Turn the Page & Turn it On...

[Qprtanpa1]

First, a shocker: QPR will NOT be in the playoffs.

Second, a reality: we won't be relegated thanks to the dross below us (need only 6 points or so in remaining 14 games).

Now, how 'bout playing for the future. Thank Henry, Toszer, Green, Hoilett and Konch for their service. Most of them have earned that much. Then start looking ahead and answer these questions with playing time:

Is Polter a stalwart up front, or a rather clumsy so-so fill-in 'til we find someone better?

Is Conor Washington our next Charlie Austin? Could be.

Can we use El Khayati as our replacement for Phillips at wing if the latter moves on as expected this summer?

When will Chery be given the chance to start and show if he can anchor the other wing?

Why not play both Kpekewa and Robinson at RB? Konch is trying, but he's done.

How about starting Furlong at RB, knowing we'll still recruit more talent there in the offseason.

If nothing else, the fans will be treated to real adventure the remainder of this season, and be reminded that the new manager means it when he says he wants to change the culture at the club.

[nasser95]

First, a shocker: QPR will NOT be in the playoffs.

Second, a reality: we won't be relegated thanks to the dross below us (need only 6 points or so in remaining 14 games).

Now, how 'bout playing for the future. Thank Henry, Toszer, Green, Hoilett and Konch for their service. Most of them have earned that much. Then start looking ahead and answer these questions with playing time:

Is Polter a stalwart up front, or a rather clumsy so-so fill-in 'til we find someone better?

Is Conor Washington our next Charlie Austin? Could be.

Can we use El Khayati as our replacement for Phillips at wing if the latter moves on as expected this summer?

When will Chery be given the chance to start and show if he can anchor the other wing?

Why not play both Kpekewa and Robinson at RB? Konch is trying, but he's done.

How about starting Furlong at RB, knowing we'll still recruit more talent there in the offseason.

If nothing else, the fans will be treated to real adventure the remainder of this season, and be reminded that the new manager means it when he says he wants to change the culture at the club.

I like a lot of what you're saying here mate and I agree with most of it but I can also see the other side of the argument in that the younger players are learning from the blokes like Konch, Henry, Hill etc. Sure they're beyond sell by date but having them in the good books and letting the youngsters experience at the level they're at now is the best thing we could do. That goes for Furlong for example, who needs to find his feet at a first team level. We pushed him in at prem football and he ended up effectively losing confidence. Robinson will be starting soon, but he needs to reach 100% and until then, giving Kpekawa starts is just false hope for the kid. Let Konch stay happy until Rob comes in and end it there.

I like the idea of Nasser and Chery playing the wings but I also think giving Phillips game time to get those numbers up will allow us to maximise our positioning and his value. People will say he isn't playing amazingly, yet his numbers are always improving and to a lot of clubs, this is what will matter when they come to value him. Putting pressure on Connor to be the next anyone will always lead to disappointment. He's a different sort to Austin anyway and does a lot differently so it wouldn't be right to compare them. I hope we get to see more of Connor and Polter up front just to see how the style of play would adapt.

I also think that in order for the culture to change at the club, we first need to solidify at the back before we get creative up front. Some will see it as negative tactics and that is natural but I'm ok with being bored for now knowing that we can advance better for it in the future. It took us a while but we found an extremely reliable centre back pairing (relative to what we're used to), we've found a fairly solid right back who can hold that position for a while, a seemingly solid keeper with energy and communication skills and we just need to get our left back sorted with Jack and we'll have some well deserved stability at the back. We have a known centre mid pairing that will definitely work in Faurlin and Luongo and we know the sort of player Faurlin is meaning we can get someone in soon like him (hence our link to Emyr Huws). We'll get it right up front soon but first lets deal with our historically leaky defence.

[Qprtanpa1]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply -- have come to count on you for depth when many rush to judgement at the first sign of trouble.

Understand your point about the old salts teaching the youngsters. Yet I believe management needs to show the fan base that they are committed to finding those who will play a more consistent, more tactical, more fan-inspiring brand of football.

What none of us know, of course, is what happens behind the locker room door.

Is Chery not playing because he's considered an attitude problem, or has JFH simply decided not to give one of the team's leading scorers more consistent time because he values others more?

Is JET not playing because JFH dislikes or doesn't relate to his playing style, or because JET is now just going through the motions on and beyond the practice pitch?

Would suggest Kpekewa is ready to get a taste of Championship level experience now, especially with the reinforcement of Nedum and Grant; am less sure about Perch. Yet borrowing from your logic, suggest Perch be used right now to school/mentor Furlong.

My allusion to Conor a la Charlie was not to suggest we pressure him, just that I see the same potential there.

This summer a number of these and other questions will be more fully resolved and dealt with. In the meantime, was hoping there would be something new to cheer for in the games remaining in a rather disappointing season.