When did football become not about winning?

[nasser95]

Yeah, I was using the word 'experimenting' tongue in cheek there. I appreciate that he thought it would work, god knows how it took him 6 months to realise that it didn't.

The point remains that having wasted the first 6 months of the season, it's frustrating to see him revert to wasting the last handful of games too. We've only just started playing well, at least give the fans something to cheer about for a few games. If he f*cks things up against Brentford I'll be fuming!

Maybe we have different goals, but I would call it more wasting time if we just put out our best squad every game without testing things out. We know we have to make some changes in the summer, the only logical thing to do would be to test things out now when it really doesn't matter what the results are. A football club has more than 11 players, we should try and use more of them when we can and this is a period where we can so I'm content doing so.

[Northolt_Rs]

Maybe we have different goals, but I would call it more wasting time if we just put out our best squad every game without testing things out. We know we have to make some changes in the summer, the only logical thing to do would be to test things out now when it really doesn't matter what the results are. A football club has more than 11 players, we should try and use more of them when we can and this is a period where we can so I'm content doing so.

I’ll assume you didn’t attend the game in Saturday because it wasn’t acceptable to me to play with so many changes and to consequently deliver such a d.og.sh.it performance.....and on the back of a good win in the week too. Whatever people may think on here the simple fact is the home crowds will continue to dwindle if Holloway keeps p.issing around with the team and formations. The bloke just can’t help himself - he simply HAS to tinker....the sooner he is gone the better for me.

[nasser95]

I’ll assume you didn’t attend the game in Saturday because it wasn’t acceptable to me to play with so many changes and to consequently deliver such a d.og.sh.it performance.....and on the back of a good win in the week too. Whatever people may think on here the simple fact is the home crowds will continue to dwindle if Holloway keeps p.issing around with the team and formations. The bloke just can’t help himself - he simply HAS to tinker....the sooner he is gone the better for me.

I was there on Saturday, as I have been there for every home game this season and almost every home game in the last 7-8 years. He has to tinker because we don't have a crazy big budget this summer and he needs to know who we can afford to sell and who we have to keep. I don't get what fans don't realise about this, at this point in the season, given the fact that playoffs are impossible and relegation is impossible, given that no money is earned or lost by coming anywhere between 7th and 20th, why does it matter what the result is if we can find out which players we need to sell (Ultimately the biggest source of income and potential spending we can do in the summer is player sales and releases) in the hopes that we can improve the squad properly in the summer. I want us to go into next season with the strongest squad (Not first 11) possible, if that means finding that out over the last few games, I'm ok with that.

[QPRHoop]

Personally I don’t mind the tinkering to a degree. Regarding the changes on Saturday I have no problem with Smithies, Freeman and Scowen dropping out as we know what they can do and have all played pretty much every minute this season. I didn’t agree with Symth being dropped as he hasn’t actually played that many games so I would like to see him play the rest of the games. Sylla as well I wouldn’t have dropped but I assume the thinking behind it is that he has just come back from an injury so didn’t want to start him twice in a week.

[CroydonCaptainJack]

Some of the changes were ok but to bench Sylla and Smyth who were both so positive midweek and who you cannot argue need resting was just baffling for me.

[Tarbie]

I’ll assume you didn’t attend the game in Saturday because it wasn’t acceptable to me to play with so many changes and to consequently deliver such a d.og.sh.it performance.....and on the back of a good win in the week too. Whatever people may think on here the simple fact is the home crowds will continue to dwindle if Holloway keeps p.issing around with the team and formations. The bloke just can’t help himself - he simply HAS to tinker....the sooner he is gone the better for me.

This is my point mate. Given the season we've had, having the fans on his side and a bit of winning momentum should be Ollie's top priority. I understand he'll want to try out some of the squad in these remaining games, but it needs to be done in a fashion that doesn't compromise our ability to win these remaining games.

Some of the changes just don't make sense anyway. Idrissa Sylla is the one that gets me. Divides opinion amongst fans for sure, but he gets goals. He got 2 on Tuesday, and then got shunted to the bench on the weekend. Surely you'd play him? Most of the fans want to see it, he's just banged 2 goals in, and he's got a point to prove with 14 months left on his deal. Looked garbage when he came on, and I'm not surprised. Must be the most demoralising thing for a striker trying to break into the first team, scores 2 goals and gets dropped. Don't think too many other managers at this level would have done that. If a striker is fit and has scored 2 goals in the previous game he's the first name on the team sheet.

