May 16 2006

The Football League

For the definitive review of every Championship team during the season, read the Saint's verdict.

Queens Park Rangers

Final Placing: 21st

Last Season: 11th

Manager: Ian Holloway/Gary Waddock

One to watch: Marc Bircham

My Prediction: 13th

How will we do? : 6/6

How did we do? : 6/6

What I said: “Rangers went on a run last season, which more than once took them to the edge of the playoff places. This is the 2nd season and it is always harder as now they are no longer the new boys, so people will know what to expect of them.”

QPR might be grateful for the fact that there were 3 worse teams in the Championship this season, but if this season doesn’t do anything else, it should serve as a warning that next season, they might not be so lucky.

The first 3 months of the season showed nothing of the problems that were to come as QPR acquitted themselves well as by the end of October they had only lost 4 games, 2 away and 2 at home. However with only 1 more victory until Christmas, QPR started to plummet down the table and unrest began at Loftus Road.

Despite defeat to Brighton on Boxing Day, QPR went on a 4 match unbeaten run in the league as 3 wins and a draw propelled them upwards. However, 3 more defeats brought them into February with the club firmly ensconced in mid-table. The rot started to set in and off the field, it all started to go wrong. Chairman Gianni Paladini was held at gunpoint, then Ian Holloway was placed on indefinite gardening leave, with Gary Waddock taking over for the rest of the season. A change of manager brought an upswing in performances, as they beat Millwall 1-0 in Waddocks’ first game in charge.

Although Waddock got in wrong against us as we beat them 2-1, the Superhoops beat Sheffield United 3-2 at the end of February. However, it was to be their last win of the season as they fell sharply down the table and with 6 defeats in the last 7, Rangers seemed to lurch from one crisis to another.

QPR were a soft touch at home, which was the cause of their lowly position. 9 defeats are far too many and they had a very similar record to Crewe, relegated one place below them. Away they performed quite poorly, but still had the best record in the bottom 9. It would be their away form, which kept their heads above water.

Scoring goals is not a problem as players like Marc Nygaard, Paul Furlong and Gareth Ainsworth all found the net but with Kevin Gallen not the same player he was in the past, QPR did not have a player who made double figures. Worse still, defensively they were not up to the task and Dan Shittu, despite carving out a name for himself, could be the next player to leave QPR. Marc Bircham is unsettled as well and he is a lifelong fan. It shows that not all is well below the surface at Loftus Road and the summer could either make or break the future of QPR.

We managed to take all 6 points this season as a Marco Reich inspired performance saw us win 3-1 in West London, while on Valentines Day we beat them 2-1. QPR face an uncertain summer now and like Derby, things could get worse before they get better.

Crewe Alexandra

Final Placing: 22nd

Last Season: 21st

Manager: Dario Gradi

One to watch: Juan Ugarte

My Prediction: 18th

How will we do? : 6/6

How did we do? : 2/6

What I said: “The hole left by Dean Ashtons’ departure became a void that no-one could fill. Crewe went into freefall and stayed up, but only on the last day. Dario knows a good player when he sees one. I wonder if there are any left at Crewe, as all the best talent has long since departed.”

The warning signs were there last season, as soon as Dean Ashton was sold, Crewe did not win a match until the last game of the season. Dario Gradi had to find a replacement before the season started. Juan Ugarte didn’t work, Luke Rodgers only played a 3rd of the season and the reliance on goals fell to Steve Jones, but he netted only 5 goals. Thankfully, Crewe still have a production line of good young players with Billy Jones and David Vaughans’ performances in midfield, along with Kenny Lunt and for the first half of the season, the on-loan Eddie Johnson from Manchester United at least could give Alex fans hope that they could avoid relegation.

Crewes’ season fell apart almost as quickly as it began. Lincoln handed out a thrashing in the Carling Cup with a 5-1 defeat. A good start in the first 4 matches with 1 in and 3 draws was spoiled and it took another 9 games for them to register another victory, a 3-1 win over Luton. Crewe then managed to put a run of 3 games unbeaten as the season moved into November. That was as good as it got though as they only managed to win 1 from the next 20 games (it was against Brighton!) as relegation became almost a certainty after they became rooted to the bottom of the division in January and never looked like getting out of it.

A 4-1 win over Coventry at home gave them a lift and the belief kept going as Crewe established a mini run which saw QPR and Sheffield Wednesday beaten and 3 wins out of 4 saw them arrive at Selhurst Park in good form. A 2-0 half time reverse was brought back to 2-2, but the damage was already too much and Crewe were relegated 2 weeks before the end of the season. They did manage to finish above the relegated teams with a 4-2 last day win over Millwall, but by then it was too little, too late.

The one postive that can be taken out of the season is that Crewe, with Gradi at the helm will have continuity next season and this might be what keeps the young stars at this club for the coming League One campaign. But should Gradi lose players like Vaughan, Bougherra and Jones, it might be a long way back for Crewe.

Millwall

Final Placing: 23rd

Last Season: 10th

Manager: Colin Lee/David Tuttle/Alan Mcleary

One to watch: Barry Hayles

My Prediction: 23rd

How will we do? : 6/6

How did we do? : 2/6

What I said: “Millwall have sold a few players too many and will succumb to the drop by virtue of just not being good enough”

The joke that was Millwalls’ season ended in the worst manner possible, relegation to League One and it was not only the playing side that was the cause for concern at The New Den.

Millwall may have a nice ground compared to some of them in League One, but that is all that they have to show for a sorry season where there were more changes upst