QPR assistant manager Mark Bowen was the guest on the Open All R’s Podcast this week addressing, at length, the club’s defensive woes, the possibility of being replaced by Harry Redknapp, and what the coaching staff are trying to do to rectify the current problems.

Bowen again pointed out the problems Mark Hughes has had with selecting a settled back four this season but did say: “I’m not going to sit and bullshit anybody, we’re all surprised and gutted with the way things have gone. We all wanted and expected better.”

He went onto say that despite the unsettled nature of the defence, the players involved should be doing better than they are. He said: “We pride ourselves with the work we do on the training ground, getting a group established with the way we want to play. When we go into the games we are fully expecting the players to deal with the situations they’re facing. I’ve spent the majority of the season so far beating myself up and wondering why the hell we can’t deal with corners and set plays when we did it fairly well last season. You keep working on it and hoping it comes right.”

And on the speculation linking Harry Redknapp with Hughes’ job, he added: “People talk in the media, you keep hearing, Harry Redknapp this and Harry Redknapp that. If you’re looking at facts and situations, the fact is Harry Redknapp took over Southampton in 2005 as the big saviour and took them down.”

The full, extensive interview is well worth a listen as he answers questions put to him straight from QPR fans about the club’s current predicament. Click here to listen to or download the podcast.

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Neil_SI added 01:18 - Nov 7 While I was worried by some of the stuff I heard, it's great to see the club allowing staff to communicate with fans in this way. It can only help build relationships and identity with the coaching team and has been badly needed. Bowen comes across as a likeable and genuine football man. Paul Parker's interviews have been spot on recently (both his initial one with West London Sport - http://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/hughes-may-need-to-change-style-parker and on Eurosport - http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/paul-parker/qpr-cannot-afford-down-124343954 And something I wrote back in February for the staff and players along a similar theme - http://www.qprtoday.net/2012/02/29/learn-how-to-play-the-crowd/. Come out and embrace the club and its community and the fans will side with you, get behind you, and, help you out of this mess.

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MelakaRanger added 04:54 - Nov 7 A great pod cast Sounds like a number of players are not pulling their weight / performing as instructed. Also sounds like the management have run out of ideas But Bowen came over as totally genuine and totally driven. Maybe the Stoke game will end my (all our) misery!
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highlandbill added 09:27 - Nov 7 There is also a suggestion that poor results are entirely down to the players.Bowen seems to be saying that they are properly prepared & strategies worked out for matches but on the field they go out & lo & behold! do something different! Doesnt sound plausible to me. Like all mangement, they dont accept responsibility and defend themselves at the expense of those actually doing the job. The fans cant really "help to get out of this mess". We started the season in full voice but as time drips away its very difficult to maintain enthusiasm when you are watching crap.I would love to spend just 5 minutes in the dressing room before a match,I feel there is a problem there and it must be obvious to see. Obviously we continue with our support as best we can, a few wins would help.

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Neil_SI added 09:35 - Nov 7 The fans most certainly helped the club out of the mess they were in at the back end of last season and really drove the players forward at Loftus Road. I wrote that article before that period of time happened. The same applies now. There is not enough connection between the staff and players with the fans and it's easy to work on and remedy. If they pay attention to this it will help get more fans onside and provoke more situations where a passive crowd can ignite on the pitch and get going. There's a trick on playing the crowd and moving them to a situation where they get behind you with volume and noise during games. Right now, the only time we seem to be generating this kind of noise is either through Adel Taarabt, or if we happened to win an attacking throw in or corner late on in games when we're in need. But those instances are generally coming around from unconfident passages of play, rebounds or ricochets. Those are all fine, but they could do more things to accelerate and control this process on the pitch.

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barbicanranger added 09:42 - Nov 7 Agree with your comment Neil, even simple gestures this season - like away games when players should properly come over and applaud the travelling support. I have seen almost all teams do it at Loftus Rd this year, Reading included on Sunday. At the Emirates there were maybe two players (one of whom was Mackie). Why not build some rapport with the fans and properly come over, I remember under Warnock at Spurs we had the whole side right in front of the away and and approx 6 threw their shirts into the crowd.

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dixiedean added 12:34 - Nov 7 Cisse came over at Emirates and handed his shirt to someone in the crowd after the game.A small gesture but goes a long way. If he had any balls and was sincere about his apology,Mbia would have done the same( although he probably risked getting lynched !)Sad thing is,the player we've all connected with most this season doesn't actually play for us ( Gorkss)
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Kaos_Agent added 16:13 - Nov 8 I agree with others here that there is a disconnect between Bowen's sincere message "we're working hard on defensive fundamentals but the players are taking turns losing the script, and we've not been lucky as well" versus what is happening all the time - chronic departures from fundamental positioning and marking. I think it would help to have vocal, respected captain helping to sort things out and get everyone else motivated. That does not sound like JS Park.

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