QPR (H) Matchday Thread

[Jourdan]

4 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

I think it shows what having some good strikers does for you - pick one for us!

Strikers of any description thrive on chances.

Are the tactics right? Is the balance in the team right for us to create enough good chances?

[RoyMac5]

Just now, Jourdan said:

Strikers of any description thrive on chances.

Are the tactics right? Is the balance in the team right for us to create enough good chances?

Yes. We haven’t one goal scorer.

[Comrade 86]

Have to confess these results do sadden me more than they would have in previous seasons. The coaches, players and fans are giving it some proper welly, but to drop 16 points from winning positions in only 20 games is hard to take. I'm a pretty resilient character, or I like to think so, so I tend to bounce back quick enough, but it's hard to vocalise how much I admire the attitude of the players in particular. Hearts of lions, the lot of them. Unfortunately, this squad is threadbare to say the least and lady luck has abandoned the lads completely it seems. Maybe we used up our share against Fulham ?‍♂️

 

[Gone]

Unlucky tonight, if we had took some early chances it may of been different but with the depth upfront they always were going to get and convert a chance. Their winner was a great finish as well. Thought Rooneys team selection was a bit odd with Morrison starting, he was out of position but also didn’t look like he gave a dam, not the attitude we need in this team. 

[jono]

4 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

Personally thought there was a bigger difference than that. Think QPR are close to how Rooney ultimately wants us to play - one touch, dominate possession & very mobile front men - they're just much better at it than us (better players in the final 3rd obviously help that)

Totally agree re Morrison & I'm very disappointed. He was a final third impact player earlier in his career but looked totally lost there tonight.

Pretty much my match report. Fair result. Good first half hour but ran out of steam. Shinnie was knackered. Fozzy didn’t have a great game but their No 37 was skilled and powerful. He was up against it. Tommo looked excellent again, Knight had a good game as did Byrne, great pass (was it Bird or Shinnie ? ) and cracking finish from the skipper,  but in the end the better team won. Lovely fluid front 3 
 

I would have been delighted with 3 points from the last 3 games. We got 4 and have played with big hearts in every game.

We move on to the next one. 

[hintonsboots]

5 minutes ago, 86 Hair Islands said:

Unfortunately, this squad is threadbare to say the least and lady luck has abandoned the lads

As TBE would say, we’re down to the bare bones.

[Sufferingfool]

Just in disappointed of course but overall a fair result. We were good value for the lead at half time having defended well and created the better chances though had to play too much without the ball. Second half this continued and we got ragged lost shape and gave away any possession too easily once they equalised. Unfortunately the winner was always coming. Sometimes you are beaten by a better team over 90 minutes and this was the case tonight.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Sufferingfool
Spelling mistake

[Jourdan]

1 minute ago, RoyMac5 said:

Yes. We haven’t one goal scorer.

Well Kazim Richards outscored the now lauded Andre Gray last season. So I think that is an exaggeration to say we have no goalscorer.

We do have players in the squad that can score goals.

But perhaps not the coaching, tactics or style of play that can make it a likely occurrence.

I will freely admit our attacking options have never looked the same since Martin left.

However are we getting the best out of what we have?

[brady1993]

Just now, Jimbo Ram said:

How do you think we could have won that? We were holding on from the moment they equalised, a draw would have been a great result….we looked tired and leggy, one game too many…

I think you've misinterpreted what I meant by that a little. To be clear QPR deserved to win. But we got our noses in front and looked initially like we could hold them at bay with them looking a bit toothless in the first half.

The issue was through a combination of being content to give up the ball and go long, try and force things down the left and a player in Morrison who just wasn't in the game we ended up playing too much without the ball. This caused us to tire out by the second half and it's why they started really opening us up. 

Shift things tactically to keep the ball better and keep their back 3/5 a bit more honest and we stand a better chance at coming away with a positive result.

[vonwright]

12 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

Personally thought there was a bigger difference than that. Think QPR are close to how Rooney ultimately wants us to play - one touch, dominate possession & very mobile front men - they're just much better at it than us (better players in the final 3rd obviously help that)

Totally agree re Morrison & I'm very disappointed. He was a final third impact player earlier in his career but looked totally lost there tonight.

Morrison is a bit of a worry. I'm fine thinking he no longer has the zip or physicality to be a dynamic forward player. But it looked like he wanted to reinvent himself as a playmaker who had killer passes and vision that others lacked. All well and good but his workrate seems to have dropped right off and he just isn't finding space or demanding the ball, and he's lost that early precision. I hope it's a blip - we really could do with those players with a bit of extra quality that brings the best out in others. 

[Rich84]

Disappointed we couldn't take something from tonight, but as soon as I saw Morrison starting with no striker I knew it would be tough going, playing that system works if the 2 supporting Lawrence are work horses and that has never been Morrison's game, it needed Ebosele on from the start or change it up to compete with their top striker options and have a back 5, would have prevented the 1st goal fir definite.

The system WR uses with full backs providing the width totally relies on the midfielder covering, watch a replay of Shinnie, he realises he's got Willock running in behind, busts a gut to get back, but when Austin doesn't cross 1st time the danger should have gone, but his midfielder instinct kicks in and he sees another player running to the edge of the box so he moves to him rather than make up the 3 yrds to take Willock out of the game, Austin sees him unmarked as a result and picks him out, good cross, great finish, but totally preventable. 

