial bombardment and set pieces, which was surprising after the failings against Reading. Bosingwa was wasteful and made too many wrong decisions, Traore ruined his first full 90 minutes in a while by being at fault for Stokes goal. Cisse was woeful, spending too much energy doing the wrong things whilst most of the R's chances went through Taarabt who was guilty of missing a guilt edged opportunity of giving QPR the lead by opting for an opulent chip instead of just slotting the ball home, which ultimately proved to be the difference between a point and nothing.

QPR played well from the back, through the middle but when the ball got to the front to Hoilett, Taarabt or Cisse never had an answer to beat a well organised and committed defence. When we did get to the final third we ran out of ideas, lacked direction and rarely got numbers in the opposition penalty area. Diakite played a more defencive role and his darting runs forward were missed today, but Granero was again clever with the ball and was unlucky not to score when his shot inside the area was well saved after good work from Taarabt. In summary we played the better football to a point, but couldn't score and conceded due to a mistake again and lost in true Mark Hughes style. Sound familiar?

Decisions to make
 

It would seem that this loss is the turning point for Hughes and his relationship with the fans as the final whistle was the cue for many R's fans to scream their displeasure at some of the players but reserved their most vociferous and bilious abuse for Mark Hughes. Scores of R's fans, their faces contorted with hate, mercilessly bombarded Hughes with verbal hostilities as he shook his head in disbelief as he scurried off down the tunnel. Bosingwa sprinted off the filed at full time and had been the first to receive the not too subtle opinions for the R's and looked visibly shaken by the abuse he had to entail, as were the likes of Ferdinand, Traore and Cisse, with the latter staring daggers at his tormentors.

This was a significant incident as it shows that Hughes has now lost the fans and if he stays and things don't improve, then the treatment that Steve Keane got at Blackburn will seem like a lovers courtship, compared to what he will get from R' fans whose patience has been stretched far beyond breaking point.

I also watched the players body language and how they interacted with Hughes and his staff in the warm up and the subs at half time and the impression I was left with was that they seem a little disillusioned with it all. They look as if they're not sure what they're supposed to be doing and are not enjoying playing for Hughes. I looked at the broken figure of Robert Green as he walked off the pitch after his half time warm up. His face looked haunted as he walked down the tunnel oblivious to the R's faithful in front of him. He looked hurt and broken by his experience at QPR as if living a nightmare. I get the impression the patience of the players is running out and think its just a matter of time before Hughes loses the dressing room. Mark Hughes has reached the end of the road and this is why I think he has to go.

What we have at the moment is as good as we are going to get from Mark Hughes. When we are not committing harikari in defence we will play the ball out through midfield up to the top and then it will all break down. That's it, he cant get us past that, his plan A in not good enough and he does not have a plan B. It's not just this season, the writing was on the wall last season. Of his minuscule six victories, only the win against Swansea was earned without a degree of good fortune. This season, of the goals we have scored, only the goals against Spurs and Man City were crafted as a result of a team move opening up the opposition and not having to rely on a piece of individual brilliance.
Look at his under achievement at Man City and all the players he bought that he could not get to fit in, but then did well when they moved on (eg Joe). Look at the players he bought that didn't play well for City until he left (eg Kompany) He avoided relegation with Blackburn playing a physical direct game and did similar at Fulham. He earned the one of the leagues poorest away records with Fulham a feat he's managed to make even worse at QPR, but he hasn't actually achieved anything. He's full of spin and talks a good story but he never delivers. I believe he's done all he can at QPR and that he and his staff a have run out of idea's. If I thought for one minute that they had a chance of turning things around I would keep quiet. But I haven't seen anything to suggest they can or will.

Hughes has more in common with Father Ted than just looks
 

If forty points is the magic figure to achieve for Premier League survival we will have to win 12 of our remaining 27 games. That's almost  a win every other game. Do you honestly think Mark Hughes has got what it takes to deliver that kind of ask? I don't think so and his record certainly suggests not. Hughes is now statistically the worst manager in the history of QPR.(Points achieved from those available ratio) Worse than the likes of Mullery and Burkinshaw and believe me that is bad. The worrying thing is that when things don't go according to his game plan he hasn't got a clue what to do. More worrying is his delusional reasoning, one of the latest being that Zamora has been effected by AJ's injury and that AJ was bought as Zamora likes to play with him. No Hughes, Zamora is not good enough,and never has been, for the Premiership, but you were too lazy to look for a more suitable striker, preferring to take the easy option and signing your former strike force. Not the best strategy for identifying players to purchase. Hughes won a few trophies as a player but as a manager he is a loser, a habitual loser who's habit rubs of on everyone. A loser that is turning our club and a team of proven winners into losers. His latest comment re the Stoke game was that he was "happy with the performance". We lost, again. He would rather we "play poor and win." Well yes Hughes you often get us to play poor, but we still lose.

Harsh words some may think, but I've sat of the fence for long enough in the hope that Hughes could turn this around. I've come to the conclusion its not going to happen for he is as calamitous as his look a like Father Ted. Replacing him with someone else is no guarantee, but it is the only chance we have of survival. Stick with Hughes and its bye bye Premiership football and the financial security of next seasons most lucrative ever premier league TV deal. The kind of money that will give Fernandes the kind of stability QPR FC really need.

So Mr Fernandes you have to decide whether Mark Hughes is going to keep QPR in the Premier League so that this club can become financially viable. Surly this is the kind of stability that is more important than managerial continuity.

