Posts Tagged ‘Mark Schwarzer’

Perfect Timing for Maarten Stekelenburg to Join Fulham

Posted: June 3, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Opinion, Transfer
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Maarten Stekelenburg is expected to be unveiled by Fulham in the next few days (image © Getty Images)

Earlier today, Roma sporting director Franco Baldini confirmed, “I went to London to sell Stekelenburg to Fulham. There were many issues to be resolved. I reached an agreement subject to a number of conditions, like the player’s personal demands and the medical.”

While the deal isn’t DONE, it’s pretty darn close.  Roma still need to tie up a replacement, which if you remember is the same issue they had in January that ultimately killed the deal at the transfer window closure (while Stek was in flight to London).  They’re looking at young Santos goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, but nothing’s finalized on that front either.

Either way, it looks like this is about a 95% chance to complete, at a price range that speculation has anywhere between £3-£5 million, a bargain either way.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time for Fulham.

There have been mixed reactions by fans on Twitter and on story comments, but it’s a wonderful move by Martin Jol with the present and future in mind.

Stekelenburg is 30 years of age, which by goalkeeper standards is right around the peak.  He struggled at Roma, but more due to the manager’s personal preference (a la Casillas and Mourinho) than the keeper himself performing poorly.  This means he’s still at the top of his game while also being cheap.

If you remember, Fulham captured Mark Schwarzer himself at the ripe age of 35 and he gave the club five fantastic seasons that showed no signs of his age until the final one.

Speaking of Schwarzer, despite looking slowed by age in the first half of the season, he appeared reinvigorated in the second half and proved to the world he still has some left in the tank.  However, would you rather see the Australian, who’s given nothing but his all to the club in the last five years, finish his Fulham career on a high note? Or would you rather Jol ride him out until he falls apart on the pitch? I think the former is much more preferable.  Why make him prove to everyone he’s done before making a move for another goalkeeper?

Then there’s the curious case of David Stockdale.  Stocko is 27, young in goalkeeper terms but at the age where he should indeed be seeking first team action. He impressed many at Hull in his loan spell and may choose the newly promoted side over the bench at Fulham, and rightly so.

Many fans have pointed to giving Stockdale the first team role as a cheaper and effective option.  While this is true, Stockdale is still young and makes mistakes, as we saw in his limited time this season.  It would be unfortunate to lose a promising young English player, but people must realize at this club you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

I certainly can’t blame Jol for splashing a little cash towards a keeper who has been the number one option at the world’s number 9-ranked team in the Netherlands?

Stekelenburg is a top option at Fulham for a bargain price at a time that allows our current beloved keeper to leave Craven Cottage on a high rather than peter out at an even older age.  What more could we as fans ask for? It’s a perfect chance.

Schwarzer’s Presence Next Season By No Means Guaranteed

Posted: April 16, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Uncategorized
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Mark Schwarzer has been massive in goal this season for Fulham, saving penalties left and right, and showing he can still be fleet of foot.

Mark Schwarzer, according to The Mirror:

I have a contract until the end of the season and we will wait and see. I ­definitely want to play until the next World Cup. I have to get there first with Australia and see how we go.

Well, that’s not very encouraging. Is he in talks with the club?

Not at the moment no. I’m just trying to do the best I can and we’ll see what happens at the end of the season.

This is certainly something to monitor.  The Australian has been absolutely stellar the last 2 months, playing out of his mind and almost single-handedly earning Fulham a number of points with penalty saves and diving stops.

However, it’s impossible to brush aside the fact Schwarzer is 40 going on 41 years of age.  His aim is to secure a number 1 keeper job anywhere to ensure he can maintain his spot on the national side heading into the 2014 World Cup.  Since he’s explicitly expressed that as his goal, I’d expect him to hang up his boots after that competition, but he’s smart to realize the importance of club play in keeping his national team job.

While he’s been fantastic this season and it’s always tough to see a player who’s given so much to the club leave with time left in his career, Schwarzer’s unsure frame of mind on whether he wants to return could be exactly the opening the club needs to plan for the future at his position.  Fulham are in that tough spot with a seasoned vet locked into a position he may not exactly be qualified for much longer.  It’s very hard for Martin Jol to bench a player of Mark Schwarzer’s stature at the club, but now this would give him a reason to look elsewhere and in the long run may be important for the club.

