Last season, Queens Park Rangers’ mid-table finish was a tough pill to swallow. Having started the 2021 campaign undefeated in its first four games, Rangers were consistently in the playoff spots for most of the season. For a brief moment, QPR even looked good enough to challenge for automatic promotion. But all those hopes came crashing down after a poor January transfer window brought in little reinforcement while the rest of the teams around them improved.

With no extra help, and Mark Warburton’s apparent tactical stubbornness, Rangers couldn’t keep up with their competition as the other teams appeared to have figured out Warburton’s strategies through the second half of the season. The final blow came once stand-out playmaker and goalscorer Chris Willock went down injured for the remainder of the season. Just like that, hopes of a playoff push for the first time since 2014 didn’t materialize.

As the English Championship is one of the most competitive leagues from top to bottom in all of soccer, QPR slipped from fourth place to mid-table in a matter of weeks. Ultimately, QPR ended in a modest 11th. Despite this, there was still a lot of positives to show for it. The duo of Willock and Ilias Chair were a standout that at times looked too good for second tier competition, and Seny Dieng is far and away one of the best goalkeepers in the league. The prospects were good, so it was unexpected when the club decided to part ways with Warburton soon after the conclusion of the season.

Signs of improvement under QPR’s Michael Beale

While some of Warburton’s tactical decisions were questionable, he brought a consistency to Rangers that had been lacking since they had returned to the Championship in 2015. He implemented a style of play that focused on possession at the back. While holding the ball in their own half felt nervy at times, it forced Ranger’s opponents to push forward which often created openings for attackers to quickly strike. This required a deep lying midfielder in the form of Stefan Johansen as well as center backs with decent ball control willing to move forward into space. The entire squad had been curated to fit Warburton’s style, which meant bringing in a new face jeopardized the consistency and cohesion he had instilled.

The club promised their search for a manager prioritized someone who could continue the team in the mold of what Warburton had built while pushing QPR further towards their goal of finishing in the top six. In came Michael Beale who had been the number two at Aston Villa behind Steven Gerrard, someone without the managerial experience one would’ve expected given the circumstances. Despite high praise for his tactical mind, this pick was a huge gamble.

Undoubtedly, Warburton’s biggest weakness was his inability to adjust his tactical plan for each match. You rarely saw game to game changes let alone in-game changes in tactics. If Rangers were down and his plan wasn’t working, his last-ditch effort was to throw on another striker and hope the goals came. To his credit, there were several occasions where this worked, but these comebacks felt more like they were carved out with the sheer force of will from the Rangers’ players as opposed to Warburton outmaneuvering whatever plan the opposing manager had put forth.

In contrast, Michael Beale has shown another level of tactical acumen that seemed beyond Warburton’s reach. The best example of this is Rangers’ most recent matchup against Bristol City. For most of the last two seasons under Warburton, Queens Park Rangers set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation with wingbacks that would play high up the pitch when attacking. While Beale started with a similar formation early on, he’s since been more willing to switch things up. Part of this is due to him looking for his best team, but the other part is adjusting to how the opponent plays.

Against Bristol, we saw a 4-3-3 that allowed Willock, Chair and Tyler Roberts to overwhelm City’s three center backs when their two wingbacks were pushed high in the attack. This led to Rangers cutting through their back line on quick counterattacks and scoring two early goals. It was a well thought out and executed strategy that should’ve resulted in at least two more goals in the first half. This is the kind of tactical creativity we never saw from Warburton who almost seemed pigheaded at times about playing the same lineup and tactics every match.

With his wealth of managerial experience, Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson did a good job of adjusting at the half. While Bristol had conceded the second most goals so far with 16, they are also tied for most goals scored at 19. On came Antoine Semenyo, and you could feel the improved physicality from Bristol as they pushed for a goal, so it wasn’t a surprise when former Rangers’ striker Nahki Wells found the ball in a favorable position in the QPR box, and put it away in the 63rd minute.

Beale again showed his tactical ability by making some decent substitutions in midfield to bring on fresh legs. And then he brought on Lyndon Dykes to create some good holdup play and served as an extra defender to close out the game with a 2-1 away victory to the Rs.

QPR are currently sitting in fifth place in the Championship and have taken points from some stiff competitions. Likewise, they have dropped points to teams that felt beatable.

The gamble to put him in the driver’s seat appears to be paying off. Still, the hard truth is that no matter how well QPR have looked lately, as it stands, they are not a Premier League-quality side, but there is plenty of potential there.

Photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images

Every time I thought about the World Cup, it felt like there was something missing for me. So there I was, a week before Russia was slated to open the cup against Saudi Arabia in front of a home crowd, thinking—meh, maybe I’ll catch the final.

​For some context, I’m not just the average American whose only interest in soccer manifest every four years. I’ve been an ardent supporter of a lower league English team (Queens Park Rangers), and I absolutely love everything about large international sporting events such as the Summer and Winter Olympics and both men’s and women’s World Cups, so it was a surprise to me that I didn’t care. I didn’t know what other countries were there, which groups were drawn, when the game would be played, or even the exact date of the opening match. Even thinking about it now, I’m disappointed in myself, because this has so far been the most entertaining World Cup I can remember.

​Despite being so unenthused, I couldn’t resist for one major reason; narrative.

For the average neutral fan of any sport, narrative is everything, and this World Cup has been overflowing with it. Of course, we all love the beauty of the game, dissecting tactics and analyzing the statistics, but that’s never been what the World Cup is about.

Nobody watches international soccer because they’re going to see the best play. It’s a bunch of guys who only play with each other a handful of times every year. It’s not going to look like Real Madrid versus Barcelona. The World Cup isn’t even entirely about supporting your own country. There are far more than 32 countries and it is somehow still the most-watched sporting event on the planet.

Why did it get me hooked? Narrative.

For me it started out small, literally. Reyka Vodka started running ads for the Iceland national team, which I didn’t even know was in the World Cup. I know it has been covered to death, but let’s address it one last time since they were eliminated. Iceland’s population is close to .01% of the United States’ population! There are more people where I am writing from here in Indianapolis than in all of Iceland. I don’t care who you are rooting for, that is incredible. I found out Iceland were in and, just like that, a small part of me was in too.

From there I started checking the games two days out only to realize Portugal and Spain were playing each other in the opening round. How was I so stupid to keep myself from knowing this? Who doesn’t want to watch the current European champions with the second-best player in the world play their next-door neighbors, biggest rivals, and 2010 World Cup champions? It was a must see, so I checked the start times, and of course I was working during all of the weekday games. Just like that, now I was frustrated because I couldn’t watch a match in World Cup.

