1. Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!

Match Day Thread QPR v Wigan

Discussion in 'Queens Park Rangers' started by QPR999, Aug 24, 2018.

  1. SW Ranger

    SW Ranger Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2011
    Messages:
    7,015
    Likes Received:
    7,542
    Have to agree with a few others that I was expecting/hoping(?) for more from SM.
    But I want to be fair too. It’s 5 games. Valuable experience lost at the back and only partially replaced. Poor start. Still another 5 to go.
    What worries me is the posts seeing a gulf in performance of the two new boys to our “good” players. Have we become settled with our standard of player and not realised the gulf of our team standard and where we need to be to be a top half team?
    Hopefully not and we will start to see a pick up in our form and performance. After yesterday it seems the midfield needs to pick their heads up a bit.
    Firmly believe we still need to strengthen our back four. If they can be much more stoic and hard to break through (which they seemed to do against Wigan, with a little luck too), it might give our midfield a bit more scope to push on.
     
    #221
    Staines R's and Goldhawk-Road like this.
  2. QPAAAAAGH

    QPAAAAAGH Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2011
    Messages:
    2,761
    Likes Received:
    1,179
    I'm running out of patience with our overrated Aussie. He had a decent period for us in the middle of last season but prior to that he mostly flattered to deceive with innocuous and ineffective performances despite his obvious talent. Now he's back to his worst, rarely venturing outside the centre circle, never dropping to collect the ball when the defence is under pressure or providing an extra man to the attack when needed. The 'best midfield in the division' that we often spoke about last season now looks to be our weakest link and he has to take the lion's share of responsibility for that. Just 38% possession yesterday which means we are constantly under pressure. I think it's clear that he doesn't want to be with the club anymore and definitely shouldn't be in the starting XI unless his attitude changes. On the plus side in midfield, it's clear that Freeman still has more to offer (and is willing to offer it unlike Luongo) if he is used in a more central role. Dunno about Scowen, his tenacious style may become more of a liability than a positive under McClaren.
     
    #222
    Goldhawk-Road likes this.
  3. rangercol

    rangercol Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2011
    Messages:
    35,612
    Likes Received:
    19,159
    Which is why I've always wanted him further forward.
    However, Eze has the potential to be a far better player so either Mass gets his act together deeper, or sits on the bench imo.
     
    #223
  4. Staines R's

    Staines R's Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2011
    Messages:
    14,743
    Likes Received:
    16,556
    Genuine question......What did you think of Freeman yesterday ? First time I’ve seen him play this year and I thought he was pretty poor.....held on to the ball too long and more than a few mis-hit passes that went out of play. Can’t fault his corners though.
    He was fantastic last year and our best player by a country mile....I just don’t get what’s happened to him.
     
    #224
  5. KentGaz

    KentGaz Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2011
    Messages:
    2,504
    Likes Received:
    1,728
    Does anyone know if Wells and Hemmed can play in cup games and if there's a recall clause?
     
    #225
  6. QPR Oslo

    QPR Oslo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2011
    Messages:
    21,428
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    Resting Luongo and moving Freeman back to his position, would allow Pawel to come in and give widtth, and Eze to play in more of a central 10 role. Maybe Tuesday could be used to try this, or to give Chair a game instead of Luongo.
     
    #225
    Hoop-Leif and QPRski like this.
  7. QPRski

    QPRski Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2013
    Messages:
    5,708
    Likes Received:
    4,571
    It is a good idea.
     
    #226
  8. QPRski

    QPRski Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2013
    Messages:
    5,708
    Likes Received:
    4,571
    A good player very prone to a “touch too many” creating a loss of momentum.

    I am sure that this may be coached out of him, especially with efficient strikers up front.
     
    #227
  9. QPAAAAAGH

    QPAAAAAGH Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2011
    Messages:
    2,761
    Likes Received:
    1,179
    I think he's been asked to try to make up for our lack of width and tends to get lost close to the touchlines. Give him Luongo's central role and I think we'll see the best of him again. Eze is now beginning to provide the link up play we desperately need and together he and Freeman might help us hold the ball for more than a few seconds at a time.
     
    #228
  10. terryb

    terryb Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2013
    Messages:
    1,248
    Likes Received:
    592
    I don't think he has played well since last November/December. Yesterday he rivalled Bidwell in the amount of needless free kicks that he gave away.

    The saving grace has been that his dead ball kicks often keep us in a game & that even when playing poorly, he is capable of going on a run past defenders & creating something out of nothing.
     
