One Season Down and Non the Wiser

Sometimes after watching a strenuous Kevin Costner film, you suddenly think to yourself - ‘What a waste of three hours!’

Well Queens Park Rangers must be thinking similar circles, as they must be thinking - ‘What a waste of a season!’

Looking back at the beginning of the season, QPR promised so much. As the season progressed they never kicked on, Premier League football in the next two seasons was the promise.

Now they are one season down and none the wiser.

Iain Dowie has been and gone, Paulo Sousa only lasted 26 games. Now Gareth Ainsworth will see out the season. Not quite preparations for next season’s onslaught as they head bosses had have hoped.

Continuity is always important and the mega rich owners have patience as thin as Kate Moss. They demand instant success.

Success needs to be a product worked on and the players added to the current QPR squad are good enough to push promotion but they need more time adjust and play with each other to make them a very competitive team.

They have every foundation and credentials to make it but now their next managerial appointment needs to know he has some time to turn outsiders for the playoffs into promotion contenders.

Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson is touted as the next man to accept the post but this may not be the best way to go.

No doubt, he is an upcoming manager that is destined for great things but working at Peterborough for another season or so will help him develop and become a better manager. The Posh’s run may be a flash in a pan but if he can have three somewhat successful seasons he would be in a better position to do well.

Paul Ince’s decline showed a man who was not ready in an environment that was unknown to him, especially with so little experience. Gareth Southgate, for example, knows Middlesbrough and that is why he has done well.

They may be better to go for someone who has a ‘been there and done it’ T-shirt. The chairman and co-owner Flavio Briatore has now had four managers and two caretakers in a year-and-a-half, hardly ideal preparations to mount a promotion charge.

QPR now have one season to fulfil their Premier League promise but it would take one special managerial appointment, a skill obviously lacking from the Formula 1 maestro.

(Champ Corner, Football Fancast, 2009)