There were early reports that Telemundo Deportes was beating FOX Sports when it came to number of viewers for the World Cup. Part of this leads me to believe that is because, like me, many English-speaking Americans have no team and are disinterested whereas there are several Central and South American teams participating, and Hispanic populations in the United States tend to care more about soccer in general. But, there is also another variable here. Telemundo Deportes is livestreaming every game for FREE. This is something I found out as a coworker was huddled over his phone during lunch, watching Russia destroy Saudi Arabia.

Redemption.

Even better, the first two rounds of games have lined up perfectly so that they are ending right as we go on break, go to lunch, and get home from work. Mind you, I work in construction, so imagine several construction workers from different trades wearing construction yellow, huddled around each other watching the World Cup. That was not what I was expecting. Even guys that don’t like soccer have started to get into it.

So now every day at work when we aren’t watching, we’re listening or following the World Cup in some way, asking for updates as we pass, speculating about who will make it and who won’t. We are all drawn in by the narrative.

Suddenly, I didn’t even care that the US wasn’t in it. Actually, I may enjoy the World Cup as a whole even more since we aren’t because I can finally enjoy the other games unbridled in a way I couldn’t when I was putting all my energy into my team. I have watched almost every game so far, and that is something I don’t usually do until after the United States gets eliminated.

This World Cup has already been excellent. There have been eighteen games so far where a goal has been scored after the 85th minute! Several of those have been in the final matches of group play, and ended up deciding which team would advance. Not only did Korea refuse to give in after being eliminated, they decided they were going to drag current World Cup Champions Germany down with them in the most thrilling way, scoring two goals after 90 minutes. There have been high scoring games, great goals, drama over VAR, and only one 0-0 match so far.

So many stories, so much narrative.

Funnily enough, this seems like the World Cup that would be most appealing to the average soccer-hating American.

I would say it’s too bad that the US aren’t in it, but the last thing we needed is for our trainwreck of a national team to bring everything down. Regroup boys and come in strong for the next cup, this one is doing just fine without you.

As we get into the knockout round of the tournament, things are about to get really interesting. Tensions are high and alot is on the line for some of the biggest names in the sport. I correctly predicted the winners of the last two World Cups, and while I’ve guessed Brazil for this one, I honestly don’t have a clue what will happen.

I do know that I feel sorry for any other American fans who fell into the same trap as I did, and if you are reading this now and haven’t been paying attention to what has been going on in Russia, do yourself a favor and watch as many games as you can before it’s over. You won’t regret it.

While the dust has finally started to settle in the post-Chris Ramsey era, Queens Park Rangers continue to be a work in progress. If a metaphor can be worn out, then QPR have played the roller coaster metaphor a thousand times over, yet here we are again with no other real way to explain the infinite depth of the highs and lows presented by the club ,both on and off the field.

After somehow keeping our best players past the summer transfer window, the plan to consolidate, develop youth players and create a long term foundation for stability was completely thrown out by QPR’s board. Instead, the board adopted an ambitious push for an immediate return to the Premier League.

Keeping Premier League players meant paying Premier League wages, but so far that extra money has failed to make any significant difference. At best, Rangers have only had an outside chance of finishing in the bottom playoff spot, and when Ramsey couldn’t deliver, he got the axe.

A short four-game reunification with the ever adored Neil Warnock was followed by the controversial appointment of former Chelsea man Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Many fans wanted to see Warnock finish out the remainder of the season, and Hasselbaink’s connection to the club’s most hated rival only served to fuel their disapproval of letting Warnock leave for a second time.

Hasselbaink was immediately coy when asked about his goals for QPR, stating he just wanted to focus on the games at hand. It was all too obvious that he sought to avoid any mention of England’s top-tier, as he seemed well aware the squad he inherited was mid-table quality, despite what the QPR board thought it was paying for.

It took nine games for the new manager to find a win, a stretch led to a slide down the table that left them momentarily closer in points to relegation the playoff. While there has never been a serious threat QPR would fall into the bottom three, it wouldn’t be the first time a team came in one end of the Championship and went out the other.

MORE CHAMPIONSHIP: Court gives Bolton reprieve from liquidation.

Hasselbaink’s determination to get the squad in shape through a new fitness regime that includes extra training sessions has shown in all the wrong ways. Out of their last eight games, QPR have concede a goal after the 80th minute on five separate occasions, and many of the players have looked visibly exhausted by the final whistle. Clearly this a statement of long term intent from Hasselbaink, who seems to be already preparing for next season. Whether he makes it that far at a club with a hair trigger for firing managers will have to be seen.

News that Charlie Austin had finally received his move back to the Premier League came an hour before kickoff against an in form Rotherham. It only added to the pessimism building within the fans, but life after Austin started brightly. A rough first half should’ve seen Rotherham on top, but Rangers came out of halftime strong.

Junior Hoilett opened the scoring when he went stumbling with the ball into the box after being fouled, and somehow found the composure to slot the ball past former QPR keeper Lee Camp. Another goal quickly followed as Massimo Luongo, making his first start in months, lobbed a perfect pass behind the defense for Matt Phillips to successfully convert. The third came in the final seconds from Sebastian Polter, who made a screaming run down the middle of the box to connect with a pass from Leroy Fer.

It was a comprehensive first win that couldn’t have come at a better time. It showed that this team has the ability to score goals with or without Charlie Austin, who will forever be a fans favorite. There wasn’t a single QPR supporter who wasn’t ecstatic to see him score on his debut for Southampton against Manchester United, that is until we all remembered the meager £4 million that was paid for his services.

To much delight, though, Polter picked up exactly where he left off at Rotherham against Wolverhampton. He again saw the back of the net when he scored a powerful header after just two minutes.

While he has thrived under Hasselbaink, Polter’s had a rough start to his QPR career. Originally brought in from Mainz by Ramsey, he found his opportunities hard to come by as a move for Austin failed to materialize. Despite scoring a goal in the League Cup, the few late substitute appearances he made were not well received by fans, to put it politely.

His goal in the draw against Wolves made it four goals and an assist in seven games, and supporters have rightly begun to take to him. He is the ideal QPR player. He works hard, runs his ass off, and makes things happen not through any natural talent but shear force of will, all of which has affectionately earned him the nickname BFG (big effing German).

