| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? 21:37 - Jul 30 with 17316 views | DejR_vu |
There's been some debate on other threads about LF.
Les was appointed DoF in Feb 2015. We were relegated, bottom. Burnley and Hull were relegated with us.
We left behind the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle, who have been relegated since but are back in the Premier League. There were Stoke and West Brom who, although now in the Championship, stayed in the Premier League for a few more seasons before getting relegated.
Sunderland survived that year.
Leicester had been promoted with us the previous season.
Crystal Palace had survived their first season.
In the Championship that season were Bournemouth, Watford, Norwich, Middlesbrough, Brentford, Wolves, Cardiff, Forest, Leeds, Fulham.
Sheff Utd were in league One.
Clubs have been relegated with big wage bills, but promoted since. Clubs have traded their way to the Premier League. Clubs have produced academy players they've sold for big money.
We've wasted parachute money, we've sold one player for big money, and had smaller wins with a couple more. We've let Manning, and BOS slip through our fingers for nothing. Our academy hasn't produced a player who's been sold for money under LF's watch.
The best striker we've had is a bloke we borrowed twice who had a two month purple patch.
Looking at that list, Sunderland and Hull have done worse than us.
Burnley, Newcastle, Leicester, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Watford, Norwich, Brentford, Wolves, Fulham and Sheff Utd have all done significantly better. I think you can add Cardiff, West Brom and Stoke to that list. Villa, Leeds and Forest are all in the Premier League now.
Different clubs with different ways of doing things, but all more successful than us, even though we had the advantage of Premier League money / parachute money over many of them back then.
How can anyone claim LF is doing a good job? I'm genuinely interested. I can't fathom it.
[Post edited 30 Jul 2022 21:45]
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| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:21 - Aug 1 with 2231 views | Juzzie |
Has anyone with such strong concerns actually contacted the Club about them?
Seems kind of pointless repeating the same rhetoric over & over again on social media. |  | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:22 - Aug 1 with 2211 views | stanistheman |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 11:47 - Aug 1 by kensalriser |
We were totally reamed by FFP yet even after all that you think we should have spent MORE money? [Post edited 1 Aug 2022 15:58]
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If we had spent some more we probably wouldn't have been relegated.
We were in and out of the bottom 3 in January 2015 and only 3-4 points separated about 5 clubs including QPR Burnley, WBA, Aston Villa, Hull & Sunderland.
Leicester were about 10 points adrift and climbed clear of the bottom 3.
Had we spent money on Defoe and a CB we would imo have not been relegated, but as the OP mentioned, many on here, other MBs and perhaps the DoF and QPR Board thought relegation and regrouping in the Championship for a short spell to be the preferred option. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:29 - Aug 1 with 2167 views | LongsufferingR |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:22 - Aug 1 by stanistheman |
If we had spent some more we probably wouldn't have been relegated.
We were in and out of the bottom 3 in January 2015 and only 3-4 points separated about 5 clubs including QPR Burnley, WBA, Aston Villa, Hull & Sunderland.
Leicester were about 10 points adrift and climbed clear of the bottom 3.
Had we spent money on Defoe and a CB we would imo have not been relegated, but as the OP mentioned, many on here, other MBs and perhaps the DoF and QPR Board thought relegation and regrouping in the Championship for a short spell to be the preferred option. |
"If we had spent some more we probably wouldn't have been relegated."
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| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:30 - Aug 1 with 2163 views | stanistheman |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 14:06 - Jul 31 by ParkRoyalR |
Is our DoF responsible for over-seeing the scheduling of our pre-season friendlies?
Questions need to be asked of whoever is, as our only decent friendly (against Palace) happened I believe as their supposed friendly that day (versus Charlton) was cancelled, so that slot came free and again, fortunately, with so many of their high profile players not vaxxed and unable to travel to Austrailia, we did'nt end up playing against their u23's.
I just hope Beale has'nt been appointed as he'll work for a season or two within our current structure without being overly questioning of our set-up and academy, in the way maybe Warburton was. |
I did post about our pre season friendlies not being enough of a test and Saturday's performance and Beale's comments about not enough training sessions to implement his preferred style would suggest that the pre season schedule was not enough of a test.
