How poor is the league?

[WeAreQPR12]

Proper poor league, problem is that it's so bad, any side that goes up will definitely come back down. Newcastle and Norwich should get automatics but the rest including us are utter turd and v similar.

[jmelanie]

A number of teams have signed new managers so they could finish in the play off positions and not do too badly in the premiership.

[nasser95]

A number of teams have signed new managers so they could finish in the play off positions and not do too badly in the premiership.

Here's something interesting that I don't think is particularly true. I've taken a look at the last 8 years of Championship football to see how many of the promoted teams have had a managerial change in the middle of a season. In the 8 years prior to this one, 3 of the promoted teams have made managerial changes mid season: Crystal Palace replacing Dougie Freedman in 12-13 for Holloway; Watford changing managers 3 times in the 14-15 season and finally Norwich in the 14-15 season replacing Neil Adams with Alex Neil. Here's the thing about it though, Crystal Palace were 4 under Freedman and ended the season in 5th. Watford were 2nd when they lost their first manager and ended 2nd and Norwich were 7th with half a season to go when they lost their manager and ended 3rd.

In reality, changing managers doesn't actually get you promoted in the same season. As for getting into the play offs, the numbers are a little different but not too dissimilar. I'm looking exclusively at the number of times in the last 8 seasons that a manager has taken over when a team was outside of the play off spots and has taken them into the play off spots.

There was Norwich as I said above in 14-15 who went from 7th to 3rd. Derby in 13-14 who went from 14th to 3rd by replacing Clough with McClaren, Wigan in 13-14 who went from 14th to 5th by replacing Coyle with Rosler, but that has to take into account that they also got relegated a year later. But that's it... ie, in 8 years, 32 teams finished in play off spots and only 3 times have a team replaced their manager mid season when they were low in the table and seen them climb into the play off spots. Less than 10% of the time. There's no precedent for a team changing a manager mid season, getting promoted the same season, let alone them then doing not too badly in the prem.

I might have said this in the past, but it's much easier for a manager to take over a team in the bottom 3 and bring them out of the bottom 3 than it is for a manager to take over a team just outside the playoffs and then actually make it into the play offs. The fact is that when you're at the bottom, no one is doing well, so any sort of positive result is of double value, whereas near the top, you have to be in good form to have any chance of keeping up with the pack, let alone pushing above them.

[hal9thou]

One thing I definitely got wrong: I thought the quality this term would be way better, the division harder and said so.

Even the top two have looked very vulnerable at times. The fact that we've been average at best is in this context disappointing. On the plus side, anything can happen, so if there is improvement the rewards could be greater than we might otherwise have expected.

[acricketer]

The question I have is what was the vision/ goal for the football played by the club when they appointed JFH.

It strikes me that the club doesn't have a strategy (if it did there would be a vision/mission statement.) Maybe it does, but knows that it can be held accountable if it shares it with the fans.

Those who go to games week in week out have no idea whether we are where we aspire to be or are falling short because the ambition the club has, is not set out in black and white.

We have poor leadership throughout the organisation, no strategy, no stated objectives and no measurement of progress. Its a wet finger in the air judgement for the supporters.

We have no strategy because we employed a manager with a fixed set of ideas about playing that bear no resemblance to the footballing heritage of the club ( which also seems to have been forgotten) that its known for.

This squad is talented but @rap because we have no clear purpose. JFH is limited, the Board is a cancer on our future. I despair because nobody can see what we need to do to survive.

Let the games begin.

[hal9thou]

The question I have is what was the vision/ goal for the football played by the club when they appointed JFH.

I can answer that but some people on here don't like being reminded. There was no footballing vision, if there had been this appointment would not have taken place. But the fact remains that JFH was recruited with the aim of getting us up; CR's services as guv were dispensed with because he was thought unable to deliver promotion. The script changed when it became clear that our form under JFH was a very long way from promotion candidacy material, arguably no better than Ramsey's, whose own appointment had been declared the final solution when he got the job That, in a nutshell, is what actually happened.

[acricketer]

So you are saying that JFH was here to get us promoted but has now got a reprieve for whatever reason.

[acricketer]

If we had a plan we'd know about it and could judge progress. We could even forgive if we knew what the end result should be.

At the moment we are watching a bunch of blokes guessing what a footballer looks like.

[nasser95]

So you are saying that JFH was here to get us promoted but has now got a reprieve for whatever reason.

He got reprieve because he made the decision to reduce wages and hence quality in January by selling Austin and Loaning out Sandro and Fer, then selling Phillips and Fer in the summer. Instead of going down the forced promotion route, we went with the long term solution.

[Stanley]

It strikes me that the club doesn't have a strategy (if it did there would be a vision/mission statement.) Maybe it does, but knows that it can be held accountable if it shares it with the fans.

Actually it does have a vision/mission statement:

"Our club football philosophy is to play a creative and fluid style. Our teams look to attack and the players are comfortable and flexible with or without the ball. We embrace individually talented players who work hard within the team dynamic, key attributes which resonate with the fans.

Our intent is to compete and thrive within the Premier League.

A QPR player must be adaptable and able to cope with changing circumstances. Our players are not coached in a playing system but more in a playing style. Our style is not a rigid formation system but will include play through the thirds (possession based or counter attack), based on exceptional technique, intelligent individuals, capable of beating opponents 1v1 and via team movement. Defensively we are flexible and players are comfortable and adept whether pressing or holding; playing a high line or deep as required. Our players are encouraged to develop within this style whilst we recognise every player is an individual and very different.

Different “types” of individual players and specialists are sought – effective in making, scoring or stopping goals. However all share common traits – awareness, perceptiveness, flexibility and the ability to play what is around them for the good of the team. At first team level, the performance of the team is always of greater importance than the performance of the individual. The individual player’s performance is always of greater importance than the teams at all levels below the first team.

Our intent is to prepare players for Premier League football whilst being able to adapt to all other levels and our coaching/teaching principles and tactical cycle reflects this."

http://www.qpr.co.uk/club/info/philosophy/

[acricketer]

This should be tattooed on JFH's belly button.

[SpongeParr]

I do not think it is a poor standard, I actually think that so many teams have budgets that it is making it more even, which is why it is so tight. How can a league be poor when you have Villa, Norwich, Newcasle, Derby, Bristol, Brighton etc all spending vast sums of money. Throw Sheffield Wed into there as well, then add Premier League managers like Benitez, Monk into the mix and a Champions League winner (albeit a bit lucky) manager into the mix and I think it is the hardest league in years. But, everyone seems to be growing at the same time, so it is still as tight as ever but I think we shouldnt get that confused with a poor league,

[Stanley]

Wigan who are 2nd bottom are only 10 points off a play-off spot. That stat really sums up how tight this league is and how anyone can beat anyone (barring perhaps the barcodes). The only languishing team is Rotherham (since NW left them).

[Kevin Mcleod]

This squad is talented but @rap because we have no clear purpose. JFH is limited, the Board is a cancer on our future. I despair because nobody can see what we need to do to survive.

Let the games begin.

By survive, do you mean stay up in the championship or not go bust?

And cr@p is a bit harsh on a five game unbeaten run imo.

[dogsrrs]

Wigan who are 2nd bottom are only 10 points off a play-off spot. That stat really sums up how tight this league is and how anyone can beat anyone (barring perhaps the barcodes). The only languishing team is Rotherham (since NW left them).

Quite right Stan and that tells us this league is not crap and why some think it's better from an interest point than the so called premier league where only the richest prevail