While the match against Wolves started brightly, Rangers faded in the second half and were unlucky to concede after James Henry’s shot ricocheted of Nedum Onuoha, Grant Hall, and then slowly made its way across the line after getting a small love tap from the leg of keeper Alex Smithies. Smithies single-handedly, pun intended, earned QPR a point after he palmed away a free header to keep the final score at a goal a piece between the two sides.

MORE ENGLAND: Leicester City are sowing seeds of a perennial top four contender.

The debut of new Peterborough United signing Conor Washington should’ve resulted in a well-worked assist for a game winning goal, had Tjaronn Chery’s shot not blasted off the post. Washington again showed positive signs when he was brought on as a sub against Nottingham Forest. His pace and ability to take on defenders are much needed in a squad that have looked almost timid in attacking areas at times. As Jimmy Floyd said, he’s not the finished article, but definitely one for the future.

The Hoops have never won at the City Ground and kept that record alive after Tuesday’s goalless draw, but there were still positives to be found. Despite twice being saved by the woodwork, QPR successfully played Massimo Luongo and Alejandro Faurlin together in the middle, saw greater possession and recorded another clean sheet. For the third game in a row didn’t concede a late goal.

It’s now four games unbeaten, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink seems to be finding his footing as he grows more confident in his decisions to play a more attacking style football, but it’s still too early to tell if he’s been that much of an improvement over Ramsey. Ten points from 11 games and another pathetic cup exit doesn’t look good, yet the overall situation at the club is improving. Polter has found his form in the wake of Charlie Austin’s departure, Alex Smithies has successfully taken Rob Green’s starting spot to great effect, Junior Hoilett is playing like a new man and we’ve brought in two young, talented, and hungry upstarts in the form of Washington and keeper Matt Ingram from Wycombe Wanderers.

This all but confirms the club have decide to return to a long term approach toward stability. There is still plenty of work to do, but it seems the changes that should’ve happened in the summer to QPR’s squad are finally happening now. That should allow the club to finally, truly, hopefully, move into a new era.

As the 2015/16 Championship season progresses, the QPR rollercoaster has yet to pull into the station to let its fans off for a moment of relief. This international break, on the back of a dramatic 4-3 last second victory over Bolton, is just another long slow climb up the hill to the next match against Birmingham City. Where will the ride go from there? No one is quite sure.

QPR have become so unpredictable, it is impossible to tell. One thing is for sure though, no other team is playing like Queens Park Rangers this season.  Having scored 18 goals and conceded 20, QPR have capped the end of both categories for the Championship and have to be, by far, the most entertaining club for any neutrals as they are certain to always see goals.

A back and forth encounter with Blackburn, a solid display away to Hull City and another humiliating defeat at Craven Cottage, topped off by the heart attack of a match against Bolton Wanderers, place the club 11th in the table. At times, it feels like we should be higher in the league, but probably deserve to be lower, yet 11th seems a fair result. Our goalscoring prowess is undeniable, but very few of our results have been from dominate displays. Seven of our 15 points have been in situations where the team have had to come from behind from 2-0 down on two occasions.

Rangers are conceding an average of two goals a game, and while scoring almost two a game has helped keep them close to the playoff positions, dry spells always seem to happen eventually. Whether due to injury or bad luck or for just no apparent reason, QPR will inevitably stop scoring so freely at some point. Conversely, teams do not magically stop conceding goals for no reason. The defense has to be sorted out or things will go south quickly. If Rangers didn’t have the firepower to turn their results around, they would be fighting relegation.

Many Queens Park Rangers fans are already calling for Chris Ramsey’s head, and while I still think he needs more time some of his decisions have not impressed me.

I’ll start with his lineup decisions. Karl Henry has stared in almost every game and has been awful in almost every game. Injured all through preseason and made to look like he’d never even get a chance due to summer signings, for some unknown reason Ramsey has decided he is the best option in midfield. Slow, poor at passing, offers nothing going forward and seems to have forget how to defend, hopefully Sandro will soon take his place.

Additionally, Ramsey seems too stubborn to deviate from his preferred 4-2-3-1. While it has worked well at times, when it doesn’t, we get hammered and it seems like a switch to 4-4-2 should be made, but it always comes too late or not at all.

This feeds into my final complaint. Ramsey still continues to wait too long to bring on subs and uses them sparingly if at all. I continue to hope these are just growing pains he will eventually overcome. I like Ramsey but it seems like his inexperience with this league could easily get the better of him and may already be. Time will tell.

SEE MORE: Progress report for QPR’s first 6 games of the season.

On the bright side, when Rangers play well, they look dangerous and are enjoyable. While the injury to Charlie Austin seemed like just the perfect death sentence to leave us taking on water faster than we can bail it out, Jay Emmanuel Thomas surprised everyone with an excellent all around display against Bolton. Not only did he score a goal that rallied the team for a comeback and a winner in the last few seconds, he defended better than our centerbacks at the same time making some crucial interceptions. He saw his chance to prove himself and he took it. Up until then he seemed like more of a big striker who was afraid to really get into the action. If he can keep up this work-rate, he might become an adequate replacement for when Austin inevitably departs.

Overall the defense really needs to get it together. While Ramsey did drop James Perch against Bolton, Nedum Onuoha, who has proven right back isn’t his best position, took his place. Chris Ramsey needs to find the best back line and get them organized, even if that means bringing Clint Hill back in just to keep things settled down. As stated before, conceding two goals a game is not sustainable, but it is very QPR.

Six games into the 2015/16 Championship season and with the transfer window finally closed, Queens Park Rangers’ chances of a quick return to the Premier League look remarkably better than any rational person would have believed at the start of the season.

After a 2-0 away loss to Charlton on the opening day the truth, the situation really began to resonate with every Rangers fan. This was supposed to be a new manager, with a new team, new style and new attitude. But after a poorly planned preseason that saw two of the R’s opponents back out, all the positivity surrounding what was supposed to be a new and better start was overshadowed by what was old and emblematic of past mistakes.

On top of that, every day the looming threat that the club’s best players would be ripped away at any time left a giant question mark hanging over QPR’s prospects by the start of the season.

While the first half of the match against Charlton started well, displaying the positive signs of the attacking style Chris Ramsey clearly intends to play, the second half showed the exact opposite. The team conceded an early goal as the defense became exposed adjusting to this new offensive style. Eventually, the whole team shape seemed to fall apart as the obvious lack of fitness appeared to set in, and play reverted to long balls lumped up top. In the end, the worst part of the whole affair wasn’t even losing, it was hearing a select few QPR fans boo Charlie Austin off the pitch.