There are upsides and downsides to the Australian both leaving or staying, but whatever happens, his contributions to the Craven Cottage faithful will not be overlooked or forgotten.

Schwarzer will have to be replaced as well if he leaves.  It would seem Fulham will not be able to retain both David Stockdale and Schwarzer, as both are capable of starting elsewhere and know it.  Stockdale hasn’t had much of an opportunity this season, but the few moments he had earlier in the year were not his brightest.  It seems Martin Jol doesn’t exactly fancy the Englishman, although if Schwarzer departs he may be the easiest – and therefore cheapest – option.

Fulham 3-2 QPR: 3 points at home, but NEVER DO THAT AGAIN

Posted: April 1, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Postgame
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Dimitar Berbatov finishes his brace to fend off a feisty QPR at the Cottage

I could use the old overused cliche “a tale of two halves” but that would be an understatement for the way this match went.  QPR made Fulham look like a Champions League side in the first 35 minutes.  The attack was organized, pacey, and overall exciting as Fulham peppered Julio Cesar and forced their London rivals to make mistake after mistake at the back.  The pressure was too much for QPR and it showed.

But mistakes struck Fulham again (and so did Lee Probert) and a goal before halftime by that man Adel Taarabt made it a bit more interesting at the break.  Just before that goal, Ashkan Dejagah picked up an injury on a foul on the touchline, and was substituted off just before the half for Urby Emmanuelson.  A small moment at the time but looking back that was the turning point of the match.  After Dejagah’s injury, it was all QPR the rest of the game, and Emmanuelson was an absolute travesty on the pitch.

The roles completely reversed in the second half, and if not for Mark Schwarzer’s penalty save (again) and another wonder save about 10 minutes later, this game would have ended with a completely different scoreline.

The good:

Dimitar Berbatov – Dimi’s touches were spectacular as always, but the most impressive thing to me about the Bulgarian was his consistency.  Sometimes only showing up for one half at a time, Berbatov was one of the few bright spots for Fulham in the second half, albeit he didn’t have many chances to show it thanks to the failure by most of the rest of the team.

Attack organization in the first half – It’s hard to pinpoint one player, but the overall structure of the attack in the first half was beautiful to watch.  Passes were sent with purpose, and every move was made with an end result in mind, something that I haven’t always seen from Fulham this year.

Emanuel Frimpong – More about this in a bit, but Frimpong certainly took advantage of his chance and has carved out a bit of a niche in this Fulham squad doing just what he was known for – being a physical presence in the midfield for special times when no-nonsense defense is required in the middle.

The bad:

Giorgos Karagounis – The Greek gave away a very silly foul in the corner of the penalty area, showing Kara had a bit of a lapse in pitch awareness, and gifted some passes back to QPR late in the second half when Fulham were trying to fend off the attack with possession.  He didn’t do a whole lot in the first half either, meaning his day was mostly a negative.  He was definitely fouled late in the game in the Rangers penalty area though, and Lee Probert decided not to give it. Speaking of which…

Lee Probert – I defended the referee on the Clint Hill yellow card.  I believe, while a vicious challenge that had legitimate shouts for a straight red, that yellow was ultimately the right decision on the challenge.  HOWEVER, that being said, if Hill’s was a yellow, then Probert’s decision to send off Steve Sidwell for a spikes-down challenge that got ball was a horrific decision, that thankfully didn’t have an impact on the scoreline, although it could have future impact on the lineup card for Fulham in the immediate future.  And, Probert’s decision to not give Fulham a penalty for the foul on Karagounis at the end of the match was a bad, bad miss as well.  Probert has given both of Fulham’s red cards this year, and while Hangeland’s was spikes up and was a little more legitimate, this one is never a red.

Urby Emmanuelson – Urby came to Fulham seeking more playing time than he’d been getting at AC Milan, with the idea that he’d return and be better for it.  Well, he hasn’t gotten the time, and you can only imagine he’d be getting frustrated.  He hasn’t said anything about it, which you have to give him credit for.  But football is a cutthroat business, and when you’re a player trying to make an impression, you have to take advantage of any precious minutes you receive.  Urby failed miserably to do that today, and was substituted back off when Sidwell received his yellow card.  He gave away possession, he failed to clear during dangerous moments, and he missed challenges when securing the midfield was needed.  You really hate to judge a player based on a few minutes of a substitute appearance, but when guys like Emanuel Frimpong take advantage of precious minutes given to them, when a guy like Urby doesn’t, it’s hard to see him getting many more opportunities.  You feel for the guy because he’s done nothing but be appreciative of his chance at Fulham, but he hasn’t made an impression enough to warrant too many more minutes at this stage.

