#29 QPR's Season So Far - A Different Perspective

LATEST RESULTS

The R's completed their 41st league game of their Championship campaign with another away defeat, this time to Blackburn Rovers, following another predictably poor performance from another injury ravaged QPR team (Even Luke Young got a game). The result saw the R's slip to 4th in the table, comfortably in a playoff position with a 9 point cushion with 6 games to play. However, following QPR's inability to capitalise on Burnley's recent blip that saw them drop 5 points as we only picked up 1, the playoff option remains our only realistic chance of a quick return to the Premiership.

An unexpectedly good start to the season back in August, saw the R's seemingly vindicate the bookies decision in making us favourites to win the league, as we occupied the promotion places whilst being the last team in the country to suffer a league defeat. Then in December after the home defeat to Leicester, things started to take an alarming turn for the worst for Rangers with runs of poor results and performances leading to discontent amongst the majority of R's fans along with much frustration and disappointment. Results were only part of the problem as the R's and Harry had to contend with more than their fair share of injury losses. Harry has not competently dealt with this problem and has seemed lost in finding a solution where others may have done better. On the whole, opinion seems to be that we have disappointed, and let ourselves down... But have we?

After the horrors of last season with disastrous transfer dealings, mercenaries, totally inadequate players and spending way beyond our means, nobody knew what to expect this season. Many an R thought it could be back to back relegation and very few would commit to automatic promotion being realistically achievable this season. Many I have spoken to were content to finish mid table and hoped to maybe make the playoffs. Harry and the board had much to do in the summer and somehow managed to divert and get rid of  most of the dross and financial burdens, whilst bringing in new personnel  (mostly loans, including more dross) and giving us a chance of at least trying to challenge.(On paper)  So where did all the disappointment come from? Disappointment that has lead frustrated R's fans to turn on each other as divided opinions  have met head to head at Rangers games and in the social media.

A major contribution to this has been our old enemy, expectation. Or more accurately, false expectations. In this case the expectation was fuelled by the fantastic start to the season that I mentioned earlier. Our league position has been living off the back of that good start for the last 30 games, as our form since then has been that of a mid table team, not even playoff position form. Look at the tables below they do not lie. It it wasn't for the points and lead we accumulated early season we would not be sitting in the top  4 today.

