Following Marc Bircham's comments about giving the fans a team to be proud of, it seems only right to discuss the huge impact a positive atmosphere can have on the team's form.

Queens Park Rangers boast some of the countries' most loyal supporters, and it would be frankly wasteful not to use that to the club's advantage.

Last season was a disappointing campaign from start to finish, and few could argue the groans of frustration coming from the stands.

But how much impact would it have on the club to turn Loftus Road into the fortress it should undoubtedly be?

The answer is infinite.

Naturally, it's a two-way street. The crowd, quite rightly, feed off what they see on the pitch and if they feel the squad aren't giving 100% effort, or performing as well as they know they are capable of, then then are going to say something about it, as is the right of a fan who's spent a large sum of money on a ticket.

But also the team feeds off the energy of the fans, and if Loftus Road turns into an edgy and negative environment, then this well automatically transmit to the players on the field and result in nervous play.

There's no magic solution for this, and it's a classic chicken and and egg scenario, but if the emphasis was made to ensure that Loftus Road was a supportive and positive place for Ian Holloway's side to play football, it would benefit both the team and the fans, while making the experience for any visiting teams an unnerving one.

Bircham's comments show that they will be working hard behind the scenes to ensure the team are seen to be putting in the graft week-in week-out, and anything less will not be tolerated by he or Holloway, which should be music to the ears of the fans after recent years.

But in a season which could be hugely unpredictable, if QPR can turn Loftus Road into the fortress is undoubtedly could be, then it will go a long way to deciding just how successful their Championship campaign could be.

After all, football is becoming a game of increasingly fine margins, and that extra advantage could make all the difference.