Progress

For years everyone has laughed at Arsenal for celebrating fourth place in the PL. Now the shoe is on the other foot. After years celebrating titles, it felt strange to be celebrating Liverpool failing to win at Chelsea and all but guaranteeing United fourth place this season. How the mighty have fallen...

Following on from C's fantastic appraisal of QPR's season, J is following suit with an assessment of United's season and where we can go from what seems like a fourth place finish (barring 2 losses and a 14 goal swing).

Review: 

It's been a strange season where United started poorly - losing at home to Swansea, drawing at Sunderland, drawing and failing to score at Burnley etc. but United have unquestionably progressed since last year. We've competed for the top four all year and looked far more entertaining (for the most part) as well as more confident and resolute.

The results picked up at the back end of the year, draws at home to Chelsea and wins at Arsenal & Southampton showed results were heading the right way even if performances were still stuttering.

For all the world it looked like everything had clicked with the run of six wins on the trot including Tottenham and the mauling of Citeh at home. Fellaini looked like a beast and it seemed like LVG had had his 'Juventus' moment that he'd been going on about all year...Only for the recent run of 3 defeats on the trot without scoring and the return of boring, predictable football again. Saturday saw United scrape through against Palace and it was fitting that it was two men who LVG has revitalised that won it for the Reds - Ashley Young and Fellaini. This and a special mention for our player of the year David De Gea, who made some unbelievable saves yet again to secure the points.

So now we have to avoid defeat in just one of our last 2 games - Arsenal at home and Hull away - to finish in fourth position and enter the qualification rounds of the Champions League.

So what should be the plan for next year?

The plan:

This year the plan was arguably to finish in the top four. Next season? Surely it has to be to challenge for the title - challenge being the operative word!

First of all, and most important of all - keep David De Gea. This is a big ask - Madrid is his home and when Real Madrid come calling you pretty rarely see someone saying no. United need to do whatever they possibly can to keep him here and get him signed up on another contract. Do whatever it takes to show his girlfriend that Manchester is much lovelier than the back of a fridge - get her on a tour of the Northern Quarter with Juan & Ander, just do whatever it takes to sign the man up! He's showed time and time again this season how he is one of the very best keepers in the world and has saved this team at least 12 points this season if not more.

Secondly - sort out the Angel Di Maria situation. Di Maria clearly hasn't settled in England and isn't enjoying life here whatsoever. He started the season looking like the quality footballer we all know he is and he can't have lost that ability and the form he showed for Real the year before. Di Maria is the type of next level player the team needs but at the moment it looks like United are putting a square peg in a round hole whenever he plays. He clearly isn't comfortable on the wing where he's playing. The system that LVG is now employing is clearly the one he likes and it looks to be staying - so is Di Maria redundant? The board and LVG need to work that out quickly. Either get him playing in this system and confidently, or call it quits.

A lot has already been said by more esteemed observers than me about who United should sign, but in my humble opinion we need four players at least. Even that depends upon whether they sign Falcao permanently and whether RVP is staying or if they wipe the slate clean and go for a breath of fresh air up front (Which personally appeals to me on both counts).

So if I were in charge I would sign a right back, a central midfielder, a central defender and at least one striker.

A winger is already sorted and I am seriously excited to watch Memphis Depay at OT next season. He's torn the Eredivisie up this year, and while that isn't always a guarantee for success he looks like one of the best prospects in European football currently. Plus, to snatch him from under the Scouser's noses is always nice! He's also scored four free kicks in his last four games - we haven't had a free kick specialist since Ronaldo and I'm sick of the amount of dire free kicks in good positions we have put up with this year.

So, the right back - all the talk is about Nathaniel Clyne and he would seem to be a very good signing. He knows the PL and has steadily improved over the years. Apparently United were in for him when he left Crystal Palace but he opted for the Saints and the move has obviously worked wonders. He's now surely got to be rated as England's best right back (Johnson, Walker? No thanks). He'd probably cost a pretty packet but he's only 24 and could be the future right back for 10 years for United and England. It's a shame that Rafael seems to be out of the picture completely but Clyne would definitely be a serious upgrade on Tony V particularly defensively where he is always suspect.