FORM TABLE OVER LAST 10 GAMES									FORM TABLE OVER LAST 20 GAMES									FORM TABLE OVER LAST 30 GAMES
(SINCE GAME 31)		MP	W	D	L	G	Pts		(SINCE  GAME 21)		MP	W	D	L	G	Pts		(SINCE GAME 11)		MP	W	D	L	G	Pts
1.	B’mouth	10	8	1	1	21:6	25		1.	Leicester	20	14	5	1	44:20	47		1.	Leicester	30	20	6	4	60:31	66
2.	Burnley	10	7	2	1	19:9	23		2.	Burnley	20	11	7	2	33:19	40		2.	Derby	30	17	6	7	51:29	57
3.	Leicester	10	6	3	1	21:10	21		3.	Wigan	20	11	5	4	30:17	38		3.	Burnley	30	15	12	3	45:27	57
4.	Bolton	10	6	3	1	18:7	21		4.	B’mouth	20	10	6	4	32:18	36		4.	Wigan	30	15	7	8	40:29	52
5.	Wigan	10	5	3	2	17:11	18		5.	M’boro	20	8	8	4	21:13	32		5.	Brighton	30	13	9	8	35:25	48
6.	M’boro	10	4	4	2	12:8	16		6.	Derby	20	9	5	6	27:20	32		6.	Ipswich	30	12	10	8	35:31	46
7.	Ipswich	10	5	1	4	10:12	16		7.	Watford	20	8	7	5	34:20	31		7.	B’mouth	30	12	9	9	40:33	45
8.	Watford	10	4	3	3	20:11	15		8.	Shef Wed	20	9	4	7	30:21	31		8.	Reading	30	12	8	10	47:39	44
9.	Brighton	10	4	3	3	13:10	15		9.	Ipswich	20	8	6	6	22:21	30		9.	Blackburn	30	11	11	8	39:40	44
10.	Derby	10	4	2	4	13:7	14		10.	Reading	20	8	5	7	32:25	29		10.	M’boro	30	11	10	9	36:26	43
11.	QPR	10	4	2	4	12:12	14		11.	Brighton	20	8	5	7	21:19	29		11.	Bolton	30	11	10	9	44:38	43
12.	Charlton	10	4	2	4	6:12	14		12.	Blackburn	20	7	8	5	30:29	29		12.	QPR	30	12	7	11	35:33	43
13.	Blackburn	10	3	4	3	18:18	13		13.	Bolton	20	7	7	6	30:29	28		13.	Shef Wed	30	12	6	12	41:35	42
14.	Shef Wed	10	4	1	5	14:14	13		14.	QPR	20	8	4	8	25:26	28		14.	Watford	30	9	11	10	44:38	38
15.	Reading	10	3	4	3	12:13	13		15.	N Forest	20	6	8	6	31:31	26		15.	N Forest	30	8	13	9	41:42	37
16.	Barnsley	10	4	1	5	9:15	13		16.	Doncaster	20	6	5	9	19:25	23		16.	Charlton	30	9	8	13	22:36	35
17.	Doncaster	10	4	1	5	9:15	13		17.	Charlton	20	6	5	9	14:27	23		17.	Leeds	30	9	6	15	42:50	33
18.	Millwall	10	3	2	5	9:11	11		18.	Barnsley	20	5	6	9	19:28	21		18.	B’ham	30	8	9	13	40:48	33
19.	Yeovil	10	2	4	4	14:19	10		19.	H’field	20	5	4	11	25:33	19		19.	H’field	30	9	5	16	37:47	32
20.	B’ham	10	3	1	6	16:23	10		20.	B’ham	20	5	4	11	27:37	19		20.	Barnsley	30	7	10	13	27:41	31
21.	Blackpool	10	2	1	7	7:17	7		21.	Millwall	20	4	6	10	15:28	18		21.	Doncaster	30	8	7	15	26:46	31
22.	H’field	10	1	3	6	10:15	6		22.	Yeovil	20	4	6	10	24:38	18		22.	Yeovil	30	7	9	14	35:48	30
23.	N Forest	10	0	4	6	8:21	4		23.	Leeds	20	3	4	13	20:40	13		23.	Millwall	30	6	10	14	28:47	28
24.	Leeds	10	1	1	8	9:24	4		24.	Blackpool	20	2	5	13	11:34	11		24.	Blackpool	30	5	7	18	22:50	22

As you can see from the tables above, we have consistently performed as a mediocre mid table team for 75% of the season so far.(30 of 41 games) The point I'm making here is if you take away our good start and look at what's left, then maybe there would not have been the expectation that most of us have coveted this season. Instead we may well have been content to have consolidated our status a championship side, abated any relegation fears and even have started to get excited about maybe sneaking into the playoffs. Things may not have seemed so bad then and maybe we could all accept that this team is not good enough for automatic promotion. We are what we are, deal with it. It would certainly have made the season a little bit more palatable than it has been to date. Had our season gone this way, but the early season form we had was to happen now, we would be ecstatic and swinging off the rafters, still only 4th, but happier none the less.

As it turns out though, something cataclysmic will have to happen if we are to miss the playoffs and even Harry and Co have finally conceded that its our best option for promotion, even though recent performances indicate this was accepted some weeks ago. Leicester and Burnley are far more deserved of the automatic promotion places than we or the rest of the division are but the last spot is up for grabs, so why not us? I don't think we are ready, or good enough, to go back up yet, but neither are any of our fellow challengers. We could still end up in May having our glory day at Wembley and return to the Premiership, whether we are ready or not. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Should we fail to accomplish promotion this year it will probably be a fair reflection of where we are as a football club. Harry will probably go, the time is right for that, and our disastrous financial shenanigans will no doubt see us face a transfer embargo come Jan 2015, but this does not have to be a bad thing. If we are to be honest, QPR as a club and a business is not run very well. Much as I like them, Fernandes and Beard have been dangerously naive in their football dealings and they don't seem to have learnt much from their mistakes. This would be an opportunity to get the right infrastructure in place for our club and to get us doing what has traditionally worked best for QPR. Start with getting in a QPR man in as Manager, someone with passion for the R's and who wants to manage the R's. Then get the right mixture of older pros that want to come and play for QPR (before the ban) and bring in the players from our development squad. Those with something to prove and the hunger to succeed, like we used to. It would be great to turn this club around in a similar way to what they have achieved at Southampton, not so long ago they were in the 3rd tier. Now they are a formidable Premiership side that plays attractive football with an abundance of homegrown talent that's improving all the time, and this was achieved without being silly with money. Take note uncle Tony and Co, that's how we used to do it at Loftus Road. Imagine if we could do something like that in the next few years, that would be nice!

