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Reply | Dunne rescues QPR from more Boxing Day blues – Report
at 13:21 28 Dec 2025
All of that is valid. And I think Portsmouth was that last sentence. The head coach admitted as much about the first half. Hence why I’m saying it should be accepted as “well done for getting a point.” We should aspire to better than that. That is an expectations thing. There is a difference, as you well know, between having standards and being entitled. I’m not suggesting the latter at all. The clubs you mention have fanbases who behave as entitled. |
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Reply | Dunne rescues QPR from more Boxing Day blues – Report
at 12:37 28 Dec 2025
That’s what I mean. It’s a deep rooted cultural thing. And the only consistent thing over decades really is the fanbase. Worst FA Cup 3rd round record in the country. And something akin to the worst Boxing Day record in the country, certainly away. It’s weird. I think us as fans must have some sort of role in this. It’s inexplicable otherwise. |
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Reply | Dunne rescues QPR from more Boxing Day blues – Report
at 12:35 28 Dec 2025
Hold on, nix. I’m here when we win, draw or lose, and I don’t actually post too much regardless. Have some spells, for family reasons, where I can’t post. And after home games, I’m usually in the pub so not on here. I’ve been pretty consistent in regularity of posting for some 25 years on here. You don’t have to agree with me, but don’t make stuff up.
As I said, I don’t think it’s a recent thing.
As you well know, I defended Les and Hoos on here extensively a decade ago. They had a huge cultural and financial mess to clear up after the Redknapp and Hughes years, enabled by Fernandes. And they did a lot of good things on the cultural side. Personally, given the scale of cost cutting on the playing side, I think they did a good job to keep us in the league. But after 4-5 years, they started to lose their way. There was no vision or inspiration. We had stabilised the ship but accepted mediocrity. In the years since, Critchely referenced how we’re seen as soft in this league by other clubs. Ainsworth came on and talked about us as if we were the league minnows, which didn’t help. Cifuentes, with a crap squad two years’ running brought back a bit of pride, but we still didn’t show up in cups or win on Boxing Day, and ours wins were usually with <40% possession. He played Kolli and Lloyd a fair bit, because he had to. But those indicators I mentioned before are all still valid.
The progress this year is down to Stephan making an excellent, bold call of going 442, and Nourry and Belk providing him with 2 proper forwards this season. It’s great there is progress, but there is more to be done to show a material cultural change and step forward. I really hope Stephan can demonstrate that. I think he gets it. And the real challenge of a Player Trading model is the selling of the good players and replacing with better players. We haven’t seen that yet. Here’s hoping we can execute that well… |
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Reply | January transfer rumours
at 12:10 28 Dec 2025
I think that is a really good point.
For a club with our academy and resources, is signing 16-18yr olds who have spent 6-8yrs in Arsenal’s, Tottenham’s, Liverpool’s, Chelsea’s, City’s, Southampton’s youth set ups (the highly rated ones) a wiser move?
Our biggest success, Eze, was that. |
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Reply | Dunne rescues QPR from more Boxing Day blues – Report
at 11:35 28 Dec 2025
Birmingham’s boss referred to us as a very physical side. I don’t think it’s a valid excuse, nor should we be trying to excuse poor showings. Why do so? If you accept inconsistency you are accepting the lows as well as the highs, which, imo, is a standards issue. This isn’t a Stephan thing. Or a Nourry thing. It’s a club wide, cultural issue we have had for years. My point (raised on other threads) was really whether anything had changed, or have we just (finally!) found ourselves with two good forwards in a weak league (6th looks on for a low total again), hence the improvement from 16th to 10th) but otherwise has much really changed? No youth player making the step up this season (as usual, tbf), forfeited the League Cup as usual, didn’t win on Boxing Day, struggling against bottom 3 sides (we drop our level to theirs)…another bottom 3 side and the FA Cup 3rd round to come.
To be clear, I rate this squad. I like our head coach a lot. I’m merely pointing out big signposts that would indicate if things really have changed. Here’s hoping we meet the test of the next two. |
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Reply | Dunne rescues QPR from more Boxing Day blues – Report
at 09:19 28 Dec 2025
You’re right, we wouldn’t have got a draw in the same position last year. But we had a much worse side and squad last season. We didn’t have any decent forwards and now we have two very good ones. Burrell has scored 9 so far. Our highest in a whole season by a forward in the last decade is 12, I believe. Keep your expectations, if you want. I think it’s partly what is holding the club back (and has been for a few years now. Warburton spoke of it. |
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Reply | Dunne rescues QPR from more Boxing Day blues – Report
at 00:32 28 Dec 2025
I posted weeks ago that the performance and result against Portsmouth on Boxing Day would be indicative of whether the culture has really changed at the club…
We need to raise standards. This is a good squad - best we had had in years - and this league is not strong. We have shown we can play to a high level but not that we can play consistently at or near that level. That is a standards issue. It should be expected we play at or near that level week in, week out, not that such a level is a nice thing to do occasionally and that’s enough because doing that and grinding out some draws at a much lower level will have us finish around 16th like usual.