Man of the Match: Mark Schwarzer, again.  His penalty save, plus the crazy stretch he made about 10 minutes later, sealed the match in retrospect.  It’s obvious Mark does his homework, and he knew Remy was going to the Aussie’s left even before the ball was struck.  Then he went full stretch and full dive to deny his old teammate Bobby Zamora of what would have been a well-storied equalizer.  Schwarzer has saved 5 points this season with just penalty saves – Arsenal saved a point on the draw, and both Stoke and QPR secured 2 points for sure and maybe even 3 both times.  He’s absolutely deserved another year, despite showing his age at times earlier on in the season.

Where from here? A tough but important 3 points now sees Fulham just one point clear of Swansea in 9th with a game in hand. How about that? Not long ago at all it was a 9-point gap.  However West Ham is just 3 points behind, and also are only on 30 matches completed instead of 31, like the Whites. Now Fulham have 5 more fixtures in the month of April.  Despite having the next two away, Aston Villa and Newcastle are both chances to pick up 3 points, if not at least 1.  Then it’ll be a dogfight at the Cottage against Chelsea and Arsenal, both teams with momentum.  It’s not going to be an easy finish, but with the win today, Fulham are safe from the drop (even though Martin keeps insisting they’re not) and can worry about their finishing position.

Fulham 0-1 Manchester United: It’s Not The Size Of The Dog In The Fight…

Posted: February 2, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Postgame
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Bryan Ruiz battles for a dribble

Just a week ago, this was 4-1. Just a week ago, it looked like it was 22-on-11, it looked like nobody cared, it looked like 11 players rather than 1 team.

Not anymore.

A week after the most boring 4-1 match in history, we had the most exciting 1-0 match in history. 5 posts hit in the first half.  32 shots overall.  49 crosses overall. 13 corners.  What a game.

The good:

The creativity – I put this here because no one single person stood out to me.  At any point, new players stepped up to make fantastic passes or runs.  Ashkan Dejagah was a joy to watch, although he needs to improve on his first touch.  Bryan Ruiz’s passing was poor in the first half, but he played so much better in the second and was a key player in the crazy charge in the final minutes.  Damien Duff also reappeared in the second half.  Hugo Rodallega ran things from the front, and made some fantastic cutting passes in the box and just outside it.  Sascha Riether played a key role on the right, especially after Rooney scored.  Urby Emanuelson came on in the 68th minute and showed his pinpoint long passing.  Nobody stood out to me, but everyone certainly contributed. Just ask Sir Alex Ferguson:

“I think it was really determined performance. It wasn’t easy because Fulham played their part”

Sascha Riether – Once again, the man stood out in defense.  Many are saying he’s our clear-cut player of the year, and I can’t disagree. A must-buy for Jol after the season.

Chris Baird – Also fantastic defensively in the midfield, with Sidders out Baird filled in admirably.  Happy he didn’t go to West Brom, yes? I know I am.

Mark Schwarzer – We’ve said here for a while that this may be Schwarzer’s last season as Fulham’s first choice keeper, and deservedly so.  But today, he matched David De Gea in quality, as both were fantastic between the sticks.  He made a ridiculous save inside the first 10 minutes, and kept up the performance the whole match.

The bad:

Philippe Senderos – I honestly don’t have much to put here, so I have to single out the man who made the mistake that led to the goal. Maybe I’ve been too harsh on Senderos this season, but he’s flat out not good.  He stayed too long under a header he had no chance of winning, and by the time he realized he’d been beaten, it was too late to recover, and Aaron Hughes was no match for Rooney that close to goal on his own.  Brede Hangeland left at halftime, and I hope he’s ok because I don’t know how much more of Senderos I can take. He’s good off corners, that’s about it.

The lights -

Some of the best jokes on Twitter included MAF forgetting to pay the electric bill despite pulling the club out of debt, Peter Odemwingie trying to tunnel into Loftus Road and hitting a main, and blaming David De Gea because everything’s his fault anyways.  Well done folks.