ALEC STOCK

Finally I would just like to share my pleasure in QPR finally acknowledging one of the all time greats in QPR history, Alec Stock. The Yeovil home game was deemed Alec Stock day and this great QPR man was honoured and remembered for his 10 years service building all we love about QPR and of course, arguably our greatest achievement in the double winning season of 67/68 plus back to back promotions. Rangers fanzine " A Kick Up the R's" has a brilliant article about Alec Stock in its latest issue that has been excellently penned by regular R's writer John O'Mahoney. A better article on Alec Stock you will not find anywhere, a must read for a definitive account on how this man bought QPR forward. If you can't get a copy go to www.akutrs.co.uk for details.

So with 5 games to go and 6 points to clinch a playoff place, it's likely that Harry will just be seeing out these games in preparation for the anticipated playoff lottery. I hope he takes the opportunity to blood some of the talent Steve Gallen has been developing for our future. Has the season been that bad, all things considered.? In our case, when you look at it in another way, as above, things are easier to accept and you can be realistic....so no... things haven't been as bad as we initially thought......for a team in mediocre form for most of the season. What do you expect????

I don't anticipate much happening until, most likely, the playoffs, so blog to you then.

Come on you R's

The Bush Ranger

#28 Great Expectations

Last month I wrote optimistically and in hopeful expectation, that our beloved Rangers would shake off the unconvincing performances that they had served up to date and hit peak form, resulting in a run of magical displays that would see us romp home to achieve promotion in fantastic style. Well, cue the reality check, and look where we find ourselves this short month later. The R's just managed to scrape wins against Huddersfield and Bolton but true to form failed miserably when faced with better quality opposition, i.e. top six sides. Having managed just one point from the last twelve,drawing with Burnley and losing successive games to Derby, Reading and Charlton, the R's surrendered an automatic promotion place and now sit in fourth position seven points behind second (with a game in hand) but with an inferior goal difference.

Doyle's debut goal in front of the delighted Irish R's
gathered  in the School End  v Burnley

Therefore, it would seem that QPR's true worth in this league is finally beginning to unfold. To put it bluntly, not good enough for top two, with promotion via the play offs unlikely given the R's inability to overcome top six opposition. To be honest, even though we have managed to stay in the top three for most of the season performances were far from being convincing enough to justify it, or, to suggest a sustained stay near the summit. Furthermore I wont be too bothered if we don't get promotion this year because we are light years away from being ready to have another go at the Premier League, and I can well do without the misery of the last two seasons.

So, depending on what your expectation's were at the beginning of the season, what has gone wrong? Is this QPR team overrated or under performing? Personally I think it's a bit of both. Harry has assembled a bunch of older journeymen, brimming with experience but in all honesty past their best and hoping to get a least one more good season out of them. Much has been expected from this team as the media and betting markets made us favourites for promotion, primarily based on these player's bio's and pedigrees.

Having said that, this group of players should be achieving and producing both more and better than they are at present, so you have to say there is an element of underperformance, of which the manager and his coaching staff are largely to blame. Messer's Bond, Jordan and Downes have a lot to answer for as they consistently turn out teams that are impotent in attack and devoid of any kind of offensive plan. You can't help but think that different personnel would achieve more with this

Latest results

vast squad at their disposal. Need I say more than that our best period of form was when we had Steve McLaren as coach, who has now gone on to take Derby from the bottom end of this division to third, above us, and as the divisions top scorers - A sad loss for QPR there. To be fair we have been unfortunate with injuries to key players with the most obvious being our major source of goals in Charlie Austin, but we do have a considerably large squad of over thirty players so should be able to cope better than anyone else in this division.

