Whats going on at QPR?

Why aren't QPR strengthening?

Rich owners, good fan base, but terribly average squad - and with PSG in for Taraabt, their squad seems nailed on for relegation.

Norwich and Swansea have strengthened, to the point where they both look far more capable of retaining premiership status, why the silence from QPR?

conpad wrote:Why aren't QPR strengthening?

Rich owners, good fan base, but terribly average squad - and with PSG in for Taraabt, their squad seems nailed on for relegation.

Norwich and Swansea have strengthened, to the point where they both look far more capable of retaining premiership status, why the silence from QPR?

I dont think the owners trust Warnock and are limiting his budget in case they get rid of him and bring in a new manager. Its a shame cos although i know he doesnt have much in terms of top level success, Warnock has done very well getting them to the promise land. If they backed him with money im sure he could do a good job with them.

So far theyve just added Bothroyd, Webber and Dyer all on free's. Deals for DJ Campbell and Bullard are on ice but they need those two and another 4 good signings to have a chance of staying up IMO and there is still time for them to get them in.

Swansea have only made 3 signings so far (and one was just bringing in a keeper for De vries) so they've still got a lot of work to do as well, although i do think Swansea have a good young team that contains players (Sinclair, Allen, Taylor etc) that will raise their game in the prem.

Sgoater1 wrote:

conpad wrote:Why aren't QPR strengthening?

Rich owners, good fan base, but terribly average squad - and with PSG in for Taraabt, their squad seems nailed on for relegation.

Norwich and Swansea have strengthened, to the point where they both look far more capable of retaining premiership status, why the silence from QPR?

I dont think the owners trust Warnock and are limiting his budget in case they get rid of him and bring in a new manager. Its a shame cos although i know he doesnt have much in terms of top level success, Warnock has done very well getting them to the promise land. If they backed him with money im sure he could do a good job with them.

So far theyve just added Bothroyd, Webber and Dyer all on free's. Deals for DJ Campbell and Bullard are on ice but they need those two and another 4 good signings to have a chance of staying up IMO and there is still time for them to get them in.

Swansea have only made 3 signings so far (and one was just bringing in a keeper for De vries) so they've still got a lot of work to do as well, although i do think Swansea have a good young team that contains players (Sinclair, Allen, Taylor etc) that will raise their game in the prem.

This could well be the case with QPR, but if the current manager doesn't inspire confidence why allow him control of the side in what is most likely going to be their only season given the lack of support they're giving him?

Given Warnock steered them up, he has to be given a crack at staving off relegation, but needs serious investment to make this happen. And given they, at the moment, don't look like replacing him this close to the big kick-off, they're lack of activity beggars belief really.

their signings have been pretty shrewd and they already have a big, experienced squad. A bit-part Tarabaat replacement for home games and they're ready. Dyer and Bullard will probably be penciled in for that role.

Isn't Taarabt still there?


RE: Swansea..1 signings a keeper...and the other is Graham, not an amazing signing either.

I doubt Taarabt will go to Paris because the price fee is way too much. They are asking for 15 million pounds, which is too much for an improve player who only had a wonder season in the league 1. The reason they are asking so much is because there is a clause in his contract and 50% of the value will go to Tottenham. This guy also has serial attitude problems, so he is not worth it. Menez would be a better option.

Norwich have signed Naughton from Spurs on a season long loan. he's a decent signing for them and will help them at the back.

Anthony Pilkington (Huddersfield, £2m), Steve Morison (Millwall, £2.8m), James Vaughan (Everton, £2.5m), Elliott Bennett (Brighton, undisclosed), Ritchie De Laet (Manchester United, loan), Bradley Johnson (Leeds, free), Naughton (Spurs, Loan)

It looks like Lambert has tried to bring in hungry young players, tht might lack prem experiance but have a lot of potential. I think they might lack fire power and its really hard to tell how they will do cos like i said not many have played in the prem before. Elliot Bennet looks veyr exciting prosepct and i think Johnson will do well for them.

£2.5m seems like a lot for Vaughan.

christmasborocooper wrote:£2.5m seems like a lot for Vaughan.

Yeah he has potential though and i guess thats what they're paying for but he only got 9 in 30 games for Palace in the Championship although he was playing in a poor side.

