| Furlong 13:11 - Feb 15 with 1946 views | YorkRanger |
Nice interview in The Times today. Hereferences grown men kissing his Dad after the Oldham game. He said "it was all I'd ever know so it was not weird, I was unbelievably proud"... |  | | |  |
| Furlong on 14:39 - Feb 15 with 1765 views | YorkRanger |
Darnell Furlong grew up knowing only the heroic status of his father. He recalls being eight years old and astonished that grown men would plant kisses on the head of Paul Furlong, who became an iconic figure for Queens Park Rangers, spending five years at Loftus Road after proving his worth at Chelsea. The advantage, however, to being the son of a goalscoring hero who has returned to the club as an academy coach is more subtle than it might first appear.
The 23-year-old has played 50 games for the club, having played his debut in 2015, and has become an integral part of Steve McClaren’s Sky Bet Championship side, but not because of his name or his contacts. After all, the defender’s younger brother, Darian, became a carpenter after being released by the club. The advantage gained by Darnell lies in that his father knows what advice to give to a young player and when to give it.
“He always had a point to make about everything,” Furlong says. “I’d do training sessions here when I was younger and I’d come off the field thinking I hadn’t done that well and he’d point out what I had done well and I’d think, yeah, the mistakes were clouding my vision.
“I played against Sunday league teams when I was younger and it was almost as if the parents were angry with their son or daughter if they hadn’t had a good game. I couldn’t understand why my dad wasn’t like that but I was glad that he wasn’t. I would imagine the reason is that he learnt the game and knew what advice made him a better player.”
Unsurprisingly, Furlong began life as a striker but, as he was often moved up an age group, he would have to fill whatever gap the more experienced team needed and he has now ended up in the first team at right back, although many supporters think he should be a centre half given his prowess at heading the ball.
“I think I’ve found my position,” he says. “If you’re good at heading as a centre half you look all right but I think I’m suited to right back.”
QPR face Watford in the fifth round of the FA Cup this evening on the back of a poor run of form, having failed to win a game in the league since Boxing Day. However, Javi Gracia, the Watford head coach, will find a team unlikely to buckle if the Premier League side take the lead.
In their previous home game, the west London club found themselves 4-0 down against Birmingham City after 42 minutes and yet by the final whistle they were left disappointed, having clawed back three goals and missed a penalty in stoppage time to lose 4-3.
“To be 4-0 down is something in your career you never want to happen,” Furlong says. “I sound stupid saying it but after the game there was a feeling that we were unlucky not to win. Forget about drawing it, the way we came out fighting, I was thinking we could nick this and to say that is absolutely mental, but that was the general feeling. We’re going to need that attitude again, it might or might not be against Watford.”
The FA Cup is particularly open this year with only seven Premier League sides left in the competition.
“We haven’t done too well in cups for quite a while so it’s nice to be in the mix,” Furlong says. “You’re looking around for the Premier League clubs and they’re not there. It’s exciting to know that you are one of the stronger teams in the cup.”
QPR are, having been associated with overspending, now a club who place the emphasis on developing youth and promoting from within.
“When I was 16, 17, 18 I used to worry and look at the first team and wonder, who is playing in there, who was in the youth team like I am now,” he says.
“I knew my dream was to play for the first team but there was no one who had shown the way.
“It is an amazing feeling to have been one of the first to come through now I’m in the first team. The philosophy was high wage bills and to buy players, not to chuck in the youngsters but now it feels like home and it’s nice to be part of it.”
Furlong went on loan – to Northampton Town, Cambridge United and Swindon Town – and was “worried” at first but soon realised it was accelerating his development. “It’s not just about ability and learning against men who are fighting for their families but on paper, managers can see what you can do,” he says. “If you’ve only played under-23 football there’s a limit to what you can do. There’s no men in it.”
After his dad scored against Oldham Athletic in May 2003 to send QPR to the Division Two – now Sky Bet League One – play-off final, Darnell waited for him outside Loftus Road.
“I remember the crowd erupting when he scored and then waiting for my dad outside the ground and the crowd going nuts again, grown men kissing him,” he says. “It was all I’d ever known so it was not weird but I was unbelievably proud.”
Inevitably, the connection with his famous dad crops up a lot.
“You get a bit of banter but it’s all light-hearted,” he says.
“I’ve always been very proud of my dad and what he’s achieved. People say how similar we are, similar mannerisms, the way we walk, the way we do things.” | | | |
| Furlong on 15:19 - Feb 15 with 1717 views | smegma |
Next Thursday marks four years to the day he made his debut away to Hull City. Chris Ramsay had seen enough in the under 23s to hand him his first start . I wasn't so sure myself but it has to be said he had a great game. This was the day a certain scouser decided he would make the headlines again by getting a straight red for being his usual petulant childish self. This remember was following 7 yellows in 7 games which has to be some sort of record?? Unfortunately for Darnell, in his next two games (Arsenal home and Palace away) he was exposed to the high standards the Premier League brings. A lot of kids may have been demoralised but he has shown if you put your head down you will eventually get there. I think he should be held up as an example to the current crop in the Academy ranks of where you can go in terms of a football career .
