LA Galaxy have dropped two in a row and in both cases their defense was the culprit. As a result, they go into the MLS playoffs in fifth place. Which team will show up? The team that took three straight wins or the one that then gave up two straight losses? As it is, they could get bounced in the first round or make a run all the way to the finals!
Meanwhile, their crosstown rivals LAFC are on the top of the standings and the odds on favorite (53% according to 538) to win the whole thing. They have the most points ever with 72 and Vela has the single season goal scoring record with 34.
In the Swedish top league, the race for the championship is close among the big city clubs Malmo and the three Stockholm teams (Djurgardens, Hammarby, and AIK).
My family teams Elfborg and Falkenberg have their goals. Elfborg is in eighth and realistically the gap to seventh is too far. However, they could slip down so finishing eighth would be satisfying at this stage. As for Falkenberg, avoiding outright relegation is the goal. They have 19 points in 15th place. They are close enough to Sundsvall (20 points) to move up into the playoff relegation spot.
Over in England, Liverpool is off to a 8-0-0 start outpacing traditional top dog Man City and venerable top-6 Arsenal. Leicester City and Crystal Place are surprise top-6 right now. Chelsea sit in 5th. Shockingly, typical top-6 Man U is 12th and Tottenham is 9th. LFC's eight wins include some nervey one goal wins. Will this be the year they finally win a EPL championship after so many decades?
Defending the Champions League title would be a bonus but having gotten it last year I think they would not be too disappointment if they don't win it again. However, I think they would like to at least get out of group stage. Thus far Liverpool's champions league performances have been shaky with a loss to Napoli and a too close for comfort win against Salzburg.
QPR is doing stunningly well! They are ninth! However, will they be able to hold it together in the marathon 46 game season that is the Championship. They only have one draw as they give up goals but score them as well. They have managed to come out on top more than not.
Showing posts with label QPRFC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label QPRFC. Show all posts
Expectations: FFF, Elfsborg, Liverpool FC, QPR, LA Galaxy, LAFC
Time for the expectations round up!
Starting up their seasons are QPR and Liverpool FC.
At the low end for QPR is the practical goal of AVOIDING relegation. Given their financial limits due to FFP fines, they aren't going to be bringing in pricey players or even non-pricy players. They will need to make do with their in-house talent of which there are some promising young ones. So if they stay up in the Championship, the season would have to be called a success!
If the young players bloom, the high end of the expectations would be to finish in the upper half of the bottom half. There are 24 teams in the Championship so the bottom half is 13-24 and the upper half of that is 13-18. If they get to 18, they should throw a parade around Loftus Road!
As for Liverpool FC, after all the big spending, the low end is closing in on the high end of expectations. Man City is still the biggest fish among the big six and remains the favorite to win the Premier League. Thus, a lively race for the title (win or lose) would be wonderful for the long disappointed Liverpool fans. Winning a title of any kind would be nice as well (League Cup, FA Cup, Champions League, or Premier League). The only cup that would be considered a disappointment would be Europa League Cup because that would mean the team crashed out of the group stage in Champions League!
For teams nearing the end of the season that I follow:
Falkenberg - they are one the brink of pulling off automatic promotion back to the top league! They have 11 games to go and eight points ahead of third place Eskilstuna that would qualify for the promotion playoff. Promotion or bust!
Elfsborg is in trouble. 13 games to go and they are in 13th place. 14th place leaves them in relegation playoffs and 15/16th place is automatic relegation. In summer business, they did extend some people (Frick, Kaib, Ronning, Dresevic) but they did sell on (Jebali, Horn) and added (Obasi, Holst). Their defense isn't bad as there are plenty of teams that give up more goals but their offense is anemic with a paltry 15 goals, second worst in the league.
LAFC is an expansion club with a high ceiling and they are living up to it! They are solidly in the playoffs (3rd place in the west) and are aiming for seeding. Winning the west is not impossible but second is within reach. Aiming very high would be a MLS Cup final appearance. More likely is an appearance in the western conference finals.
LA Galaxy has been playing better but have been hit with the injury bug (all three DPs are out!) and are a question mark. Their near term goal is to stay afloat. Currently 4th in the west, they need to hang on while the DPs recover. Six teams make the playoffs per conference so finishing 6th is the goal. Hopefully, the DPs come back late in the season and they can get back into form and pull of a surprise and reach the western conference semi-finals.
QPR - what next?
Breaking news: QPR Financial Fair Play (FFP) settlement reached.
Brief background:
The English Championship season is done with the exception of promotion playoffs.
Wolverhampton and Cardiff City have won promotion.
Barnsley, Burton Albion, and Sunderland have been relegated.
Fulham has defeated Derby County to advance to the promotion finals.
Aston Villa plays Middlesbrough tomorrow to determine the other finalist.
Meanwhile, QPR finished 16th.
With the FFP penalties that have been hanging over their heads (now official as of July 27, 2018), they are constrained financially. Thus, the club's realistic aspirations at this point in their life-cycle is mid-table with hopes of being at the higher end of the mid-table. However, that didn't happen this year with a mix of injuries hampering team cohesion. There weren't too many matches where they were kicked from one end to the other but with 20 losses to 15 wins, they were a sub "0.500" team a sign of modest talents and consistency. The team simply didn't have the level of quality and consistency to make a serious push. Most revealing was how the team frequently would fall behind and scramble to make a game of it. In a handful of occasions, they would make the comeback to steal a win or squeeze out a draw. On that score, I'd give them high mark for team spirit and a willingness to keep at it!
The above is a screen capture of the 23 players who got the most minutes in the just concluded season. How many will be around for the next season?
Will try to keep a running tab of player news in the summer.
