QPR - A Touch Of Italian Class

A few years have passed since Queen's Park Ranger's takeover dubbed them the richest club in the world of football. They now at last find themselves in the Barclay's Premier League and Chairman Tony Fernandes feel's it is finally time to put one of the oldest club's in English Football right back at the top.

Feeling that Mark Hughes was not the right manager to bring neither attacking flair or defensive security and also lacking the reputation to attract continental talent, the board felt it was only right to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

Bringing in one of the most successful and influential centre backs to grace the football world, QPR are proud to appoint Fabio Cannavaro as their new Manager. The Italian labelled "Muro di Berlino" , The Berlin Wall joins the Loftus Road set-up with the hunger and drive expected from his first taste of management. Fans of the "Hoops" have voiced their delight at the appointment and cannot wait to see what tricks the Italian genius has up his sleeves both in the transfer market and on the pitch.

Is this finally QPR's time to shine? Can this Italian legend be the right person to take QPR to the top?

QPR! Yes! Always wanted to see a QPR story. Good luck with this! Do you think the chairman will pump money into the transfer budget like how he always does in real life?

Only a few months ago Fabio Cannavaro Hung up his boot's after an unsuccessful, final season in the United Arab Emirates with Al- Ahli. Ridden with injurie's Cannavaro felt it was finally time to draw the curtain's on one of the most successful career's in football history.

QPR wasted no time in taking advantage of this situation and opened the door for Cannavaro to take his first step's into management. Accepting the offer, Fabio Cannavaro signed a 2 year deal on £17500 p/w. Chairman Tony Fernandes has offered his full backing and an open cheque book for the new manager to sign the player's he feels are necessary to take QPR to the top.



After meeting the team and his staff it didnt take Cannavaro long to decide the formation's and tactic's he would be using for the forthcoming season and also which player's did not feature in his plan's.

#57923 Glenn T : QPR! Yes! Always wanted to see a QPR story. Good luck with this! Do you think the chairman will pump money into the transfer budget like how he always does in real life?

I feel exactly the same. He hasn't put loads of money in but its adequate, especially when I alter the budget's. I just hope the money will continue to flow if we get good result's !!!

Looks like it will be a good story! You seem to be a great writer

The formations i am optimistic about though, i expect you to get loads of goals, but also concede alot.

#57936 Atreidas : Looks like it will be a good story! You seem to be a great writer

The formations i am optimistic about though, i expect you to get loads of goals, but also concede alot.

Thanks a lot. This is my first story !!! Yes I know what you mean. I have adapted the 2nd formation to be more defensive but you never know. A few good signings could soon change everything ay !!!

Will be following!!

I love QPR and how they have a fair bit of money, spend it wisely

who are your transfer targets?

The Transfer Window has finally opened and with it come's a sense of excitement that surround's Loftus Road. Fan's and pundit's alike are eager to see what player's Fabio Cannavaro can entice to the West London club ..........

Several player's have been released by the "Hoops". Kieron Dyer, who failed to make an appearance for the club due to injury. Rowan Vine, Patrick Agyemang, Fitz Hall and Lee Cook have moved along in a bid to reduce the club's wage bill. Numerous Youth player's have also been deemed surplus to requirement's by the new manager.

In an attempt to raise transfer fund's, Fabio Cannavaro has also sanctioned the sale's of :

Heidar Helguson ST - Derby 500K
Gary Borrowdale LB - Watford 850K
Angelo Balanta LW - Reading 700K
Tommy Smith RW - Reading 1.5M
Radek Cerny GK - Real Sociedad 625K
Hogan Ephraim LW - Stoke 1M
Jamie Mackie ST - West Ham 3M
Peter Ramage CD - Blackpool 1.3M
Rob Hulse ST - Ipswich 190K (loan)

£9,665,000

With the initial transfer budget set and the money now available from the sale's of several player's, Cannavaro can finally dip his toe's into the Transfer Market for the first time.

Queens Park Rangers are pleased to announce the signings of:

Marco Verratti CM - Pescara 3M
Ryan Shawcross CD - Stoke 4M (10M 48 Months)
Laurentiu Branescu GK - Juventus 800K

£17,800,000



Ryan Shawcross joins the club on a 4 year deal worth £40,000 p/w. The QPR faithful have voiced their delight at the signing and Ryan Shawcross believes he will now have the chance to improve and learn from one of the true great's.

"Queens Park Rangers are a club who are showing a lot of intent for the forthcoming season. When someone of Fabio Cannavaro's stature come's knocking you have to take notice and listen to what he has to offer you. The manager, squad and fan's showed me all I needed to see and to be a part of such a brilliant club, in such exciting time's was simply an offer to good to refuse".

QPR will also feel that in the signing of Laurentiu Branescu, they may have acquired themselves one of the hottest goalkeeping prospect's in world football. At the age of just 17 the Romanian is seen as the ideal long term replacement for Paddy Kenny. Cannavaro stated "Many are surprised with the signing of Laurentiu but I feel this show's the huge amount of progress we are making here".

The signing of Marco Verratti, dubbed "the next Andrea Pirlo" show's that Cannavaro indeed has the reputation to attract continental talent. He felt it was only right to add a touch of Italian class to the side and with this acquisition he has assured himself, he won't be dissapointed. Signing a 5 year deal worth £8,000 p/w Verratti described his move as "a dream come true".

QPR have shown the Premier League their intent in the first week of the transfer window but will there be more in's and out's and last minute deals to come ..........

Good read so far lad.

Keep up the good work, do us a favour and sell that **** Barton!!!

Cheers.