[davieqpr]

Same old excuses as last season being trotted out. Are you going to say the same next season when he starts to tinker.

[72bus]

he has all week to try players in formations , training games etc , match day play your best 11 and go out and win the game . winning breeds a winning mentality . i played in a team when i was 28 and we never lost a league game in over a year u work that bit harder for eachother as you believe in eachother and want to keep the record going . look at millwall they've got in the play offs by hard work , belief and putting together an unbeaten run .... take your experiments elsewhere holloway i'm a rangers fan til i die and it hurts me when we lose, sylla and little smiff both scored midweek and he drops them . scowen and freeman both should have started

[Pinkie]

Before anyone moans I’m talking about football in general and not specifically ollie or QPR

What’s depressing for me is that fans are now buying into this phenomenon when it comes to resting players, putting out weakened sides or experimenting mid season

Started with sides putting out second string in cup games but now it’s crept into league games. Arsenal with plenty of games left have given up on league in favour of UEFA Cup

If it continues fans are going to walk away on masse as surely we go to the game to see our teams win and not experiment or is that era gone and winning is no longer the be all and end all

Using us as an example it feels like we have been experimenting for two seasons for no real visible benefit.

I understand international sides experiment given lack of time they get together but should league sides be at it

If this is the future of football and teams are not going to put out their best side and instead try stuff should we be warned in advance or should we be reimbursed as we’re not actually watching a spectacle it’s just a pumped up exhibition match!!! Perhaps that is the future

What has killed football? The money, Sky or is it the fans

For once totally agree with you westy, football should always be about trying to win every game no matter what, the fa cup and league cups been ruinned thanks to man utd starting it all off, the big teams have ruinned football along with the money and sky, used to be a working mans game but isnt any more.

[Pinkie]

Same old excuses as last season being trotted out. Are you going to say the same next season when he starts to tinker.

Hoping youre up for the put yer money where youre mouth is bet davie along with others on guessing a league position where you think we`ll finish?

[Awin]

I think what is being ignored by those that hate the tinkering, is that the squad is MASSIVE. Ollie bass already had a clear out in January and now needs to assess who he doesn’t want.

Sylla may be the striker he wants to play against Brentford, if he does then he couldn’t play him 3 times so soon after an injury.

Smyth ditto with the constant kicking he gets most games.

Regarding the fans who are forking our their hard earned, well the manager did warn you. For weeks he’s talked about bringing in fringe players.

Sure those changed didn’t work last match but the same amount of changes contributed to the demolition of Norwich. You also can’t get a true judge of a player from training sessions alone and a competitive fixture tells you much more about them.

I know I come across as Pinkies cousin but in this instance I actually agree with Ollies stance on this.

[West Acton]

In all due respect Awin I have season ticket so it makes no difference if he warns he’s experimenting I’ve already paid for it so I got no choice to not turn up

[WeAreQPR12]

I think what is being ignored by those that hate the tinkering, is that the squad is MASSIVE. Ollie bass already had a clear out in January and now needs to assess who he doesn’t want.

Sylla may be the striker he wants to play against Brentford, if he does then he couldn’t play him 3 times so soon after an injury.

Smyth ditto with the constant kicking he gets most games.

Regarding the fans who are forking our their hard earned, well the manager did warn you. For weeks he’s talked about bringing in fringe players.

Sure those changed didn’t work last match but the same amount of changes contributed to the demolition of Norwich. You also can’t get a true judge of a player from training sessions alone and a competitive fixture tells you much more about them.

I know I come across as Pinkies cousin but in this instance I actually agree with Ollies stance on this.

Very good post and have to agree with all of that. Season is finished and we need to play fringe minus cousins who's gotta go

[West Acton]

So perhaps we need season ticket which covers up to end of Jan as currently we’re not going all out to win. Is it fair fans are paying for something which given some views is fine not to deliver. Genuine question as perhaps I’m being unreasonable

[WeAreQPR12]

I get your point and its probably the very reason I would get a ticket game from game. The problem is when we have an amazing season I have major regrets. I would say it evens it self out but not with being an rs fan. I think supporting a mid table club will always put people off buying a season ticket. I hope next season we can keep hold of our good youngsters and add a decent striker. We need to be competing for top 6 in a pretty poor division to bring back the edge of your seat feel