News:
Steve McClaren named the new manager (May 18, 2018)
Manager Holloway has been released (May 10, 2018)
Onuoha - departing (April 27, 2018)
Mackie - departing (April 6, 2018)
Perch - departing (April 6, 2018)
Awaiting news:
Bidwell
Freeman - viewed as player likely to draw interest (February 5, 2018)
Smithies - moved to EPL promoted Cardiff City (June 28, 2018)
Scowen
Luongo
Robinson - deal expired awaiting (April 14, 2018) has signed with Nottingham Forest (June 30, 2018)
Wszolek
Washington
Baptiste
Smith
Lynch
Furlong
Sylla
Cousins
Manning - Crystal Palace & Celtic rumored to be interested (April 17, 2018)
Eze
Smyth
Osayi-Samuel
Wheeler
Chair
Fixture schedule for 2018-2019 season (June 21, 2018)
The bookies don't have much expectations for QPR tabbed to finish 21st in the league just missing relegation! If "market value" is any indicator of potential, QPR is lower mid-table. This analysis also suggests that QPR has one of the younger squads in the Championship.
Initial publication date 5/21/2018
Update 7/25/2018
Update 7/27/2018
Brief background:
- QPR overspent in violation of FFP rules during its 2013-2014 season when they won promotion to the Premier League.
- QPR has been in a legal battle with the English Football League regarding the monetary fines for the FFP violation
- QPR has now agreed to a settlement that includes monetary fines and inability to make transfers in the 2019 January window.
The English Championship season is done with the exception of promotion playoffs.
Wolverhampton and Cardiff City have won promotion.
Barnsley, Burton Albion, and Sunderland have been relegated.
Fulham has defeated Derby County to advance to the promotion finals.
Aston Villa plays Middlesbrough tomorrow to determine the other finalist.
Meanwhile, QPR finished 16th.
With the FFP penalties that have been hanging over their heads (now official as of July 27, 2018), they are constrained financially. Thus, the club's realistic aspirations at this point in their life-cycle is mid-table with hopes of being at the higher end of the mid-table. However, that didn't happen this year with a mix of injuries hampering team cohesion. There weren't too many matches where they were kicked from one end to the other but with 20 losses to 15 wins, they were a sub "0.500" team a sign of modest talents and consistency. The team simply didn't have the level of quality and consistency to make a serious push. Most revealing was how the team frequently would fall behind and scramble to make a game of it. In a handful of occasions, they would make the comeback to steal a win or squeeze out a draw. On that score, I'd give them high mark for team spirit and a willingness to keep at it!
Will try to keep a running tab of player news in the summer.
News:
Steve McClaren named the new manager (May 18, 2018)
Manager Holloway has been released (May 10, 2018)
Onuoha - departing (April 27, 2018)
Mackie - departing (April 6, 2018)
Perch - departing (April 6, 2018)
Awaiting news:
Bidwell
Freeman - viewed as player likely to draw interest (February 5, 2018)
Smithies - moved to EPL promoted Cardiff City (June 28, 2018)
Scowen
Luongo
Robinson - deal expired awaiting (April 14, 2018) has signed with Nottingham Forest (June 30, 2018)
Wszolek
Washington
Baptiste
Smith
Lynch
Furlong
Sylla
Cousins
Manning - Crystal Palace & Celtic rumored to be interested (April 17, 2018)
Eze
Smyth
Osayi-Samuel
Wheeler
Chair
Fixture schedule for 2018-2019 season (June 21, 2018)
The bookies don't have much expectations for QPR tabbed to finish 21st in the league just missing relegation! If "market value" is any indicator of potential, QPR is lower mid-table. This analysis also suggests that QPR has one of the younger squads in the Championship.
Initial publication date 5/21/2018
Update 7/25/2018
Update 7/27/2018
Wide World of Soccer - weekend April 28-29
Liverpool FC 0 Stoke City 0. Nuff said.
High drama on Wednesday for leg 2 against Roma. 5-2 lead looks good but Barcelona collapsed to Roma and were eliminated so Roma is not to be underestimated.
QPR takes care of business with a 3-1 win over bottom of the table Birmingham City.
LA Galaxy woes continue coming out on the short end 2-3 to NY Red Bulls. A couple of questionable calls went against LA Galaxy that took a goal off the LA tally and added a PK that was the Red Bull's winner.
LA Galaxy got some more offense but unfortunately their defense cost them. One of the MLS analyst says that LA's 4-3-3 might be better for them. I speculated about that possibility back on April 13 though at that time I didn't anticipate Zlatan would start which he did.
LAFC in dramatic fashion defeat Seattle 1-0 with a stoppage time free kick!
Elfsborg falls 2-1 to Sundsvall.
Falkenberg plays on Tuesday on the road at Halmstad.
High drama on Wednesday for leg 2 against Roma. 5-2 lead looks good but Barcelona collapsed to Roma and were eliminated so Roma is not to be underestimated.
QPR takes care of business with a 3-1 win over bottom of the table Birmingham City.
LA Galaxy woes continue coming out on the short end 2-3 to NY Red Bulls. A couple of questionable calls went against LA Galaxy that took a goal off the LA tally and added a PK that was the Red Bull's winner.
LA Galaxy got some more offense but unfortunately their defense cost them. One of the MLS analyst says that LA's 4-3-3 might be better for them. I speculated about that possibility back on April 13 though at that time I didn't anticipate Zlatan would start which he did.
LAFC in dramatic fashion defeat Seattle 1-0 with a stoppage time free kick!
Elfsborg falls 2-1 to Sundsvall.
Falkenberg plays on Tuesday on the road at Halmstad.
Wide world of soccer: weekend of April 21/22 2018
Hats off to LAFC for rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat Montreal on the road. If you had said that LAFC would get 4 wins against 2 losses to open season entirely on the road, fans would take it. They have their home opener next weekend.
Liverpool was on the road at West Bromwich cruising with a 2-0 lead only to surrender 2 goals late. The problems of defense reared its head once again!
QPR lost to Brentford 2-1. Not surprising for a road game at a team at the top half of the table.
LA Galaxy fall at home to Atlanta 2-0. Saw the second half of the match on TV. Atlanta had the lead so they were probably not as aggressive on offense. Nonetheless, it seemed they were always more threatening to score while LAG only got weak "half" chances at goal. LAG simply looked inferior to Atlanta.
