' QPR return to South Wales '

Cardiff City (7th) v Queens Park Rangers (11th)


Championship >>> Saturday April 16, 2016 >>> Kick Off 15.00 >>> Weather – Overcast, dry >>> Cardiff City Stadium

QPR return to South Wales on Saturday for the first time since July, when really this whole bumble of a season began with a pre-season friendly at Newport County.

The rain had the phone ringing off the hook at the ark builders' yard and the animals queued in pairs for tickets in the covered side stand. The pitch/swamp played with less speed and zip than Bob Malcolm after a heavy night at the Corby branch of the Glasgow Rangers Supporters and Social Club. Rangers gallantly held the League Two side to a 0-0 draw.

What's followed since has been rather tame by QPR's standards. Just the three managers this season and no bankruptcy proceedings, meningitis outbreaks, brawls with touring Chinese sides, FA inquiries into dodgy transfer dealings, chairmen being "forced to resign" at gunpoint, court cases, deaths or last minute Wembley winners to speak of. Standards are slipping.

But there has been progress made since that sodden day at (ageing Welsh drag act) Rodney Parade. It looked at that stage like Oscar Gobern and the likes were going to have to play some serious part this season, while the big hitters all seemed certain to leave. When they all stayed hopes of a promotion push sprang once more, only for them to turn out not to be very good – Charlie Austin apart – and Chris Ramsey was predictably sacked.

Things seem to have settled down considerably under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and there's even suggestion that the club has met the Financial Fair Play target for this season which will prevent a transfer embargo being imposed from next January. That's still in the 'believe it when I see it' folder but it will be a remarkable achievement if it is the case. Even CEO Lee Hoos, who will deserve all the credit in the world if it is achieved, said he thought there was "fat chance of that happening" when he arrived back in the summer.

Hasselbaink has succeeded, or at least started to succeed, where Ramsey and Neil Warnock both failed with this group of players – getting them to score without leaving themselves wide open at the other end. Ramsey went the Kevin Keegan route and found his side needing to score three times every week to win, Warnock went the pragmatic route and parked six midfielders in front of four defenders with no striker on the field and focused on the clean sheets. The defence still needs lots of work, and a few new faces, as the last half hour of the Charlton game and all of the Middlesbrough match before it showed clearly. But it's a mile better than it was in August and September – helped greatly by having a half decent goalkeeper.

I guess the easy way to look ahead to tomorrow, and Tuesday night’s difficult trip to Brighton, is the hope that further progress is made in the remaining matches. But there were, for the first time, hints in the Charlton game, and by all accounts at Leeds, that minds are starting to wonder towards the summer holiday with nothing at stake.

There’s plenty for the likes of Jack Robinson to get their teeth into, but the rubbers are well dead for QPR now and it’s certainly all eyes on next season.

Cardiff City (7th) v Queens Park Rangers (11th)


Championship >>> Saturday April 16, 2016 >>> Kick Off 15.00 >>> Weather – Overcast, dry >>> Cardiff City Stadium

QPR return to South Wales on Saturday for the first time since July, when really this whole bumble of a season began with a pre-season friendly at Newport County.

The rain had the phone ringing off the hook at the ark builders' yard and the animals queued in pairs for tickets in the covered side stand. The pitch/swamp played with less speed and zip than Bob Malcolm after a heavy night at the Corby branch of the Glasgow Rangers Supporters and Social Club. Rangers gallantly held the League Two side to a 0-0 draw.

What's followed since has been rather tame by QPR's standards. Just the three managers this season and no bankruptcy proceedings, meningitis outbreaks, brawls with touring Chinese sides, FA inquiries into dodgy transfer dealings, chairmen being "forced to resign" at gunpoint, court cases, deaths or last minute Wembley winners to speak of. Standards are slipping.

But there has been progress made since that sodden day at (ageing Welsh drag act) Rodney Parade. It looked at that stage like Oscar Gobern and the likes were going to have to play some serious part this season, while the big hitters all seemed certain to leave. When they all stayed hopes of a promotion push sprang once more, only for them to turn out not to be very good – Charlie Austin apart – and Chris Ramsey was predictably sacked.

Things seem to have settled down considerably under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and there's even suggestion that the club has met the Financial Fair Play target for this season which will prevent a transfer embargo being imposed from next January. That's still in the 'believe it when I see it' folder but it will be a remarkable achievement if it is the case. Even CEO Lee Hoos, who will deserve all the credit in the world if it is achieved, said he thought there was "fat chance of that happening" when he arrived back in the summer.

Hasselbaink has succeeded, or at least started to succeed, where Ramsey and Neil Warnock both failed with this group of players – getting them to score without leaving themselves wide open at the other end. Ramsey went the Kevin Keegan route and found his side needing to score three times every week to win, Warnock went the pragmatic route and parked six midfielders in front of four defenders with no striker on the field and focused on the clean sheets. The defence still needs lots of work, and a few new faces, as the last half hour of the Charlton game and all of the Middlesbrough match before it showed clearly. But it's a mile better than it was in August and September – helped greatly by having a half decent goalkeeper.

I guess the easy way to look ahead to tomorrow, and Tuesday night’s difficult trip to Brighton, is the hope that further progress is made in the remaining matches. But there were, for the first time, hints in the Charlton game, and by all accounts at Leeds, that minds are starting to wonder towards the summer holiday with nothing at stake.

There’s plenty for the likes of Jack Robinson to get their teeth into, but the rubbers are well dead for QPR now and it’s certainly all eyes on next season.

Your Bob Malcolm line is harsh......but fair.

Taken from: http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/q ... t--preview

Author: Clive Whittingham.

Surely only fair that if you're gonna copy and paste articles/pieces written by fans you should at least credit the source and give credit where its due?