QPR chairman Tony Fernandes took all of two seconds to name the game he is looking forward to most.
Not neighbours Chelsea; they were second on the supremo’s list. Not giants Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal - but Stoke City.
Speaking ahead of Rangers pre-season tour of Germany, Fernandes didn’t need to elaborate because City boss Mark Hughes’s last port of call before he took charge at the Britannia Stadium was to inch Rangers towards the drop in 2013.
Fernandes bitterly regrets the period after Sparky got his feet under the table and spent freely, and brought in a clutch of expensive misfits that included the likes of defender Jose Bosingwa and keeper Julio Cesar.
The club is still recovering from the Hughes spending in summer 2012 that started with a 5-0 home defeat to Swansea and never recovered until the former Wales boss was sacked three months later, just hours before a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford.
Fernandes added: “I'm looking forward to Stoke, and then Chelsea, of course, and I liked going to West Ham last time we were in the Premier League.
"It’s a good ground with atmosphere, and that was one of our better days when Loic Remy scored his first goal for us (in a 1-1 draw.”)