Man of the Match: This is tough for me, because like I said before, nobody really stood out to me.  I would have gone with Hangeland because he was doing excellent at the back before getting injured.  I’m going to go with Sascha Riether because he once again proves how valuable he is on the right, making tackle after tackle and providing lots on the attacking end as well.

What now?: This result was expected, just not in the way it happened. Of course it’s frustrating to not get anything from this match, but after last week, who honestly expected points here? It’s a great match to build from, and Martin Jol’s tactics were spot on.  With the added players from the transfer window into the ranks, it’s promising looking ahead.  We have Norwich away, Stoke home, Sunderland away in our next 3, and that’s a bit tougher of a stretch than it may sound off the bat given this team’s away record.  However, if we can manage at least 5 points from those 3 fixtures and not lose, it will be a successful period to me ahead of back-to-back games against Chelsea and Tottenham.

Remember: No points were earned from this match.  So the only way the valiant effort benefits us is if we build on it in the future.  If we take a step backwards in the next few games, this effort is all for nothing.  If we can build on this, it becomes a stepping stone and possibly a turning point in the season.  That all depends on what the club does going forward. COME ON YOU WHITES!

Martin Jol postgame:

“According to Jol, Brede Hangeland’s Achillies tightened up, nothing to play around with. Said it’s not serious, but may miss a few weeks”

UPDATE: Jol also said Brede Hangeland’s achillies tightened up, and although it’s not serious, he may miss a few weeks.  That’s a massive blow to a team with just 3 center backs on the roster, although Chris Baird can play back there in an emergency.

Fulham vs. Manchester United: If At First You Get Your Butt Kicked, Try Try Again

Posted: February 2, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Previews
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Fulham will have to do better than they did at Old Trafford last Saturday if they want to pick up any points.

Fulham will get a second go at Manchester United today as they look to build on their midweek win against West Ham and put even more space between themselves and the relegation zone.  The Whites got shellacked in their tie with United in the FA cup a week ago 4-1, in a wholly uninspiring performance, and will need to vastly improve on that if they are to claw any points from this matchup.

With the transfer window closed, you may see some new faces on the pitch for the home fans to get a look at, the most likely being Emmanuel Frimpong.  The loanee from Arsenal is hoping to get his first shot at providing midfield relief for Fulham, and there’s no better time to get minutes than the weekend following a midweek game, especially with Steve Sidwell out with a knee injury.http://fulhamsfinest.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

State of Fulham:

It’s difficult to overstate the magnitude of the 3 points picked up during the week against West Ham.  This club needed a win in the worst way, especially after the drubbing by United just prior, and while it wasn’t pretty, it’s still 3 points.  It puts Fulham in 12th place, 8 points clear of the drop.

Today could be an exciting day, with not only Emmanuel Frimpong possibly getting his debut, but Urby Emanuelson will also have a shot to play, and definitely even start.  While it’s not normal for Martin Jol to give new players their debut in their first game, Fulham are a bit thin with injuries and therefore could force Emanuelson into the side.  The versatile winger could be seen either at left-back with John Arne Riise’s form dipping, on the left wing, or even central midfield in attack.  Like I mentioned earlier, Steve Sidwell is out with a knee issue (which is actually a big blow to the side), so you could see Emanuelson in the middle as support for Bryan Ruiz.  Ruiz will most likely move up to his more preferred location in the attacking central midfield because Dimitar Berbatov will not play due to a hamstring injury. It will be interesting to see how Jol fits these new players in.

Not featuring will be the aforementioned Sidwell and Berbatov, as well as Kerim Frei and Mohamadou Diarra who both have long-term injuries.  In addition, both Eyong Enoh and Stanislov Manolev have yet to receive work permits and therefore will not be able to play.

State of Manchester United:

Things couldn’t be much better in Red, with United looking to go 10 points clear in first place with a victory at Craven Cottage.  The squad is quite healthy, with Johnny Evans and Rio Ferdinand recently fit to return to the side.  Only Ashley Young and possibly Javier Hernandez will miss out due to injury.  United beat Southampton away midweek, although it was a grinding victory and a bit of a shaky defensive performance, so expect Jol to at least try to replicate that in some way. Not much more to be said here, they’re really good.