Falkenberg (FFF) is off to a 4 game win streak with a 3-1 victory over Frej Taby.
Elfsborg plays Monday against Stockholm based Djurgarden.
Liverpool was on the road at West Bromwich cruising with a 2-0 lead only to surrender 2 goals late. The problems of defense reared its head once again!
QPR lost to Brentford 2-1. Not surprising for a road game at a team at the top half of the table.
LA Galaxy fall at home to Atlanta 2-0. Saw the second half of the match on TV. Atlanta had the lead so they were probably not as aggressive on offense. Nonetheless, it seemed they were always more threatening to score while LAG only got weak "half" chances at goal. LAG simply looked inferior to Atlanta.
Falkenberg (FFF) is off to a 4 game win streak with a 3-1 victory over Frej Taby.
Elfsborg plays Monday against Stockholm based Djurgarden.
Wide world of Soccer - how the six clubs I follow did
Friday April 13
LAFC beat Vancouver 2-0 on the road
LAFC bounced back from two prior defeats and continue to show the acumen of signing Rossi and Vela who got the goals in the victory.
Saturday April 14
Liverpool defeated Bournemouth 3-0
The three headed front line get a goal apiece in a taking care of business win.
Elfsborg downed by Sirius 1-0 at home
That is now three straight losses for the boys from Boras but no time to panic yet as there are still 27 more matches. For historical context, Elfsborg have been in the top league since 1998. From that time onward, they won the league in 2006 and 2012. They finished second in 2008. They won the Svenska Cup in 2001, 2003 and 2014. Hopefully, they can get their season going real soon!
QPR lost at home to Preston 2-1
Preston is higher up in the table so a loss isn't too surprising.
Chicago 0 LA Galaxy 1
Zlatan has appeared in 3 games and now has 2 game winning goals! Wound up watching the match on the phone via the live stream on Twitter for the first half and then the LA Galaxy audio stream for the second half. With the crazy wind, LAG had the wind with the in the first half and Chicago had the wind with them in the second half. The much maligned (and often with good reason) defense and goalkeeper came through a steady steam of attempts by Chicago in the second half.
Sunday April 15
GAIS 0 Falkenberg 2
The team by the sea have started off with 3 wins!
LAFC beat Vancouver 2-0 on the road
LAFC bounced back from two prior defeats and continue to show the acumen of signing Rossi and Vela who got the goals in the victory.
Saturday April 14
Liverpool defeated Bournemouth 3-0
The three headed front line get a goal apiece in a taking care of business win.
Elfsborg downed by Sirius 1-0 at home
That is now three straight losses for the boys from Boras but no time to panic yet as there are still 27 more matches. For historical context, Elfsborg have been in the top league since 1998. From that time onward, they won the league in 2006 and 2012. They finished second in 2008. They won the Svenska Cup in 2001, 2003 and 2014. Hopefully, they can get their season going real soon!
QPR lost at home to Preston 2-1
Preston is higher up in the table so a loss isn't too surprising.
Chicago 0 LA Galaxy 1
Zlatan has appeared in 3 games and now has 2 game winning goals! Wound up watching the match on the phone via the live stream on Twitter for the first half and then the LA Galaxy audio stream for the second half. With the crazy wind, LAG had the wind with the in the first half and Chicago had the wind with them in the second half. The much maligned (and often with good reason) defense and goalkeeper came through a steady steam of attempts by Chicago in the second half.
Sunday April 15
GAIS 0 Falkenberg 2
The team by the sea have started off with 3 wins!
The weekend in soccer
Saturday started with the Merseyside Derby.
Everton v. Liverpool 0-0 (draw)
The Reds with an eye toward the second leg of the Champions League semi-final played a weakened side so a draw was a reasonable outcome.
Hull v. QPR 4-0 (loss)
Ugh. QPR isn't a top level team so don't expect them to win all the time but they are usually at least competitive and they weren't today.
Falkenberg v. Eskilstuna 2-0 (win)
Off to a good start with two wins. Can they keep it up and get back to the top tier? "Laget vid havet!"
Atlanta v. LAFC 5-0 (loss)
Did the stunning loss against LA Galaxy last weekend leave the team still out of sorts? Or perhaps Atlanta is simply too much for LAFC to deal with? In either case, Bob Bradley and the brain trust will need to look at their situation after the glossy start.
Sunday provided two matches for me to follow
Kalmar v. Elfborg 1-0 (loss)
Ooofff .... off to a bad start with two losses. 28 matches to go. Hopefully, they will get their feet under them soon!
LA Galaxy v. Sporting Kansas City 0-2 (loss)
SKC dominated possession of the ball in the first half but LAG defense was up to the challenge for much of the time in the first half. But there was one bad patch early in the second half when LAG surrendered two goals. Those were not outrageous world class goals. However, they were clinical finishes to the opportunities granted by some poor defending from LAG.
The first goal was off a weak clearance off a corner kick that got pounced on by SKC.
The second goal was essentially a 1-against-3. Give the guy credit for taking it to the LAG defenders Steres and Cole and after ditching them, he got it past the goalkeeper Bingham. Any one of Steres, Cole, or Bingham could have prevented that goal but none did rise to that occasion.
LAG had shots of which three hit the woodwork. Jonathan Dos Santos and Romain Alessandrini were back in the line-up but did seem a little rusty: pace and passing was just a little off.
The defensive group does seem a bit slow and teams that have speed will cause problems for LAG. Cole is astute but his 37 year old legs sometimes let him down. Skjelvik looks promising and don't recall him getting overwhelmed against SKC but he clearly got outpaced on goal #3 that LAFC scored. Steres has the physical tools (he made a couple of good tackles against SKC) but over his time at LAG errors seem to crop up. Perhaps it is focus and decision making that will improve with experience? Feltscher seems to be settling in but am concerned that without smart positioning and situational awareness he might not have the speed to catch up if he gets up too far forward on the attack. Kitchen has been very helpful to the defense but it seems the sum of the parts haven't gotten to where LAG needs to be to be consistently competitive.