Centre back - who else but Mats Hummels? The Metro have got a story today stating that the Reds are in advanced talks with Dortmund to sign Hummels who would cost £37m. Every man and his dog has their opinion and everyone's an expert now. I've read a huge amount of talk that he's too slow for the PL etc etc blah blah blah. LVG had him at Bayern Munich and Klopp has built a team on the foundations of Hummels and Subotic at Dortmund. If those two coaches rate him then that tells me all I need to know. Sign him up, Ed. Get Jones or Rojo fit and consistently playing and we have a very decent centre back line up.

Central midfielder - Gundogan, Pogba, Khedira, Vidal, Wijnaldum? In an ideal world if this was Fifa 1998 and any bid for a player at the right price meant that they'd move to you I'd say Pogba. He has everything. We should swallow our pride and put the fact that we had him on our books to the back of our mind and just pay what it takes to get him. But I seriously can't see us getting him. Pogba will have his pick of teams to go to and in all likelihood he'll go to Barcelona (when their transfer ban is up) or Real won't he? In that case, I think we should go for Gundogan. He's got a great range of passing but can put a foot in as well. He's a great mix of qualities that we need and he's realistically "available".

Striker - I'm going to plan that we don't have RVP and Falcao. In which case, I think we probably need two strikers. I'd try and poach Danny Ings from the clutches of Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal or whoever. He's available on a free (well a tribunal fee, but considering what he would be worth it's peanuts), he's young, he's English, he can score in the PL and he is direct and pacy. At OT he stretched the play very impressively and ran the channels better than anyone else I've seen this season. In short, he's exactly the kind of player I think we've missed by getting rid of Chicharito and Welbeck. The other striker? I think we should sign Jackson Martinez from Porto. At 28 he's got Champions League experience and has shown consistently that he is better than the Portuguese Liga. In three seasons at Porto he has scored 31, 29 and 28 (and counting) goals. Martinez scored 7 goals in the CL this year so the argument that he's good in the Portuguese Liga but that doesn't guarantee goals is somewhat nullified by that. It would be a slight gamble but I don't fancy Cavani and I'm not sure someone like Benzema is realistic.

In an ideal world if those gaps in the team are plugged I think we stand a very good chance of getting into the group stages of the Champions League plus getting into the knockout stages, challenging for the PL title and potentially winning a domestic cup as well. It might be pie in the sky but this year has seen us progress and we've ground out a lot of results playing badly. I have faith that next year once LVG has a full summer to build his own team, the sky's the limit! (hopefully this hasn't jinxed United for Sunday now!!!)

J

A blank canvas

With the terminal illness of QPR's relegation now over, C is quick to assess the size of the task ahead for Tony Fernandes and Co. this Summer...

QPR = QUICK PREMIER RELEGATION. Well we should have known last Summer when we robbed Derby County of their Premier League place and the budget we had was spent in the wrong areas and on too few players. Kidding ourselves that Loic Remy would stay a Hoop didn't help either (though I reckon he privately wishes he did now - look forward to seeing him follow in Demba Ba's footsteps and heading for Turkey - Chelsea FC: ruining careers and world football with dirty Russian rubles since 2003). As it happens, I much prefer the Championship; give me cold away Tuesday nights at Rotherham over £60 tickets to Arsenal away and half and half scarves for Chelsea and "Q P Rangers" any day!!!

This is all a bit raw having had to put up with watching game after game of defeat, including today's mauling at City, which, by the way, was pathetic. But I've taken the "Child playing Football Manager for the first time" approach to my planning for life in the Championship.

For Sale (regrettedly)

Two names on everybody's lips in this category are Charlie Austin and Matty Phillips, and I think it's fair to say that their ambitions plus the need to rebuild a near entire team will lead to the inevitable sale of both of them given the prices they would fetch in today's market. 

Charlie Austin - Liverpool, £14m plus Rickie Lambert

The biggest loss this Summer will be the man without whose goals QPR would be even worse off than the last time they were a Premier League side. Seventeen goals in this team in a struggling season show just how good a marksman this guy is and there is no way that will have gone unnoticed by the rest of the league. He has proved at every level he has played at that he has that goalscoring knack, and the good news is that because he is English we should get a sizeable fee for him. My suggestion is that a team on the fringes of European football will be his destination and despite dealings with Tottenham having been frequent following invasion of their mafia at the top of the club in recent seasons, I can see Liverpool being a more favourable destination for him. 

