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Post by Hogan on May 21, 2012 11:22:18 GMT
Flashback 5 1/2 Years QPR chairman: "I want us to be like Manchester United and Arsenal"Ian Cooper - London 24 Monday, May 21, 2012 Fernandes vows to give manager Hughes the chance to build a new era at Loftus Road QPR chairman Tony Fernandes wants to emulate Manchester United and Arsenal by giving manager Mark Hughes the chance to take the club into a ‘new era’. Hughes guided Rangers to Premier League survival on the final day of the season, four months after he was hand-picked by Fernandes as a replacement for Neil Warnock. Fernandes is determined to bring stability to Loftus Road after years of managerial upheaval, and believes that former Manchester City, Fulham, Blackburn Rovers and Wales boss Hughes is the perfect man to oversee their long-term progress. And the chairman cited Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, who have been at their clubs for a combined total of more than 40 years, as the example QPR must follow. “I feel confident that Mark is potentially the man who could take QPR into another era, a stable era, where we become an established Premier League club,” Fernandes told London24.com.“Mark is immensely impressive. He’s got a great personality, he’s very ambitious, he’s down to earth, has his ego in check and he knows his stuff. He was a player in the Premier League for a long time so he has competed at the highest levels. Every club he has been to he has excelled at. “I want to be a club like Arsenal or Manchester United, who have had the same manager for a long time, and West Ham as well, when John Lyall and Ron Greenwood were there. “Stability is important. You can’t build anything without that. You can’t do things if you don’t have time. I’m not saying we want to be champions tomorrow, Europe or whatever, but I think the next stage is for us to be a club which will remain in the Premier League for a long time.” Fernandes admitted that sacking Warnock in January after QPR’s run of eight games without a win was a difficult decision, but one which was vindicated by Hughes’s subsequent success. “I had hoped that Neil was that person,” he added. “It was very painful for me to move Neil out, but I had to do what I did. I had tremendous stick for that but I stood up, and here we are now.” QPR retained their Premier League status despite a 3-2 defeat at Manchester City on the final day, and Fernandes admitted he cast an envious eye around the home of the new champions. City’s Etihad Stadium holds just under 48,000, a facility which Fernandes, who has made the construction of a new ground a priority, believes QPR could match in the coming years. “I don’t think we have quite the resources that they have there, but the size of the stadium, the facilities, there’s no reason why we can’t do something like that,” said Fernandes. “People might ask how we would fill a 40,000-seater stadium, but I built an airline from a few hundred thousand passengers and now we have £32 million. Build it right, market it right, and people will come. We’re in the best city in the world, in the best part of London.” www.london24.com/sport/qpr/qpr_chairman_i_want_us_to_be_like_manchester_united_and_arsenal_1_1383786 |
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Post by RoryTheRanger on May 21, 2012 11:24:20 GMT
Oh so that's why Hughes agreed to join.......
If he thinks we can get there then why not??? Wonder if this is a small hint that Mittal wants to get more hands on???
Also if Tony thinks we can fill a 48,000 seater stadium then he is in for a nasty shock.
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Post by Markqpr on May 21, 2012 11:33:02 GMT
“People might ask how we would fill a 40,000-seater stadium, but I built an airline from a few hundred thousand passengers and now we have £32 million. Build it right, market it right, and people will come. We’re in the best city in the world, in the best part of London.” That was a budget airline Tony. With our ticket prices, I don't see how you could compare the two outside of your ambition? |
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Post by RoryTheRanger on May 21, 2012 11:35:19 GMT
“People might ask how we would fill a 40,000-seater stadium, but I built an airline from a few hundred thousand passengers and now we have £32 million. Build it right, market it right, and people will come. We’re in the best city in the world, in the best part of London.” That was a budget airline Tony. With our ticket prices, I don't see how you could compare the two outside of your ambition? I think if we had a new stadium the tickets prices would go down. |
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Post by Macmoish on May 21, 2012 11:46:02 GMT
I'd like us to be more like the Ipswich of Bobby Robson or the Derby County or Nottingham Forest of Brian Clough!