Norwich is the next big test for me. Show up, smash them, move on, like a serious side with standards and expectations. If we struggle in that fixture, it’ll be very disappointing. West Brom away is a difficult fixture. We should expect to compete and win, but if West Brom play well, we might not. Our best should be too good for Norwich’s best. Out 90% should be. Raise expectations. |
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Reply | Poku
at 13:32 24 Dec 2025
Orient offered him more money than we offered and he chose us because he really wanted to return here and show he was good enough. |
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Reply | Poku
at 13:31 24 Dec 2025
I like the Player Trading strategy. Agree that it is the only way we become more and more competitive.
But:
a) not every player needs to be signed/renewed with a view to being sold for money. That is myopic. Many do, especially the ones we pay transfer fees for, but not everyone. Performance on the pitch, the balance of the squad, the skills they bring (in Smyth’s case pace and workrate), the role they play within the dressing room culture…all these and more factor into decision making. You can renew or sign players accepting you won’t sell for a profit. That is okay. It can’t everyone but it can be some.
b) not everyone in a squad can be a starter. You need squad players who are happy to get decent game time whilst not starting every week. Smyth fulfils that role.
c) I personally think he is excellent within the dressing room in terms of how he gets on with others (see Saito)
To be clear, I wouldn’t offer Smyth a top salary because, whilst I think he deserves to start currently (Dembele has done it once all season, and Poku is feeling his way back in), he is likely to be a very good back up on the right (yes, I know he used to play inverted on the left at Orient, but at this level he is more effective on his true side).
But I think he deserves an extension, is an important member of the squad. If he chooses not to take it, that’s his choice. If he turns it down because it’s a derisory offer and signs for the likes of Millwall or Charlton, I’d hope Q block aren’t so naive as to sing he’s a c*** when he returns.
And I think some fans are too quick to dismiss him just because some shiny new players are here. Don’t underestimate, pace, availability, and work rate in this league. |
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Reply | Poku
at 13:13 24 Dec 2025
It’s wishful thinking, sure, but it’s this type of behaviour that builds culture or harms it.
I think we’d miss Smyth more than many think. |
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Reply | Poku
at 09:10 24 Dec 2025
I’m not trying to do anything.
I’ll spell it out to you, in this thread Beckenhamhoop was suggesting we bin off Smyth. Baz spoke about loyalty and I suggested that it seems this isn’t a situation where the player is being disloyal to the club but some fans being disloyal to the player. Nuanced point I thought worth making.
I’m not “trying to create divisions again”. It’s a thread with different opinions. I’m defending, and by definition backing, one of our players. Is that wrong? Give it a break. |
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Reply | Poku
at 08:16 24 Dec 2025
I wasn’t saying any of that, anywhere in my post. Bizarre post, James.
The disloyalty I was hinting at was the fans, some on this thread, who now we have new shiny toys, like Poku, think we should not offer Smyth a contract. That is the inverse of a player being supported by a club running his contract down and walking away. It happens all the time in football (both situations) but it is disloyal. Some of our fans want to move on from him, which isn’t showing much loyalty to a decent servant.
The other hint/possibility of disloyalty is that the club could offer him a nonsense contract that forces him to reject it and walk away. They could then paint Smyth as disloyal when in actual fact, it might be the reverse. No one knows on that front, hence why it is only a possibility of reverse disloyalty, and why is posed a question rather than said anything as fact. |
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Reply | Poku
at 11:19 23 Dec 2025
Yes, it doesn’t feel like Smyth is being disloyal here; perhaps the other way around…?
On the basis of his performances this season, I don’t understand why we wouldn’t want to sign him. Prior to Leicester, he was ahead of Dembele and Poku in Stephan’s pecking order. He’s far better than Vale at right wing. He played very well against Birmingham. He’s also one of the only genuine (not inverted) wingers we have, and with pace. Good squad player. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread 25/26
at 11:13 23 Dec 2025
My take too.
I think the relegation battle this year might not be that exciting. You can see Norwich escaping with their resources, and easily see Oxford and Pompey joining Wednesday, all being relegated well before the end of the season. There is already a bit of a gap and everyone above pulls out results now and again.
It’s why I want us to go to Portsmouth and win, comfortably. We are still only winning when we have less possession that the opposition, and our result versus the current bottom 3 are DLD. Let’s get a win on Boxing Day. |
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Reply | Full backs and Wingers
at 12:13 21 Dec 2025
I agree.
Forget resale value, just have him lock down the left back position for 4 years. He has been exceptional for us. Was up against Fatawu and gave him nothing all game. Seriously well rounded full back. |
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Reply | Ashes thread
at 14:47 19 Dec 2025
Point of order: Bashir’s stats are not “quite good.”
Tests: 68 wickets at an average of 39, with an economy of 3.8.
FC record: 87 wickets at an average of 50, with an economy of 3.7.
That isn’t quite good.
Jack Leach (for context)
Tests: 142 wickets at 34, and an economy of 3.08
FC: 547 wickets at 27, and an economy of 2.75.