Liverpool do, of course, have a potential small sweetener for the deal in Rickie Lambert, who is getting on a bit but a bit younger and more nimble than Bobby Zamora, and a decent penalty taker too. I think Rangers should bring him in to the deal to ensure that one of the starting eleven berths in the Championship is filled. Will he drop down a level though? Depends if Uncle Tony can sweet talk him over a game of FIFA.

Matty Phillips - West Brom, £4m

Matty Phillips will feel that up until Chris Ramsey's appointment he was being overlooked and unloved by the fans. He showed glimpses of what he could do but rarely could string together a coherent performance. Since the turn of the year he's been a revelation, the top assist provider in the Premier League. I think he will use the remaining two fixtures to put himself in the shop window and the club will not and should not stand in his way when an opportunity arises this Summer. 

Robert Green - Chelsea, £1m

He has saved many points for QPR and his kicking continues to be his main weakness, but I think Rob is at the stage in his career where he'd fancy a squad role at a top club, much like the Mark Schwarzer job at Chelsea, who have indicated they would be interested in a new number three (possibly even number two if Petr Cech continues to get restless behind Courtois). Meanwhile QPR will promote Alex McCarthy to being the main man between the sticks in his absence. I do rate 'Greeno' as a shot-stopper but I do think it's time for a younger man to take on the mantle.

In addition to these three, we know that Mauricio Isla and Eduardo Vargas will be heading back to their parent clubs and I see very little persuading them to return. I don't think it would be appropriate anyway. 

Niko Kranjcar will also bid farewell to QPR at the end of the season and now that Harry's gone I can't see him signing again. I suspect you'd get good odds on him following Harry Redknapp to the Cherries (once he joins Bournemouth as Director of Football, that is).

For Sale at whatever price (I'll drive them to their next club)

Junior Hoilett - Hannover 96, £1m

This guy has been such a let down since signing from Blackburn, where he was all the rage, had "pace to burn" and "wanted by top European clubs". The amount of times I've screamed at him to beat his man or to clear the first man with a cross is unparalleled with any other winger since I've been attending QPR games. He is genuinely toilet. Only someone outside this country wouldn't know that, hence why I suggest we tout him to the Bundesliga where I understand he is rated because of two successful loan spells out there a few years back. I'll happily do the negotiations for the club so that we scrape a seven figure sum for him.

Steven Caulker - Watford, £3m

In my mind, all three of QPR's big money signings last Summer were huge disappointments. With Mutch already moved on (and rightly so) I think that Fer and Caulker will also head out of the revolving door at Loftus Road. An £8m signing that looked exactly like what we should have been going for last Summer has not delivered to expectation in the slightest. So many of the 70 odd goals QPR have conceded this season have been partly or fully preventable, and more often than not reports would state "Caulker should have". An error-strewn year coupled with his own career aspirations appear to spell the end of the big man's QPR career.

Seeing as Matthew Connolly was only on loan at Watford for the season and every time he has been part of a promotion-winning defence he has been sold immediately back to the Championship, I think that Caulker will continue to appeal to the market, as a young England potential centre back that will come good trading off of a good season at Swansea and a couple of appearances at Spurs. In reality his spells at Cardiff and QPR in particular have revealed his many shortcomings. As such Watford appears an ideal destination for the centre half.

Leroy Fer - Feyenoord, £2m

Marketed last Summer to QPR fans as the marquee signing, the "box to box midfielder" that would wear the number ten shirt reserved for special players at QPR down the years, the Dutchman has been a major let down. Whilst he undoubtedly has an excellent shot on him, he has had a lazy season and just not tried hard enough nor looked interested enough whilst donning the hoops.

Having had a dabble in English football and flattered to deceive, I think Leroy will look to go back to the division in which he made his name, possibly even the club he was playing for back there.