EA Sports Stats of the Match:

-United have beaten Fulham in 6 of their last 7 matches in all competitions, with the lone other match a draw.  The last time Fulham beat Manchester United was in 2009 at Craven Cottage. That’s the only win for Fulham in their last 23 matches against United.

-Fulham will seriously miss Dimitar Berbatov.  That sounds like an obvious statement, but consider this: for all the crap he gets about being lazy, Berbatov is 2nd in the Premier League among strikers for passes in the opponent’s half of the pitch with 492.

-My guess at who replaces Berbatov is Mladen Petric.  It’s a perfect chance for him to see some minutes, which he hasn’t gotten very many of recently, mostly because Hugo Rodallega pairs with Berbs much better.  Petric has a goal every 138 minutes this season, good for 10th in the Premier League.  If he’d been credited with the goal Wednesday (instead of the Joey O’Brien own goal) that number would drop to a goal every 115 minutes, which would be 5th.

-Fulham’s suspect and porous defense has caused Mark Schwarzer to work hard this season.  The Aussie’s made 126 saves this season (third in the Premier League), averaging a save every 16 minutes.

888sport.com Lines of the Match:

Robin van Persie to score first – 11/4; to score anytime – 4/6
Now that Wayne Rooney has given up penalty duties to RVP, given how good his form has been, it’d be a risk to back anyone else to score first, or really at any time.

Javier Hernandez to score last – 9-2
Doesn’t it seem like he always comes on late and makes a difference? While Eden Dzeko is complaining he’s not a “super sub” Chicarito is quietly doing a man’s work for Untied off the bench.  The only issue here is he picked up a bit of a hip knock midweek and is unsure if he’ll make the squad.

First goal before the 26th minute – 5/6
I’d imagine, like Wednesday, this match will see goals and a good number early, so I think this is a good get.

Prediction:

I’m not liking our chances.  Like last Saturday, it will be more about what the performance looks like than what the final score is.  Fulham’s defense looked iffy against a West Ham attack missing Andy Carroll, I don’t really want to see what happens against United.  Manchester Untied 3-0. It will be a good match for Frimpong and Emanuelson to get time on the pitch with the first team though, which could be important going forward.

Fulham 2-1 Newcastle: First Win Since October Provides Hope

Posted: December 10, 2012 by Kyle Bonn in Postgame
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Steve Sidwell gets appreciation from his teammates after netting his first-half goal to put Fulham up 1-0.

A much-needed win at the fortress of Craven Cottage provides 3 points for Fulham to take on the “road” across town to QPR.  Meanwhile, Newcastle’s form continues to dip, with 1 win in their last 10 matches, including staying winless on the road this year.

A very exciting end-to-end match featured tons of chances, and while many went wasted by both sides, two moments of brilliance were enough to put Martin Jol’s side through for the win.

You have to look back to October 20th to find Fulham’s last win, and their 2 scores snapped a goalless streak that hit 317 minutes (3 matches plus some) before Steve Sidwell banged in his 4th goal of the season.

The midfield was strong, the attack was bright and creative despite the absence of Bryan Ruiz (which is promising given he’ll be out until January), and the defense was its usual porous but didn’t break save but once on a stunner from Hatem Ben Arfa that probably took a slight deflection as well.

Man of the Match:

Hugo Rodallega – I tweeted before the match that, while I recognized the fact that Rodallega has played more recently, I felt Mladen Petric up front would give us the best chance to win today.  I was obviously wrong.  It can’t be understated how important the relationship he has developed with Dimitar Berbatov is to the end product.  While I still think Petric is still a better ballhawk and finisher (what a blast from him today, missed the top corner by millimeters), Rodallega’s ability to cut and find space and strength in the air gave Newcastle all kinds of problems today.  Berbatov had a down day (more on that in a bit) and Hugo picked up the slack and more. Rodallega’s one mistake was somewhat obvious, he embarassingly dove after getting caught from behind in a 1-on-1 chance, but it doesn’t diminish how cutting he was today.

The good:

Sascha Riether – Riether continues to impress down the right-hand side, which is where the attack seemed to develop for the most part, especially early in the game.  Riether works incredibly hard, with the best example on a huge chance at the end of the first half when he streaked down the pitch untouched and took a touch from Duff before crossing to Berbatov in the box. He’s solid in defense as well, masterfully clearing off the line to deny Coloccini a powerful header in the top left corner.