I would have preferred more games and a mix of the 1st team squad and younger fringe players to play more minutes in the 'newer' tactics and formation.
Were the fixtures down to MB, LF or both? Whoever it was, it is my opinion that they got it wrong, but I would say it was more down to LF, because it was similar to last season's. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:31 - Aug 1 with 2136 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 11:55 - Aug 1 by CliveWilsonSaid |
His other legacy is the culture of diversity he’s helped to install at the club. Should be celebrated I think. |
Well, yes, but now this thread is going to be turned in Jordan Peterson jamboree! |  | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:44 - Aug 1 with 2111 views | stanistheman |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:29 - Aug 1 by LongsufferingR |
"If we had spent some more we probably wouldn't have been relegated."
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What makes you so certain that it wouldn't have helped to have signed Defoe and a defender like Huth?
They both played their part in keeping Sunderland and Leicester in the Premiership (although the former couldn't keep on doing this at that basket case of a club).
But you obviously know best, don't you? | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:45 - Aug 1 with 2100 views | danehoop |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:44 - Aug 1 by stanistheman |
What makes you so certain that it wouldn't have helped to have signed Defoe and a defender like Huth?
They both played their part in keeping Sunderland and Leicester in the Premiership (although the former couldn't keep on doing this at that basket case of a club).
But you obviously know best, don't you? |
Well to be fair, you probably don't. |  |
| Never knowingly understood |
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| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:46 - Aug 1 with 2098 views | Northernr |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:44 - Aug 1 by stanistheman |
What makes you so certain that it wouldn't have helped to have signed Defoe and a defender like Huth?
They both played their part in keeping Sunderland and Leicester in the Premiership (although the former couldn't keep on doing this at that basket case of a club).
But you obviously know best, don't you? |
The club tried for Defoe on numerous occasions when we were chucking the money about, even came close at one point, but he was scathing about the state of the place and the way the club was managed and didn't want to come. Considering he signed for Sunderland and Portsmouth that tells you how abysmally QPR was run and how crap our facilities were.
Two Januarys prior, when we were battling relegation again, we did spend the money. Lots of it. Remy, Samba, Townsend, Jenas. Got relegated regardless. All it did was put us further into the financial sht, which we're still paying for now.
This is what I never get about fans that always want money spent, more signings the better, sack the manager. When has it ever worked for us? It's absolutely no guarantee of anything. There's still this prevailing attitude that the reason we fell apart last season was because we didn't "sign a fcking striker" in January. West Brom had a much better team than us on paper, went unbeaten through the first dozen league games, way bigger wage bill and budget, they spent £8m on a striker in January, he's still yet to score a goal for them and they collapsed as well.
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| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 13:12 - Aug 1 with 2016 views | Welsh_Ranger |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 10:32 - Aug 1 by stanistheman |
We had parachute money as well when we got relegated in 2015. That wasn't used to get us back up, instead, Ferdinand gambled and appointed Ramsey as manager and then on JFH instead of Warnock or Jokanovic (who took the job at Fulham instead and won promotion).
I would also add that Ferdinand was originally brought in as an advisor (a DOF in al but name) in October 2014 and was instrumental in advising not to spend any money in the January window that eventually saw Redknapp leave and Ramsey appointed as caretaker. And we all know how brilliantly those decisions went.
Yes, this post should have topic could have been created in pre season or later on in say September when the current transfer window ends and we have played games or so. However, the question about Ferdinand has been raised a number of times over the years since he got the job without it ever being advertised or other options interviewed.
It really was an appointment of appeasement given his status amongst QPR fans.
Is he the best person for the role now is more like the question to be asked.
Yes, we have a new training ground and a few players that can be sold for a reasonable amount (as long as their contracts are not allowed to run down and some of them are getting a bit close to that now so their value will be dropping).