Things felt like a mess and not because of the performance. Queens Park Rangers looked like a normal Championship level team, something R’s fans should’ve expected but weren’t ready to accept, but the harsh reaction to Austin’s performance was not representative of the Rangers faithful, and to experience such a low point was disappointing. It was well known that Austin wanted to play in the top tier, and who can blame him? But at the same time, every supporter of a smaller club understands the frustration of losing their best to the bigger guns.

Already, people began to point the finger at Ramsey after the Charlton result and the matches to follow barely helped to ease any fears. A point against Cardiff would have been welcomed were it not for the fact that QPR squandered an early two goal lead, throwing away two points through naivety right at the death.

Similarly, Rangers gave us one of the most entertaining football displays in recent memory against Wolves by overcoming a two goal deficit, mostly thanks to the individual efforts of Matt Phillips. Yet in both games, the R’s defense was easily picked apart. We continue to do things the hard way.

A decisive win against Rotherham saw new additions Massimo Luongo and Tjaronn Chery click in a 4-2 result. Chery scored two excellent goals and Luongo, who has so far been our breakout player alongside Alejandro Faurlin, was instrumental in making things happen in the final third, an area QPR have consistently struggled in over the past few seasons.

So far, the most important game for the R’s was Huddersfield away. Not only did Rangers manage to win three games in a row, they were able to keep their first clean sheet. It was a continuing concern that even though the offensive performance improved, and QPR were putting points on the board, they conceded two goals in each of their first four matches. For Rangers to grind out a 1-0 away victory, it showed that they do have the ability to see out games and put together a solid defensive display. The Championship season is a long one, forty-six games of football, and while scoring goals wins games, defense is everything in this league. Inevitably at some point in the season, the goals will dry up, and to see a solid defensive team display like the one against Huddersfield is a huge positive to take away early in the season. Young ex-Spurs recruit Grant Hall, who looked shaky when first slotting in next to Nedum Onuoha, stepped up and showed he has the potential to become a formidable starting center back for QPR in this league.  The transfer window loomed and Charlie Austin was leading both the club and the Championship in scoring with four goals in five matches.

Club loyalty is a rare occurrence in the modern game. Everyone felt Charlie Austin was leaving and had to deal with it. Many fantasized about it, but no one truly thought he might actually choose to stay, which is what makes it so much more magical that Charlie Austin was not only still a QPR player when the transfer window shut, but that he admittedly turned down offers from Premier League sides. By far, this was Queens Park Rangers most important news on deadline day, which overshadowed some shrewd late acquisitions made by Les Ferdinand in the forms of Daniel Tozer and Gabriele Angella who both played for Watford in the Championship last season.

While it would have been nice to pull a decent result from Forest after such a high point, but this is the Championship, one of the toughest most competitive leagues in Europe. And despite another quality goal from Austin, Green’s yearly “oops moment” made sure it wasn’t meant to be. Fortunately, things are still mostly positive, but good results in the upcoming matches against Blackburn and Hull City are imperative to keep the momentum going.

Best Starting XI: Green, Koncheskey, Hall, Onuoha, Perch, Faurlin, Doughty, Luongo, Chery, Phillips, Austin.

Best Performer: Alejandro Faurlin. As we learned from his absence against Forest, he is really the only player we have that can successfully initiate this offense. Tozer was clearly brought in as a similar option, but did not seem capable of pulling the strings in the same way Faurlin does. Without him, the ball movement is too flat and lacks any definitive forward intent.

Most Improved Player: Faurlin. Coming back from a third ACL injury is no easy task, and while he is noticeably slower, his importance cannot be overstated.

Injury News: Yun Suk-Young, Jamie Mackie, Ben Gladwin.

Best business completed in transfer window: Tjaronn Chery, Massimo Luongo, and obviously keeping Austin.

Rating the manager: B+. Chris Ramsey is trying to implement a free flowing, entertaining offensive style that centers around a 4-2-3-1 where the front four moves around interchangeably, and requires ball playing defenders. Admittedly this is an uncommon style of play for the lower English leagues, mainly due to the talent required to make such a formation successful, but the club did well to bring in the type of players required and keeping Austin and Phillips won’t hurt.

The only big thing Ramsey needs to work on are his substitutions. They seem to be reactionary more than preemptive and often come a few minutes later than they should. There are times that it seems a switch to a simple 4-4-2 during matches is necessary, but as his feel for the squad continues and his experience grows the wrinkles should smooth out.

Weaknesses: While the loss to Forest was mainly due to a goalkeeping error, conceding two goals in each of the first four matches and against Forest (even if they were down a man) is worrisome. This new attacking style means that the back line can be exposed at times and requires that the forward players are willing to get back quickly and cover defensive positions when necessary. Luckily, we have seen snippets of this and hopefully we will see more defensive performances like the one at Huddersfield.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Last season’s Queens Park Rangers deserved to get relegated from the Premier League.  Aside from the occasional spark of life, the team was not good enough.  There was no pace in the side, the attack plan was one dimensional, and the defense was diabolical. While the reasons for these shortcomings are many, overall it is clear the club were just unprepared.

After being relegated in 2013, QPR were lucky to get promoted straight back to the Premier League, only to throw it all away again just as quickly. For many QPR supporters, this is a bitter pill to swallow, but it is for the better that the club is in this current situation.  They now have a chance to actually restart in a fiscally responsible manner as opposed to continuing on the same inefficient path they have followed. Had they stayed up, QPR could’ve been stuck with a wage bill inflated far beyond what was financially realistic and might have continued to spend money that wasn’t there. Eventually, this would’ve left the club much worse off when the bubble finally did burst. Ultimately, relegation might actually become a positive result for the long-term future of Queens Park Rangers, assuming the club handles things properly. Thus far, it appears that they have.

In the aftermath of relegation, QPR manager Chris Ramsey was given a three year deal as head coach and the chance to build his own team for the upcoming 2015-16 Championship campaign.  The club has since released Joey Barton, Bobby Zamora, Richard Dunne, Rio Ferdinand, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Adel Taarabt.  Likewise, loan players Niko Krancjar, Eduardo Vargas, and Mauricio Isla have all returned to their parent clubs.  A clear-out of this magnitude doesn’t just mean a squad overhaul; it means QPR have a chance to restructure their whole philosophy. Players like Barton, Wright-Phillips, Zamora, and Taarabt were regular faces signed on expensive long-term contracts, while Ferdinand and Dunne were both aging players brought in as a quick fix. Despite whether fans’ sentiments toward these players are positive or negative, each of them represent the poor business model the club had implemented over the past few years.  Relegation has given QPR a new opportunity to create a culture of sustainable long-term stability, and with the help of new CEO Lee Hoos, who carries a reputation for financial responsibility, true stability appears to be a realistic target the club is aiming for.