QPR’s season is in doubt before it has even begun

Since they claimed top spot in the Championship from the very beginning of last season, Queens Park Rangers have seemed certain to be playing Premiership football this season. For 15 years the fans from Loftus Road have been dreaming of seeing the R's return to the top division of English football, but before a ball is even kicked in the 2011/2012 season, QPR's hopes of survival are already seriously in doubt.

The return of QPR to the Premier League has been an expectation of their fans since their relegation to Division 1 in 1996, and a realistic expectation of many since the takeover of Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore in August 2007 and the purchasing of a minority stake of shares by Lakshmi Mittal in December of the same year. The new owners gave QPR the potential to become one of the richest clubs in the world should they invest heavily. This was not to be the case, though it was not this aspect of the ownership which has made the pair so unpopular amongst QPR supporters. In an age where media coverage of club owners is at an all-time high, Ecclestone and Briatore have made no effort to present themselves in a favourable light; whilst Mittal is not in the light at all. No effort was made to play down stories that Ecclestone originally thought Briatore meant KFC when he proposed the idea of investment to him, and has since gone on record admitting he only knows a two of the squad’s names (and not full names simply ‘that guy who scores goals for us...(Adel) Taarabt’, and loanee (Wayne) ‘Routledge’) and famously reasoning that he only goes to ‘local’ games when asked to explain why he would not attend what turned out to be QPR’s promotion clinching match away to Watford. But more than this, in the same interview Ecclestone stated he left matches at half time, as ‘by then you can tell which way it’s going’. If ever a man wanted to endear himself to his club fans, it certainly isn’t Bernie Ecclestone. However this is not a trait that is Ecclestone’s alone; at the unveiling of a plaque earlier this month to commemorate the birthplace of QPR in Queen’s Park 125 years ago, not a single board member was present.

This style of ownership is causing problems within QPR. Ecclestone’s admission that he doesn’t know much about football means most of the decision making within the club is being left to chairman Gianni Paladini, an ex-agent who hardly has a record for doing the best thing for his charges, having been the agent for serial club-hopper and ex-Middlesbrough man Emerson. Paladini and Briatore’s links with Italian football were the reasoning for the appointment of Luigi De Canio back in 2007, as well as the sposnsorship of Lotto Sport. With this in mind it is no surprise that since QPR have gained promotion a string of Italian managers including World Cup winner Marcello Lippi have been linked with Neil Warnock’s job, despite reassurances from Ecclestone it is safe. Warnock has come out a number of times saying he is unsure of his job safety, despite guarantees from the board.

Continued at: http://footballspeak.com/post/2011/07/21/QPR-season-is-in-doubt-before-it-has-even-begun.aspx

bluenine wrote:QPR’s season is in doubt before it has even begun

Since they claimed top spot in the Championship from the very beginning of last season, Queens Park Rangers have seemed certain to be playing Premiership football this season. For 15 years the fans from Loftus Road have been dreaming of seeing the R's return to the top division of English football, but before a ball is even kicked in the 2011/2012 season, QPR's hopes of survival are already seriously in doubt.

The return of QPR to the Premier League has been an expectation of their fans since their relegation to Division 1 in 1996, and a realistic expectation of many since the takeover of Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore in August 2007 and the purchasing of a minority stake of shares by Lakshmi Mittal in December of the same year. The new owners gave QPR the potential to become one of the richest clubs in the world should they invest heavily. This was not to be the case, though it was not this aspect of the ownership which has made the pair so unpopular amongst QPR supporters. In an age where media coverage of club owners is at an all-time high, Ecclestone and Briatore have made no effort to present themselves in a favourable light; whilst Mittal is not in the light at all. No effort was made to play down stories that Ecclestone originally thought Briatore meant KFC when he proposed the idea of investment to him, and has since gone on record admitting he only knows a two of the squad’s names (and not full names simply ‘that guy who scores goals for us...(Adel) Taarabt’, and loanee (Wayne) ‘Routledge’) and famously reasoning that he only goes to ‘local’ games when asked to explain why he would not attend what turned out to be QPR’s promotion clinching match away to Watford. But more than this, in the same interview Ecclestone stated he left matches at half time, as ‘by then you can tell which way it’s going’. If ever a man wanted to endear himself to his club fans, it certainly isn’t Bernie Ecclestone. However this is not a trait that is Ecclestone’s alone; at the unveiling of a plaque earlier this month to commemorate the birthplace of QPR in Queen’s Park 125 years ago, not a single board member was present.