Do I want a change now? No, I will want to wait and see how this season goes, but at some point I think it will be time to end his contract and if we need a DoF advertise the role and try and get a better qualified person. |
I'm sure that parachute payment was used to absorb the exorbitant wages we were paying to primadonna players and or paying off their contracts. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 13:54 - Aug 1 with 1923 views | stanistheman |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 12:46 - Aug 1 by Northernr |
The club tried for Defoe on numerous occasions when we were chucking the money about, even came close at one point, but he was scathing about the state of the place and the way the club was managed and didn't want to come. Considering he signed for Sunderland and Portsmouth that tells you how abysmally QPR was run and how crap our facilities were.
Two Januarys prior, when we were battling relegation again, we did spend the money. Lots of it. Remy, Samba, Townsend, Jenas. Got relegated regardless. All it did was put us further into the financial sht, which we're still paying for now.
This is what I never get about fans that always want money spent, more signings the better, sack the manager. When has it ever worked for us? It's absolutely no guarantee of anything. There's still this prevailing attitude that the reason we fell apart last season was because we didn't "sign a fcking striker" in January. West Brom had a much better team than us on paper, went unbeaten through the first dozen league games, way bigger wage bill and budget, they spent £8m on a striker in January, he's still yet to score a goal for them and they collapsed as well.
This post has been edited by an administrator |
The difference between the window 2 seasons previously, was that QPR were well entrenched at the bottom of the table and too big a mountain to climb. 2015 was different as I pointed out. We were not cut adrift and only a few points away from 15th or higher.
Imo, the decision was taken to not really fight off relegation as shown by taking the same route that Wolves took 2 seasons earlier by sacking their manager and appointing his rookie No.2 and promptly finished bottom of the pile.
That was a mistake and have spent 8 seasons and counting trying to get the club stable and back up to the Premier League.
I am aware that there are a large number of fans on here and other MBs who couldn't care whether we ever go back up again and are content with being a mid table or even lower 2nd tier team developing players to sell off every season just as long as we play some decent football to keep them entertained on their beer drinking weekends. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 13:58 - Aug 1 with 1902 views | stanistheman |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 13:12 - Aug 1 by Welsh_Ranger |
I'm sure that parachute payment was used to absorb the exorbitant wages we were paying to primadonna players and or paying off their contracts. |
Yes, that is what the money was spent on, but Fulham signed a load of players on big money and had a huge wage bill, but survived that. As did Bournemouth, Newcastle (yes, I know that they have a bigger stadium and more fans), and a few other clubs that have come down. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 14:13 - Aug 1 with 1848 views | Northernr |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 13:54 - Aug 1 by stanistheman |
The difference between the window 2 seasons previously, was that QPR were well entrenched at the bottom of the table and too big a mountain to climb. 2015 was different as I pointed out. We were not cut adrift and only a few points away from 15th or higher.
Imo, the decision was taken to not really fight off relegation as shown by taking the same route that Wolves took 2 seasons earlier by sacking their manager and appointing his rookie No.2 and promptly finished bottom of the pile.
That was a mistake and have spent 8 seasons and counting trying to get the club stable and back up to the Premier League.
I am aware that there are a large number of fans on here and other MBs who couldn't care whether we ever go back up again and are content with being a mid table or even lower 2nd tier team developing players to sell off every season just as long as we play some decent football to keep them entertained on their beer drinking weekends. |
Well if that last paragraph is aimed at me you couldn't be more wrong. I want to fcking win. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 14:47 - Aug 1 with 1757 views | CiderwithRsie |
Well, I dunno, but it is beyond me why anyone would think the club was better run before Les Ferdinand (Fernandes' early years, mainly Redknapp and Hughes, before that the Tango and Cash regime which was dire apart from one great year under Warnoick, and before that Paladini).