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Post by birchambluerinse on May 21, 2012 12:07:23 GMT
Well, we cant stay as we are can we and still compete with the best.. don't get anywhere for standing still..Good for Tony for having the ambition for the club, all positive..
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Post by kempton ranger on May 21, 2012 12:11:55 GMT
This might explain the away kit?
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Post by Lonegunmen on May 21, 2012 12:25:12 GMT
The Middlesbro' Jersey?
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Post by kempton ranger on May 21, 2012 12:28:22 GMT
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Post by sharky on May 21, 2012 12:33:12 GMT
40,000 seat stadium. Now that would take some time to get to. Suggest he build a 30,000 seat one that can be added on to get to 40,000 if necessary, although I think that looking many years ahead.
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Post by Markqpr on May 21, 2012 15:48:59 GMT
I think if we had a new stadium the tickets prices would go down. Sorry Rory, please forgive me, but..........................  |
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Post by RoryTheRanger on May 21, 2012 15:53:26 GMT
I think if we had a new stadium the tickets prices would go down. Sorry Rory, please forgive me, but.......................... The only reason they are so high right now is because they need to make the most money they can out of a small ground. IF we get a 40,000 seater stadium then reducing the ticket prices will still make more money from ticket sales than they do at LR now. |
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Post by Markqpr on May 21, 2012 16:01:40 GMT
Sorry Rory, please forgive me, but.......................... The only reason they are so high right now is because they need to make the most money they can out of a small ground. IF we get a 40,000 seater stadium then reducing the ticket prices will still make more money from ticket sales than they do at LR now. Rory are you telling me that they are going to charge us less to sit in a better stadium with vast improved facilities and views, as recouping it's vast expense will not be an issue for these guys as they prefer to lose money rather than make it? Perhaps you could explain to me why the family stand is where it is as well? |
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Post by RoryTheRanger on May 21, 2012 16:09:25 GMT
The only reason they are so high right now is because they need to make the most money they can out of a small ground. IF we get a 40,000 seater stadium then reducing the ticket prices will still make more money from ticket sales than they do at LR now. Rory are you telling me that they are going to charge us less to sit in a better stadium with vast improved facilities and views, as recouping it's vast expense will not be an issue for these guys as they prefer to lose money rather than make it? Perhaps you could explain to me why the family stand is where it is as well? Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying  What does the family stand have to do with this?? |
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Post by Markqpr on May 21, 2012 16:11:17 GMT
Rory are you telling me that they are going to charge us less to sit in a better stadium with vast improved facilities and views, as recouping it's vast expense will not be an issue for these guys as they prefer to lose money rather than make it? Perhaps you could explain to me why the family stand is where it is as well? Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying What does the family stand have to do with this?? Simple marketing. Give me a sec. Front doorbell just went! |
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2012 16:13:33 GMT
How much did Arsenal reduce their ticket prices by when they moved to the Emirates Stadium Rory
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Post by RoryTheRanger on May 21, 2012 16:24:35 GMT
Arsenal are a top four Champions League club with players on bigger wages than ours, can't be used as a comparison.
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Post by Hogan on May 21, 2012 16:26:40 GMT
Yer their fans were bemoaing last seasons six percent rise in season ticket prices.
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Post by Jon Doeman on May 21, 2012 16:30:09 GMT
I think if we had a new stadium the tickets prices would go down. Sorry Rory, please forgive me, but.......................... I've just done one of them to him, you're on 'form' today Rory! ;D |
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Post by RoryTheRanger on May 21, 2012 16:59:54 GMT
TF isn't an idiot. We barely manage to sell out Loftus Road with the current ticket prices, if he wants us to sell out a 40,000 seater stadium then he will have to lower the prices a little bit.