So what of Harry and his contribution to where we find ourselves today? Don't get me wrong I like Harry and think he should stay to the end of the season and see where we are at then, but, he does have his limitations and flaws and is responsible for a number of mystifying team selections and tactical decisions, so he must shoulder his part of our shortcomings. How has he failed to respond to the fact that while they have both been magnificent this season, Dunn and Hill's limitations have been exposed when faced with the higher quality attacking sides in the top six and have struggled to cope, resulting in the goals that have seen us fail against those challenging with us for promotion. Why does Harry consistently leave Onuoha out of the starting eleven, even more so now with Simpson out injured, surely Ned can do a better job than Aaron Hughes (another of Harrys older acquisitions). I don't think Harry knows what his best team is, certainly not his best midfield or the best way for us to play. He is far to cautious and frightened of losing resulting in arguably the most boring and worst football we have seen at the Bush in decades, which in turn has manifested itself in the poor atmosphere at Loftus Road this season.

Dunne rewards the Irish R's that travelled to the game with
the 2nd goal of the game from an Irishman in hoops

The January transfer window resulted in Harry making the most of loan signings again, bringing in four strikers, two defenders and midfielder Ravel Morrison. Delatorre and Donaldson are two for the future (who will no doubt never get a chance if the status quo is maintained) Doyle is a good addition, already having scored twice, Keane is a wild card and Maiga is another of Harry's mystifying decision's (despite his goal v Burnley). We now have around eight loan players at present, not the most stable of foundations for a club with ambitions of promotion and establishment in the Premier League. Furthermore our promising and more importantly, useable youth have been overlooked by Harry and farmed out on loan as Harry opts for these loan signings, again mystifying when we are talking about players like Hitchcock....say no more.

It could be argued, that tactically Harry and his staff have been found wanting this season. The rest of this division has sussed QPR out now and know we can have as much possession of the ball as we want because we wont do anything offensive, they know how to rough us up and unsettle us and it is to our detriment that neither Harry nor his coaches have come up with a way of changing it for us or making us unpredictable. The players are not blameless in this neither and there is plenty to say about them and I will touch on this next time, but collectively, QPR have failed every major test they have had to face this season, things will have to change dramatically if the promotion dream is to be achieved.



3500 R's at Charlton - deserved more than
 the pitiful R's performance they witnessed

Since the recent injection of wealth into the club, many R's (myself included) have suffered from something  we never used to have as R's fans, and that is expectation. In the old days all we had was hope, and that was enough. So with regard to the rest of the season I am yet to be convinced that we have what it takes to be promoted, let alone establish ourselves in the Premiership. No longer am I waiting to see something that is not going to happen this season... but I hope it does. There are no quick fixes for what Tony Fernandes wants our little club to achieve. However things have to be done in the correct way and we haven't started doing that yet. We have to build, use more of the youngsters and grow. A few seasons in the Championship could be what we need to establish a team that can be the start of a continued presence competing in the Premiership. So lets forget talk of new stadium's and the like and get on with the real job in hand. I just hope that we can survive the financial consequences if we don't achieve promotion this year. Fernandes assures us we can and that this is a "long term project." (Remember when we used to be a football club) It will take time to get it right and time can't be rushed, we have to be patient, it will come. Let us all hope!

QPR Fans and social media - my tuppence worth.

Having invested over forty years of my life into supporting QPR I think I have earned the right to be critical of the team I love and nothing hurts more than to be less than complimentary about the R's. I find it annoying that some R's fans in the social media take such exception to R's fans being critical of the team we all love. If you can't be honest about your club with fellow people that love the club too then football has indeed run its course. To those that take exception to such comments I respectfully put it to you that you have an aversion to the truth and to continue to deny our failings, makes R's fans look stupid to outsiders. Either way if that is the way you feel I respect that and would expect the same - it doesn't mean we love the R's any less. So come on all R's lets lose the expectations and rediscover our hope.