I'm not sure Ferdinand is capable of rebuilding the club and maybe there are better options out there but to my mind we are incomparably better run and more enjoyable to support than before he started. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 15:13 - Aug 1 with 1710 views | Welsh_Ranger |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 13:58 - Aug 1 by stanistheman |
Yes, that is what the money was spent on, but Fulham signed a load of players on big money and had a huge wage bill, but survived that. As did Bournemouth, Newcastle (yes, I know that they have a bigger stadium and more fans), and a few other clubs that have come down. |
Sadly we are not comparable with Fulham, they have succesfully bounced between the two divisions for years and admittedly might have bought players as did Toon but the difference is that they had the nucleus of a good team at Championship level, we were a basket case when we came down with leaches sucking us dry and nothing remotely stable about us. As with the other clubs you mention the foundations were already in place! | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 15:26 - Aug 1 with 1676 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 15:13 - Aug 1 by Welsh_Ranger |
Sadly we are not comparable with Fulham, they have succesfully bounced between the two divisions for years and admittedly might have bought players as did Toon but the difference is that they had the nucleus of a good team at Championship level, we were a basket case when we came down with leaches sucking us dry and nothing remotely stable about us. As with the other clubs you mention the foundations were already in place! |
This.
And even though this is true, Fulham still had to build facilities and a youth pathway like we are doing.
All roads lead to self sustainability. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 15:57 - Aug 1 with 1632 views | PinnerPaul |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 11:55 - Aug 1 by CliveWilsonSaid |
His other legacy is the culture of diversity he’s helped to install at the club. Should be celebrated I think. |
Indeed, if he's getting stick for the playing side where he's not directly able to influence, but Ok lets say he is responsible, then as you say, things like diversity and the excellent work, 2nd to none I would guess, that QPR in The Community does, should also be big ticks in the Les column, no? | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 16:10 - Aug 1 with 1592 views | kensalriser |
Is there some kind of legacy from our status between the mid 70s to mid 90s that persuades people to think we're somehow naturally a top flight club? Because the truth is, we're not, not by size of fan base, not by size of ground, not by anything.
Sure, other clubs manage to punch beyond their weight for years just like we did but look at the other side of the balance sheet and you'll find the converse, formerly big clubs bouncing around the second and third tiers still getting average attendances much bigger than ours. |  |
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| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 17:56 - Aug 1 with 1479 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 16:10 - Aug 1 by kensalriser |
Is there some kind of legacy from our status between the mid 70s to mid 90s that persuades people to think we're somehow naturally a top flight club? Because the truth is, we're not, not by size of fan base, not by size of ground, not by anything.
Sure, other clubs manage to punch beyond their weight for years just like we did but look at the other side of the balance sheet and you'll find the converse, formerly big clubs bouncing around the second and third tiers still getting average attendances much bigger than ours. |
Ultimately he's been there seven-and-a-half years and we haven't been able to sign or bring through a decent player in several key positions, including upfront. That's hardly the greatest testimonial for a Director of Football. But then again his defenders will argue that's not part of his remit - which does raise the persistent question, what does a Director of Football actually do?  | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 19:06 - Aug 1 with 1386 views | daveB |
Not sure les is getting away with anything, he's been heavily criticised for several years by supporters.
I made the mistake of interacting with one on Twitter at the weekend who still claimed that he only hires his mates and coaches only have jobs as they are black. You can't reason with nonsence like that.
He's done some good things and made some mistakes, I think whoever was in charge as DOF would have had a tough few years, the club needed fixing from top to bottom, it was going to take years to get right and not sure if it ever will get right
Pathway to the first team was a massive thing at the time, I had more chance of getting a game than one of our academy or uinder 23 players 7 years ago, thats not the case anymore and we now have a club where if you are good enough you will get a chance now.
The new training ground should help that but won't see instant results.
Player development has got better, players have improved over the years
Scouting side has massivley improved, we didn't really have a scouting department but now have a much stronger recruitment team, far from perfect but much better than what it was.
If he left today he leaves behind a club with an infasturtuctre now which we didn't have 7 years ago
Cicumstances have played a big part in hurting us at the moment, thought we were on the right track developing young players like Eze, Chair, bright etc and buying low and aiming to sell for a profit as we did with Freeman, Smithies etc but covid has pretty much killed the transfer market for selling clunbs inb the championship so we're in a pretty difficulty position at the moment
Saying all that the transfers are still a bit too hit and miss, for every Willock and Eze you have a Washington and Dykes. We make far too many expensive mistakes. I think we wasted a year with McClaren (would blame fernandes for that more than Ferdinand) but 7 years in we still feel years away from promotion.
