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I've watched the game on a perfectly (?) legal (?) internet stream connected to my TV. It had a lot of pixels but it was fluid. That said...it froze when Chery was subbed and then I heard about a reaction he had.
Now Ramsey told a reporter he thinks the reaction was appalling and it will be dealt with internally.
What did he do?
Was it that bad?
Gotta say I didn't notice he was on the pitch before he got subbed.
First time I think I log in since an appearance or two during Copa America. It's been hectic (newborn being 2-month-old now, new job in which after a week of having started I had to look after all the things my boss was minding because he suffered a heart attack -he's fine now, but still not working). You can imagine what it's like to work 14-16 hours one day and come home to a baby boy, a jealous 5-year-old and a desperate housewife! But it's all good anyway!
My new job is as as production coordinator at a TV show (my face is not in it, luckily!) about the Argentine equivalent of the Football League. Two shows per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays -though this week it'll be Monday and Thursday). We show the goals of 5 divisions below the top flight on Tuesdays and then we tell stories, do interviews and prepare nice pieces for Thursdays.
You can watch it from the UK (or anywhere in the world) on: streaming.deportv.gov.ar (only when it's live: usually 8 PM UK -this Monday it'll be 11:30 PM-).
I had the pleasure of giving QPR some air time! How? By doing an interview with Alejandro Faurlin in which the connection was his time playing in the lower leagues in Argentina. Good old Ale was there drinking his mate and using Skype to be interviewed by the panel.
I couldn't let you all know in advance because I simply didn't have the time!
Here's a pic I took of that moment:
He spoke about QPR and its fans and how he loves it there.
You can watch some of the content of the show (unfortunately the Ale interview hasn't been uploaded yet) on our YouTube channel:
The dust will settle sooner or later and he'll be seen in a different light (as part of that excellent piece Clive wrote says).
But I think between yesterday and today, I finally got it. I finally understand it all.
I'm a QPR fan who happens to be born and bred and living in South America. Having supported QPR for almost 20 years now (mostly long-distance, reading this forum and previous and others) and having followed English football for a very long time (watching games, reading news, columns, etc), it helps me understand the football culture that exists in England and I get the mentality of most English fans. I do. I really understand the value most English fans give the midfield enforcer, the hard-tackling centre back, the one-dimensional striker who would head a brick into the top corner despite not being able to dribble past a defender. I do.
So I get it when I see a bigger number of QPR fans than I would have liked to see, hammer Adel with their criticism. Fair. Harsh. Just. Excessive. All sorts of criticism. I get it. I never shared it or joined in, but that doesn't mean I don't understand other people's point of view.
But you see...I come from a land where there are PLENTY of tough cookies like Adel. Our best of the best tend to have attitude issues. And clubs, managers, teammates, fans, family, friends, girlfriends, wives and even the media, indulge. It comes with the package. It's part of life. You accept it. It's there, but it mostly stays off the pitch.
They are the ones bringing people through the turnstiles. They are the ones we come home to talk to our friends about. They are the ones that will deliver the goods when it matters. They are what we always dreamed of being. They allowed our nations to consistently beat richer and better-structured and better-prepared nations at the biggest stage. They are the reason we love this sport even from a passive/neutral/inactive/secondary point of view (meaning we love to WATCH the sport we can't possibly PLAY like they do). And because of that, we take care of them. We protect them. Sometimes, obviously, they get over-protected and that has a negative effect on them as they never get their act together, but who said they were ever going to change or settle down?
Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it doesn't. But imagine what would have been of so many stars had they been taken out of their teams the minute they didn't behave?
Where would icons like Garrincha, Romario, Maradona, Tevez, half the Chile national team coming late and drunk after a baptism (YES! A baptism), Edmundo, Ortega, Suárez (though he misbehaves more on the pitch than off it, but you get my point), most of the Colombia squad in the 90s and even Arturo Vidal this week.
See? Arturo Vidal spent his day off in the Copa America his country is hosting and trying to win for the very first time in history as they try to make the most of the best generation of players they have ever seen, gambling at a casino to then speed his Ferrari until he crashed it driving under the influence, risking his and other people's lives. He was arrested. He had his driving license taken away from him. He then, drunk out of his brains, told the officer arresting him: "Go ahead and handcuff me, but be aware you're damaging the whole country by doing this". There's a video of that moment. And yet, the following day he was forgiven by his national team manager and is now expected to start today's group match vs. Bolivia.