2nd goal, you just have to doff your hat to, got away with Chair heading it on the post but what a great finish.  The difference having a choice of striking options and the nous to use the subs wisely, something WR seems to struggle with IMO. 

Generally though, we reverted to 1st half Bournemouth and constantly looked to pass it back instead of forward and it always leads to us being put under that much pressure that we concede goals, WR needs to watch the Bournemouth game back and how we changed it 2nd half by looking forwards with passes instead of backwards as 1st option, if we keep going back,we will keep conceding goals and losing games.

[Jourdan]

20 minutes ago, Carnero said:

Any of Austin, Gray or Dykes will do. Shows up our lack of options when QPR's 3rd striker would walk into our team doesn't it.

Austin, Gray or Dykes would indeed all add something to our team.

But they would also need the service to boot. The question is, would they get it in this team and under this manager?

[Wolfie20]

7 minutes ago, Jourdan said:

Well Kazim Richards outscored the now lauded Andre Gray last season. So I think that is an exaggeration to say we have no goalscorer.

We do have players in the squad that can score goals.

But perhaps not the coaching, tactics or style of play that can make it a likely occurrence.

I will freely admit our attacking options have never looked the same since Martin left.

However are we getting the best out of what we have?

Yes we are but hey, don't let it stop you sniping at Rooney at every opportunity.

[PistoldPete]

31 minutes ago, TheresOnlyWanChope said:

Thought subs were necessary! But no service to either. Nothing down the left for joz really. Ebosele was good. 

We might have needed subs, just not those two . They offered nothing really.

[tinman]

Disappointing to lose, but anyone would have taken 4 points from these last three games a couple of weeks ago. 
Thompson excellent again as was Bird. 
shinnie seemed to run out of steam halfway through the second half and looked like he was running in treacle. 
morrison needs to play off someone if he’s going to be high up the pitch. 
bynre is still travelling somewhere in the west stand trying to work out where Gray went when he scored. 
It was a game we could have won. We created openings and chances but they’re a good team even if they do have a massive rick up front. 

[LeedsCityRam]

2 minutes ago, vonwright said:

Morrison is a bit of a worry. I'm fine thinking he no longer has the zip or physicality to be a dynamic forward player. But it looked like he wanted to reinvent himself as a playmaker who had killer passes and vision that others lacked. All well and good but his workrate seems to have dropped right off and he just isn't finding space or demanding the ball, and he's lost that early precision. I hope it's a blip - we really could do with those players with a bit of extra quality that brings the best out in others. 

Agree with all that. We probably needed him as a deep lying playmaker earlier in the season when we were struggling to put our foot on the ball but now with Bird & Thompson there (and Bielik to return at some point), we need Ravel to make his presence felt up the park. Maybe he's going need a bit of time to get used to a more advanced role & to be fair, he wasn't exactly overburdened with service tonight. Poor work rate not acceptable but he did look very frustrated when he came off.

Given how short we are in the final 3rd, I'd like to see us persist with him there again -  it may work better in games where we have more of the ball. I also suspect Rooney will be having a word with him before we next play.

[Ruud Aralliss]

Just got back so not read the thread.  Flounced at a top level all the way back to the car.  We should’ve had a point out of that really.  Two pretty avoidable goals as per usual.

Obvious candidates for the mistakes leading to their goals, but was more peeved at Morrison being played where he was, with none of the rotation we’ve seen.  He was/is so ineffective there, no real press, no runs, never dropped into a pocket of space to show for the ball.  That can’t be all down to him.  He must’ve been following instructions?!

One more gripe as I’m boring myself now, Jozwiak.  Didn’t win one ball, didn’t look remotely interested in winning one.  The players that are still fighting looked dead on their feet second half and should be applauded for their efforts, carrying the weight of the teams predicament on their shoulders is weighing heavy on their legs.  
I think the lesson to be learned here is to not start typing away as soon as you get home without thinking about it first, only to realise how tired you are and just trail off into the ………….

 

 

COYR!!!

 

 

[TheresOnlyWanChope]

5 minutes ago, PistoldPete said:

We might have needed subs, just not those two . They offered nothing really.

They didn’t but hindsight is good isn’t it 

[Rich84]

6 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

Agree with all that. We probably needed him as a deep lying playmaker earlier in the season when we were struggling to put our foot on the ball but now with Bird & Thompson there (and Bielik to return at some point), we need Ravel to make his presence felt up the park. Maybe he's going need a bit of time to get used to a more advanced role & to be fair, he wasn't exactly overburdened with service tonight. Poor work rate not acceptable but he did look very frustrated when he came off.

Given how short we are in the final 3rd, I'd like to see us persist with him there again -  it may work better in games where we have more of the ball. I also suspect Rooney will be having a word with him before we next play.

My opinion, I wouldn't waste my time on him in that role, play Lawrence there with a striker, or Sibley, we saw Ravel do again today what he's done several times when he does have the ball in the no 10 position when he passed straight to their defender when it was 1 nil, could have carried the ball or actually pass it to Lawrence which was his intention. Just not good enough, doesn't work hard enough and slows the game too much, we need high energy players on the pitch to make up for lack of overall attacking quality, which is why Knight and Ebosele look much better options than Ravel 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Rich84
Typo

[Wolfie20]

4 points from the last 3 fixtures is a more than decent return under normal circumstances but we needed more to start making serious inroads into our deficit.

I was much more impressed with QPR than Bournemouth.