My doubts about him playing at Hull were based on the fact ( wrongly maybe) I thought nepotism was in play. He is now an established member of the squad . |  | | |
| Furlong on 15:51 - Feb 15 with 1621 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
Football is all about opinions, but I will never understand the criticism of Darnell Furlong.
The Bolasie / Sanchez skinnings were down to SWP in my opinion, and for some reason we forget that the other ten players played like shite too in those games, including seasoned pros like Green, Caulker, Yung, and the vvanker in chief Barton. As Smegma said, he was severely let down by him IMO.
He's 24 soon. Give him that right back slot for ten years.
One thing missing from this New QPR Youth Utopia is a stalewart. He can be our Lloyd Doyley. |  | | |
| Furlong on 15:53 - Feb 15 with 1611 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Furlong on 15:51 - Feb 15 by BazzaInTheLoft |
Football is all about opinions, but I will never understand the criticism of Darnell Furlong.
The Bolasie / Sanchez skinnings were down to SWP in my opinion, and for some reason we forget that the other ten players played like shite too in those games, including seasoned pros like Green, Caulker, Yung, and the vvanker in chief Barton. As Smegma said, he was severely let down by him IMO.
He's 24 soon. Give him that right back slot for ten years.
One thing missing from this New QPR Youth Utopia is a stalewart. He can be our Lloyd Doyley. |
spot on. Baffles me why people still even now refer to it. Against Sanchez he actually played well, but Sanchez was the best player in the league at the time and so naturally had a great game - as he did every week during that period. And against Palace, you're right - SWP gave him absolutely nothing, it was a disgrace. And yet still people bring these games up. I don't get it.
(not a dig against you Smegma btw, just mean generally). |  |
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| Furlong on 15:58 - Feb 15 with 1602 views | smegma |
| Furlong on 15:51 - Feb 15 by BazzaInTheLoft |
Football is all about opinions, but I will never understand the criticism of Darnell Furlong.
The Bolasie / Sanchez skinnings were down to SWP in my opinion, and for some reason we forget that the other ten players played like shite too in those games, including seasoned pros like Green, Caulker, Yung, and the vvanker in chief Barton. As Smegma said, he was severely let down by him IMO.
He's 24 soon. Give him that right back slot for ten years.
One thing missing from this New QPR Youth Utopia is a stalewart. He can be our Lloyd Doyley. |
Sanchez and Bolassie skinned every defender that season and like you mentioned, he wasn't protected by a bloke who spent more time counting his bank balance than doing the one thing he was paid ridiculous amounts of money for. Both are sons of ex players yet only one can look himself in the mirror . | | | |
| Furlong on 16:11 - Feb 15 with 1573 views | PeterHucker |
| Furlong on 15:58 - Feb 15 by smegma |
Sanchez and Bolassie skinned every defender that season and like you mentioned, he wasn't protected by a bloke who spent more time counting his bank balance than doing the one thing he was paid ridiculous amounts of money for. Both are sons of ex players yet only one can look himself in the mirror . |
actually SWP can look at himself in a mirror.
But only if it's one of those floor level ones they have in shoe shops. |  | | |
| Furlong on 16:22 - Feb 15 with 1540 views | JordanFoster |
He gets slaughtered on Twitter regularly, I find it infuriating.
I remember half-time against Arsenal, Furlong Snr flew down to the tunnel and grabbed a word with him before he went out for the second half.
I'd also never seen a player so determined to make it as a pro and so proactive in getting feedback from coaches. I know every young player is determined and driven, but I have never seen anything like Darnell.
There was also an issue with him in the EDS that despite him being exceptional in the air he would struggle to land on his feet 90% of the time which of course made him a target. Seems to have rectified that but kept the leap thankfully. | | | |
| Furlong on 18:21 - Feb 15 with 1359 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| Furlong on 16:11 - Feb 15 by PeterHucker |
actually SWP can look at himself in a mirror.
But only if it's one of those floor level ones they have in shoe shops. |
Or the one on his ceiling while some C lister is riding him like Red Rum. | | | |
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| Furlong on 18:42 - Feb 16 with 887 views | westberksr |
| Furlong on 15:51 - Feb 15 by BazzaInTheLoft |
Football is all about opinions, but I will never understand the criticism of Darnell Furlong.
The Bolasie / Sanchez skinnings were down to SWP in my opinion, and for some reason we forget that the other ten players played like shite too in those games, including seasoned pros like Green, Caulker, Yung, and the vvanker in chief Barton. As Smegma said, he was severely let down by him IMO.
He's 24 soon. Give him that right back slot for ten years.
One thing missing from this New QPR Youth Utopia is a stalewart. He can be our Lloyd Doyley. |
Totally agree, he was a kid thrown into a shite prem team, marking 2 of the best players in the prem at the time. had no support from that waste of space SWP, yet never hid.
His manner has always impressed me and I still think CB might be his long term role but happy for him to continue as is for now. |  | | |
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