Come on you R's

The Bush Ranger. 
 
 

#27 Waiting to Peak

In my last blog I wrote about our (then) forthcoming run of four big fixtures against top sides in the Championship and how we would be able to tell what we were made of after this run, however sometimes things are not always as clear cut or predictable as we would like. Especially where QPR are concerned.

Recent results

So, how did the R's get on in those four games? They had a dream start by beating Blackpool for an overdue away win. After being second best for the first hour in appalling conditions, a slice of good fortune saw them take the lead and as then dominate for the rest of the game, winning 2 nil, but could have had four or five. Typically, the remaining three games saw an alarming dip in form as we lost at home to Leicester, who out "one nilled" us, albeit in a more convincing way than we have done on numerous occasions this season. The R's followed that up with another defeat at Nottingham Forest where we have never won, so no change there then. In fact my heart sank when I looked at the starting eleven. It was bad enough missing Charlie, but starting Henry and Zamora left me with no hope for this game. Both games were live on Sky and our performances in both games did very little to justify our lofty position in the league to the viewing TV audience.

Having gone into the Christmas period sitting on top of the league with a good opportunity to consolidate our top dog status against our closest rivals, two defeats and goalless draw against Watford pushed the R's to 4th and then back to 3rd in the league as form side Derby joined the mix at the top. With the exception of the Forest game (in which we were awful) we hadn't really played much different to most of the season, i.e. plenty of meaningless possession, little creativity and a shortage of clear cut chances, however the big difference was not being able to score a goal and hold out, having drawn four blanks in the last five games. It would be fair to say we were far from convincing when push came to shove, but having said that, despite the dip in form, we are still up there, with as good a chance as anyone of achieving automatic promotion.

Just as I was about to conclude that maybe we don't have enough to get out of the first gear I waxed lyrical about in my last blog, the mighty Super Hoops turned their fortunes around in an almost complete reversal of the away fixture at Doncaster when he played host to them on New Years day. This time it was the R's turn to turn a one goal deficit into a victory with a superb late winner from Charlie Austin. Again, not a very convincing victory but we made our luck that day and I can't help feeling that last gasp winner could be a significant turning point in our season.

The R's confirmed their annual early exit from the FA Cup as they succumbed to a heavy defeat against a buoyant Everton side with the R's dismal display difficult to relate it to their league form. Despite whatever Harry may have said about "taking the cup seriously", I very much doubt they were and I would imagine motivation for this game was not on par with the league games this season, resulting in a display reminiscent of the misery of last season. Harry waxed lyrical about unacceptable displays, not being happy with the performance and how the team had to do better but, remember, this was the FA Cup and we are QPR. Was it ever going to be any other way, especially with the R's hierarchy hell bent on returning to the Premiership at the first attempt and now the club have announced the new stadium plans at Old Oak a lot of the clubs planning rests on where we end up at the end of this season. (More on the new stadium in future blogs)

Charlie Boy's last gasp winner v Doncaster

So on to Ipswich away, with a point to prove and nothing less than a win a must. Another healthy away R's following of 1500 plus were treated to away victory that saw the R's score three goals and Austin wasn't one of the scorers! QPR were not overly convincing having been matched and occasionally bettered by our hosts, but they showed strength of character and again made their own luck to eventually come out as comfortable winners. Interestingly Ipswich had the majority possession, as did Doncaster and Bournemouth, but our potency in attack was much better in those games than when we boss the possession stats and we benefit from playing higher up the pitch when we have the ball.  All the more pleasing about the result was getting three different players on the score sheet which in itself is an improvement and a step in the direction we need to be going if promotion is to be achieved.

The victory leaves QPR in 3rd place five points behind Leicester and one behind Burnley, but five ahead of Derby who are 4th. The important run of games proved not to be a conclusive as I was hoping but I can conclude that we are still up there challenging, without having reached the potential we have been waiting for all season. Some have commented that we may already be in our top gear (after my last blog "Stuck in first gear") but I still believe there is the potential for more to come from this team. It has been well documented that we have a quality squad with players that come with big reputations. A lot of these players are still to live up to these reputations and potential. If they do, (If they still can) then I would like to think we will see something much more acceptable in terms of performances to go with improved results and maybe even a touch of class. I have to stress that this will not happen unless the squad perform to their capabilities and stop doing "just about enough" - because we are going to need more than that. Harry and his staff are going to have to be more inventive and we will need to strengthen in the transfer window particularly up front.