To the pleasure and surprise of every Rs supporter, Ramsey began his transfer business early. The first new players brought in were Swindon Town’s midfield duo of Massimo Luongo and Ben Gladwin. Both are young and promising talents from League One. They wholly contrast the past signings made by the club under Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes.  Each one chose Queens Park Rangers over opportunities in the Premier League, with the promise of playing time and development cited as a massive draw.  Soon after, striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was signed after his release from League One champions Bristol City.  Immediately Ramsey and Les Ferdinand have shown their intent to get the club back on the right track with these first transfers. Young, hungry, and talented, these players represent the future of QPR in different ways.  For any club the size of Queens Park Rangers that expects to have long term success and desires to become stable in the Premier League, two important things are necessary — an influx of young ambitious players, and the ability to develop the best of these players, sell them for a good fee, and then bring in new ambitious young talent.  It’s a cycle.  This is how QPR were so successful in the early 90s as players like Andy Sinton, Les Ferdinand, and Trevor Sinclair were all developed and sold off to bigger clubs; this is what will happen with Charlie Austin.  A renewal of this policy will help Rangers lower their debt and work to achieve their goals.  In addition to Luongo, Gladwin, and Emmanuel-Thomas, striker Sebastian Polter has recently been signed from Mainz in Germany and fan favorite Alejandro Faurlín has been given another chance after recovering from his third ACL injury, but by far the most meaningful transfer for QPR this summer has been the return of Jamie Mackie.

During his first stint with the club, Mackie provided supporters with some of their most memorable QPR moments over the past few years.  While not the most technically gifted, Mackie is everything the club have been missing recently in terms of attitude and commitment.  It doesn’t matter if he starts or comes off the bench, he truly has a passion for QPR, will be a role model for the younger players, and can show them what it means to give 100% day-in and day-out.

It is incredibly important for Queens Park Rangers in this upcoming season to have players, like Mackie, in a leadership role who understand QPR and are committed to fighting for the club; which is why it is just as important that Clint Hill has been given a new contract as well.  Hill has been a stalwart leader, who has showed interest in making the transition into a coaching role for QPR.  He’s been through all the ups and downs of the QPR rollercoaster, and would be a perfect addition to Ramsey’s coaching staff when not needed on the pitch.  With the recent addition of Steve Gallen from the club’s youth academy as the new first team coach, Clint Hill would slot in perfectly alongside the two on the sidelines.  While Chris Ramsey’s level of experience has been debated, having coaches that understand a league like the Championship is imperative despite who the manager is, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who understands the Championship and QPR more than Clint Hill.  With these new signings, the return of Jamie Mackie and the re-signing of Hill and Faurlín, the squad have begun to resemble the one that got promoted back in 2011.

Of the remaining players in the team, it is almost certain Charlie Austin, Matt Phillips, Leroy Fer, and Sandro are destined to leave — Austin, especially, as he scored the fourth most goals in the Premier League last season, but the firm £15 million price-tag QPR have placed on him seems to be a sticking point for most of the interested parties.  Make no mistake he will go, but it might not be until later in the transfer window once his suitors have either sold other players to buy him or have just been slowly worn down over time.  There is a possibility of Matt Phillips staying with QPR, and if he did, it would be a significant coup for the club.  Had he not found his form under Chris Ramsey, the club would’ve been relegated much sooner, but it is still more than likely he too will leave as multiple clubs have shown interest in him. Fer and Sandro both need to find new pastures as neither fancy playing in the Championship and they’re not compatible with the club’s new philosophy. Unfortunately, there appears to be little interest from other clubs for either, which should worry anyone connected to the club as both are likely on big wages, and will feel less than compelled to play in England’s second division.

Queens Park Rangers almost lost their identity trying to throw money at the Premier League, and went from being the type of club neutral fans enjoy to the type of club they hate. Rangers now have an opportunity to do things the right way, and if they can continue to follow this new philosophy and create some stability, they might be ready to push for promotion back to the Premier League within the next few years.

Everything depends on how well they perform in the Championship this season, which makes their upcoming preseason tour in Italy that much more important.  If this newly assembled QPR squad can get fit in a proper preseason, and do well against the likes of AS Monaco, they might have a chance at a decent top half finish.  While another relegation always looms large for any team that has just fallen through the trap door, mid-table seems the most likely scenario.  Time will tell over the next few years whether the Rs have made the right decisions and if they truly are on track to becoming a respectable club again, but as of now it seems they will be ready for the fight come August.

The supporters deserve more than what they have been given over the past few season and should be rewarded for their undying loyalty to the Super Hoops.  The progress made by the club so far is impressive considering how messy business has been in the past.  Usually, it seems like a bad omen for a Rangers supporter to feel positive, but things are looking up.

Since my August-September progress report, things could not have been more up and down for Rangers. Successive away game displays saw the R’s lose to both Southampton and West Ham United. To be honest this seems longer ago than it actually was, thanks to an international break, and made Queens Park Rangers look like a team that did not deserve or even want to be playing in the top-flight.

It could all summed up at the end of the 2-0 defeat to the Hammers when TV cameras focused in on second-half substitute Bobby Zamora as he bemoaned the final whistle, looked at the score, and mouthed, “for f***s sake.” Things looked dire as Rangers had only earned four points and were propping up the Premier League table. The international break made the loss sting even longer and with Liverpool next on the schedule things did not look good. Fans were fed up with Rio Ferdinand’s obvious lack of pace and Harry Redknapp’s persistence in playing the outdated center-back, and a change had to be made or it looked like the former Tottenham Hotspur manager was done with football for good.

Whether intentional or not, Rio was dropped for Richard Dunne against Liverpool in a match that without a doubt Rangers should have taken three points from, but lost courtesy of two own goals. Yet despite such a heartbreaking loss they somehow found the grit they had been missing. A comfortable 2-0 victory over Aston Villa with Charlie Austin’s third and fourth goals of the season had raised spirits for the one match the Rangers supporters had been most anxious about, Chelsea away.

While over the last few years QPR and Chelsea have hardly been rivals when it comes to the league table, the R’s narrow 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge put the two teams at 2-1-2 against each other in the league since 2011. It was a defeat that didn’t feel as such, and was made even better by Jose Mourinho’s complaints about how quiet Chelsea fans had been during the match. Topped off by a daft flick that resulted in Austin’s equalizer, the game should have ended in a 1-1 draw as the home side pounded QPR, but could find no way through their defense through open play. In the end it was a soft penalty that separated the two sides.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City has shown that my previous two predictions just might be accurate. The team has started slowly, but might have finally found a solid vein of good form. While the next few games should be winnable, every QPR supporter knows better than to get their hopes up.