Meanwhile, the Zlatan phenomena continues but no Hollywood ending tonight. He got in for about 30 minutes and put some shots on goal with one or two of the chances that got the crowd hopeful.
From the General Admission side of the stadium, it was hard to tell how good were his shots on goal. Judging from video replays I saw after the game, two of them looked like good efforts that if the goalkeeper has shut-off for a moment would have yielded a goal.
Sigi and company have a lot to chew over.
Defending put them in a three-goal deficit against LAFC and a two-goal deficit against SKC. Don't see Ciani or Romney as a better option than what they have out there now. So they may simply have to live with what they have. Do wonder how much upside does youngsters Hilliard-Arce and Arellano have?
As LAG offensive players advance in fitness returning from injury, it will be interesting to see which players will get the minutes upcoming and whether they will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation - probably. It seems that when Zlatan is in they switch to 4-4-2. Will he go on the road to Chicago? And how many minutes will he get?
Tough loss that could easily have been a draw. No time to panic as the team is still a work in progress with the arrow facing in the up direction.
Everton v. Liverpool 0-0 (draw)
The Reds with an eye toward the second leg of the Champions League semi-final played a weakened side so a draw was a reasonable outcome.
Hull v. QPR 4-0 (loss)
Ugh. QPR isn't a top level team so don't expect them to win all the time but they are usually at least competitive and they weren't today.
Falkenberg v. Eskilstuna 2-0 (win)
Off to a good start with two wins. Can they keep it up and get back to the top tier? "Laget vid havet!"
Atlanta v. LAFC 5-0 (loss)
Did the stunning loss against LA Galaxy last weekend leave the team still out of sorts? Or perhaps Atlanta is simply too much for LAFC to deal with? In either case, Bob Bradley and the brain trust will need to look at their situation after the glossy start.
Sunday provided two matches for me to follow
Kalmar v. Elfborg 1-0 (loss)
Ooofff .... off to a bad start with two losses. 28 matches to go. Hopefully, they will get their feet under them soon!
LA Galaxy v. Sporting Kansas City 0-2 (loss)
SKC dominated possession of the ball in the first half but LAG defense was up to the challenge for much of the time in the first half. But there was one bad patch early in the second half when LAG surrendered two goals. Those were not outrageous world class goals. However, they were clinical finishes to the opportunities granted by some poor defending from LAG.
The first goal was off a weak clearance off a corner kick that got pounced on by SKC.
The second goal was essentially a 1-against-3. Give the guy credit for taking it to the LAG defenders Steres and Cole and after ditching them, he got it past the goalkeeper Bingham. Any one of Steres, Cole, or Bingham could have prevented that goal but none did rise to that occasion.
LAG had shots of which three hit the woodwork. Jonathan Dos Santos and Romain Alessandrini were back in the line-up but did seem a little rusty: pace and passing was just a little off.
The defensive group does seem a bit slow and teams that have speed will cause problems for LAG. Cole is astute but his 37 year old legs sometimes let him down. Skjelvik looks promising and don't recall him getting overwhelmed against SKC but he clearly got outpaced on goal #3 that LAFC scored. Steres has the physical tools (he made a couple of good tackles against SKC) but over his time at LAG errors seem to crop up. Perhaps it is focus and decision making that will improve with experience? Feltscher seems to be settling in but am concerned that without smart positioning and situational awareness he might not have the speed to catch up if he gets up too far forward on the attack. Kitchen has been very helpful to the defense but it seems the sum of the parts haven't gotten to where LAG needs to be to be consistently competitive.
Meanwhile, the Zlatan phenomena continues but no Hollywood ending tonight. He got in for about 30 minutes and put some shots on goal with one or two of the chances that got the crowd hopeful.
From the General Admission side of the stadium, it was hard to tell how good were his shots on goal. Judging from video replays I saw after the game, two of them looked like good efforts that if the goalkeeper has shut-off for a moment would have yielded a goal.
Sigi and company have a lot to chew over.
Defending put them in a three-goal deficit against LAFC and a two-goal deficit against SKC. Don't see Ciani or Romney as a better option than what they have out there now. So they may simply have to live with what they have. Do wonder how much upside does youngsters Hilliard-Arce and Arellano have?
As LAG offensive players advance in fitness returning from injury, it will be interesting to see which players will get the minutes upcoming and whether they will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation - probably. It seems that when Zlatan is in they switch to 4-4-2. Will he go on the road to Chicago? And how many minutes will he get?
Tough loss that could easily have been a draw. No time to panic as the team is still a work in progress with the arrow facing in the up direction.
Wide world of soccer - QPR!
QPR bounce back from their loss to Redding with a 4-1 victory over Norwich.
I had mentioned in my last blog post that I would go find fish and chips if QPR would win a match!
So now, I will need to look around the part of town I live in to see who has them on the menu.
Sheffield Wednesday is another club like QPR and Norwich occupying the middle-ish part of the bottom half of the table.
Come on you R's!
QPR - looking safely out of the relegation zone?
Have been wearing my R's baseball cap periodically and I've said that I'll go find some Fish and Chips if someone recognizes the cap as a QPR cap. People do ask what team the hat is from occasionally and I explain it is an English soccer club in the Championship.
When I was in London asking directions in the Underground to go to Loftus Road to see the Queens Park Rangers, people didn't seem to know what I was talking about! So I guess it isn't surprising that no one so far has recognized the cap in and around Los Angeles.
Perhaps, I should change the Fish and Chips to the next time QPR wins a match?
###
QPR has picked up 7 points on 3 matches!
3 points against relegation bound Sunderland is what you expect.
Getting 3 points from an Aston Villa that is looking at promotion via playoffs was an unexpected surprise!
Getting a draw from Fulham that is aiming for promotion via playoffs was an unexpected surprise after going down two goal.
It has been lots of fun following QPR from Los Angeles. I saw the last part of the Fulham match on ESPN3. I check on the text commentary at the QPR site on games not on TV. I listen in on most episodes of the QPR podcast to get the pulse of the people who sit in the stands.