This style of ownership is causing problems within QPR. Ecclestone’s admission that he doesn’t know much about football means most of the decision making within the club is being left to chairman Gianni Paladini, an ex-agent who hardly has a record for doing the best thing for his charges, having been the agent for serial club-hopper and ex-Middlesbrough man Emerson. Paladini and Briatore’s links with Italian football were the reasoning for the appointment of Luigi De Canio back in 2007, as well as the sposnsorship of Lotto Sport. With this in mind it is no surprise that since QPR have gained promotion a string of Italian managers including World Cup winner Marcello Lippi have been linked with Neil Warnock’s job, despite reassurances from Ecclestone it is safe. Warnock has come out a number of times saying he is unsure of his job safety, despite guarantees from the board.

Continued at: http://footballspeak.com/post/2011/07/21/QPR-season-is-in-doubt-before-it-has-even-begun.aspx

If it really is that bad then i feel sorry for the QPR fans and Warncok. It shows just how risky it is being taken over by foreign owners (we are very lucky with the ones we have). It makes me wonder why hve they taken over in the first place ? Whats worse for the fans is that not only do they have owners that dont care about the club and are unwilling to invest but they have heavily increased the ticket prices to ridiculous levels. Now if they were spending big and bringing some top class players then although it would still be bad at least the fans could console themselves with the fact they get to watch top class payers week in week out. Instead they will be paying up to £75 to watch a championship quality side (unless they can make some good signings soon). You know it must be bad when they have the likes of Webber and Gabbidon on trial and Warnock has stated he doesnt expect to see any of the money from selling Taarabt. With the way things stand at the moment Warnock has a very tough job on his hands and sadly he will probably be out of work by January when QPR are round the bottom of the table and the owners are unhappy.

QPR have announced that they will not sell their captain Adel Taarabt during the current transfer window.

The 22-year-old Moroccan playmaker was pivotal in helping Rangers win last season's Championship and, with it, promotion to the Premier League.

Taarabt had been linked to numerous European clubs with Paris St Germain reportedly close to completing a deal.

However, a club statement said: "We are keen to build for the future and not sell one of our prized assets."

Taarabt, who scored 19 goals last season, picked up the Football League Player of the Year award for his performances and, as a consequence, speculation linking him with a move away from Loftus Road this summer grew.

But QPR's majority shareholders Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore have now blocked any move.

Their statement continued: "Despite receiving a substantial bid for our Moroccan international, we rebuffed all approaches.

ADEL TAARABT CAREERContinue reading the main story 2005-07 - Lens
2007-10 - Tottenham
2010 - QPR
"Taarabt is fully committed to the club and our decision not to sell him only serves to reiterate the ambition and commitment we have both shown to QPR since we arrived here.

"Should we have decided to sell Taarabt this summer, we made it clear to [manager] Neil Warnock that we would reinvest funds into the squad.

"We have backed Neil Warnock in bringing in his two top targets, Jay Bothroyd and Kieron Dyer, and we are working hard to try and pursue a couple of other targets the coach has identified.

"Welsh international Danny Gabbidon has impressed the coach whilst on trial and we are aiming to add him, as well as at least one or two other players to our squad in the near future."

Meanwhile, the statement also revealed that Warnock has been told to tone down his comments to the media.

Doubts over Warnock's future as QPR manager dominated the immediate aftermath of their promotion, while last week Warnock claimed that any money raised from the sale of Taarabt would not be reinvested

"We are aware of some issues that have been raised in the press by the coach, but we have discussed these with him internally and he has agreed to be more reserved in terms of what he discusses in the future," it added.

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Good news for them if they keep Taarabt. But i think the club are talking shit naming Bothroyd and DYER as their top 2 transfer targets. Interesting comment at the bottom, clearly they're not happy about Warnock making them sound tight but maybe they've agreed the have been and will try and help Warnock by keeping Taarabt....watch this space i guess !!