    #229
    Staines R's and QPRski like this.
  11. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2012
    Messages:
    29,195
    Likes Received:
    26,549
    It’s a mystery to me how this midfield got to be thought of so highly. They seem potentially decent players at this level, at least on paper, but they have never been great as a unit. They don’t protect the defence very well, they don’t create many chances and they score very few goals. Time to mix it up a bit.
     
    #230

  12. Staines R's

    Staines R's Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2011
    Messages:
    14,743
    Likes Received:
    16,556
    That actually makes a lot of sense as explains why he kept putting the ball out a lot.
     
    #231
  13. DT’s Socks

    DT’s Socks Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2018
    Messages:
    2,287
    Likes Received:
    1,699
    I thought the midfield unit was working well last year especially The Rat we certainly put in the yards and I believe stat wise Mass was right up there in pass completions and metres run plus the other silly factoids they use. It’s a mystery to me that this season teams are cutting through us and exposing our weak defending

    If I am not wrong we were winning a lot more second balls and pressing in packs. Holloway had our forwards pressing as the extra force at times. Yes we did bypass at times but that’s the game today

    What has changed the manager of course not comparing the two may I add.

    The coaching from both is highly debatable

    Without a midfield I maintain any defence will look shaky and ours currently don’t seem to be on it. ML, JS and LF all have it in their lockers so to me mystery is solved

    The coaching is different and the results are worse. Let’s wait until after Tuesday because we have addressed one issue the strikers

    Score a goal and watch all the players start to play... Score two goals and it’s like watching Brazil
     
    #232
    QPR Oslo likes this.
  14. DT’s Socks

    DT’s Socks Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2018
    Messages:
    2,287
    Likes Received:
    1,699
    The other side can’t score if they ain’t got the ball . I would prefer us to keep the ball and thought SM would sort that ... the only games we have won this season we have had 49% possession (38% yesterday)
     
    #233
  15. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2012
    Messages:
    29,195
    Likes Received:
    26,549
    The stats might have been great for them last year but the team and the results weren’t good, we only ended up with a couple more points than the season before when we were 1 goal off being relegated. I think Scowen needs to play because we don’t have anyone else for that role and whatever formation we will need a holding midfielder, but Mass and Freeman should not be considered automatic starters. Of course the alternatives might be even more inconsistent. What position is Cousins meant to be good at? Goss? Chair?
     
    #234
  16. Bwood_Ranger

    Bwood_Ranger 2023 Funniest Poster

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2011
    Messages:
    57,234
    Likes Received:
    45,154
    Cousins isn’t good at anything. He can’t even cut the half time oranges into proper quarters.

    Not sure Goss or Chair are alive.
     
    #235
  17. QPR Oslo

    QPR Oslo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2011
    Messages:
    21,428
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    They played very well together for most of last season. Believe Freeman had one of the best assist records in the Championship, Luongo the same for tackles and he scored a few towards the end of the season as well. Most on here rate Scowen, probably more than I do myself.
     
    #236
    NorwayRanger likes this.
  18. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2012
    Messages:
    29,195
    Likes Received:
    26,549
    Fine, in that case we have what we have. Just can’t understand constantly being told they are good, or the ‘best midfield in the league’. They aren’t.
    The results would say they didn’t play well. If they had we would have finished with more than 57 points or whatever it was. The individual stats are meaningless if not accompanied by real points.
     
    #237
    kiwiqpr and SW Ranger like this.
  19. Bwood_Ranger

    Bwood_Ranger 2023 Funniest Poster

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2011
    Messages:
    57,234
    Likes Received:
    45,154
    I think they’re all pretty good individually but none have started the season well at all with Luongo and Freeman well below par. Not helped by Schteve’s random formations.

    I’d give Manning a run but we’ve chosen to give him to a relegation rival.
     
    #238
  20. QPR Oslo

    QPR Oslo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2011
    Messages:
    21,428
    Likes Received:
    6,470
    My recollection is that we were often good in midfield but didn't take points because of fck ups by the back 3 or 4, and sub-standard strikers.
     
    #239
  21. Sooperhoop

    Sooperhoop Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2011
    Messages:
    34,790
    Likes Received:
    26,869
    The bottom line is we have a lot of individuals who can be good on their day but very inconsistent and we don't play well as a team. A good team keeps possession, defends well and scores goals. We very rarely do the first two and the third will define our season...
     
    #240
    SW Ranger and sb_73 like this.

Share This Page