What a great season this has been!
Before the season I - like most others - expected a relegation battle, based on the poor way we finished the 2016/2017 season.
Not only have we been comfortably in mid to lower mid table all season, but we have experienced the most exciting transformation of the squad I can ever remember.
Today we fielded no less than seven youngster from the start, with another two on the bench: Lumley, Kakay, Furlong, Manning, BOS, Chair, Eze, Smyth and Tilt. Someone posted that we are the only Championship club with five different under 20 goalscorers this season.
We have been absolutely crap in bringing up young talented players for I don't know how long. Now they are coming up under Holloway like there is no end to it. It looks as if Holloway is bringing them into the team in a very sensible manner - no rush, but gently and carefully one after another.
It will be exceptionally hard to deal with the FFP challenges we are faced with. This will force us to part with players for £10-20m this summer and we have to put in place a much tighter salary system than we are used to. This will limit our abilities in the transfer market. How great isn't it to see all these youngster coming up, at the right time, when we need it the most.
I have no illusions. Next season will be bloody hard, with at least five of our very best players leaving. My assumption is we will start next season without Smithies, Luongo and Freeman on top of Onuoha and Robinson. I am afraid Eze might also be soon gone, even though he just signed an improved contract. But with the ability to produce and pick up talented, cheap young players I think we have a fair chance to stay up next season, which should be our goal.
I have always thought of Holloway as a bang average Championship manager leading a bang average squad of players, playing in front of a less than average crowd of fans. Looking back the last year and a half I think I am willing to rate him as above average at this level:
* He has identified and bought a lot of good experienced players on the cheap, with a very limited budget, such as Smith Freeman, Scowen, Baptist.
* He has had very few failures in the transfer market. The only one that comes to my mind is Wheeler, but we are talking peanut money
* He has turned a good few established players into better players while he has been here: Luongo, Freeman, Bidwell, Smith
* But most important of all; he has led a youth revolution in Eze, Manning, Smyth, Oteh, Chair, BOS, Furlong, Kakay and others.
If I was Ruben I would be pretty happy with Holloway. Yes, he was too stubborn with the 352 system, yes he played Washington and Mackie far too often, yes Wzsolek has gone backwards, but on the balance of things this has been a good season and Holloway has done far better than expected. He has galvanized the players and the club and we have created what looks like a professionally run club that can eventually hit back from years of mismanagement.
I am more happy with QPR than I have been for a good few years and I think this has been a good season.
Before the season I - like most others - expected a relegation battle, based on the poor way we finished the 2016/2017 season.
Not only have we been comfortably in mid to lower mid table all season, but we have experienced the most exciting transformation of the squad I can ever remember.
Today we fielded no less than seven youngster from the start, with another two on the bench: Lumley, Kakay, Furlong, Manning, BOS, Chair, Eze, Smyth and Tilt. Someone posted that we are the only Championship club with five different under 20 goalscorers this season.
We have been absolutely crap in bringing up young talented players for I don't know how long. Now they are coming up under Holloway like there is no end to it. It looks as if Holloway is bringing them into the team in a very sensible manner - no rush, but gently and carefully one after another.
It will be exceptionally hard to deal with the FFP challenges we are faced with. This will force us to part with players for £10-20m this summer and we have to put in place a much tighter salary system than we are used to. This will limit our abilities in the transfer market. How great isn't it to see all these youngster coming up, at the right time, when we need it the most.
I have no illusions. Next season will be bloody hard, with at least five of our very best players leaving. My assumption is we will start next season without Smithies, Luongo and Freeman on top of Onuoha and Robinson. I am afraid Eze might also be soon gone, even though he just signed an improved contract. But with the ability to produce and pick up talented, cheap young players I think we have a fair chance to stay up next season, which should be our goal.
I have always thought of Holloway as a bang average Championship manager leading a bang average squad of players, playing in front of a less than average crowd of fans. Looking back the last year and a half I think I am willing to rate him as above average at this level:
* He has identified and bought a lot of good experienced players on the cheap, with a very limited budget, such as Smith Freeman, Scowen, Baptist.
* He has had very few failures in the transfer market. The only one that comes to my mind is Wheeler, but we are talking peanut money
* He has turned a good few established players into better players while he has been here: Luongo, Freeman, Bidwell, Smith
* But most important of all; he has led a youth revolution in Eze, Manning, Smyth, Oteh, Chair, BOS, Furlong, Kakay and others.
If I was Ruben I would be pretty happy with Holloway. Yes, he was too stubborn with the 352 system, yes he played Washington and Mackie far too often, yes Wzsolek has gone backwards, but on the balance of things this has been a good season and Holloway has done far better than expected. He has galvanized the players and the club and we have created what looks like a professionally run club that can eventually hit back from years of mismanagement.
I am more happy with QPR than I have been for a good few years and I think this has been a good season.
SIR LESLIE FERDINAND!!
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