According to West London Sport, QPR boss Steve McClaren has suggested that some players are finished at the club after Tuesday's League Cup loss to Blackpool.

The former England boss decided to field a team largely made up of fringe players, but the decision backfired, as the League One side outmuscled his men.

But McClaren was right to criticise his players and suggest that they don't have a future at the club, but for reasons that aren't immediately obvious.

About half the team yesterday were in their early 20s or younger, whilst McClaren opted to play a few other experienced players through the spine of the team. In truth, it was only their older players such as Alex Baptiste and Grant Hall that gave a good account of themselves.

Of those young players that featured, very few will appear again this season, perhaps in the FA Cup, but very unlikely to be in the league. Whilst McClaren's comments suggest some will never play again, that may be a ploy of his rather than the truth.

Of course, some may never play again, that is a possibility. January would be a good chance to unload of any unwanted players. But comments like McClaren's will force players to improve their game dramatically; they will now know what is expected from them, and any true professional will work and train to meet that standard. If the opportunity does arise where they play for The Hoops again, McClaren will surely hope that the players will be so grateful that they'll put in the performance he wants.

These weren't simply comments to besmirch players and ruin their careers, it was to kick them into gear and evoke a reaction from them, to teach them that this is what professional sport is about. Only time will tell if his approach was correct.