He had previous. He was also part of that baptism party a few years back. Real Madrid have reportedly ruled themselves out of the race to sign him because of this scandal. But in my opinion and despite all this, he is on the verge of further securing his status as absolute legend of Chile (if they win the Copa America, because if not, he risks being singled out as the main reason why they didn't). People have forgiven him for that drunken baptism party when they were also in the middle of a competition (WC Qualifiers). And people will forgive him again.
Now I don't know what I would have done if I was the Chile manager. There were probably pressures from federation, sponsors, Vidal's teammates...who knows what goes on behind the doors. But this episode further helped my penny drop.
It's hard for me to explain and I'm sure it's hard for you to understand where I'm coming from.
But I have always put Adel's talent in front of everything else that comes with him. Because he is not paid to do solid runs on the training ground. He is not paid to stay at home the night before the match. He is not paid to be a role model for our children. It's expected, but it's not why Adel was signed by QPR for. Whoever says that, it's a hypocrite.
For what it's worth, none of us sees what they do in training. None of us get access to live images of players smoking or drinking at a night club. None of us, I hope, really expects our children to behave like footballers.
We just see them 90 minutes a week (180 if we are really unlucky -perhaps I'm a bit affected by what we saw of QPR the last three seasons-).
And Adel has rarely failed to perform when he was given a proper run. Not just THAT season. After THAT team was dismantled and newcomers had goes at him before they even played a game for QPR, and then he was in and out of the team. And then, when he rarely started, he had fücking SWP to one side ruining every single play and fücking Park next to him doing fück all and fücking DJ Campbell to blow every single chance Adel created for him and fücking B*singw* (I refuse to write his full name) and fücking Fabio to cover on the flanks....I really don't want to keep listing those names.
Adel has always been our best player since he signed for us. In my eyes, even fat as he was lately, he has always had a lot more in his bag of tricks than any of the others could ever dream of. But he wasn't in a culture (or a period of time) that allows him to prosper. It's not the style of play. It's not the speed of play and that non-sense of "he's more suited to a slower-paced league like Italy or Portugal" that people like to repeat. Saying that and assuring Messi would struggle on a cold Tuesday night at Stoke, are quotes that are too similar in essence and I couldn't possibly disagree with them more if I tried. Great, talented players will do it anywhere, anytime. Yes, they could have a better handle of this or that league, they can enjoy a better spell in one country than in another, but if they are good, they are going to be good anywhere they play. They just need a foundation and some structure and they need to be accepted for what they are. They need to be looked after.
Adel only found those things under Warnock and possibly under Seedorf too. And I really hope he gets that at Benfica.
What I feel about his time at QPR being over is a huge sense of impotence. I went through all the stages: anger, disappointment, resignation, frustration, vindication (when we all saw he could do it for AC Milan in Serie A and Champions League), optimism (when he was back in the team and was consistently our best player every time he was out there) and finally more anger followed by more resignation.
He was never an example like Clint Hill and probably he never tried to be even half of the model professional Clint is, but to expect him to behave like Clint was also part of the problem. Warnock accepted it and we all celebrated it by obtaining the only piece of silverware of many of our lifetimes thanks mostly to him (please don't count the play-off trophy! Have some dignity!).
My apologies for such a long text, but it so happens that my favourite footballer not-named Lionel Messi has just left my beloved QPR and I have been missing him for far too long already. I'm sad because of his departure and glad (in a way) that finally my hope of watching him start every week for us has been killed for good. Whatever happens next, will hurt me. If he fails to adapt or impress and his career derails any further, I'll be sad. And if he does the opposite and brings it both in the local league and the Champions League, it'll hurt me he won't be doing it at the club I love. It's a lose-lose situation, but at least I think there's a good chance I'll get to see him play football.
I will never forget Adel Taarabt, the most "South American-like" player we have ever had at QPR. The whole package.
I'll still miss him. Have a great journey, you crazy son of a bïtch of a genius footballer!
Upon his death, a message he posted on Facebook has me in tears.
