QPR fans celebrate a goal at Cardiff, 2011. Photo credit: Jon Candy
The background
Queens Park Rangers went into their opening day Premier League fixture against Swansea with high hopes of a fast start to the 2012/13 season. After all, the superhoops had, with nine signings, been the most active Premiership club over the summer. The club’s high-profile signings of South Korean Ji-Sung Park from Manchester United and Canadian starlet Junior Hoilett from Blackburn had some QPR fans even dreaming of a top ten finish (QPR finished 17th last season). But Swansea really spoiled the party – they thumped QPR 5-nil to leave the west London side bottom of the table and licking fresh wounds.
QPR owner Tony Fernandes’ response to the drubbing seems to be throwing more money at the problem. QPR are on the brink of signing Michael Dawson from Tottenham for a reported £7.5 million (potentially rising to £9 million) and are understood to have agreed a season-long loan deal for Real Madrid’s 34-year-old Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho. And that’s not the end of it – QPR are linked with a whole host of other big names.
The question dominating QPR fan messageboards and Twitter is whether Fernandes can spend his way out of trouble? Were QPR to be relegated to the Championship with its current (and rising) wage bill, the consequences could be pretty disastrous for the club. That said, there are many QPR fans who are enthused by the big-money Dawson signing and marvel at Fernandes’ ambition for the club.
QPR starting centre-backs versus Swansea were Anton Ferdinand and Clinton Hill – solid enough performers but not exactly Steve Bould and Tony Adams.
The tweets
Are any QPR fans worried about the long-term sustainability of what they are doing? Spending crazy money on fees and wages.
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_SM) August 22, 2012
QPR also signing a lot of players who will have no resale value and their current batch of players won’t fetch much. — Matt Law (@Matt_Law_SM) August 22, 2012
#QPR Dawson deal a good one for#QPR if completed but I really don’t see the point of Carvalho on loan. Was past it at#cfc — George Ian Cooper (@QPRTimes) August 22, 2012
Dawson’s too good for QPR, no?
— James Dall (@JamesDallESPN) August 21, 2012
QPR might be paying over the odds for Michael Dawson but they have got a very fine player there if he can stay fit.
#bbcfootball— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) August 21, 2012
QPR lose 5-0 on the first day then go out and sign Dawson & Carvalho. That should sort the defence out.
— Greg Stobart (@gstobart) August 22, 2012
It seems Carvalho may be joining Dawson at QPR. Not that they’re panicking following the 5-0 mauling by Swansea
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) August 22, 2012
Dawson and Carvalho. Decent center back pairing if it comes off. Strange and wonderful times for a
#qpr fan.— John Crowley (@mrjohncrowley) August 22, 2012
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