Are QPR now in a better position than last season?

QPR boss Harry Redknapp seems to gone back to basics in an attempt to get the Hoops promoted this season

QPR were relegated from the Premier League last season finishing bottom of the table, despite a huge wage bill and a cast of so called ‘stars’.

Veteran midfielder Shaun Derry has criticised some of his Rangers teammates for not offering enough last season and it hard to argue with the midfielder.

Frank

The veteran midfielder does not shirk his words and told the Sun: “I was sad to see Jamie Mackie and Ji-sung Park leaving but I’m not sorry to see the back of the rest of them.

“Did those players earn their money last season? No, of course they didn’t. Definitely not. The most upsetting aspect of the last two years was seeing certain players with a pedigree who were not contributing.

“You know as a pro when players aren’t giving their all. I’ve been in the game for 20 years and I can tell when players are fighting for the cause and when they are winging it.

“Past achievements mean nothing in football if you don’t put in the effort. You get judged on the here and now”

Fractions

QPR struggled last season because of fractions within the squad that Derry talked about later on in his interview. The Hoops attempted to go too far too soon by bringing in a large number of players on big wages, who just did not perform for the team.

The players that did perform were probably ironically the less technically gifted ones within the Hoops squad, including Derry himself.

Cleansing

This summer has been like a cleansing of the QPR squad. Although a lot of the players that have left Rangers are undoubtedly talented, they had to leave just so that the Hoops could get back to the basics that won them promotion.

The likes of Jamie Mackie, Derry and Paddy Kenny were instrumental to the clubs promotion to the Premier League, but they were almost cast aside as a host high paid players came in to replace them. The Hoops team spirit suffered for their presence in the squad and the result was relegation.

The huge gulf between those highly-paid new players and the ones who helped the Hoops to promotion was just too big. There seems like there was resentment within the squad because of the new players not pulling their weight.

A number of those players have now left the club, which means that QPR boss Harry Redknapp has been able to almost start afresh with a squad of players that he believes will create a better team spirit within the team.

Experience

Harry Redknapp has experience of helping teams get promoted from the Championship to the Premier League, having helped Portsmouth to the Premier League in the past. He knows what it takes for a team to be promoted from the second tier.

Solid

The players that Redknapp has brought in this summer all seem like good solid professionals, equipped to deal with the vigour’s of the Championship. The likes of Karl Henry, Richard Dunne and Gary O’Neil will give QPR a harder edge this season.

They are no frills signings, who will give everything for the team and that is what QPR were missing last season. In Charlie Austin the Hoops have also signed one of the top strikers outside the Premier League.

These are the sort of players that helped Rangers into the top-flight in the first place under Neil Warnock. However, the clubs hierarchy wanted to run before they crawled and ended up sanctioning a host of signings that just completely destabilised the Hoops squad over the last two years.

Refresh

It is refreshing to see QPR go back to basics in their pursuit of promotion. It seems that the Hoops are moving in the right direction, after slicing millions off their wage bill this summer. There is still likely to be more exits from the club to help reduce the wage bill though, which may not be a bad thing.

Brighter

This is strange to say, but it seems that relegation may prove to be a good thing for the Hoops in the long-run. They got themselves in a right financial mess, paying over the odds for players that really did earn those huge wage packets.

They tried to overreach and it went horribly wrong. I hope that the Hoops hierarchy can now build the club up gradually instead of trying to rush things by signings the wrong players. Harry Redknapp seems to have made the right signings this summer and it looks like this season could be a lot brighter for Hoops fans.

Will this summer’s exits help the team spirit at QPR this season?