Emanuel Ortega was a Primera C player (something like League 2 but with a lot less money involved). He fell and hit his head against a wall (too close to the pitch) during a game. There's footage, but I don't even want to see it.
The accident happened a few days ago but he died this morning. The Argentine FA has suspended all activity for this weekend as a result.
But there is a message he posted on Facebook three years ago that really shook me. I think a lot of the QPR players should be asked to read this.
Here's my translation:
"I may never play FOOTBALL professionally, maybe I will. But playing at an amateur level, I go after every ball with my life, even if I have to die for it. When my legs say STOP, my heart says CARRY ON. Unlike professionals, when my boots break, I don't just replace them. I spend my nights fixing them, putting the pieces together so I can carry on playing. Because this is what I love. Football is my LIFE, not just a passtime. Football is what makes me forget about everything else and I would give my life for football. The day I can't continue playing, that's when life will be over"
I was getting ready to watch this game live on HD just like 33 of the previous 35 games (the other two I watched them delayed as I recorded them and managed to watch without knowing the result), but when the teams were heading out to the pitch...a BLACKOUT in my building.
The energy came back like 20 minutes after the game!
So this is the first match I haven't watch us and I won't be able to watch. I'm sure that's a blessing, but it's also some kind of omen, isn't it?
The season is gone and the end result is the same I've expected ever since Harry was confirmed at the start of it (AND kept for over half a season!).
I've written so many times during the season about this that I'd spare you of having to endure another rant.
WIthout having seen the match today, I've followed it on Twitter and seen all the goals, I have to say I'm not confident Ramsey is the man to bring us back up.
Like many of you, the fact he introduced SWP near the end just made me completely turn my back on him. I'll still support him if he's confirmed, obviously, but I wouldn't give him the job.
I still think his % in responsibility for us getting relegated is minimum and that Redknapp left a total disaster for whoever took charge after him.
But, many times during the season, I saw wrong team selections, bad substitutions and inexplicable tactical approaches to certain games.
This really worries me. The kind of players he keeps picking (or sending on). The tactics he chooses. The players out of position.
The task ahead really is a bastard or a mission. Can he build up a team to be a contender with all the players that will leave us? Does he have it in him?
As for the players to keep/bring in/sell/throw from the top of a very high cliff, I'm sure I'll join another thread to comment on that.
Finally: Tony. He needs to get someone involved to run the club for him. We've seen how it turned out as things are.
The waste of resources really needs to stop. Hopefully we won't get crippled by the FFP thing because of the several stupid mistakes made in handing out massive wages, buying has-been players and employing a never-has-been-and-semi-retired manager.
A very sad day. But one that our former manager, some of our players and our board deserve to go through. Not us, not us fans.
This inevitable relegation is nothing less than what we deserve as a club.
I'm sorry, but everyone involved with QPR except the fans, deserve nothing but this relegation.
From the very top, down to the every single playing member of our squad.
Everything QPR could have done wrong, they did.
The list of reasons to explain this is endless.
Here's my attempt:
1. Keeping Redknapp after Wembley.
2. Letting Redknapp buy and sell in favour of his soon-abandoned 3-5-2 system (and this is not even an excuse because any manager capable of working at the highest level and with the sort of money available to him, should be prepared enough to build a squad which could play 352; 442; 523; 433; 451 and whatever the formation you want to use). But allowing him to get the players he got and especially sell players we needed (especially Danny Simpson), goes a long way in explaining our collapse.
3. Keeping Redknapp for so long during the season and not reacting until he decided to jump ship and sink us without the possibility of bringing in more bodies during the transfer window.
4. As a result of reasons 1, 2 and 3, we saw QPR: a) Lose every away game under Redknapp b) Lose 14 (FOURTEEN) matches by a single goal. Yes, 14 of our 21 defeats were by a single goal. c) Concede the most goals in the division. d) Lose 7 points after the 85th minute of matches during the season. And a few more if we include those after the 80th minute.
5. Playing with players out of position and not picking our most talented players consistently. Game after game. This was especially harmful today and last week vs. West Ham. Especially when the cards were on the table and we HAD to go for it.
None of my reasons for getting relegated will include the "luck" factor. If anything, we were unlucky with injuries to Ale, Fer and Vargas. But that's to be expected and every team around us had injury problems.