I suppose the goal for the rest of the season is to continue to build upon the mix of talent that is in the club, in particular the younger players that might stick around another season or two. Some of the more established talent will continued to be showcased as they might draw interest from the Premier League or other leagues in Europe that see the Championship as a proving ground for the next level.
The screen capture above are the "top" players on the QPR roster according to Tranfermarkt.
Will be interesting to see which of these players will be moved this summer (for a profit) to help with QPR's financial problems. For a team in QPR's position you hope to sell on at a profit and pick up new players on the rise at a reasonable cost.
Until then, looking forward to some more good efforts by the Rangers!
Come on you R's!
When I was in London asking directions in the Underground to go to Loftus Road to see the Queens Park Rangers, people didn't seem to know what I was talking about! So I guess it isn't surprising that no one so far has recognized the cap in and around Los Angeles.
Perhaps, I should change the Fish and Chips to the next time QPR wins a match?
###
QPR has picked up 7 points on 3 matches!
3 points against relegation bound Sunderland is what you expect.
Getting 3 points from an Aston Villa that is looking at promotion via playoffs was an unexpected surprise!
Getting a draw from Fulham that is aiming for promotion via playoffs was an unexpected surprise after going down two goal.
It has been lots of fun following QPR from Los Angeles. I saw the last part of the Fulham match on ESPN3. I check on the text commentary at the QPR site on games not on TV. I listen in on most episodes of the QPR podcast to get the pulse of the people who sit in the stands.
I suppose the goal for the rest of the season is to continue to build upon the mix of talent that is in the club, in particular the younger players that might stick around another season or two. Some of the more established talent will continued to be showcased as they might draw interest from the Premier League or other leagues in Europe that see the Championship as a proving ground for the next level.
The screen capture above are the "top" players on the QPR roster according to Tranfermarkt.
Will be interesting to see which of these players will be moved this summer (for a profit) to help with QPR's financial problems. For a team in QPR's position you hope to sell on at a profit and pick up new players on the rise at a reasonable cost.
Until then, looking forward to some more good efforts by the Rangers!
Come on you R's!
Cardiac kids of Queens Park Rangers: QPR 1 Derby County 1
QPR dominated possession, got the shots but as is often the case, were down by a goal and almost out.
On this day, Luongo got the header across the line on a set-piece at the 87th minute!
QPR sit fairly safely in the lower part of the mid-table 10 points above the relegation zone.
The front office has serious financial constraints but they do have some solid players and hopefully in the next transfer window they can spot some overlooked talent and up-and-coming players to bring in.
Am not enough of a fan to know the contract situation of the existing players and who could be let go for cost reasons. As for selling players on at a profit, I don't know if any members of the current roster has had such a dramatically good season such that QPR could do a Southampton.
QPR get a victory!
QPR's objectives for the rest of the season are modest: avoid relegation, be safely in the mid-table, and identify some young talent to build for the future.
They remain on track to do this. 538 has them with a only a 4% chance of relegation.
This past weekend, they took care of business defeating Barnsley.
Living in Los Angeles, I suspect there are not a lot of QPR fans. Premier League teams get on TV every weekend while English Championship matches rarely do. I suppose there could be some displaced London people living in LA in which case they could follow a variety of London clubs.
My tie to them is purely a narrative one: love scrappy teams with big hearts.
COYRS = come on you R's!!
They remain on track to do this. 538 has them with a only a 4% chance of relegation.
This past weekend, they took care of business defeating Barnsley.
Living in Los Angeles, I suspect there are not a lot of QPR fans. Premier League teams get on TV every weekend while English Championship matches rarely do. I suppose there could be some displaced London people living in LA in which case they could follow a variety of London clubs.
My tie to them is purely a narrative one: love scrappy teams with big hearts.
COYRS = come on you R's!!
Soccer - LFC fans and QPR fans
Haven't been blogging about soccer as much as I had hoped to but do get the occasional tweet fired away.
This captures what it is like to be a Liverpool FC fan .....
For QPR fans, one can pay five British pounds to get a streaming feed of Queen Park Ranger matches unless there are international broadcasts of the match in which case QPR is not allowed to video stream the game. They can still audio stream but not video. Anyway, if you are a USA R's fan, you can see this week's contest on ESPN3. Go QPR! How many Ranger fans are their within the sound of this blog? How many in Los Angeles?
This captures what it is like to be a Liverpool FC fan .....
This is the life LFC fans have chosen: beat #1 ManCity one week lose to #20 Swansea the next ... oooofffff ..... https://t.co/wFO17h3SBF— RF Chun (@a4theroad) January 23, 2018
For QPR fans, one can pay five British pounds to get a streaming feed of Queen Park Ranger matches unless there are international broadcasts of the match in which case QPR is not allowed to video stream the game. They can still audio stream but not video. Anyway, if you are a USA R's fan, you can see this week's contest on ESPN3. Go QPR! How many Ranger fans are their within the sound of this blog? How many in Los Angeles?
For US fans the match is on ESPN3 10AM eastern 7AM Pacific #COYRS ! https://t.co/4YsG9ijng3— RF Chun (@a4theroad) January 24, 2018
QPR FC podcasts and online news
Living here in the West Coast of the USA, there are a few sources of information to help me follow a West London club like QPR.
However, through podcasting, one can get a flavor of what is going on at Loftus Road.
The Loftcast is produced by the in-house media team at QPR. In the above, embedded pod, there is the usual match recap, an interview with a QPR player, in this case Paul Smyth who scored the wonderful goal against Cardiff City, and some thoughts on future matches. Being an in-house production, the tone is fairly upbeat and optimistic.
The "Open All R's" podcast is produced by several QPR fans (many of the contributors are in the media business so the production value is quite good) and visiting guests (QPR players, former and current, celebrity fans, local and non-local QPR fans). Not being in-house, the pod occasionally takes QPR players and management to task for failings on the field. This pod gets the occasional "E" marking for explicit language as these passionate fans occasionally get "colorful" in their language!
