TheFA.com columnist Marcus Bignot.
Power Ranger
By Marcus Bignot. Friday, 13 August 2004.
Welcome to the second instalment of my weekly column. I am looking forward to this weekend for three reasons: we come up against Sunderland on Saturday, then on Sunday the team I manage, Birmingham City Ladies, travel to Bristol City in the first game of the season. And of course my beloved Birmingham City kick off their own Premiership campaign against Portsmouth!
Looking back on QPR's first two games in the Championship, I feel a little disappointed. We should have won against Rotherham, and our performance at Watford was not nearly good enough.
It's a hectic start to the season - I think we have 7 games in the next 21 days. But we knew that at the start of the season, and after two games I feel we will be OK in this division.
I felt we had a better squad than Rotherham, and I was disappointed we didn't get three points instead of one.
And even though the result suggests otherwise, I don't think we were miles away from Watford. If we could play both games again, I would like to think we could get a result from either one.
One thing we have at QPR is a very strong bond between the players, management and staff. There are some great characters at the club, and it is great to be a part of it.
I get on with Ian Holloway as a friend as well as a manager. He and I share a similar management style, in that we are very enthusiastic about things. One thing though - I'm not nearly as mad as he is!
He is very passionate about the club, and it shows. He is high on life, but I don't think I'll follow his lead in coming out with 'interesting' quotes about taxis or parakeets.
It's only a few days before my ladies team begin their season, and I'm looking forward to it. No-one enjoys pre-season, but I really felt we worked hard this year.
We feel we have got good enough players to really give it a go, but we will find out on Sunday, when the belief will start to come into it.
Be sure to return next week, when I will tell you why I came back to QPR when I had a two-and-a-half-year deal at another club - and how I was 45 minutes from having nowhere to play!
QPR face Sunderland away on Saturday 14 August whilst Birmingham City Ladies take on Bristol City away on Sunday 15 August.