Best Starting XI: Green, Yun, Dunne, Caulker, Isla, Fer, Henry, Sandro, Vargas, Zamora, Austin.

Redknapp has finally found a credible starting XI, as Karl Henry has been recalled from the bench and done wonders, while Yun Suk Young, and two Chilean loanees Eduardo Vargas and Mauricio Isla have finally adjusted to the pace of English soccer.

Best Performer:

Charlie Austin/Bobby Zamora. Their strike partnership has given opposing defenses plenty of headaches, and Austin now has six Premier League goals to his name which currently makes him the second-highest scoring English player in the league.

Most Improved Player:

Mauricio Isla. Once the 3-5-2 formation was dropped Isla did not look like a capable right-back in this league. He seemed uncomfortable and out of place, but has ultimately won the Rangers faithful over several decent displays recently.

Injury News:

Sandro continues to be on the sidelines as the club’s major casualty.  

Who should be brought in during the transfer window?

Not Jermain Defoe. He would be a diabolical waste of money as there isn’t anything he can do that Austin, Vargas, and Zamora already can’t, and would most likely be used only to cover for an injury. A younger Zamora would be ideal. Perhaps the Rangers need to look for a solid prospect from the lower leagues who has something to prove and will stay with the team if they do get relegated. It’s never too early to look toward the future.

Managerial progress:

There was a moment where even I wanted Redknapp to go. He spent too much time finding excuses and insisting Ferdinand was still world-class, but he has clearly learned from his mistakes and proved willing to change tactics, drop the big names, and find faith in some of the players who looked unlikely to even get a sniff. Still, this will probably be the last season of his managerial career and fans can only hope they will part on positive terms.

Weaknesses:

While Dunne and Steven Caulker have become a solid wall at the back when it comes to aerial threats, neither are known for their pace. As we saw against Manchester City, Aguero was able to use his speed to get in behind the pair twice.

Final thoughts:

Things are looking up, but QPR have a tendency to play to the level of the top teams and then substandard against opponents, which are near them in the table. The bottom half of the league is wide open right now and a string of good results could change everything. The next few games will be a real test to see if the Hoops have truly found the form that was expected of them at the beginning of the season.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Under normal circumstance QPR vs Manchester United would be considered a typical David vs Goliath match, a relegation favorite looking for a scalp against a top 4 prospect. Yet, the lead up to this game was far from normal as QPR faced off with Manchester United in an early six pointer.

Three games in and Man U still only had two points and looked like they might not even scratch the top six while Rangers, with 3 points, had their best chance to get a win from United since 1992, when they came away with a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford. Unfortunately for QPR United found their usual form as Joey Barton was out with an injury and left Ranges empty when it came to creating chances. While Wayne Rooney dominated the entire game both creating chances and getting a goal.

The first half was entirely United’s as they scored 3 goals and cut through the opposition like butter knocking the ball around in crisp clean passes. It still took them 23 minutes to break the deadlock as Clint Hill made some crucial saves for the visitors. United broke the deadlock after a QPR foul on the edge of the area that lead to Di Maria’s fist goal for the club which swung in and barely missed any players and bounced it past Rob Green who was completely beat not expecting the ball to float over the back line.

QPR had a chance to equalize through Matty Phillips who received the ball and moved past De Gea on the edge of the box, but stuffed his shot low and United’s defense was there to clean it up. Man U’s second and third goals were scored after overwhelming the QPR midfield with their quick passing and link up play between Herrera and Rooney who both placed their goals low and to the right.

After the break Ranger brought on Armand Traore looking for a bit more pace, and at one point he took on four red shirts and had half a chance but was a step too late and couldn’t get his shot of in time. QPR did well to hold of the onslaught of charges from the home side for most of the second half, but got caught on the break and good spacing from United got Juan Mata into an area he never should have been unmarked and made it easy for him to crash his shot into the top of the net to deal the deal.

Final score QPR 0 Manchester United 4.

United XI:

De Gea: 6 didn’t have much to do but made the saves that mattered.
Rafael: 6 got into good spaces and made some crucial stops.
Evans: 6 solid at the back.
Rojo: 6 decent debut, going to be an important player for United throughout the season as
he begins to fit in with his new team.
Blackett: 7 played some good balls from the back.
Blind: 7 got forward while still playing well defensively.
Herrera: 8 made dangerous moves and took his goal well.
Mata: 7 likewise moved well and snuck in behind Rio to put the nail in the coffin.
Di Maria: 8 was all over the place in the first half. Got lucky to score off the
free kick, but it was well taken.
Rooney: 9
van Persie: 6 got into dangerous spaces but couldn’t quiet execute.

Subs:
Valencia: 5 got into some space and created a few chances.
Falcao: 5 didn’t do much but moved well.
Januzaj: wasn’t on long enough to have an impact.

QPR XI:

Green: 5 would give him less but he made some really quality saves that keep the
scoreline from being 6 or 7 nil.
Isla: 8 one of the only QPR players who looked comfortable, got into dangerous
areas, and kept fighting till the end.
Ferdinand: 4 should’ve done better to read the opposition on his return to Old
Trafford.
Caulker: 5 wasn’t there the way he has been against Sunderland and put another
chance from a corner wide.
Hill: 10 despite his age he plays well and for his love of the badge.
Kranjčar: 6 did his best to make scoring chances but didn’t have enough around him.
Sandro: 6 played well defensively but also had no help.
Fer: 6 was good in spurts but kept stealing from the rich to give to the rich.
Phillips: 5 fought hard but looked out of his element.
Hoilett: 5 similar situation as Phillips.
Austin: 4 didn’t get the service he needed and hasn’t quite acclimated to the pace
of the Premier League

Subs:
Traore: 8 tried till the end and make some good runs forward. Almost has a good
chance to score but couldn’t get his shot off in time.
Vargas: 4 didn’t do much.
Henry: 4 not cut out for this level anymore.

Over the past few seasons Queens Park Rangers has become somewhat of a spectacle, drawing media attention mostly for the wrong reasons. But after a successful Championship run and a Cinderella-like playoff run that culminated in one of the most thrilling games played last season, QPR is finally on the right track to compete in the Premier League.

