Football Season Guide

QPR’s reputation as a “Jekyll & Hyde” club has been well established over the past decade they've been in the Championship and that didn’t change under Julien Stéphan in his debut season. Perhaps the most obvious example of the unpredictable nature of this team was when they were hammered 7-1 at Coventry in August, before beating the eventual champions at home in January. There was no way of knowing which QPR would turn up each week. At certain points, they looked like potential dark horses for a play-off push but could just as easily put in a performance that would leave the fans fearing relegation. Ultimately, survival was secured with a good run in March before an end-of-season decline which saw them finish 15th – the same position as a year prior. Despite that, Stéphan was keen to point out that Rangers had improved their points tally from the previous three campaigns and that provides a good benchmark going forward. On their day, QPR were a joy to watch, especially going forward. Richard Kone and Rumarn Burrell are as exciting a front-two as there is in the league. Both strikers were able to hit double figures in their respective first seasons at the club. Nicolas Madsen went from being one of the most maligned players in the squad to becoming a midfield lynchpin in the starting eleven and was named Player of the Season. At the other end of the pitch was where Rangers faltered. Only financially crippled bottom side Sheffield Wednesday conceded more goals than them in the Championship last season. Ironically the club have now recruited Wednesday’s first choice goalkeeper from last season Pierce Charles but the youngster has real potential and should not be judged on the number of goals that went past him whilst playing for a team with a threadbare squad. Charles is certainly an upgrade on the trio of Paul Nardi, Joe Walsh and Ben Hamer who all started at times in Stéphan’s goalkeeper merry-go-round last season. Calum Ward also arrives from Motherwell having kept the most clean sheets in the SPL last season, so QPR certainly look stronger in that position. The club have made some other eye-catching signings. Tariq Lamptey was one of the most exciting right-backs in the Premier League before an ill-fated move to Fiorentina saw him suffer an ACL injury. If he can get back to his best, Rangers have an excellent player on their hands who is still only 25 years old. Glen Kamara is an experienced and reliable midfield option at this level having played for a Leeds side that made the play-off final. A player that might seem like a new signing is Ilias Chair who missed most of last season through injury. One of the club’s most talented players if they can keep him fit this time around.