Kevin Gallen column: If QPR get their recruitment right they’ll have a great chance of going up next season

Gabriele Angella (left) celebrates after scoring his side's second goal in last Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Derby (Image: EMPICS Sport)

Hello all and welcome to my latest column for the Brent and Kilburn Times. It’s nice to be coming into this on the back of two really positive and much needed victories for Rangers.

I know Derby have been struggling of late but they’ve still got some good players so that was a great three points to get on the board and we needed to beat Brentford for obvious reasons. We had lost three local derbies already this season so anything less than three points against them wasn’t good enough, so it was a great result, especially for the fans.

To lose both games to Fulham was bad enough, but to lose both games against Brentford would have been an absolute disaster.

The play-offs look a step too far for Rangers this season, but it’s important they finish on a high going into the summer.

Interesting

It will be interesting to see what happens in terms of recruitment again. I think they’ll be another big turnaround in players.

QPR capped off a good week by beating local rivals Brentford four days later to secure back-to-back league wins (Image: EMPICS Sport)

Whoever is in charge of recruitment has to get that element right because that’s the most important thing. You need hardened, championship players who know this league inside out to be successful.

I think sometimes some players have had their time at a club, and you’ve just got to move on. Alejandro Faurlin has been good, but how many games are Rangers going to get out of him in a season?

Karl Henry has done well over the years too, but I think it might be a chance for someone younger to come through if he goes. He’s been a good servant to the club though and has always given his all every time he has crossed that white line – he can certainly hold his head up high.

He’s had his ups and down with the fans, but I think he’s been steady and consistent throughout most of his spell and deserves more recognition – so whatever happens I wish him all the best.

I know Junior Hoilett has been playing very well over the last few months too, but he hasn’t shown that kind of form consistently over the last four seasons for me.

I saw the same a few years ago with Armand Traore. All of a sudden he started playing exceptionally well towards the end of the last promotion campaign, and got himself a new two-year deal. Since then he’s been nowhere to be seen.

Junior is one of the higher earners at the club, so unless he takes a big wage cut, I think he’ll probably be one of those players who does move on when his contract ends.

Gallen believes Karl Henry (left) could leave QPR at the end of the season when his contract expires (Image: EMPICS Sport)

I like Jamie Mackie and think it’s important to have people of his character at the club, but I think his days could be numbered at QPR under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. He’s got another year left on his contract, but whether he will have a big part to play at the club next season is another thing.

He hasn’t played a lot this season so hasn’t able to show people what he’s all about, and when he is at his best he is certainly an asset at this level.

But the problem is you’ve got to prove to be value for money, and get yourself fit and performing consistently each week in the starting XI, and he hasn’t done that.

That said I’d have him around next season, but whether he actually will be is another thing.

Prove

The first time I saw (Sebastian) Polter play I thought he wasn’t a great signing – I wasn’t impressed at all.

The former QPR striker maintains that German striker Polter (middle) still has a lot to prove at Loftus Road (Image: EMPICS Sport)

I still feel like he’s got a lot to do, but I’ll give him one thing he puts himself about and has a right good go. He’s had a solid run in the team and got a few goals in the meantime too, so he does deserve some credit for that.

You’ve got to say we’ve been lacking players like that for a long time where players at the club actually have a really good attitude and take pride in their work and actually care, while also trying to strike up a rapport with the fans.

Next season will be a big season for him because expectation levels would have gone up a notch or two, so there’s still big room for improvement in his game.

Another player with a lot of pressure on his shoulders is Conor Washington. He has got it all to do. There’s no doubting he has got massive potential, but it’s a big step up from Peterborough to QPR, where the expectation is massive.

I still think it’s a lot of money what Rangers paid for him, so time will tell if that was £3million well spent.

Constant

Gallen says Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will get the backing he needs at QPR, just like most managers have there (Image: PA Archive/Press Association Images)

As I said above if QPR are to be successful next season and fight for promotion, a lot will depend on recruitment and whether they get the right personnel in to take the club forward.

A lot of it will focus on how Jimmy wants to set out his team and the way they’re going to play football.

Does he want to play defensively or on the counter-attack or does he want more holding midfield players or go all-out on the attack. That’s why we’ve drawn quite a lot of games under Jimmy so far, we’ve been strong defensively and then just gone to hit teams on the counter-attack.

Time will tell if Jimmy is the right man long-term to move this club forward, but that said, one thing which will aid him and has been a constant at Rangers for a number of years now, is that he will get backed by the chairman.

At QPR the manager always does, so if they can bring in some quality players, but most important the right ilk of player, they’ll have a great chance next season of going up.