I also check out sports pages from the following sources:
BBC
The Guardian
Get West London
However, through podcasting, one can get a flavor of what is going on at Loftus Road.
The Loftcast is produced by the in-house media team at QPR. In the above, embedded pod, there is the usual match recap, an interview with a QPR player, in this case Paul Smyth who scored the wonderful goal against Cardiff City, and some thoughts on future matches. Being an in-house production, the tone is fairly upbeat and optimistic.
The "Open All R's" podcast is produced by several QPR fans (many of the contributors are in the media business so the production value is quite good) and visiting guests (QPR players, former and current, celebrity fans, local and non-local QPR fans). Not being in-house, the pod occasionally takes QPR players and management to task for failings on the field. This pod gets the occasional "E" marking for explicit language as these passionate fans occasionally get "colorful" in their language!
I also check out sports pages from the following sources:
BBC
The Guardian
Get West London
QPR - one novice soccer watcher's opinion
Come on you R's!
I may not be a West Londoner (I am a West Coast American) but am still rooting for Queen Park Rangers to have a good season.
Of course, good depends on one's expectations!
In my case, my expectations for the Rangers is to be solidly mid-table with the hope in some future season to take a whiff of the promotion playoffs.
My personal connection to QPR is only through the one match I attended when I was in London with a free evening while on a business trip. However, as I learned about the Queens Park Rangers, I have become a supporter for narrative reasons.
I have heard of their efforts to be a community based club. Events like the Game for Grenfell and the moving story below of QPR's efforts to help those with mental health struggles.
Powerful stuff!
And so I'm a fan. Regardless of how they do, I'll be a supporter. I'll keep a check on the score of how they do. If they appear on USA TV, I'll try to see them and so far I've seen parts of two matches when they have appeared on ESPN3. I visit the official web page now and then to see highlights and sometimes I'll even see segments of the 90 minutes full match replay.
As a realistic sports watcher though, one can see that on the field, it doesn't look good for the R's. They appear to be heading for a relegation battle. On the heels of past financial mismanagement, there are limits for the club. Nonetheless, they do have more resources than some clubs. Certainly one would think enough to be solidly mid-table. But as it is, they are now lower mid-table and on the edge of the relegation zone.
As a relatively new soccer watcher, I see that the really good teams can score a variety of ways.
Some clubs are so good that even if the opponents "park the bus" the better team can pass and dribble and make zig zag runs and put the ball in the net despite nearly 22 legs in the box playing determined defense.
Some clubs are so good that they force turnovers and quickly shift from defense to offense and make lightening quick counter-attacks yielding goal scoring opportunities and goals.
Finally, the other way I see good teams score is from set plays. A free kick under the wall! Or a free kick that bends to the top corner of the goal just beyond reach of the goalie. Or a kick into the box and one of the attackers gets a head onto the ball and puts it into the net or re-directs it to someone else who puts it into the net.
Sadly, when I watch QPR goal highlights, they tend to occur late in the game when the Rangers are playing from behind and the other team has shifted into park the bus mode. Often times these goals come from free kicks where the R's load up the box with their players and in the mad scramble they get a goal. It is nice to get these goals. Rather have them than not have them!
But simply don't see many goals where they causes a turnover and get out on the counter attack. Rarely do they get goals out of dominating possession and working the ball around and carving up a defense.
I suspect they don't have too many higher end offensively skilled players.
What makes for a skilled offensive player?
The things I have seen:
These are the more obvious ones.
Well, it cost lots of money to get players who can do all of the above well. And it cost lots of money to get players who can do most of the above well.
Only for a handful of teams in a handful of leagues in world football have the money to get such players on a consistent basis. Everyone else has to make do with proven B/B+ players or find the youngster who someday might be an A/A- player. Thus, the scouting department and the player development department is key for clubs with more limited resources.
Fans might like to call for the firing of the manager when their team isn't doing well. In some cases that is a legitimate response. But if the manager isn't entirely responsible for player recruitment then the responsibility isn't all his. And, in clubs with more limited resources, you can only do so much.
Don't know how much Ian Holloway is responsible for player recruitment and for player development. I'll leave that question for really hard core fans. But from this fan's view, it does seem as if the players do play for Holloway. They do appear to be putting in a good effort for the shirt. But, unfortunately, sometimes your guys just don't have as much talent as the other guys team.
Matt Smith is the leading goal scorer on the team this season. But I suspect most of those goals are late in games when QPR is playing from behind. In these situations, the defense is sitting back allowing the less mobile Smith to have more opportunities. Washington and Mackie appear to work hard but they might simply not have the skills to be consistent B+ attackers. In the match I watched at Loftus Road, Sylla seem to have the athleticism to get to the ball but doesn't seem to be able to do much with it once he gets it.
QPR defense is doing pretty well considering most of the injuries this season has been on the defensive end. But clearly, the offense has been a disappointment. According to this web page, QPR scored 39% of their goals from set piece and 0% on the counter-attack. Wolverhampton, current top-of-the-table got 22% from set pieces and 10% from the counter-attack. Sheffield United (holding last playoff spot at sixth) gets a whopping 79% of their goals from open play and only 12% from set-pieces. My sense is that scoring from open play is a reflection of having more skill players who can manage to score in a dynamic fluid situation compared to the relatively static set piece situation.
Anyway, don't know enough about the QPR roster to know if Holloway has any realistic options to put up top in his favorite 3-5-2 formation besides some combination of Smith, Washington, Mackie, and Sylla. Of the midfield, Freeman, Luongo, and Scowen, they seem pretty solid but am not enough of an observer to know how they compare to other talents in the league.
Hope the club can continue to improve their existing players and maybe pick up an impact player in the next transfer window.
I may not be a West Londoner (I am a West Coast American) but am still rooting for Queen Park Rangers to have a good season.
Of course, good depends on one's expectations!
In my case, my expectations for the Rangers is to be solidly mid-table with the hope in some future season to take a whiff of the promotion playoffs.