QPR hasn’t been as busy in the transfer window as the other promoted clubs, but the club has been smart. Many of the dead weight and high-wage earners have been moved on, namely Stephan M’Bia and Estaban Granero — who represented the last of the expensive flops bought by Mark Hughes in Rangers last disastrous Premier League campaign.

As expected, since the transfer window opened, QPR has been linked with every big name who’s been available, but owner Tony Fernandes adamantly stated he had learned from past mistakes and intended to only bring in players that were the right fit and desired to play for the club.  Right away though it seemed QPR had returned to their bad habits.  Thirty-five year old centerback Rio Ferdinand was brought to the club after being released by Manchester United and, at first glance, it seemed like the same old transfer policy of signing big names past their prime would continue. But with the addition of Steven Caulker from Cardiff City shortly thereafter on a four year deal, the acquisition of Ferdinand has turned into quite an intelligent move.  Caulker is considered one of England’s brightest prospects and pairing him with a legend like Ferdinand at the back shows that Rangers is thinking of long term development as he will learn a great deal from the former England captain.  Likewise, Jordon Mutch, Cardiff’s top scorer last season, was brought in to help strengthen the midfield and hopefully add some much needed firepower.

This pre-season has shown that Harry Redknapp is determined to line up in a 3-5-2 formation.  Harry has been smart about acquiring the right pieces that will fit this new formation and found a way to use QPR’s current players more effectively within the system.  Mauricio Isla was brought on loan from Juventus, whose wide role in the Chilean National team’s World Cup run was crucial, and Redknapp has found the perfect position for now veteran QPR wide man Armand Traore as a wingback.  While Ranger’s pre-season tours in both Germany and Ireland have answered a few questions about how the team might fare this season, it has yet to put supporters in a position of complete comfort about their chances in the upcoming season.  The biggest positives in these games have been the play of Charlie Austin and Junior Hoilett.  While Austin has yet to prove himself at the Premier League level, he has been prolific at every other level of English football so far and has looked dangerous this pre-season having scored four times.  Hoilett looks to have adapted to the new system especially well and may have revealed himself as the R’s true number ten, supplying three goals and finding himself in dangerous positions and at the heart of most plays.  Likewise Joey Barton and Alejandro Faurlin look to be the best midfield pairing QPR has had since their return to the Premier League in 2011.  Both are excellent passers of the ball and have looked solid together playing slightly deeper positions, and Barton’s newfound role of initiating attacks has seemed very Andrea Pirlo-esque.

Overall though, QPR’s pre-season has been somewhat average with three wins, two draws and two losses in — all except one — matches against lower level opponents.  It is questionable whether or not their success over weaker teams in pre-season will translate into success in the Premier League.  Strikers are still in short supply and Charlie Austin and thirty-three year old Bobby Zamora are so far all the club has committed to playing up front.  What might actually be the most important piece of transfer business for Rangers so far has been the failure of Loic Remy to successfully pass a medical with Liverpool.  Redknapp has made it clear that he wants Remy to stay and for a good reason. His fourteen goals for Newcastle last season have proven him to be a solid top flight scorer, something the club lacked in their past two Premier League seasons, but with rumors of offers for the France international still coming in, anything could happen between now and deadline day.

The last big question mark hanging over Queens Park Rangers is the fate of Adel Taarabt.  Harry so far has seemed willing to bring him back into the fold if he is willing to bite the bullet and play another year with a less prestigious club, but Rangers’ fans should know better than to hold their breath when it comes to the mercurial Moroccan.  Recently it has been rumored that AC Milan is considering a bid to bring him back after his successful loan spell, but his high wages and attitude are always a sticking point.  While it might be best for the club and the player to part ways, sometimes what’s best never follows through.  It will be interesting if he stays with QPR, but won’t surprise anyone if he is left so far at the end of the bench he’s forgotten.

Predictions this early are always hard to make but the Super Hoops look to have made the right moves in the offseason.  Judging by their pre-season showings, the passing has been there, but the final third is still lacking.  It wouldn’t be surprising if Rangers start slow to the season as they continue to adjust to the 3-5-2, yet finish out strong as the squad acclimates to the new players and formation.  A few more additions are still needed to add depth to the squad, especially another striker or two, but if QPR can fine-tune this new system and avoid any major injuries they have a decent chance of survival.  Considering their last two opening games in the Premier League ended 4-0 and 5-0, a draw on Saturday against Hull City, who have already begun European play, would been a decent result.

Strongest line up: Green, Onuoha, Ferdinand, Caulker, Traore, Faurlin, Barton, Isla, Hoilett, Remy, Austin

Final Prediction: 17th

“Where were you when we were S***?” is a popular football chant sung out by the die hard supporters of any club that had, at one time, fallen onto harder times and lower leagues, and aimed at the more fair weather fans who seem to always turn up once their club has resurfaced into the light once more.

Now I could be wrong, but I am going to take a guess that this is a chant that is foreign to many American supporters of Premier League clubs. Mostly, because in my experience, a lot of football chants are foreign to us, but also because generally when looking at the teams most popular among Americans, there is a clear pattern that goes:

Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Is there anybody else who sees this pattern? I would assume so. What it comes down to is this, and I’m aware of the amount of stick I’ll probably get from this, but I feel like it is something that is rarely addressed in this style, usually it’s just seen in the comments of articles and posts, or banter between fans.

Americans like the teams that win.

Goal.com did an article this past December stating that Americans thought Wayne Rooney is the best EPL player. Robin Van Persie was in second and Ryan Giggs was tied for fourth with Steven Gerrard. Anyone who has followed the league this year would know that out of those four men, RVP is the only one who deserves to be in the top four.

I am in no way suggesting that Americans go out looking for a Premier League club by checking the league table and decide whichever team is on top is going to be theirs, but it can be said that that it’s not far from the truth. It’s obvious that the big reason for the massive support for these teams is because, for most of us, they are the only ones we know about. Someone decides they want to start following soccer because they watched the World Cup. So they decide Manchester United because they’ve heard of them, or a player they like plays for them, or one of their friends likes them, so they become a Man Utd supporter.

Contrary to that, maybe they think everybody knows Manchester United and wants to support one of the “underdogs.” A team that has that real chance at a title race, but it isn’t going to be so easy for them. This excitement you can get from teams like Chelsea or Arsenal. They’ll thrash a team 5 or 6 to nil, but the drama is still there. Sometimes they play at home to the bottom place side and miraculously come away the loser!

Obviously I’m getting into hypothetical situations, but what is the truth is that I have met and heard testimony from American supporters of top clubs in the Premier League who say things like, “I still support Man Utd, but I like Blackpool (or QPR or Wolverhampton etc.) I hope they don’t go down.” I have heard, and said such things.