Damien Duff – Duff’s been down the last few matches, being relegated to the bench at times, and often disappearing at others, with his usual pinpoint accuracy turning to limp, unstinging balls across the box.  Today, however, he was on point, picking up 2 assists and providing both long, dangerous crosses and short, cutting touches.  His free kick in the 2nd half found Rodallega’s head perfectly; it put Hugo in perfect position to redirect it into the back of the net.  Duffer’s going to need to continue this great form, as Fulham are quite thin both in the middle and on the edges.

Steve Sidwell – Ginger Iniesta’s reinvention of his game has given Fulham a MASSIVE boost, and given all the injuries and departures in the transfer window, an argument could certainly be made for midseason MVP of the club.  He’s turned from a conventional midfielder to something of a Danny Murphy clone.  He can score, but more importantly he provides power and strength in the midfield.  What a long way Sidwell has come from his dark days at Aston Villa.  While he’s not without his faults, it seems every time he gives the ball away he works his darndest to get it back, and his stamina is second to none.

The bad:

Alex Kacaniklic – The young Swede has shown so much promise so far at Craven Cottage, but recently he’s been very poor on the ball, and it’s starting to become a little troubling.  Martin Jol obviously has faith he’ll turn it around, as shown by the amount of runouts he’s getting, but his first touch especially hasn’t been anything to praise, and often results in giving the ball away.  He hasn’t found as much space recently either. I think he’ll turn it around, but it remains to be seen how much leeway he’ll get from Jol with Dejagah playing pretty well off the bench.

John Arne Riise – His defense was solid, but he was nonexistent in the attack with most of the cutting edge happening down the right edge.  That’s not entirely his fault and probably more a product of the gameplan, but I still think his goalless streak with Fulham is starting to get to his head.  He had one shot today, and it was clear over the bar from a long way out, and just the way his demeanor was before, during, and after, he seemed frustrated by his lack of scoring.  I hope it doesn’t continue to bother him.  He’s gotta just get back to doing what he does well, rather than trying to be something he’s not anymore.  Goals are nice from defenders, but as Sascha is proving, that’s not their top priority. Riether recently has outplayed Riise by a long ways recently.

Mark Schwarzer – Today was the day we’ve been waiting for for a long time.  Had it not been for the fantastic play of the defense (all 3 of Riether, Hughes, and Hangeland performed spectacularly at the back), this could have been a very bad finish.  Schwarzer has seemed to be losing a touch of his decision-making with every game, and today it was really bad. He also, for the first time, seems to be finally losing a bit of reaction time.  His range is still all there, but I think it’s getting very close to the time to make the permanent switch to David Stockdale.  Schwarzer has been a workhorse, and has given a ton of his career and life to Fulham, and it’s incredibly appreciated. But I think the best interest of the club is to move to the young English talent sooner rather than later.

Dimitar Berbatov – His ball movement and first touch was second to none as always, and a joy to watch.  But his finishing left a lot to be desired, and going forward Fulham are going to need him to finish chances.  Had Newcastle equalized, it would have been even more painful to see a replay of that 1-on-1 chance he blasted straight at Tim Krul (to be fair it was also a great save but he should have done better).  Putting him here was tough since even on an off day he’s one of the best players on the pitch, but he needs to convert those chances if Fulham are going to consistently get points in the future.

888sport.com Lines of the Week Recap:

This week I debuted the sponsored segment 888sport.com Lines of the Week.  So how’d I do if I was a betting man? (For the record I’m not, it’s a touch illegal here in the States).

Dimitar Berbatov to score anytime: 5/4
I lost here, but not for a lack of trying.  That 1v1 chance he blew would have made me furious had I put money on this.

Hatem Ben Arfa to score anytime: 4/1
Bang. Off the deflection.

Half with the most goals – 2nd: evens
2-for-3, I’ll take it to the bank. Thanks for playing!

What now?: This can’t end. The club can’t take its 1 win, put it in the bank, and start over.  There were some issues today, but overall a lot of positives to build on and bring to Loftus Road.  Anything but a win there is a bit of a disappointment, and it would certainly be painful to be QPR’s first win of the season. Good win today! Time to beat the ambitious ones.

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