My personal connection to QPR is only through the one match I attended when I was in London with a free evening while on a business trip. However, as I learned about the Queens Park Rangers, I have become a supporter for narrative reasons.
I have heard of their efforts to be a community based club. Events like the Game for Grenfell and the moving story below of QPR's efforts to help those with mental health struggles.
Powerful stuff!
And so I'm a fan. Regardless of how they do, I'll be a supporter. I'll keep a check on the score of how they do. If they appear on USA TV, I'll try to see them and so far I've seen parts of two matches when they have appeared on ESPN3. I visit the official web page now and then to see highlights and sometimes I'll even see segments of the 90 minutes full match replay.
As a realistic sports watcher though, one can see that on the field, it doesn't look good for the R's. They appear to be heading for a relegation battle. On the heels of past financial mismanagement, there are limits for the club. Nonetheless, they do have more resources than some clubs. Certainly one would think enough to be solidly mid-table. But as it is, they are now lower mid-table and on the edge of the relegation zone.
As a relatively new soccer watcher, I see that the really good teams can score a variety of ways.
Some clubs are so good that even if the opponents "park the bus" the better team can pass and dribble and make zig zag runs and put the ball in the net despite nearly 22 legs in the box playing determined defense.
Some clubs are so good that they force turnovers and quickly shift from defense to offense and make lightening quick counter-attacks yielding goal scoring opportunities and goals.
Finally, the other way I see good teams score is from set plays. A free kick under the wall! Or a free kick that bends to the top corner of the goal just beyond reach of the goalie. Or a kick into the box and one of the attackers gets a head onto the ball and puts it into the net or re-directs it to someone else who puts it into the net.
Sadly, when I watch QPR goal highlights, they tend to occur late in the game when the Rangers are playing from behind and the other team has shifted into park the bus mode. Often times these goals come from free kicks where the R's load up the box with their players and in the mad scramble they get a goal. It is nice to get these goals. Rather have them than not have them!
But simply don't see many goals where they causes a turnover and get out on the counter attack. Rarely do they get goals out of dominating possession and working the ball around and carving up a defense.
I suspect they don't have too many higher end offensively skilled players.
What makes for a skilled offensive player?
The things I have seen:
- having the great first touch upon receiving the ball
- seeming eyes in the back of the head awareness of where your teammates are and where the opponents are
- the ability to thread passes right onto the foot of the guy in the best place to shoot and score
- the control and power to quickly get off a shot accurately and put it into the net
These are the more obvious ones.
Well, it cost lots of money to get players who can do all of the above well. And it cost lots of money to get players who can do most of the above well.
Only for a handful of teams in a handful of leagues in world football have the money to get such players on a consistent basis. Everyone else has to make do with proven B/B+ players or find the youngster who someday might be an A/A- player. Thus, the scouting department and the player development department is key for clubs with more limited resources.
Fans might like to call for the firing of the manager when their team isn't doing well. In some cases that is a legitimate response. But if the manager isn't entirely responsible for player recruitment then the responsibility isn't all his. And, in clubs with more limited resources, you can only do so much.
Don't know how much Ian Holloway is responsible for player recruitment and for player development. I'll leave that question for really hard core fans. But from this fan's view, it does seem as if the players do play for Holloway. They do appear to be putting in a good effort for the shirt. But, unfortunately, sometimes your guys just don't have as much talent as the other guys team.
Matt Smith is the leading goal scorer on the team this season. But I suspect most of those goals are late in games when QPR is playing from behind. In these situations, the defense is sitting back allowing the less mobile Smith to have more opportunities. Washington and Mackie appear to work hard but they might simply not have the skills to be consistent B+ attackers. In the match I watched at Loftus Road, Sylla seem to have the athleticism to get to the ball but doesn't seem to be able to do much with it once he gets it.
QPR defense is doing pretty well considering most of the injuries this season has been on the defensive end. But clearly, the offense has been a disappointment. According to this web page, QPR scored 39% of their goals from set piece and 0% on the counter-attack. Wolverhampton, current top-of-the-table got 22% from set pieces and 10% from the counter-attack. Sheffield United (holding last playoff spot at sixth) gets a whopping 79% of their goals from open play and only 12% from set-pieces. My sense is that scoring from open play is a reflection of having more skill players who can manage to score in a dynamic fluid situation compared to the relatively static set piece situation.
Anyway, don't know enough about the QPR roster to know if Holloway has any realistic options to put up top in his favorite 3-5-2 formation besides some combination of Smith, Washington, Mackie, and Sylla. Of the midfield, Freeman, Luongo, and Scowen, they seem pretty solid but am not enough of an observer to know how they compare to other talents in the league.
Hope the club can continue to improve their existing players and maybe pick up an impact player in the next transfer window.
QPR takes it on the chin .....
Having pulled off upsets against Wolverhampton and Sheffield United, QPR has dropped three in a row.
Thrashed by Nottingham Forest 4-0, edged out by Aston Villa 2-1, and defeated 2-0 by Derby County.
It is disappointing after two good wins against the #1 and #3 clubs in the Championship.
On the other hand, the defeats came against the #4, #6 and #7 team. Thus, in the abstract, it isn't a surprise since QPR realistically is a top of the bottom half of the table club. Nonetheless, as a fan, you feel bad for the club and wonder what they need to be more competitive and not always play from behind. Of course, the reality is that the club is a community club with more resources than some but much less than others.
Come on you R's!
Thrashed by Nottingham Forest 4-0, edged out by Aston Villa 2-1, and defeated 2-0 by Derby County.
It is disappointing after two good wins against the #1 and #3 clubs in the Championship.
On the other hand, the defeats came against the #4, #6 and #7 team. Thus, in the abstract, it isn't a surprise since QPR realistically is a top of the bottom half of the table club. Nonetheless, as a fan, you feel bad for the club and wonder what they need to be more competitive and not always play from behind. Of course, the reality is that the club is a community club with more resources than some but much less than others.
Come on you R's!
QPR 1 Sheffield United 0
Queens Park Rangers defeat another top part of the table club Tuesday night!