Armand Traore - Caen, £350k

I'm unsure how Traore has stayed at QPR so long, especially after Crystal Palace's offer was reportedly accepted last Summer. I will never forget when Warnock had to give Traore a lecture on throw-ins at the Emirates after his repeated foul throws throughout his QPR career up to that point. He clearly has no defensive ability whatsoever and is best off in a left midfield role, which is where I hoped QPR would start playing him after it was revealed he would be staying. He has a good crossing ability that was largely untapped at QPR (apart from at the Etihad that famous day in 2012). But he is injury prone, not pacey enough and inconsistent. And absolutely NOT a defender in a million years.

He may actually be out of contract and I don't know it, but put it this away, it's time to say Au Revoir to Armand. I see a ferry trip to Caen who will take him upon glancing at his CV and seeing Arsenal on it.

Sandro - Gremio, £1.5m

Sandro has shown QPR fans in fits and spurts just why he was so highly regarded at Spurs, and in equal measure why they were keen to move him on; for the amount of the Medical Team's time he took up! If he could stay fit he'd definitely be on the keep list.

Unbelievably it looks like we spent £6m plus on this guy and didn't check when his work permit was due to expire. A sign that there are a bunch of clowns behind the scenes at Loftus Road as well as on the pitch.

I predict he won't want to stay and will take the relegation as an opportunity to return to his home land.

Adel Taarabt - Inter Milan, £3m

A player that has often been hailed the messiah at QPR has eaten one too many take aways for my liking and clearly doesn't have the right mindset to be a professional footballer. We will always remember the amazing moments of brilliance in the Championship and the excellent goals against Arsenal and Tottenham in the survival season, but it's clear he doesn't really want to be here and we shouldn't keep giving ourselves false hope that he is the answer. 

Suggest he will leave English football for a more laid-back low tempo game in Italy, settling for a bit part role at somewhere like Inter Milan.

Nedum Onuoha - Leicester City, £2m

Perhaps of the list above this was the hardest to rule on. The Chief has shown potential over his career at QPR and can be solid when in form. But this season he's had far too many off days and his performance versus Liverpool last weekend typified this. It's time to wave goodbye to him, but I think he'll remain a Premier League player.

Out of contract and not renewing

Rio Ferdinand - Match of the Day, Television pundit

Maybe it's because Anton didn't do anything for us but I sense that many QPR fans were underwhelmed when Rio pitched up at the club last Summer for a final pay day. It felt a bit like Shaggy bringing out another song to pay the bills, and much like Kranjcar it felt like Harry signing one of his old mates again.

Whilst enjoying god like status at Manchester United the man has benefited from a solid midfield in front of him throughout his career there and for England, so to be given a new setup where the line in front of him comprised Joey Barton and Karl Henry was always going to test whether Rio really had much in the way of defensive abilities beyond aerial prowess. He was dropped early on in the season following a series of jittery performances which confirmed the fans' suspicions. 

Clint Hill - Tranmere Rovers, Assistant Manager

What a fantastic servant this man has been and I almost want to keep him around the club to try and rekindle the spirit of the 2010/11 promotion winning team. As it happens, I can see Clint returning to Scouseland and starting his badges at a club dear to his heart, Tranmere Rovers. Thanks for the memories, Clint.

Shaun Wright-Phillips - New York City, Free Transfer

I can recall one good performance from Shaun - his debut versus Newcastle under Warnock in 2011! He scored the winner at Chelsea in 2013 which of course deserves a mention but even in that game his contribution was limited. Other than that he appears to have been playing under hyponosis for four seasons where he loses all footballing ability and effort. In exchange, we've continued to give him 70,000 magic beans per week which has kept him happy at the club. Finally the four years of this parasite are up this Summer. Sod off, Shaun.

I predict he'll follow his brother Brad to America and given his cult status among Manchester Citeh fans I think he's guaranteed a job and nice long contract over at their American flavour outfit.

Joey Barton - Leeds United, Free Transfer

I think QPR needs an identity transplant, and as much as some of his performances and efforts have been admirable this season, this man is not what we want to be the symbol of Rangers going forward, and this chapter in QPR's history should be closed once and for all. I've heard rumours of Leeds having a bit of cash this Summer - sounds like a match made in heaven to me!

To keep

Well, this will be brief...