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Post by Lonegunmen on May 21, 2012 17:20:20 GMT
More seats, cheaper the price in some cases. I think QPR would be a 30k club for some games, mostly 21k and 35k for top 5 games. A stadium for 30k wo0uld seem ideal if it had a temporary expansion set up. However I would prefer the fans to be very close to the pitch - it's what makes Loftus Road so special...and it intimidates the crap out of most opposition teams. I would like to see all ticket prices dropped by 30% in the wake of Tango leaving. TV revenue can subsidise the difference.
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Post by ingham on May 21, 2012 20:05:26 GMT
Like Gold and Sullivan at West Ham, I'm more inclined to believe that this about selling off the old ground than achieving glory at a new one.
I bet Fernandes knows exactly how to sell off Loftus Road and how to pocket the cash. But I bet he hasn't the first idea how to outwit Ferguson and his rival managers and to outperform Clubs like Arsenal, United and City. Chelsea and City gatecrashed English football's Big Three by massive spending (though not by building enormous stadiums. But Stamford Bridge according to some had the biggest (uncounted) League ground attendance for the visit of Moscow Dynamo for a friendly, and City's old Ground at Maine Road was so well attended that it still holds the number one and number two attendance records in the country (for City and United) - 84,000, and quite a way above Old Trafford's present capacity, which is itself way bigger than anyone else's.
Smaller Clubs did challenge once. But they haven't done so for a long, long time. So I'd like to be sure he knew what he was talking about, and to be sure, I'd like to know what facts his claims are based on. As far as I can see, none.
It is also the case that grounds, generally speaking, have become much smaller. They are filled in the PL, but smaller Clubs fill them because the grounds are small enough to fill.
Where the manager is concerned, we should bear in mind that Ferguson took over at MANCHESTER UNITED. They were biggish even when he arrived. Hughes, on the other hand, has taken over at Queens Park Rangers. And without comparable prior achievements to Ferguson's at Aberdeen.
Also why such a small ground? Why not get full value for his 'ambition' and go for a 100,000 capacity stadium which we would expand at will? Ticket prices could be rock bottom.
It would be expensive, but he is ambitious, isn't he?
The real issue, I suspect, and it would be if I were in his shoes, would be that if I knew I had the talent to make QPR more successful than the rest - we are actually 'competing with them' now, just not very impressively - I'd just do it.
And let the football world judge me by my achievements. After all, even a football genius can't know IN ADVANCE what his achievements will be. He can't even know what his players will do one minute in advance.
And if he doesn't know that, he doesn't really know anything, does he?
Very interesting posts, very thoughtful stuff, though. The debate over a bigger ground is always fascinating. One reason, at least I think so, is that successful Clubs don't rush to build enormous stadia from which to launch their next golden age, but because they are so CONSERVATIVE in their 'ambition'.
On the face of it, that seems puzzling. But if one did it, they could all do it, and that doesn't make sense.
United, only 76,000 capacity after 12 titles under Ferguson alone. Arsenal, nowhere near that. Chelsea and City far less than Arsenal.
Why doesn't Abramovich build a vast new ground for £2 billion or £3 billion? So big United couldn't compete, and RA could roll over every possible challenge?
Grounds are built up to a Club's size, I would say. Not the other way around.
And Fayed said all that about rivalling Liverpool, United and Real Madrid (the clubs he named). And said he would build a bigger ground. It never happened. And he is wealthy. But it is worth pointing out again that spending seems to be geared ultimately to the size of the Club, not the wealth of the billionaire. While effective spending - which is more significant - is geared much more to the talent of the manager.
There are other difficulties, of a down to earth nature. QPR gave City two tough games this season. No matter how much money you have, you can only field 11 players at a time. You can buy the 6 best strikers in the world, but you can't play them often enough to make a difference - and they wouldn't come anyway, just to sit on the bench. Even 11 dodos can make things hard for you.
But Fernandes talks as if it's a walk in the park.
