Ahead of Plymouth Argyle’s Championship clash against Queens Park Rangers at Home Park tomorrow, we chat to Rangers fan Adam, the editor at QPR Vital and get his thoughts on the game.
Q: Where do you expect both QPR and Argyle to finish the new season?
A: Plymouth are somewhat of an unknown quantity this year, and I think without the renewed investment they would have found it very tough going this time out.
However some of the media predictions that Plymouth will finish in the relegation zone are laughable and based on nothing more than guesswork.
Should Argyle strengthen with their investment then they will be sure to finish in the top-half, well away from the ill-informed pre-season predictions.
Queens Park Rangers by comparison I feel should be better equipped for a higher-placed finish. At the start of the season I would have said seventh, while disappointing is realistic, but initial signs under Magilton are very positive and a playoff place may not be out of reach.
I would expect a solid top half finish from Plymouth should they invest adequately, and a playoff place for Rangers with any luck!
Q: In your opinion who will be promoted and relegated from the Championship this season?
A: Promoted I feel will be Middlesbrough, their players have always proven capable of adapting to Championship football on loan and with the majority of players willing to remain at the club combined with a few new additions, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Going up with them are Sheffield United I feel, they are a club built for promotion and with a couple of right inclusions, including Ched Evans, I think that they are as equipped as anyone to get back to the Premier League.
Finally I am being an optimist but yes I think we can be the team that makes that playoff place and secures a Premier League spot at Wembley. I can dream!
Going down I think will be Barnsley, they have lived dangerously for a few years now and while British grit has kept them going in the past. Now there are too many players not affiliated with the club or the town and it remains to be seen whether they`ll come together to keep the Tykes in the Championship.
Scunthorpe will also be in trouble this season in my opinion. A side heavily reliant on a pair of goalscorers last season who have never succeeded in the Championship despite a couple of attempts. Also their defence isn’t up to scratch to cope with the testing nature of this level and is arguably weaker than their last go at this division.
Finally Watford look like they will struggle this season, a budget side and a budget manager and if they’re struggling come January their better players will have to be sold to keep the club financially stable.
Q: Are QPR fans happy with the wealthy owners of the club and their transfer dealings?
A: QPR fans is a very broad term, encompassing all manner of people and opinions, but to my mind the board are doing a decent job and contrary to reports are spending some money improving the playing side.
The sticking point with some fans comes when we spend up to £3.5m on an unproven Argentinean, who is highly thought of, but with no practical experience of this level. On the flipside we don’t seem to want to splash the cash on a striker to finish off the chances we create.
Alessandro Pellicori was brought in on a free transfer from cash-strapped Serie C side Avellino, and while the board have been ambitious with one hand with regards to the Argentinean midfielder they seem to have negated this by penny-pinching when it comes to forward.
Saying that I am behind the board 100%, at the end of the day they saved the club and I am thankful to be able to speak about my club in terms of spending cash – something we`ve not been able to do for a long time.
Q: From the outside looking in, the appointment of Jim Magilton as the new manager of QPR seemed a strange decision, what did the fans think?
A: The same thing happened with Dowie funnily enough. Fans spent the whole summer brushing away the speculation but sensationally it happened. It occurred as strange to me that he was the outstanding candidate but was interviewed on five separate occasions – and the decision was eventually made.
However we arrived at the decision I don’t mind, I have warmed to his appointment immensely and his assistant John Gorman, a man with a lot of experience in the game. Together they have got us playing exciting passing football, with an end product. This is something that has my vote every time.
Q: As a QPR fan what is your opinion and thoughts on Plymouth Argyle and our manager Paul Sturrock?
A: Argyle came up with QPR, and unlike Rangers looked like continuing that feel-good factor under the guidance of Ian Holloway, but it’s somewhat stalled of late with Sturrock having to work with limited resources.
Sturrock has come in for some unfair criticism in my book, while the football hasn’t been desirable and granted I don’t have to watch it every week, he is getting Argyle the necessary results to keep them punching above their weight in this division.
Now there are new investors I fully expect him to get the funding necessary to strengthen key areas and take them away from the relegation battle and into a new fight near the top end of the table.
As a club I’ve always liked going and seeing Plymouth, and have many friends that live in the area so I’ve always followed the fortunes of Argyle. The reception that we gave you guys when you received promotion, and the cheer we received when our scoreline at Sheffield Wednesday was announced made for good feeling between the two clubs, and long may it continue!
Q: What are your thoughts on Akos Buzsaky?
A: Akos Buzsaky has the ability to be a QPR legend if he can remain injury free. He has made it abundantly clear that he wants to stay with us to achieve promotion, but if we fail to do it he may have to look elsewhere.
This man is capable of playing in the Premier League, and is one of the classiest players in the Championship at present. He’s always going to have admirers and I’m glad he’s still at Loftus Road. Here`s to hoping he wows the crowds in W12 for many years to come.
Q: We’ve both had Ian Holloway as our manager, he did well for us and built a great team but he wasn’t honest with the fans, how do the QPR fans regard him?
A: Holloway has always worn his heart on his sleeve and yes it leads him to making regrettable statements sometimes, and I trust that this is what has occurred at Plymouth when he left for Leicester.
Olly will always be loved at Loftus Road for leading us to promotion, and obviously for his playing days in the Premier League and that airbrushes more difficult times.
I recall going down to Home Park when Olly was in charge and being told what fools we were for letting him go, and how much the fans at Argyle loved him. There was a bit of ‘wait and see’ about my comments and sadly I was proven right.
I think the part that hurt the most for Plymouth fans were his comments when he left for Leicester regarding bigger and smaller clubs – it was unnecessary and didn’t do much to endear him to the fans he had loved.
Q: What QPR player should Argyle fans look out for this weekend?
A: I have outlined this in our Match Preview and I think Akos Buzsaky could be the difference this weekend.
As you well know it can take one touch, one turn, one pass, one shot with the Magical Magyar who has made himself a terrace hero of modern day in W12.
If you give this man space and time, Argyle fans know only too well he can punish you. I recall at Loftus Road an unbelievable strike from distance helped Plymouth take the lead in dramatic fashion – these are his capabilities and you got a long way to stop QPR by stopping Buzsaky.
Q: Conversely are there any Argyle players that you feel could do QPR some damage?
A: Argyle have never struck me as a team with individuals, just generally a solid team unit. Ebanks-Blake was the closest to a star player that Argyle have had in recent years but I think they benefit from a solid team-base with no room for luxury.
As a team Plymouth can threaten from several sources, with Alan Judge a tidy little player on the wing able to provide for the aerial prowess of Rory Fallon who we were believed to be interested in last January.
The fear of the unknown could also be useful for Plymouth with Sheridan coming in from Celtic and Gow from Glasgow Rangers providing Plymouth with a different angle of attack.
Q: What is your prediction for the fixture?
A: I think given our recent useful display during the week it will be difficult to bet against us taking at least a point from this game. However I’ve had my fingers burnt at Home Park many times, so I’m not expecting an easy fixture.
A slender win would be an accurate prediction either way, and I think and hope it goes our way. I’m calling it 2-1 QPR.
Thanks to Adam at Vital QPR.
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