Have to feel badly for goalkeeper Jamal Blackman who got injured on the play that resulted in the goal.
Gifted a one goal lead, the Hoops held on for the win. Can't tell too much from the match report on BBC. From that report, it sound like both clubs had some additional near misses. The stats say Sheffield dominated possession but QPR got more shots but it is hard to know from that stat how high the quality of the shot attempt was.
In any case, two wins for the Rangers and they climb to the middle part of the table1
Have to feel badly for goalkeeper Jamal Blackman who got injured on the play that resulted in the goal.
Gifted a one goal lead, the Hoops held on for the win. Can't tell too much from the match report on BBC. From that report, it sound like both clubs had some additional near misses. The stats say Sheffield dominated possession but QPR got more shots but it is hard to know from that stat how high the quality of the shot attempt was.
In any case, two wins for the Rangers and they climb to the middle part of the table1
Queen Park Ranger Defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1
Well done by the Hoops!
I read the match reports and see the highlights on the QPR site. Sometimes I'll watch sections of the full match replay if there is one posted at the QPR site.
Anyway, the team is always putting forth an effort. But in so many matches it is just a mistake or two and they get defeated or they miss some good chances and get only a draw.
Well, today, they got it done!
Late goal by the big man Smith at 81' to get the victory 2-1!
I wonder how many R fans are there in Los Angeles?
Below is the short highlight package without commentary at the QPR You Tube site. A longer version with commentary can be seen at the QPR page with registration.
I read the match reports and see the highlights on the QPR site. Sometimes I'll watch sections of the full match replay if there is one posted at the QPR site.
Anyway, the team is always putting forth an effort. But in so many matches it is just a mistake or two and they get defeated or they miss some good chances and get only a draw.
Well, today, they got it done!
Late goal by the big man Smith at 81' to get the victory 2-1!
I wonder how many R fans are there in Los Angeles?
Below is the short highlight package without commentary at the QPR You Tube site. A longer version with commentary can be seen at the QPR page with registration.
Los Angelino visiting West London's Loftus Road
Was recently in the UK on business travel. However, did have a little bit of free time in London. On the free evening I had, there was one soccer match in London: Queens Park Rangers vs. Fulham.
Went online and ordered up a ticket on the South Africa Road stand. When I bought the ticket online, I figured I should read up about the club before seeing the match and the big news was QPR's involvement in the Game For Grenfell. In the summer of 2017, a horrible fire engulfed Grenfell Tower killing 80 and impacting the lives of multitudes in the West London area. Some of the leadership of Queens Park Rangers, a club just a couple of miles from the Grenfell Tower, felt the need to do something for the community and the idea of a charity match gathered support from a wide range of people with ties to West London. As it stands, the effort may raise nearly 1 million pounds. I found it easy to like QPR because of their can do community spirit!
In terms of QPR's on-the-field efforts, they had been competitive in matches but couldn't seem to get any wins. Expectations against Fulham were hopeful but confidence couldn't be considered high given QPR's form leading up to the game.
Took the London Underground and got out at Shepherd's Bush Market station. This part of London is very ethnically diverse and Uxbridge Road buzzed with activity in shops and restaurants.
Walked to the venerable Loftus Road stadium that sits in the middle of the residential area. The TV trucks were parked on Loftus Road as the evenings match was a West London Derby and televised. It was a nice Friday evening just a little cool for a Southern Californian but at least no rain!
Went online and ordered up a ticket on the South Africa Road stand. When I bought the ticket online, I figured I should read up about the club before seeing the match and the big news was QPR's involvement in the Game For Grenfell. In the summer of 2017, a horrible fire engulfed Grenfell Tower killing 80 and impacting the lives of multitudes in the West London area. Some of the leadership of Queens Park Rangers, a club just a couple of miles from the Grenfell Tower, felt the need to do something for the community and the idea of a charity match gathered support from a wide range of people with ties to West London. As it stands, the effort may raise nearly 1 million pounds. I found it easy to like QPR because of their can do community spirit!
In terms of QPR's on-the-field efforts, they had been competitive in matches but couldn't seem to get any wins. Expectations against Fulham were hopeful but confidence couldn't be considered high given QPR's form leading up to the game.
Took the London Underground and got out at Shepherd's Bush Market station. This part of London is very ethnically diverse and Uxbridge Road buzzed with activity in shops and restaurants.
Went to the team store and picked up a cap.
Walked back to Uxbridge Road and looked for some pre-game food at Lahore Spice. Had some reasonably priced chicken biryani.
Walked back to the stadium, showed my ticket, and entered the stadium.
One of the stewards took a photo of me. He told me about the vocal but largely calm nature of the derby between Fulham and QPR compared to the more difficult Chelsea fans that are also part of the West London soccer scene. He observed that in the past, there were many American fans attending matches involving Fulham when Clint Dempsey with them. In an effort to establish my soccer fan credentials, I mentioned that Tim Ream is the current American on the Fulham squad. He asked me how I became a supporter of QPR. I told him essentially what I have relayed here: it was an opportunity to experience English football culture and I was impressed by QPR's efforts for the community with the Game For Grenfell.
Wonderful atmosphere as the QPR supporters cheered for their team. Alas, the visitors had more to cheer about as Fulham won 2-1.
Queens Park Rangers will struggle to be in the top half of the table as they operate under the shadow financial fair play violations from their mad dash for promotion to the Premier League during the 2013-2014 season. There is no question they broke the rules. Their only hope is that the size of the fines could be reduced upon appeal. As a small club, their finances are somewhat precarious and the current management is trying to run QPR in a financially sustainable manner and are hoping to put that sorry chapter behind them.
I will continue to follow and root for QPR even as they struggle as a bottom of the table English Football League Championship club because they are a community club with a heart as seen in the Game For Grenfell. More of that heart was on display the evening of the Fulham match when they had some participants from the Tiger Cubs on the field pre-match for photos, to meet players and receive the applause of the fans. This initiative involves the use of soccer and other activities to promote the well being of local Down Syndrome individuals.
Come on you R's!
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