Recap: Holloway on Sandro, Cousins, Fancy Dans, relying on Smithies and running like hell
After a 10-day break in fixtures, QPR return to action on Saturday with an important match at Rotherham as they look to climb away from the wrong end of the table.
It’s been two defeats in three matches since the return of Ian Holloway, who has had plenty to say about his team since they last played. Here are some of the manager’s recent musings.
Holloway on goal kicks
“I’ve seen top teams all around the world and what they do from goal kicks. From a wide ‘split’ you can do whatever you want – particularly when you’ve got lovely little Fancy Dan footballers that we’ve got a load of.
“I want to spread out, play through and pass to them, not drop it in from goal kicks and then squeeze over – that makes it a fight. We’re not going to win a fight with that team I picked (against Wolves), are we? Not in a million years.”
On those ‘Fancy Dans’
“I know what I want to do with them. We’ve got far too many number 10s so I’ve got to play in a way that gets at least two of them on the pitch.
“I’ve looked at everybody we’ve got and I’m going to play a couple of people in those wonderful little roles to try and stretch the game and then get us to pass and move it.
“So I’m going to try to commit to that and what we’ve got to do is be brave and try to pass it and go through people – because they can’t track back and win tackles.
“I want to see them play and shine the way I think it will suit them.”
On emulating Holloway’s former team Blackpool
“What do we want to be? We want to be a team that almost stayed up in the Premier League with the worst budget ever. My boys committed to it and I want to do it again.”
On Jordan Cousins
“He needs to believe in himself a little bit more. But I love him. I’ve seen him play brilliantly.”
On Conor Washington
“I need Conor to stay up front. He’s a centre-forward.”
On Sandro
“He wasn’t shown love. I’m having him all day long. He hasn’t put a foot wrong.”
On fans booing Karl Henry
“You haven’t seen him play for me yet. You haven’t seen what I’m going to teach him and get him to do, so please don’t do that. I don’t like that. I don’t think that’s right.
“Yes you pay your money and you can say what you like, but I’m here to encourage people. So please don’t do that to my players.
“They’re yours too aren’t they? They might not be your favourite but please don’t do that to my players. I think I’ve got every right to say that.
“Should one of my players be booed before he’s even done anything for me? Please don’t come here with preconceived ideas. Give us a chance. It’s all I’m asking.
“You pay your money, you can do what you like, but I don’t want to hear that. That ain’t right.”
On QPR’s reliance on Alex Smithies
“We’ve needed our goalie to make absolutely out-of-this-world saves. That ain’t going to happen every time is it?”
On Yeni Ngbakoto and Idrissa Sylla
“I need the French boys to run like hell. Too many times they’re stood about.”