Give a group of people a game to watch between two teams none of them have any allegiance to and the majority of them will pick the underdog. So why when they are picking a team to support long term do the majority of people pick the team more likely to win?

Being an American supporter of a club much lower in the league, and at one point being a [fair weather] fan of Manchester United in my younger years, I’ve come to notice that Americans recognize the amount of commitment and emotion it takes to support a club that truly faces the threat of relegation, but it appears they can’t handle the negatives that come with actually supporting one of these clubs.

Truth is, if you follow the top teams when you win, it’s good. When you lose, it’s bad, and by the end of the season if you’re disappointed, at the worst, it’s most likely because you didn’t finish in a Champions League spot. But if you support a team that’s in the bottom half of the league, when you lose it’s absolutely detrimental. But when you do win, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. And that’s the win that people want to feel. When you’re supporting a top team, you’re never the real underdog.

People can try and justify it by saying they’ve been supporting their team for years, and trash-talking the bottom table teams, but even as I draft this, the most popular categories of any football site are the top teams (including this one). I’m not telling anyone to change their teams. I am just simply hoping future new fans will branch out a little farther down the league.

If you think I’m wrong (and I’m sure many of you do), feel free to give me your own suggestions as to why these teams are so popular in the USA, and why we don’t see more Americans supporting Stoke, Wigan, Villa etc…

Comment if you are an American who does support a team that isn’t top of the league and why you support them. And sorry guys, Fulham and Everton don’t count. We all love Donovan and Dempsey.

Being born in the United States in the late 80’s and growing up through the 90’s, I was exposed to the great “resurgence” of “soccer” in America. With the World Cup here in 1994 and the US women’s team winning their titles in ’91 and ’99, soccer began to get massive exposure here in the States, and even though I’m from Indiana, a state known for it’s love of basketball, the first organized sport I ever played was soccer at the age of 6.

Unfortunately it wasn’t something I seriously stuck to, quitting before high school, and I definitely didn’t follow the professional game or even know of any teams outside of the MLS until one day someone in school had a Manchester United jersey.

Acquiring a bit more information I was informed that they and Arsenal were the two best clubs in England (mind you, it was about 2004), and I was given the understanding that they were big rivals. From then on I decided that I would be a fan of Man United. From that point anytime someone brought up soccer that’s what I told them, “I like Man U,” even though I didn’t really know anything about the team and, at the time, failed to even realize that they had dominated the Premier League since its inception.

Eventually, from watching the World Cup in 2006, I had decided that I thought Wayne Rooney was cool, and since he was a United player it gave me even more reason for liking my team. So that was that. I had a team that was good with a player I liked, and my gradual interest slowly increased as I started watching the occasional game more and more often.

Then suddenly, as if a bomb went off in my in my world of soccer fandom, the 2010 World Cup came and I supported my country like never before! I felt connected with every other US soccer fan. We struggled together. We cheered together and we cried together when we were eventually knocked out after a half decent run in the competition, compared to 2006, and it was that feeling of togetherness I had received that spurred me on.

So I had decided to closely follow the Premier league that year. Now at this point, from playing FIFA, I knew that there were lower leagues in English football, but embarrassingly enough what I hadn’t realized, until before the start of the 2010/11 season, was that a promotion/relegation system even existed. This was a completely foreign concept. As soon as it was explained to me by my younger brother, who incidentally stuck with soccer and had become a Chelsea fan, this concept shook the very foundation of what it meant to enjoy Premier League soccer for me. Realizing that essentially the same team won every year and that the three worst teams got knocked out of the league, I began to notice that the supporters of the teams at the bottom of the league table really had something to lose.

Nevertheless, the season started and I knew that Manchester United had been beaten out for the title the year before, and that they were looking to take it back. I had bought my Wayne Rooney jersey and I was ready to support the Red Devils. Then something happened. United won, and won again, and kept winning, and as happy as I wanted to be about it, I was far more entertained by how well this team called Blackpool was doing. They were beating the odds and climbing up the table, reaching 5th at one point, while at the same time my favorite American player was performing exceptionally well for Fulham.

This began to leave me at a bit of a crossroads if you will. I wanted to stay true to the team I had thought I had supported for so long, but my interest in other teams left me saying things like,  “I’m a United fan, but I also like Blackpool and Fulham.”

Coupled with my newfound understanding of the promotion/relegation system, I began exploring teams in the Championship by playing with them on FIFA (probably the most common exposure to soccer for the average American). For some reason I’m not quite sure of, I settled on Queens Park Rangers (probably because their kits looked great). I began to occasionally check their real progress, but continued to focus mostly on the Premier League.

Then one day a friend of mine said to me that he worked with a guy who was from England, loved to talk about football and that I should meet him. For me, this was exciting news because I had never talked to an Englishman about football before, and it was an exciting chance to get to meet someone who was actually from “the promised land.” I asked my friend which team he supported, but he couldn’t remember, so it was up to me to find out myself.

Excited, I went to visit my fried at work and he introduced me to his workmate. We shook hands, and the first thing he said to me when he realized I liked soccer was, “I bet you’re a Manchester United fan!” From that point he proceeded to explain to me that if you’re American, you like United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea. To which I explained I also liked Fulham and, unenthused, he knew exactly why — Clint Dempsey. Slightly taken aback I asked him what his team was and he proudly pulled his sleeve back and said, “Queens Park Rangers,” as he showed me a tattoo of their old crest on his arm.

From there he proceeded to give me a brief history of the club, the area of West London it’s in, and a breakdown of how strong community they have. And when he was done he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll convert you.”

Later that year on the last day of the Championship season, we watched QPR lose 2-1 to Leeds, but it didn’t matter because we had been promoted. At that time it was just us supporting QPR in Indianapolis, but a year later there were four of us there all watching another game we lost on the final day of the season, only this time we had stayed up.

For me it wouldn’t have changed anything if we had gone down though. I’ve found what I was looking for. Not just a team to follow, but the community surrounding it. When you’re not from the area these teams are based out of, its hard to pick a team to follow. My brother now follows QPR instead of Chelsea because of me.

Some people like to follow teams that win, some like the underdogs. Some like to follow their favorite players team, but teams don’t always win and players don’t always stay. I can honestly say I love QPR, and no matter what league they play in, I always will because I have a sense of community.

So if you do happen to be an American who supports one of the big name clubs, ask yourself, would you still really care about Manchester United if they were in League Two?