Cheers I thought I'd heard the £1m number somewhere, if it's correct it's a very decent deal in what is a crazy marked.
Thanks a lot for posting. Been out working all night and was dying to see the goals. Great to see Washington get a goal and an assist. He looks a natural playing off a big man. Did I ever doubt him? If I did, I take it all back. He's a natural. Nice couple of saves there from Smithies also. Great win. For once, we win a relegation six pointer.
We started the game really well attacking the loft goal and on the front foot. A huge eighty yard kick from Alex Smithies found Washington who beat his defender took the ball to the byline and cut the ball back between three Wigan players to find Smith who found the roof of the net thanks to Gilks's gloved hand. After the goal we got into a bit of a scrap. Wigan pressed hard and closed us down and this meant that a lot of our passing was going astray. Wigan were also better at the dark arts and brutally took out our players when we tried to break that resulted in at least five yellows throughout the match. Their goal looked like a blatant penalty following a slapstick routine between Freeman, Bidwell and Lynch. In the second half Wigan started the stronger side with Bogle denied by Smithies at the near post. Then on the 60th minute mark Freeman broke through the midfield with a strong run, laid the ball off to Lua Lua who took out four defenders before deftly laying the ball off to Washington who slammed home from twenty yards into the bottom left of the school end. Although it was a scrappy game the team did look like they were together throughout. They did try and play but Wigan made it very difficult. It showed a good test of character among the squad to go on and win this game. I thought Onuoha was outstanding in defence and Lua Lua looked good when he came on with some good skill, runs and touches. But with a goal and an assist Washington is my man of the match.
Oh, I forgot to add that Ned made an outstanding goal line block in the last minute as Wigan pressed for an equaliser in what was a difficult game that we managed to muddle through. The club DJ must've had to wipe a lot of dust off 'Hi Ho Silver Lining.'
You are right about Hall. Ollie is quoted on the Official that he got a shin injury, he's on crutches and hoping it's not serious.
What strikes me from the highlights is that we are playing at a much higher tempo than we have been for a long long time. We were sooo slow previously in the build up. Fair play to Holloway, we have our Rangers back.
Norway. Thanks for posting these highlights which are watchable outside of the UK. Much appreciated! As for the action, there were good chances for both teams. Both our goals were very well taken and great pieces of play. Long may this continue! Roll on Preston.COYR's!!!!
Not a great game, with the ball spending far too little time on the grass, but a decent win against a very physical Wigan side. An early goal by Smith - well made by Washington - gave hope of a comfortable win, but Wigan, with Bogle absolutely terrorising Lynch, got back into it with a cert penalty which Smithies inexplicably failed to save. He did make a remarkable reaction save later in the half from a point-blank header, but Rangers were the superior side and probably deserved better than parity at half-time. With Hall having gone off injured, we switched to a regulation back four and this seemed to nullify Bogle in the second half, with Onuoha having a very good game. Another goal from Washington - now showing what a good player he is at this level - followed a good run from LuaLua, who always looked dangerous. A deserved win and we can now surely stop worrying about the threat of relegation. A close call between him and Washington, but I'd give Onuoha MOM.
Not the most technically impressive performances, but with two teams evenly matched and going for it, I enjoyed it - particularly watching Lua Lua turning the Wigan defenders inside out. Washington's confidence is rising. Holloway's commitment as a manager is as he was as a player, 100%. Team selection and tactics were good common sense. With our strong performances away from home, we begin to look like a team that all others will be wary of playing.
As discussed on the Birmingham thread, this was another example of why we find it so hard to win at home. Wigan had one tactic and that one has been shared by just about every visiting team in the last few seasons - press QPR as high up the pitch as possible and feed on the inevitable defensive mistakes. Last night we managed to overcome this courtesy of two well taken goals but were it not for a couple of excellent saves from Smithies it could well have been yet more frustration at home. In many ways this is a self-perpetuating problem: visiting managers checking recent videos of QPR performances, see how badly we deal with the high press and elect for more of the same. So it's tough to break the cycle but break it we must if we're to make real progress. IH has made a start by choosing more attacking set-ups and by frequently bypassing the midfield to avoid the risk. It ain't pretty but there are signs that it's working. I thought Manning was excellent again last night BTW - real potential.
I was there as well Jeff (A Block upper) and I thought the game was dire after their penalty. The boys looked scared of giving another game away. Fantastic result, poor game. As Ollie said, a win ugly.
Can I mention to everyone, how unpredictably windy it was at HQ last night. I would have said it was a night to keep the ball down, but perhaps no-one had told any of the players. It was a hugely scrappy match, against a team, on a good run, who were fighting for their lives.....we did not quite share their ultimate desire to win, but the controlled pressure from us was really sustained. Wigan were a much better team than Birmingham, and they wanted to win much more Basically I am trying to say, they were really going for it, and we actually contained them and won. In some respects it was one of our best wins of the season. Not the prettiest, not the most elegant But cetainly one we would have lost under JFH, and probably would have lost it in December too. I was very pleased with the manner of the win....and of the rising confidence I am seeing in Conor, Freeman, Wszolek, Smith Manning and Furlong. Ned is steadying and now captaining much better. There is still the slight fear of going a goal behind, but even when we concede, we no longer simply give up, as we did under JFH At the current moment...I am one happy bunny...which I have not been now for about 5 years
Very good write up's here of the game. They give us non-attender's a great idea of how the game went and how the team are shaping up. Many thanks to all.
Was actually a little sad for Wigan. Under Whelan they were a neat and compact team with a good passing game. Yesteady their main tactic was fouling any QPR man once that man got the better of them. Really ugly game and we def took the 'ugly bird home in the taxi'.