It is also worth stressing that football is collective, not individual. Its rivalries are collective. The pool of players is shared out collectively. No billionaire can do anything about his opponents spending. If we spend more, they can spend more. But some of them can afford it. They can certainly afford it better than we can.
So if it's easy enough for Fernandes to compete directly with City, United and Arsenal virtually from scratch, surely it is easier for those Clubs to effortlessly outperform QPR - on the same principle - with all the advantages they enjoy now? Will all the other Clubs just stand by and do nothing while Fernandes takes us to the top.
Me, I ask myself what is his exit strategy? Why talk about the changing the Club before he has understood what it is, what the game is, what the other Clubs can do, how hard or how easy it is to win continuously (which is a more certain determinant of long-term excellence).
But he doesn't mention that. Maybe he doesn't want to raise expectations ;D
As I say, good to hear all sides of a perennially fascinating topic - Great thread.
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Post by cpr on May 21, 2012 20:52:51 GMT
Good grief, Tony Fayed is our ownere!  Rory, please come back and join us on our planet.  |
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Post by maudesfishnchips on May 21, 2012 21:15:50 GMT
ipswich, forest, had a grasp of success in the 80's, could of well pushed them into that elite group. but then faded away.
this whole success thing must be more of a global branding than a few seasons of trophies.
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Post by londonranger on May 21, 2012 22:19:32 GMT
Well hes a bit out of date. Manchester City is the team to emulate. Man U are veritable has beens.
Look how City came back to defeat our Mighty Rs of W12.
Suspect Fernie has been partying bit it too much. Starting to sound a bit grandiose like our late
great leader, Briatore.
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Post by Macmoish on May 21, 2012 22:30:26 GMT
Very interesting Ingham...
Certainly we're prepared to spend...But we're talking millions...Maybe tens of millions...Certainly no evidence we're planning to spend HUNDREDS of millions - which of course what Man City and Chelsea have done to propel themselves to that top rank...And despite all the sneers, I think Chelsea are a bigger club than us. And Man City clearly are... And I'm not so sure you can change that so easily. And I'm not so sure if you do change it, that we are any longer Queen's Park Rangers.
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Post by sharky on May 21, 2012 23:12:45 GMT
Agree with Mac, very interesting Ingham.
What I like about TF is that he is prepared to push the envelope. When we all say 30,000 seated stadium max, he says why not 40,000. He gets us to lift our expectations and that's makes us dream that maybe we can be like Man U or Citeh.
Why is he getting Air Asia who don't even fly into Europe to sponsor QPR? Because AA are big, real big, in Asia. My son recently went to Malaysia on a football tour and one of his friends (a Liverpool supporter) bought a QPR strip and wears it often. TF is no idiot. In 5-10 years time he wants Asian kids to be just as happy to buy a hoops shirt as they are to buy a Man U/Liverpool/ Chelsea one.
Time will tell whether this dream will become a reality.
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Post by cpr on May 21, 2012 23:31:12 GMT
"Time will tell whether this dream will become a reality."
Or a nightmare.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2012 0:25:53 GMT
Aspirations of where you would like to be .. Aim v high and fall a little short? Or aim low .. Keep aiming high tony as know business head kicks in and will make right decisions but forward is better than back!
Just like the fact there is someone loving the club and investing rather than plundering like many others.
We and tony are qpr .. Support qpr and let's see where we end up.
I don't see a 50k seater stadium or champions league football every year but 30k stadium , Europa and a proper well run club with great youth academy.
Would any complain?
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Post by londonranger on May 22, 2012 0:41:50 GMT
I frankly havent seen any sneering on this thread which means contemptuous. What I have seen is the
predictable corporate line which is to overdramatically inflate ones sucesses which hopefully means
attracting more players, agents, investors, bigger stadium, bigger park. We are a growing place to put
your money. Hear it all the time in and out of the sports world. But if you just look at the facts, Stoke converted a late penalty, or
we would be an N. Power again.
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