Away Fans Views: QPR (A) ryanlufc May 6, 2011 Away Fans Views 1 Comment Thanks to Adam Boxer from Vital QPR for taking part. His site is: www.qpr.vitalfootball.co.uk and can be found on Twitter @VitalQPR Ryan – Firstly, congratulations on winning the league. Is this how you expected the season to pan out for you? Adam – Many thanks – and I’d be lying if I said this has met with my expectations. I have a lot of time and respect for Neil Warnock as a manager and I thought with the group of players we had that we’d be certainties for the playoffs this season. Mind you I have had my fingers burned before so I was understandably not too vocal of these views! I have for several seasons been reminding those on Vital QPR to keep the faith, and sometimes this becomes very easy to ridicule particularly in light of the circus that has followed us around in recent seasons. Nevertheless my faith, and the faith of thousands of QPR supporters has been rewarded – following a 15 year exile, we’re back! Ryan – What are your expectations for your Premiership campaign next season? Adam – I have no idea what to expect, we have achieved so much this season in terms of my own expectations and depending on how many additions and the quality of these we could be just about anywhere come next season. I would initially say fourth from bottom is all that I hope for, and a couple of gutsy performances against our common enemy in Chelsea. If we do recruit wisely then we could push higher up, but baby steps need to be taken and I would rather we ensure that Warnock stays put and the right calibre of player is introduced. Ryan – What do you make of the whole Alejandro Faurlin transfer saga that’s been in the news for the last few weeks? What do you think will be the result of the FA’s hearing? Adam – This saga has taken several twists and turns over the past few weeks and the only people that aren’t talking about it are the parties that hold the key information, the FA and Queens Park Rangers, evidently so as not to prejudice the case. The so-called experts and sources have waded in with their ill-advised ramblings. Sean Custis at The Sun has made more than a few enemies in recent weeks, spouting nothing but drivel and then back-tracking on his Twitter page – since then he has since to update. People on both sides of the divide have their opinions, but from what I can see a fine would suffice as the evidence in the trial is based on QPR over-inflating their announcement of the £3.5m fee paid, evidently for PR purposes – and clerical errors on forms. Everything else, while interesting to discuss, is purely circumstantial and hopefully something we can now overlook. Ryan – Despite there being nothing for you to play for on Saturday, do you expect QPR to be going all out for the win or taking it a bit easy? Adam – It’s a question you probably know the answer to. Neil Warnock is our manager, I can’t imagine anything that man ever does is without 100% commitment and passion for the game – he will pick the right team accordingly and hopefully have them suitably motivated to play as champions in front of a packed house. There are a few doubts for the game, and unquestionably he won’t risk certain players, but those he does pick in the starting eleven I’m sure will be suitably refreshed and motivated to complete the task on our home patch – by proxy snuffing out Leeds’ playoff hopes. Ryan – In your opinion, who’s been your best player this season? Adam – Adel Taarabt will unquestionably be mentioned by many as a misunderstood genius. An enigmatic individual that simply won’t have an average game. He’ll either light up a spectacle or it simply won’t happen for him, and it is an attitude that Warnock is attempting to modify to get the best out of the Moroccan marvel. He however has been usurped for my money, Paddy Kenny has been for me the main reason that Queens Park Rangers have been so consistent and kept as many shut outs as they have. The ‘keeper oozes confidence and is the first to snuff a chance from the back-line wherever defenders have got themselves into trouble. 23 clean sheets to his name and hardly changes his disposition and confidence in making saves and helping the Rangers rearguard. That is why for me he pips Taarabt to the award, but they’re both very special for different reasons. I cannot go without mentioning the other ‘bread and butter players’ as Warnock calls them – Shaun Derry, Clint Hill, Heidar Helguson, Jamie Mackie – they have proven that you don’t need class and total football to save the day – hard work and graft at times can be the key ingredient to haul you from this level. Ryan – Who’s been the best team you’ve seen this season? Adam – That is a very good question – a difficult one as well. The teams at this level are very inconsistent. Indeed Millwall and Norwich fans would be scratching their heads and wondering how we’re top, simply because of our off days against both teams – nevertheless there are others that will sit aghast at how well we’ve played. We were beaten by yourselves, who were very good in difficult conditions, Watford, who more than capitalised on our few frailties at Loftus Road, and the aforementioned Millwall and Norwich. Scunthorpe was an unmitigated disaster, but the less said about that the better. Out of these teams I would say that Norwich have been the best we’ve played this season. Much like us with a solid consistent foundation they have strengthened well and existing talents like Grant Holt have stepped up. I was very happy to see them get the job done as frankly they are streets ahead of the likes of Cardiff City. Ryan – Who’s been the best non QPR player in the Championship this season? Danny Graham has been simply phenomenal. To score as many goals as he has in a relatively mediocre Watford side makes him a key candidate for Premier League clubs next season, who knows maybe even QPR will punt on the former Middlesbrough man. Craig Bellamy, although I am loathed to say it, is a fine talent. Such fantastic vision and movement – here is a player that should definitely not be playing Championship football and fully expect him to step back up with another club next campaign. Ryan – Are there any Leeds players you’d like to see in a QPR shirt next season? Adam – This is going to sound horrendously cruel, but in the Premier League I think that maybe Kasper Schmeichel and Robert Snodgrass may be able to step up, but others – much like our current squad – would struggle to compete effectively. Snodgrass would be my best bet if I had to pluck a player from Elland Road, purely for his skill and effort and ability – much like Taarabt – to conjure up something from nothing. He has a very useful cross on him and perhaps could slot into the present system. Ryan – Finally, what’s your prediction for the game? I’m going for a 1-1 draw. Adam – That sounds like a fair score-line to me. Radek Cerny will probably be between the sticks, and with all due respect to him he’s not Paddy Kenny. On Saturday it showed at times that the defenders were perhaps not on a similar wavelength to him which is understandable. I fully expect Leeds to give it their all for 90 minutes in the hope that Forest will slip up, so while we could net a goal, I expect Leeds to be a side fully motivated.