Queens Park Rangers’ English Premier League season thus far can only be described as a huge failure.
The club failed to pick up a win in the first 16 weeks of the EPL season, the worst start to an EPL season ever, and have only managed to win two games thus far, with 11 draws and 14 losses, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table.
Bradford City, who plies their trade in League 2, managed to beat more Premier League sides en route to the Capital One Cup final than QPR have so far this season.
Fans have heaped blame on Mark Hughes, who was sacked in mid-November, for his poor team selections and overall managerial skills. There was also some who blamed Tony Fernandes, Air-Asia magnate and owner of QPR, for not giving him the sack sooner.
Following Hughes’ departure, Harry Redknapp was brought in; a quality manager who has been around the EPL for over two decades.
He has helped a number of sides improve, particularly Portsmouth in 2005, when he came in mid-season and helped the struggling side survive the drop. They then placed ninth in the following season.
Redknapp is also a ‘wheeler-dealer’ when it comes to the transfer window, and in January has bought well, bringing in French striker Loic Remy and defensive beast Chris Samba for a club record 12.5 million pounds.
There has been improvement under Redknapp, in particular in January, which saw a win away to Chelsea as well as home draws with Manchester City and Tottenham and an away draw at West Ham.
The problem, though, remains goals. QPR have only scored 19 goals in 27 games, far and away the worst in the EPL.
An under performing Djibril Cisse lacked support up front with Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora both having long-term injury layoffs. After signing Remy, he was also subsequently injured and missed a number of weeks, contributing a solitary goal on debut.
With Remy and Zamora returning from injury, they need to stay fit if QPR are any chance to survive the drop.
Rangers inconsistency has also cost them dearly. They show class at times against the top sides, particularly in January when they had a tough schedule, but then get bossed around the park by teams they should be, at worst, competing with.
Losing at home to fellow strugglers Reading and Southampton earlier in the season has also really put them on the back foot.
All is not lost, however. Rangers currently sit eight points from safety, but their next five games are all definitely winnable and could give them the momentum to somehow survive this terrible season.
Starting with Southampton away, they then have Sunderland (H), Villa (A), Fulham (A) and Wigan (H). These games are mostly against relegation rivals and can not only gain Rangers vital points but also deny points to their fellow strugglers.
By the end of these games we will know whether QPR are still a chance, or whether they should be bracing for life in the Championship.
After these five games, the run home is still relatively kind with home games against Stoke, Newcastle (both of which should be seen as winnable) and Arsenal (which could be winnable depending on which Arsenal side turns up).
Rangers also play Reading away in the fourth last game of the year, which could prove vital for both teams’ chances of surviving the drop.
A final day trip to Liverpool could prove huge, but as QPR showed on the final day last campaign at Manchester City, anything is possible… for 90 minutes at least.
As a Rangers fan, I am really looking forward to the next month.
If Remy and Zamora can stay fit and play together up front, Hoilett can slot back in and make a positive contribution on the fringes and Samba and Hill continue to improve the defence, anything can happen.
A lot also rests on the shoulders of Adel Taarabt. It is no secret Taarbs has the skill and flair to join one of the bigger sides in Europe, but his consistency and decision-making has to improve in the latter part of this season.
He is a key component in the QPR machine, but often at times tries to do too much himself, taking a long shot instead of playing someone through or trying to beat one too many defenders. If he can find the right mix of flair and percentage play, he could be the man to guide QPR to safety.
Whatever happens, I’ll still be supporting QPR until the end.
Dean Vincent
Guest
Not sure where you got your information about Fernandes staying.....I'm not saying you're wrong but has anything changed from the comments made in the attached link?? http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/27/tony-fernandes-qpr-mk-dons?INTCMP=SRCH
Mantis
Roar Guru
Yeah the wage bill must be insane. A lot of the old, crap, overpaid players we bought will go if we go down (read: Bosingwa). Tony Fernandes has said he would stay with the club if we go down, and he is a successful businessman so I imagine he would have a contingency plan.
Dean Vincent
Guest
I'd be seriously worried if I was a QPR fan to be honest. If they go down this season I think they'll find it very difficult to bounce back up. They spent a huge amount of money in the January transfer window on Samba and Remy, a huge financial gamble in my opinion. If it doesn't pay off are they really going to pay Samba his 80k a week wages in the championship? Before the season even started they bought a number of players who had had better days. Their wage bill must be staggering with the likes of Robert Green warming the bench. Fernandes has alluded to falling on his sword if they go down and Redknapp will be off like a shot blaming everyone but himself. Some other poor sod will left to try and sort it all out. They have also appeared to have little stomach for a fight (a great win at Chelsea aside). The next months fixtures are key but they have to start getting some wins.....draws will not be good enough but maybe for the teams they are playing. Good luck to you though.
Mantis
Roar Guru
It will be interesting to see which players do leave if we go back down. Remy will obviously go, along with Taarabt (as much as I'd like him to stay). Samba and Granero have both come out and said they would stay if we go down, but it will be interesting to see if it happens. With HR at the helm, I see no reason why we cant come back up. He is a good manager, and will draw some good, hungry players to the club. A striker has to be the number one priority tough with the definite departure of Remy.
Mantis
Roar Guru
Thats the good thing about football; miracles can happen. Bradford city making the cup final is a miracle. QPR beating Chelsea at Chelsea is a minor miracle. QPR beating the drop...stranger things have happened...... Somewhere. Surely?
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Not sure that signing Remy was such a good move. The guy has been regularly injured for the last few years at Marseille and many supporters and coaching staff were questioning his commitment and didn't mind selling a part-time player. Well unsurprisingly, it didn't take long to again get injured at QPR. Good luck to them though!
Towser
Guest
The more things change the more they remain the same in English football. As an Owls fan I still live on the Glory days my father & grandfather told me about. Clubs like QPR,Wednesday & a host of others may get into the Premier league nowadays,but they just make up the numbers.playthings for the likes of Manchester United to get some training in preperation for the upcoming European Champions League match. Unless a benevolent oil billionaire or Russian business tycoon takes over that is. Still doesn't seem to make a dent in the crowd support for English clubs,they live in eternal hope that miracles do happen.
AndyMack
Guest
Hey Mantis Would be surprised of they beat either of Villa or Fulham away, but wins against Southampton Sunderland and Wigan (all tough games mind you) would put them in a good position for the end of season scrap for survival.
Dublin rssss
Guest
Mantis has put a very nice spin for all of us unhappy supporters, the matches stated are indeed winnable, but lets face a harsh reality, QPR couldn't score in a brothel, even if the brazzers were giving it away for free. This disaster was exclusively Mark Hughes fault, he bought an entire team of either over the hill has beens or never have beens, that clown couldn't manage a bunch of five year olds even if their was no opposing kiddies team, what he actually paid for were a bunch of league one players with premiership wages. If QPR by some miracle do escape the drop, then this should be seen as on par with the resurrection of Jesus H Christ esquire and then Harry should be canonised by the new pope. I am sorry to say, QPR are going down, but on a positive note, if we can keep some of the better performing players and Harry, then i see no reason why the club can't bounce straight back up.