Nico celebrates QPR's opener at Ipswich

Player wise Henry and Zamora are truly dire and shouldn't be in the squad. Messer's O'Neil, Hoilett, Traore, Jenas, Kranjcar, Phillips and Assou-Ekotto (someone remind him he's paid to be a defender) all have more to give and will have to up their game as mentioned earlier. Green has been OK but still frightens the life out of me, Barton has been diligent and solid, all be it a little overrated and there is room for more from him too. The defence have been solid and Charlie Austin has proved his worth and has not disappointed, but sadly AJ has not got 90 minutes in him although he does make a difference offensively when he 's on the pitch.  A lot of responsibility has been unfairly put on Tom Carroll to be the midfield genius that produce miracles at will. He is a good player but I think he is bullied in the Championship and his game is better suited to the Premiership where refereeing is more sympathetic to his type of player.

So there we have it, into the second half of the season and still in the mix and we haven't got going yet. Or have we? It's a difficult one to call but I can say we have not been the best team in the Championship so far, but we could be and I think we should be. The pressure is on Harry to get us back up at all costs, so results take priority over style, I'm sure Harry doesn't like it but he knows what has to be done. I would like to think that it is all going to plan and this is where Harry wanted to be come the turn of the year ready to turn it up as the final chase begins. We could be following that tried and tested template of not peaking to early but waiting to peak at the right time, the business end of the season. As it stands now that is a possibility and although some of the football has been sterile it has been an enjoyable season so far and our expectations have not been extinguished... not yet anyway. Surely there's some good stuff to come yet. I just get the feeling that last minute winner against Doncaster was the turning point in our season. (not rational, just a feeling) Maybe things will be more clearer come the end of the month, I doubt it though, this season is going to go all the way to the end.

Come on you R's

The Bush Ranger

# 26 Stuck In First Gear

RESULTS

With Christmas just two weeks away, QPR are still in the leading pack and are joint top of the Championship on points with four games to go before the halfway point in the season.

Following our first defeat of the season at Burnley, the R's averted a negative run by securing a goalless draw a few days later at Wigan, in what was a drab and boring affair not befitting of the excellent R's support after a run of three consecutive away games. That run of away games was Rangers first test of the season. in which we didn't do well as we only picked up two points from the nine available. This was subsequently overturned when the R's reliable home form quickly dispatched Derby to secure three points, albeit not as convincingly as our previous home outing, with plenty of huffing and puffing but no real punch.

The next game was at the home of the fake Hoops in Reading (aka Chelsea Town) and was the early kick off on the Saturday, courtesy of football's masters at Sky. QPR started brightly and could have, and should have been three nil up after ten minutes. But a combination of another opposition keeper having a stormer against us and the usual missed sitters put paid to that, as we faded away and let Reading back into a game that should have been dead and buried. Sure enough the R's found themselves a goal down early in the second half following a Reading throw that should have been QPR's. Barton put away a nice free kick to salvage a point for the R's late on but it was the R's celebration that was all the more pleasing. As the ball nestled into the net Barton raced to the dug out, closely followed by his team mates as they held aloft the hooped shirt of their stricken team mate Ali Faurlin.

Ali, as you all know, was cruelly stricken with another ACL injury against Derby just as he was approaching his best from again, having been one of the very few highlights at Wigan. Injuries have plagued the R's this season and it is fortunate that we do have an abundance of midfielders having once thought we had too many. What is alarming is the number of players we have that have fallen to hamstring strains and niggles and some work needs to be done to reduce these occurrences. In fact the welfare of QPR players past and present should always be considered by the club and I hope they do right by Ali and offer him an extension on his contract. Good luck in your recovery Ali, you will never be alone.