Yes I am angry at the way things have gone and yes some of the players are to blame, but ultimately its the Manager that has to sort it out, so lets get a manager who can.
Strong views this week and its been difficult not to litter this piece with expletives but these are my views.Views that I am sharing with you reader and I welcome your comments and views via the source you found this blog on or on the comment option on this blog.

So next game is a sell out at home to Southampton and I refuse to even contemplate the possibility of defeat for my own sanity. But should it happen expect the hostilities to be stepped up against Hughes.

Its got to come right soon... right?

Come on you R's


The Bush Ranger.

NOT What the Doctor Ordered

One week on from the Arsenal defeat and the misery continues as QPR's quest to win a game continues. The QPR faithful turned up in slightly lower numbers to another Sky Super Sunday game, as a paltry Reading away following failed to even fill up  the top tier of the School End, giving more R's fans the opportunity to see the Rangers at Loftus Road. After a week of listening to Mark Hughes wax lyrical that he was pleased with the players hard work in training and how the players confidence and morale was high, you could be forgiven for thinking the Reading match would be "the day every thing comes right."  "A must win match" Hughes assured us and "the players know what they've got to do". However, the game turned out to be not what the doctor ordered, as QPR produced a lack lustre and limp performance against an awful Reading side.

An uninspiring 90 minutes of poor football saw QPR recover from yet again conceding a poor early goal whilst the watching TV audience were left with the impression that QPR are prime relegation candidates, as the R's rarely achieved the standard of football we have played this season that has lead to many R's fans feeling confident of survival this year. A better R's starting eleven (ie no SWP or Zamora) failed to show any of the said confidence and looked as if they were unsure of how they should be playing as it took them most of the first half to get going. The back four didn't cope adequately with Readings set pieces and aimless balls punted up field were easily dealt with by Morrison all afternoon. Only the impressive Diakite and Taarabt could hold a claim to have done well today although Granero, Nelson and Mackie did little wrong. The remainder did little of any note with Hoilett disappointing today and Ferdinand showing he is just not good enough for the Premiership.

Suffice to say, although QPR didn't play very well they still could have and should have won this game and this was certainly a valuable two points dropped. What I found more disappointing was Mark Hughes perception and comments on the game. He said Reading "didn't let us play our game." As if they were going to come to Loftus Road and let us do what we want, wise up Hughes. What that tells me is that he didn't have a plan B. Sadly it's starting to look as if Hughes or more importantly his coaching staff are running out of ideas. Surely Hughes is better than this. Personally I am not comfortable with his coaching staff and think this is where our failings mainly lie. I am not a great lover of "suited managers", much preferring "the track suit manager". Could it be that Hughes has delegated a large portion of the coaching and tactics to the likes of Bowen, Niedzwiecki and Hitchcock. Either way I feel that the reasons this group of talented and more that adequate players are under achieving is because of our Manager and his coaching team. I am now so frustrated that I now am left asking this question. Is STABILITY a good enough reason to continue with a seriously under performing management team? What I can tell you is Hughes took the helm at Loftus Road on January 10 2012, since then our Premier league record is W6 D6 L16 with only 2 points gained on our travels. I sincerely hope Hughes can turn this around and Tony Fernandes much coveted stability can be maintained. However, I have yet to see this manager do anything to convince me this is going to happen. Sadly, contrary to his pledge at the end of last season, I think this is going to be a season of much disappointment and frustration unless Hughes and his staff up their game and get this team to achieve their potential. Maybe it would be a little more palatable if Hughes was to show some emotion or even passion to the club, but as I said before I find him somewhat sterile and uncharismatic.

Fernandes is insistent that Hughes is the right man for the job and has been vociferous in the media in his support for his manager. Amit Bhatia has been uncharacteristically quiet of late on all things QPR and has not publicly endorsed our Chairman's faith in Hughes. I wonder if he or his wealthy father in law share Fernandes's view on the manger. Who knows for sure, but if rumours about the Mittals wanting out are true I doubt a difference in opinions will be of any benefit to QPR as a club. I watched Tony Fernades on London Call In on Thursday and he was his usual genuine self and I do like him, in fact I don't know how anyone couldn't like him. I just hope he knows what he is doing and that, should the worst happen, we survive as a football club and hopefully can come back. I do worry that should this happen his relationship with us fans could be damaged if ultimately, Hughes is reasonable for relegating QPR.

A quarter of the season has gone. Mark Hughes should be good enough to keep us in the Premier League. We have players good enough to keep us in the Premier League, but there is now a gap of six points between QPR and safety. If results continue as they have, time will soon begin to run out. So sooner rather than later something has got to change, be it our form or the Manager. The next two games see us at Stoke and then Southampton at home. Six points is a must if Hughes is to abate the poor run of results and achieve the target of seven points from three games including Reading.

Its been painful being an R's fan this season,since right from the off when Swansea hammered us at home, seriously denting all that hope and optimism we had built up in the summer. But like I said before, we are QPR fans, this is our lot. Who would have dared think we'd be in the Premier League now when Warnock took over in 2010. Our time is yet to come this season and I'll be there at the Britannia on Saturday to see if we can get our First win of the season and our first away win in a year. I just hope we can get our game back up to the same levels as at Spurs away. As I write this, there are still two hundred tickets left for our trip to Stoke, which will be on sale on the day if still available. Sometimes things happen when you least expect them and being a QPR supporter, you just can't help thinking this is going to be the game. God I hope so. Come on you R's.



The Bush Ranger