Pre-season is over and Queen's Park Ranger's will feel overall that they played well against some very tough opposition. Travelling across the continent Fabio Cannavaro wanted to test his squad against Europe's elite and also felt it would be good to give his side a taste of European football.

Pre Season Friendly Result's:

AZ Alkmar Away 1-5 W
Club Genk Away 1-4 W
Anderlecht Away 0-0 D
Olympique Lyonnais Away 2-1 L
Bayer Leverkusen Away 5-1 L
Lazio Away 2-1 L
Bolton Home - 3-1 W
Chelsea Home - 1-2 L

TRANSFER NEWS

Breaking News in the QPR camp as confirmation that 2 Manchester United Youngster's, Davide Petrucci and Ben Amos have joined the Loftus Road set-up. Ben Amos will be seen as adequate back up to the first team and the young Italian will help to bolster the midfield. With such relatively small transfer fee's involved the QPR board seem delighted with Cannavaro's ability to hunt for a bargain.

Ben Amos GK - Manchester United 650K
Davide Petrucci CAM - Manchester United 375K

£1,250,000

#59865 Sammymort : Good read so far lad.

Keep up the good work, do us a favour and sell that **** Barton!!!

Cheers.

Thanks a lot ! I must say though, Joey Barton is an absolute Lad and he'll be going nowhere. It's my job to try and tame the beast .....

August Results

13.8.2011 KO 15:00

A keen sense of intrigue surround's White Hart Lane as Queen's Park Ranger's kick off the Premier League with an away match against Tottenham. Manager, Fabio Cannavaro is keen to see what his new look side are made of but know's all to well that Harry Redknapp and his team will be formidable opposition.

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Queen's Park Ranger's

An early sending off for Bobby Zamora was simply not what the "Hoops" needed. Falling 2 goals behind Joey Barton did well to grab a consolation goal with a fierce strike but in all honesty the game was always lost.

20.8.2011 KO 15:00

A home game against Blackburn Rovers was seen as a fixture that QPR could use to stamp there authority on the Premier League and also show the other team's that they were unlucky to suffer defeat in the first game of the season.

Queen's Park Ranger's 2-0 Blackburn Rovers

A brace and MOM performance from DJ Campbell helped QPR secure their first win of the season in a game that they dominated from start to finish.

23.8.2011 KO 19:45

Next QPR faced league one outfit Exeter in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup. Travelling to St. James Park, fans of the "R's" were confident of a comfortable victory.

Exeter City 0-2 Queen's Park Ranger's

First goal's for the club from both Ryan Shawcross and Shaun Wright-Phillips helped to brush aside Exeter and secure a result that was never really in doubt.

28.8.2011 KO 13:30

The final game in August saw QPR take a short journey across London to meet Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Fulham 0-0 Queen's Park Ranger's

A fairly drab match saw both team's scrap away for a draw, which in all fairness was the right result.

As the last day of the transfer window arrive's, QPR are still attempting to improve their squad for the forthcoming season. Needing back up in the right back department Queen's Park Ranger's are being heavily linked with a loan move for young Liverpool defender John Flanagan.

DEADLINE DAY TRANSFERS

Rodrigo Battaglia DM - Huracan 400K
Jamal Blackman GK - Chelsea 50K
Alex Henshall LW - Manchester City 350K
John Flanagan RB - Liverpool (loan)
Tom Thorpe CD - Manchester United 70K
Jesse Lingard CAM - Manchester United 60K

£930,000

Improving their youth squad and acquiring a few player's to back up the first team, QPR signed no fewer than 6 player's on transfer deadline day. Manager Fabio Cannavaro described the signing's as "an investment for the future of the club". "Hoops" fan's are delighted that their manager has also focused his attention on securing player's to improve the youth squad and hope to see them pushing their way through the rank's into the first team.

September Results

11.9.2011 KO 16:00

A home game against Liverpool. QPR performed well in their last home game against Blackburn Rover's and will be looking to continue their form at Loftus Road.

Queen's Park Ranger's 1-0 Liverpool

A curled finish from Armand Traore after a brilliant move by QPR was enough to earn all 3 points for the "R's" and continue their good start to the season.

18.9.2011 KO 13:30

One of the most challenging games of QPR's season saw them travel north to take on Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke City 1-1 Queen's Park Ranger's

An early strike from Johnathon Walters put QPR on the back foot early on but they slowly found themselves taking control of the match. Joey Barton equalised with a 30 yard strike on the hour mark but the "Hoops" were unable to kill the game off and were unlucky to leave with just a point.

21.9.2011 KO 19:45

A fairly challenging draw in the Carling Cup meant QPR would be facing Newcastle at the Sports Direct Arena.

Newcastle United 0-1 Queen's Park Ranger's

A match of two halve's. Withstanding heavy pressure in the first 45 minutes QPR shot out of the block's in the second half and with minute's to spare, new signing Rodrigo Battaglia poked home after a goal line scramble. Several players voiced their delight at Fabio Cannavaro's half time talk and said it was the passion and drive shown by the manager that proved to be the turning point.

24.9.2011 KO 15:00

A home game against Wolves was the next instalment in QPR's season.

Queen's Park Ranger's 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Point's dropped would be an understatement. Hitting the woodwork 4 time's, QPR were simply unable to break the resilience of Wolves and the QPR faithful will be disappointed their team were unable to take home the 3 points.

September was a good month for QPR as they progressed in the Carling Cup, and entertained victory over Liverpool at home. However they will be disappointed that in other fixtures their strikers were simply not good enough in front of goal. Fabio Cannavaro described the month as "solid".