uRRRs blogWhy do we go to football? Sheffield United 3 - QPR 0 |
Posted: August 17th 2008
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“WE – WANT – ENGLISH – PLAYERS”
The words rang out, half spoken / half chanted, and clearly came from one individual. Not a man, you suspect, who normally leads the chanting at games, but rather one so angry that he felt the need to make a stand.
I turned round just in time to see a bloke in his 50s, greying, dress smart / casual, who were I to be a subscriber to the jobbing journo’s book of clichés, I’d undoubtedly have described as “incandescent with rage”.
“...’kin posers” he muttered under his breath by way of conclusion. Minutes later, the final whistle was mercifully blown. Players who so often are berated for not clapping the fans after an awayday humiliation for the most part made their way disconsolately towards the Rs supporters. A little ritual was played out as the players tried to show their appreciation, whilst for the most part not daring to venture beyond the halfway line, no doubt not really wanting to hear the abuse being hurled their way.
“What a waste of money!” was chanted by enough to have no doubt been audible. Kaspars Gorkss, yet to have an inspiring day in a Rangers shirt, might have thought it was aimed at him. Radek Cerny, who for the second game in succession had to endure an audible minority chanting the name of his main competitor for the ‘keeper’s jersey, most probably thought he was the target. The young foreign legion of Ledesma, Parejo, Alberti and Di Carmine probably didn’t get the words, but will undoubtedly have got the message.
Hopefully, some of the UK-born players who’d had ‘mares also felt just a tad humble. Of course the chant may have had another explanation, something along the lines of “this day out has cost me £75 and I expected a bit more in return”.
So what DO we expect? Not this weekend, not this season...just generally, when we go to football.
I’d been wondering about this at half time, as I went down to the bar and saw for the most part smiling faces despite Rangers’ first half performance of stunning ineptitude having left us 2-0 down. Camaraderie, I concluded. Everywhere I looked I saw happy groups – groups of old men, groups of young lads, families. And of course every team has its fair share of...er...”characters” (ok then – nutters) for whom you suspect Monday to Friday might be a genuine struggle, but Saturday with their team, their fellow supporters, is a relative joy.
The final whistle, however, had me hurriedly revising my amateur psychology. Disappointment, resignation, anger...a whole host of emotions were on view in the away end at Bramall Lane, none of them positive. The camaraderie of the day out had clearly not been enough.
So yes, we all want to win. Failing that, we want to see effort from our players. And ideally we want to be entertained a bit too. What order we put that lot in no doubt varies...and is further complicated by whatever expectations you have chosen to place on your team. At the start of the new season, these are inevitably (if often unrealistically) heightened. And when the media won’t let you forget you have the richest owners in world football...and for all their words of caution about 4 year plans and not doing a Chelsea, those owners have just rocketed the price of your season ticket up and are indulging in ‘new’ Labour style spin about a ‘new’ era at every turn...well it’s hard for even the most hard-bitten cynic (ie. the majority of QPR fans) to keep a lid on those expectations.
A year ago, a 3-0 reverse at Bramall Lane would’ve been met with resigned shrugs, wry grins, and “same old Rangers”. But this is a new era...isn’t it?
Right, let me state here and now that my glass is still half full. Not necessarily re the safety (or otherwise) of the heart, soul and heritage of our club in the long term, but certainly with regards to our ability to compete over a 46 game season at the right end of the Championship table.
Parejo looked class yesterday AND got stuck in. Ledesma, for all his theatrics, battled til the end, and looked the fans in the eye at the end and applauded genuinely. Gorkss was last season’s Player of the Season in a Blackpool team that massively over-achieved, so is clearly proven at this level, and will, I am certain, get better. I’m not yet convinced Cerny is better than Camp, but equally believe we have two strong keepers for this level, each of whom would be welcomed at any other top half Championship side.
So, greying smart/casual man...less of the ‘we’ next time. I love seeing homegrown players coming through the ranks into the first team, be they gritty, skilful or both, but in modern football, every player is an inter-continental travelling gun for hire, and you grab what you can when you can. If that means Buzsaky, Parejo and Ledesma, I’m over the moon.
I* - WANT – ENTERTAINING - PLAYERS. Ones who get me out of my seat, ones who do things most of us could only dream of, see things normal players don’t see. Potentially we have several of these in our current squad, and I hope we stick with them, as starters, not (ahem) “impact subs”. Peter Crouch in an England squad – that’s what I call an impact sub. Buzsaky, Parejo, Ledesma & Cook all in the same squad at QPR? Start with those 4 names and build a team from there. Let’s try to give them the security of a better organised defensive unit, then let them play. (* my view smart casual man – I don’t presume to speak for our multi-layered fanbase as a whole).
The Blades public yesterday clearly loved their gung ho, up & at ‘em tactics. Good for them, they got 3 goals, 3 points, and went home happy. Me? I came of footballing age with QPR in the mid-70s, and that’s the sort of football I love to see from the hoops. So I’m prepared to throw in my lot with the international youngsters, ably assisted by some of the classy Brit players we have.
In two far from convincing League performances so far, I have seen enough glimpses to believe, truly believe, that there will be times this season that, with our best players fit, we will tear the opposition apart. Granted, if we don’t sort the defence, it could be like Keegan’s Newcastle, but after 10 years of dross, I’d take that.
Bring on Donny...