Alex McCarthy

Seems like the logical number one jersey holder for next season. He's a decent Championship goalkeeper and I'd say with Rob Green unlikely to be around next season that he is ready made to step in. We've not seen much of him yet at QPR but at Reading he showed he is a capable young man that should now get the chance to establish himself as QPR's Custodian for the next few seasons.

Yun Suk-Young

He's had a wretched four months having come back from injury completely out of form, but the performances earlier in this campaign have persuaded me we can still get the best out of the young Korean. He's clearly got potential and deserves a season of starting again.

Richard Dunne

Probably not as a first choice, but I just feel that it is important to have the Irishman around the club as he can offer a lot to the rest of the squad as a vastly experienced professional. His presence in the team was sorely missed when he was our injured and the team does need strong characters who have been there and done it before, but who are ultimate professionals. I cannot see a motive for him to move on himself at this stage in his career - especially as QPR took a chance on him when nobody else was prepared to do so after a injury-ravaged career at Villa. 

Karl Henry

After a poor first season in the Championship for QPR, the Midfield Enforcer has actually had a relatively good season this time around when put into perspective. He does lack the ability to have a starring role and definitely is not a Premier League player, however I think he's got the right mindset and some Championship know-how that leads me to conclude he is worth hanging on to next season in that division. Not an essential, but I can think of more reasons to keep him than not, plus there are few suitors that would pay the fee I would take for him (£400k plus).

Alejandro Faurlin

Having kept faith in this man following a series of serious injuries, QPR will I'm sure keep hold of the Argentinean who was so consistent in the 2010/11 promotion winning season. A good pre-season and a few prayers for the man and I'm convinced he can roll back the years and feature prominently in the Championship.

Summer wish list

Assuming a budget of £17m for Summer transfers can be raised by these sales, here are four of my suggestions for inbounds to join Rickie L:

Matthew Lowton, Aston Villa, £1m

A player capable of the odd wondergoal and senior enough now to be a first choice Championship right back rather than settle for a squad rotation role at Villa, who I'm sure will look to move on from their Paul Lambert ethos of buying in youth from the Football League and look to experience to stop their annual flirtation with relegation. 

Tom Ince, Hull City, £3m

Rumoured to be a Rangers target last Summer, this man hasn't quite lived up to his billing in the Premier League but has consistently proved he is well equipped to deliver in the Championship. He should be available at a reasonable price and I'm convinced he is an able replacement for Phillips.

Bakary Sako, Wolves, Free

Out of contract this Summer, Sako has consistently appeared on the scoring charts wherever he has played and QPR were certainly making enquiries in January. J only knows too well the capabilities of the Wolves striker. I think he's a different kind of forward to that which QPR have had in recent years and would be a welcome addition. Whether he could be persuaded to come here over anywhere else is a different matter.

Demarai Gray, Birmingham, Free*

The very talented winger has been credited with many of the plaudits for turning Birmingham's season around under Gary Rowett and he has scored some excellent goals during that time.

It is my understanding that he is available this Summer but as he is a youth player compensation would be due to Blues. 

This would almost certainly go to tribunal - but for an exciting 18 year old winger? Well worth the hassle!

The Manager

Many QPR fans will tell you that they think we have played better football under Chris Ramsey. Well yes we've scored some more goals and not looked quite as toothless on the road, but when you look at all the other clubs that were in the relegation mire that changed their manager mid season, Ramsey has delivered the poorest results. No team has been worse than QPR in the Premier League in 2015, which speaks volumes. The Home performances in particular, a major feature in the pre Christmas revival of QPR, have completely dried up. The amount of chances created in the winnable games like West Ham have just not been comparable to that period, and the worrying lack of energy in the last ten minutes has paralysed us throughout the season and remained unrectified under Ramsey.

So who is the right man for the job? 

Paul Clement

Real Madrid's highly regarded coach was linked with the QPR job in January but I think there was no real truth in it. However the man is the son of a QPR legend and would certainly be the fans' choice. His brother Neil enjoyed his many visits to Loftus Road in his career with fans breaking out in to rousing applause. He is credited for being Ancelotti's tactical right hand man and I'm sure would fancy a job in the English game in a managerial hotseat somewhere. Given the success in English football that managers who in previous lives have been assistants at top Spanish clubs, can you blame me for wanting to see a bit of Iberian flair on the pitch at Loftus Road?