FAURLIN NOT FORGOTTEN

Another unconvincing performance saw the R's overturn Charlton with another home victory and another one nil. The victories and haul of points at home are more than welcome but many an R's fan has acknowledged that it has not been the most entertaining or exciting of seasons to date. For some reason we seem to be obsessed with our possession stats, quite content to tip tap the ball sideways, in our own half, much to the relief of the opposition as they take a chance to take a breather without any hint of a threat on their goal from QPR. Why, with the talent we have in our squad,  are we devoid of any kind of attacking prowess? Why don't we push further up the pitch, use the width in our team and actually get behind opposition defences? Matt Phillips has gone some way to changing this in patches, but the onus seems to be on grinding out narrow victories. All very well as long as stupid mistakes don't lead to opposition goals, as was the case at Doncaster.

Doncaster away was a truly dire display and easily in the top ten of the worst games I've seen in over forty years. The R's travelling support numbered at over 1600 that day and they deserved much better than the tripe served up that was disguised as a football match. An enthusiastic, buoyant and vociferous support that was singing away under the stand before the game was slowly worn down and subdued by what they witnessed as the match progressed, a very bad day at the office that is best forgotten. Fortunately, as with our previous defeat, we only had to wait a few days to put things right as the R's recorded their biggest win to date scoring three for the first time this season. Harry finally started with two strikers with the Andy Johnson tenacious and refreshingly effective. To their credit, Bournemouth played some nice football and were one of the few teams to have the majority of the possession against QPR. They passed the ball well and moved it about in areas that caused the R's concern but are a little naive and are lacking the quality they need to convert their possession football into something that will establish themselves in this league. Could it be that not having so much of the ball forced the R's hand and produced a more effective attacking performance? It would seem that way as we next played host prominent bus parkers Blackburn, who have not lost at QPR since 1993. They conceded an obscene amount of possession to the R's as we served up sterile and uninventive goalless draw. Despite playing with two wide men for most of the game, the R's didn't make many clear cut chances and rarely excited an R's crowd that have been starved of watching any real excitement this season, which in turn has had an adverse effect on the atmosphere at Loftus Road of late.

PHILLIPS OFF THE MARK

Having said that, it is a means to an end and Sunday's this season have been infinitely better than last season and winning games is always a heart warmer. What amazes me is that despite the fact that we have not dominated or crushed anyone this season, scored bag loads of goals or more importantly, not got out of first gear, we are still joint top of the league. So you could be forgiven for thinking or even expecting there's better to come. A good indication of whether or not that will happen will become evident after our next four fixtures. They are against Blackpool away, Leicester home, Forest away and the Watford away. Four games against teams from the business end of the table with no games against minnows to fill in the results between theses bigger games. This will be a real indicator of what this team has got and what its made of. This will bring us to the exact hallway mark in the season. Will we still be top? Will we still be up there? Will we have moved up out of first gear and started to dominate? It's a big test and we'll have a better idea in the new year. I'd like to think we will move up a few gears we all know we have, rather than remain static as we did last season.

Yossi Benayon has just joined the R's on a short term deal and although he's 33 I think he could be an effective solution to our attacking issues along with a fully fit Nico Kranjcar. I would play him wide with Phillips on the other flank and seriously consider selling Hoilett to Stoke in January if that fool that used to manage us wants him. I would imagine Harry's transfer activity will be influenced on what he sees in these next four games.

And so to the FA Cup draw and QPR's annual half hearted appearance in this classic but sadly devalued cup completion. This is a major domestic trophy and only one of three trophy's that is possible for us and many others to win. Why do teams treat this wonderful competition with such disdain? (And the League Cup come to think of it?) We have been paired with Everton and a trip to Goodison Park and Harry has declared that we are taking the FA Cup seriously this year. All I can say is remember when he said we'll be making mind blowing signings, nuff said! Either way serious or not serious, this will be a tough one for QPR but you never know. I'd love us to win this cup.

So, four big games coming up, two of which will be live on Sky, Leicester home and Forest away and thank you for the free coach travel to Forest Tony Fernandes. Here hoping the R's can up it a gear or two. Next blog in the new year.

Merry Christmas to you all.



Come on you R's.

The Bush Ranger.