There were a few officiating blunders along the way too, but it happens to every club and it's not looking like we will be going down by a single point that could be attributed to a bad call here or there.
Also, there is no bad luck in the many stupid individual bloopers we saw very often during the season. Those of a technical nature (bad pass, bad clearance, bad finish) or those of a mental nature (stupid sending off, bad decisions, etc). If anything, that's bad preparation or terrible decision-making process when awarding a contract to a player here or there.
Lessons learned?
Not before this season. Not during this season.
Hopefully, the club (those involved in taking decision and those performing a job on the training ground and the pitch), can get it right starting next season.
I'm sitting here, very much doubting that will ever happen.
I've seen a few tweets criticizing Charlie because he missed penalties vs. Hull and today.
Seen one saying: "I'm sorry for Charlie, but if he didn't miss those penalties, we wouldn't be there".
I'm seriously embarrassed by that kind of messages. The man himself felt the need to tweet apologising to QPR fans for his "shït penalty".
But I'd like to say two things:
1. We wouldn't be in the Premier League without his contribution last season. 2. We would be already relegated without his contribution this season.
I'm fully behind him and those who care and work hard for QPR.
PS: And why did I open Facebook and read this?
Steve Chamberlain‎QPR Fans 17 mins · Milton Keynes, United Kingdom · Charlie missing penalties so he can leave at the end of the season a bit cheaper/easier ? What do the conspiracy theorists reckon ?
The penalty miss and the (wrongly) disallowed goal (as it was never a foul by Caulker), aside. We were not good enough on the most crucial of our matches yet (until next week and then the next and the next).
West Ham were very basic. Nothing special. They fell apart every time we managed to string two or three passes together, but we weren't doing it as much as we should have done it.
Too many long balls. Too many careless (and clueless) moments in possession. This game was there for the taking. And we didn't take it.
I didn't feel we tried hard enough, but maybe it wasn't lack of trying more than it was lack of knowing how to go for it.
Decisive weeks and Leicester win 4 in a row, Hull beat Palace away, Sunderland got a point at Stoke, while we left 2 points on the table in one of the last couple of "accessible" games.
We need a couple miracles now. Maybe an approach like this against 2 teams that will go for it, could work. But at home, we need to try something different. It pains me to see how evident this is and how little we are doing to address this problem.
I see this as good news, provided he gets some playing time, as we are definitely under the weather with Vargas out for the season and so little options up front.
Has there been a discussion about our wall in their 3rd goal?
If so, I haven't seen it and I apologise in advance for creating another thread.
I noticed yesterday when I was watching the game the first time, that it was a silly foul by Clint Hill to give. Probably due to desperation, tiredness or a combination of both. But a silly foul nonetheless.
That said...our wall....
From left to right: Charlie, Bobby, Barton, Henry...then it was Vlaar and Doughty to his right.
The ref blows and Benteke hits it. None of our players jumped. Bobby, just a little bit.
The ball goes right above Barton's head. Then hits the post and goes in. And it's only THEN, that Barton realises of what had just happened.
I can't say he would have saved that effort with a jump, but I wouldn't have minded him trying. I do remember plenty of hateful messages towards Adel for a similar situation.
Bobby was fuming at this. He did turn his head the second the ball went over their heads (like all the other players in the wall but Barton). Anyway...another detail seen after watching it taped and pausing and replaying and all those painful things you'd do.
Today it hurts a little bit more than yesterday, knowing we were 6 minutes from getting our of the drop zone on goal difference and on closing the 6-point gap Villa had on us Saturday at 2:59 PM.
I was thinking...just how many deflected goals have we let in this season!?!?!
The second Benteke scored the first, I couldn't help thinking about this. That ball was never in a million years going in if it wasn't for the slight deflection it took from Caulker's back foot. Without that touch, it was a low ball that Green had covered. But it went up and in.
Their third was also a deflection off the post. Not quite the same, but still...it's frustrating to see. Just like with Everton 2 weeks ago and that first goal.
I don't have a perfect memory, but I'm sure there were plenty more this season.
Spurs got one like that against us, if I'm not mistaken. I know, it happens to every club, but it seems to me it happens more often to us. Anyway...that's off my chest now.
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