One-nil to the sharper wits?

Last season, this blog pretty nearly followed every twist and turn of QPR's ultimately successful efforts to remain in the Premier League. This season, however, it has been far harder to work up the enthusiasm to take that approach. Hence the long silences. Hence the decision not to write reports of each and every failure to rack up three points. Today's London derby, though, seems to have provided just about enough inspiration for a few words.

Jolly boating weather, what what?

The last time our well-to-do neighbours from SW6 made the short journey to Shepherds Bush, the game was an unedifying spectacle for the home supporters: a one-nil reverse, with the visiting fans having decided it would be hilarious to print and distribute little paper signs reminding us of the far worse result we'd endured months before at Craven Cottage. Those muggy signs, smacking as they did of a tediously organised approach to terrace humour, were a neat compliment to the south-west London hooray look favoured by today's nouveau Cottager. Indeed, cold weather notwithstanding, expect the School End to present that unique Fulham F.C. appearance again today - loads of Jack Wills and Abecrombie & Fitch; drastic side partings; faces redolent of the supreme confidence one gets from attending a prep school in Barnes, followed by Eton, a gap year, three amaaaaazing years at a Russell Group university and a swift leg up into doing something in the City. We should feel fortunate that they're deigning to grace us with their presence, of course. If the rugger was on at Twickers today then the doubtless huge throng in the away end would be rather more sparse.

So come on, you dreadful chavs and plebs. We must be in good voice if we mean to drown out those plummy cries of "Rah, Rah, Rah, We're going to smash the oiks". Perhaps, moreover, we should turn our humble roots to our advantage, drawing on a very English sense of class politics in response. The tougher lives make for the sharper wits, right? By way of inspiration, let's consider a tie played in the last few years between Hayes & Yeading F.C. and their visiting local rivals Hampton & Richmond Borough. Having already belted out "Does your butler know you're here?", the Mushrooms faithful celebrated the game's first goal with a lovely song. "One-nil to the working class," they sang. For Hayes & Yeading read QPR. For Hampton & Richmond read Fulham. Obvious parallels.

The Redknapp revolution?

Of course, the opportunity to try out the latter of those two humorous songs depends on the ability of the Rangers to score first against a pretty decent Fulham side. Even if that happens, you'd be forgiven for feeling nervous, especially in the case of an early goal. After all, consider the very few minutes during which QPR were able to hold a precious lead against Wigan last week.

That result and the home draw against a fairly unimpressive Aston Villa both beg an uncomfortable question: How far has Harry Redknapp really delivered an improvement that is both instant and significant? Sure, the new manager has thus far avoided presiding over a loss (sitting in the stands at Old Trafford doesn't count). But is he actually doing anything massively different from the things for which his unhappy predecessor was routinely lambasted by Rangers fans?

Take substitutions, for example. Mark Hughes was rightly criticised for an often overly cautious approach, failing to make game-changing tactical substitutions designed to get goals and win games. Hughes preferred like-for-like replacements such as bringing on a fullback for a fullback or a defensive midfielder for a defensive midfielder. Surely, many must have believed, Redknapp (famous for attacking football and for giving free reign to creative players) would be more audacious. But is he? At Sunderland, Ji-Sung park came on for Esteban Granero; at home to Villa, Shaun Derry was replaced by Stéphane Mbia and Park once again replaced Granero; at the DW Stadium last week we saw Granero come on for Samba Diakité and Djibril Cissé replace Adel Taarabt. Massively different from substitutions under the Hughes regime? You decide....

Expressing doubts: entirely consistent with fervent support

These three draws, all against sides in the lower half of the table, don't really suggest that relegation can be avoided, the supposedly transformational effect of employing Redknapp  notwithstanding. But take care when articulating such doubts on the various QPR messageboards or via Twitter. Because if you do, a number of your fellow supporters will give voice to the idea that by expressing what you may see as simple realism, you are somehow giving up and, some even seem to contend, that you will somehow be culpable should relegation indeed occur. 

Surely this is nonsense. For one thing, it's entirely possible to express realism about the chances of your team being relegated on an internet messageboard and offer that team your lustily shouted support when actually at Loftus Road. That's certainly the this is my england approach, as those sitting (standing) around me will observe this afternoon. Certainly, then, it is not appreciated when lectures about giving up are received online from people living overseas who, while they might only express an overly bullish view of the Rangers' survival hopes online, are actually in no position meaningfully to get behind the team on a match day.

What if we do go down?

If relegation does prove to be the outcome of this dispiriting season, it will be interesting to see whether Redknapp sticks around to attempt to guide QPR back out of the Championship. Given the parlous points total accrued at the time he was signed as manager, the contract discussions must surely have covered this very real possibility. Or does he have some sort of relegation escape clause in his contract? Let's see.

Perhaps a more interesting question is around the effect relegation would have on the resolve of the club's various shareholders. Rumours are already rife about a supposedly waning appetite for QPR on the part of the Amit Bhatia-fronted Mittal family interest in our club. But what of Tony Fernandes and his Malaysian colleagues? He continues to make reassuring noises via Twitter and many fans choose to take him at his word. But perhaps it's legitimate to wonder about the depth of the man's pockets and the robustness of his business empire. Time will tell.

Anyway, let's put those longer-term questions to one side for now and simply look forward to this afternoon's tie with the fervent hoping of bagging that vital first win and of getting one over our posh neighbours. It's one thing to be on the end of the jibes of proper supporters of a proper club. But, for some of us at least, it's rather more aggravating to be the butt of weak jokes cracked by chinless wonders in Barbour jackets and college scarves. That said, the chances of us being mocked face-to-face at work by an actual Fulham supporter are pretty slim. You never see them around, do you? You're more likely to bump into a Brentford fan. Or even one of the terrace wits of Hayes & Yeading. 

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