I don’t think Leach is some wonder spinner. He is not. He’s a competent finger spinner though. Bashir is not that (yet). He should be learning his trade in county cricket currently. Taking Bashir without a back up spinner was foolish. It was obvious when the squad was announced and it has been proven to be foolish. |
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Reply | Ashes thread
at 14:33 19 Dec 2025
I never said if we picked these players we would have won in Aus. Straw man alert.
The point I was making, in response to question posed earlier, is that there is a lot of talent in county cricket to select as alternatives to the current side. There is the talent to create a competitive, accountability culture within the England team. It is simply not the case that they have to select the squad they have and keep picking the same players because there is no one else.
Crawley, Pope, Bashir, Bethell, Smith…there are very valid alternatives to all of them. Does that mean we would have won, no? But if this side had a culture with more personal accountability in it, then, yes, we might have competed better.
They are going to lose the Ashes in the fewest number of days of cricket since 1921. As Ashes tours go, it has been an unmitigated disaster. They’ve ignored conventional wisdom on so many fronts, basically saying “we know better” and then they’ve gone and performed abysmally. Criticism is entirely warranted.
Also, McCullum sending out Tresco after Day 1 and Day 2 and Jeetan Patel after Day 3 is cowardly. |
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Reply | Ashes thread
at 12:34 18 Dec 2025
Sorry, I actually meant to say Essex! Saw him play last season for them. Had Kent on the brain with some of the others. |
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Reply | Ashes thread
at 10:08 18 Dec 2025
The thing is, there are lots of very good county players waiting in the wings. Loads of them.
But this set up doesn’t value county cricket so the casual England fan will not have heard or seen many of them.
Hameed is a completely different player to the one that last played for England. He averaged in the 66 as Notts’ opener as they won the CC this year, facing Div 1 attacks all season. He should play.
You could make a similar case for Dom Sibley, who, whilst not different, continues to score prolifically. Averaged 61 last season.
James Rew at Somerset is the best young batsmen I have seen play county cricket since Joe Root and Johnny Bairstow emerged at the same time at Yorkshire. Superb talent. He keeps for Somerset too, although I don’t actually rate his keeping much. He should be in the England side. Could be a great.
Jordan Cox at Kent is a better keeper and batsman than Jamie Smith. He should have that role.
Tom Haines and Emilio Gay are decent openers. The former has been doing it for years, is a leader, and is responsible. The latter is attacking with a high ceiling.
Ben Compton out scores Crawley in like for like matches every season at Kent.
Rehan Ahmed a young leggie who batted 3 for Leics as they steamrollered Div 2, averaging very well.
Tom Abell averaged over 50 this year, is a leader having captained Somerset for years from when he was 21. Knuckles down and delivered regularly.
Coles looks an extremely progressive cricketer.
Ed Barnard is an excellent, professional all rounder, even if his bowling is a little pedestrian for International cricket. Would say he is better than Beau Webster, Aus’ back up all rounder.
Lewis Gregory a similar sort of player, and a leader, who delivers in clutch moments.
Leach took 50 wickets in Div 1 at 23 this year. Took 40 off last year at 23. Basically since England dropped him, he has been by far the best spinner in county cricket, English or overseas. He’s out bowled Harmer who is SA’s first choice spinner now and who bowled them to victory in India.
The seam bowling stocks probably aren’t as deep as we’d like. England probably have the right crew involved. But that is a blip, I feel. England’s under 19s have been blessed with a very deep crop of seamers this year and last. There are very high hopes for Sharma at Middx becoming an England seamer.
The point is, there is huge depth. The problem is the set up has dismissed county cricket. The arrogance of Key, McCullum, and Stokes is beyond belief.
I actually want Stokes to stay as captain. But Key and McCullum have to go. Immediately. [Post edited 18 Dec 11:07]
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Reply | So Cifuentes ?
at 20:33 16 Dec 2025
Dowie had a decent record in the short time he was in charge before Briatore binned him.
Magilton wasn’t in that list becuase, from memory, the football was decent under him.
Haven’t included De Sousa or Gigi Di Canio either, as don’t remember them having particularly dreadful football. But dull at times but not awful.
That list was meant to be managers who I remembered some awful football and performances under to counter the comment I was replying to.
Gerry was great first time around, but that second spell had some shocking performances in it and the football was very poor.
Holloway in that first spell had mainly great times and lots of wins, but early on there were still some awful performances and dreadful football (Vauxhall Motors…).
This is kind of my point, under Cifuentes I don’t think the team and performances ever really plumped such depths. Maybe 2-0 away loss to Millwall. The losses, especially at the start of the 2nd season weren’t so much awful football as simply being way too open. Hull and Boro at home spring to mind.
That list I gave provided us, at times, with worse football than anything Cifuentes did.
But, to be clear, I hope Stephan proves to be even better. It’s looking positive. More to work with, but I like him. And I hope we stuff Leicester!
It’s not a Cifuentes or Stephan debate.
I just don’t see how any sane QPR fan, who has been around for a while, can think Cifuentes, at the very least, was anything worse than decent for us. Personally, I’m grateful he kept us in this league over two seasons with a set of strikers of Dykes and Armstrong in one season, and Frey and Celar in another… |
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