For me beale is the key now for Les, if this works then great and he continues, if it doesn't then I can't see how he can continue in the role. [Post edited 1 Aug 2022 20:56]
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| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 19:12 - Aug 1 with 1374 views | stanistheman |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 14:13 - Aug 1 by Northernr |
Well if that last paragraph is aimed at me you couldn't be more wrong. I want to fcking win. |
It wasn't aimed at you, but it is certainly true of some of the regular posters on another MB and on here who don't really care what division we play in and even look forward to visiting new grounds and pubs. | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 19:16 - Aug 1 with 1364 views | stanistheman |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 14:47 - Aug 1 by CiderwithRsie |
Well, I dunno, but it is beyond me why anyone would think the club was better run before Les Ferdinand (Fernandes' early years, mainly Redknapp and Hughes, before that the Tango and Cash regime which was dire apart from one great year under Warnoick, and before that Paladini).
I'm not sure Ferdinand is capable of rebuilding the club and maybe there are better options out there but to my mind we are incomparably better run and more enjoyable to support than before he started. |
I think we have been a shambles for a long time now and don't think we were better before Ferdinand, but I do think that Fernandes and the Board should have done better than to appoint the likes of Beard as CExec, Riggs and the current DoF. Surely they could have looked around for experienced DoF given how many there are in European football.
I don't think it can be denied that at the time he was appointed as an advisor to Fernandes, QPR were struggling to adapt to the Premier League and had just lost 3-0 at West Ham. Redknapp was at risk of losing his job and Ferdinand (as someone already posted was a fans favourite and club legend) so his returning to the club would appease the fans. It had nothing to do with his credentials to run a football club.
Is he doing a great job, no. Is he doing a terrible job and again the answer is no.
However, I think there are better qualified people out there who could turn this club back into a Premier League club. It's up to the owners to get out there and look for them unless they are content with writing these "£1M cheques every month to keep things as they are.
In the meantime let's hope that performances and results will soo be alright on the night.
[Post edited 1 Aug 2022 19:29]
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| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 19:22 - Aug 1 with 1329 views | dm97 |
Jesus wept - are we bottom at Christmas or lost a narrow opening game of the season? Even the second tier pod guys gave picked up on the nuclear reaction, embarrassing |  | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 20:44 - Aug 1 with 1191 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 19:12 - Aug 1 by stanistheman |
It wasn't aimed at you, but it is certainly true of some of the regular posters on another MB and on here who don't really care what division we play in and even look forward to visiting new grounds and pubs. |
Count me in as one of those.
I don’t care what division we are in. Am I a bad fan? | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 20:49 - Aug 1 with 1187 views | Whip_It |
I can confirm that Les IS doing a great job, so there's no further need for this thread. Or perhaps move it to Twitter, where such debate seems to flourish? | | | |
| How does Les Ferdinand get away with it? on 21:01 - Aug 1 with 1158 views | Welsh_Ranger |
Just to use Man U as a bad but good example, their director of football has presided over an absolute car crash of a club ever since fergie left and i know its an unfair example given the size of the club but every club up and down the country is one or two bad appointments away from catastrophe.
We talk about using the academy but that given the squeeze on transfers is now what everyone sensible is trying to do and we are years behind and behind most london clubs! The class of 92 happens almost once in a generation so those fans expecting a conveyor belt of talent to role out should temper their expectations.
As someone said this club was built on sand, no training facility, no youth team players coming through since Langley and Doughty and no money whatsoever. I honestly dont think we are comparable with most clubs given the mess that Fernandez and all of the owners we have had since 95 have done.
Of course we all want a competitive team but its going to take time and this season shouldnt be written off after one loss away at Blackburn, bring in Willock, Amos, Roberts, Richards and whoever else and lets see what happens. | | | |
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