Didn't see Wigan victory, however a few points from the two victories I did watch. Great link play between Eze, Freeman and Wells blew Bolton away, and the same plays had a great impact against Millwall. In both games it quickly became clear that the opposition had the proverbial rocket at half time and had us on the back foot for the majority of the 2nd half. It is the Inability of Maclaren to see that this is happening and change formation or make substitions.We were extremely lucky to hold out once Bolton scored and I am positive if Millwall scored a second would have followed, as Maclaren did not have a clue how to change things so didn't. After 20 minutes of the Norwich match everyone except Maclaren could see we needed to make changes. Bielsa upon going 2 behind to Birmingham last week took off Phillips after 30 minutes (although they still did lose!) as it was clear the set up was not right, There's not a prayer of Maclaren doing anything similar. Incredibly at Blackpool going into the last 5 minutes at a Blackpool corner all 9 outfield players were going to defend the corner. Did Maclaren shout out, no it was Oteh telling the crap lump Smith to get up the pitch.Back to my original point Freeman,Eze and Wells have to play close to each other, so what does Maclaren do play them as far apart as possible no wonder their heads have dropped, Eze is not a right midfielder you absolute moron. I always knocked Holloway for playing 3-5-2, and he is not the answer, however maybe 3-5-2 May now be the best way forward to get our few decent players to be able to link up with a forward thinking manager, although I have no idea who this is.
Exactly I cannot see any football at the moment tbh I do believe however that our midfield is a lot better than some teams in this division
Not sure about 3-5-2 because you need to have capable defenders and I'm really not sure they are but otherwise spot on. The guy has failed as a manager almost everywhere else he's been. What on earth persuaded Fernandes that he was the answer and persuaded others in the Boardroom to go along with his choice. Did he play a football computer game with him or did he just like the way he wears his hair island?
From my limited understanding of what McClaren has done so far, at Bolton he set us up 442 with Freeman & Eze as the wide players in the middle, but they had licence to swap wings and roam in behind the front 2 so effectively becoming 4132, apparently we played pretty well for an hour or so using that. However the last 2 games against Norwich & Swansea it appears that the formation was more rigid with no fluidity and therefore no creativity from those 2. It looks like Millwall was bit of a fluke in playing 4231 due to Hemed's fasting, but it worked and the fluid 442 would work if allowed to, but it seems that the orders are to be rigid and both Freeman & Eze ordered to stay wide. All in all it's very confusing......
From the stream which did cut at some relevant moments, it looked to me like Eze and Freeman were moving central at every attacking opportunity, while Luongo was sometines arriving forward centrally, further forward Wells was central mostly, and Hemed too. It got way too cramped centrally with next to no width. We needed Eze centrally and at least 1 of Freeman and Wells giving more width. But neither of them is at their best as a wide man I don't think, and expect we'd do better with Wells as lone striker, Eze as the10, Freeman, and Pawel or BOS wide in a 3.
I would second guess what Hair Island tactics are tbh he is not a motivator imo we are having to endure his ideas which is bad enough its another destroy and exit he hasn't the talent to be a football manager and never has
He may well be contractually stuck with starting Hemed and Wells whenever they are fit as according to recent reports that's how deals with Prem teams tend to be structured. No problem with Wells as he looks to be quality despite the goal drought but Hemed just doesn't seem to fit. I also agree that McClaren has been mistakenly sucked into the notion that Luongo must start every game (as with our previous two coaches) as he delivers only when the game is limited to the centre circle.
Trust Schteeve to go and win his 11th game. As many have said, it's blindingly obvious that 4-2-3-1 is the best formation for our squad, if they work on that and stick to it we'll at least be competitive against most opposition in this league. I do hope he doesn't go and bring Hemed back into a two upfront against Derby, their midfield will have a beanfeast...
Steve McClaren first 10 games in the league ... = W 3 D 1 L 6 F 7 A 18 Pts 10 ... 1 point per game Last 10 games ( includes 6 games from the above stat ) ... = W 6 D2 L 2 F 12 A6 Pts 20 2 points per game Average points per match for the season so far = 1.42 If we continue with this rate we should finish 10th or 11th going on last seasons table. If we can continue with the last ten games rate of 2.0 ( miracle if we do ) we would finish somewhere between 3rd and 5th with 84 points.
Roll on 50 points, then we can relax and anything better will be a bonus. The last three seasons have considerably lowered my expectations...
I'd be happy with higher than last year still, extending the better players contracts and actually look forward to starting a new season
That's roughly my hope although I am concerned that the over use of loan players is causing our own squad players to stagnate and affecting the development of our younger players.
Whilst I agree that the loan players may affect the development of younger players, there is also an argument / discussion to have to say that sometimes the loan players coming in can teach the younger players a things or two.
Exactly this. Apparently Rangel is one of the first on the training ground each morning, one of the last to leave in the evening, and is spending extra time in sessions helping Furlongs' rehab from injury, even going to the U23 game on Monday to advise. Have been led to believe he may with us til end of the seasonas well, which if true, can only help the club.
This division is a lottery, we have as much chance as most of the others. Birmingham are above us and they are absolute crap. Boro and Leeds probably stronger than than most, but I doubt that the players will keep up with Bielsa at Leeds. And hopefully the Boro fans will get bored of grind it out Pulis. The FFP transfer ban is a blessing, it means the owners can’t do anything stupid in January if we look like we have a play off chance. But might as well hope that we keep this going. Makes it more fun.
I think the four loan players brought in have all contributed to the marked improvement, Cameron in particular has provided some missing backbone, the younger players can only benefit...
The nine things that Steve McClaren has improved at QPR since arriving at Loftus Road It's been quite the turnaround this term at Loftus Road and Steve McClaren certainly deserves credit. By Phil Spencer 12:04, 24 OCT 2018 Appointing Toni Leistner as captain With Nedum Onuoha leaving at the end of his contract the captain's armband was very much up for grabs over the summer. The likes of Jake Bidwell, Massimo Luongo and Josh Scowen were linked with the role, but ultimately it was new signing Toni Leistner who took the responsibility. The decision was questioned due to his lack of Championship experience, but the BFG has relished the role as he regularly barks out orders from the back and has done well to organise those around him. The fans at Loftus Road have really bought into what Leistner brings to the team, and with the team and the fans all backing the big German defender, he's starting to look like a strong choice as QPR skipper. please log in to view this image Toni Leistner of Queens Park Rangers. (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images) Signing proven Championship players QPR's squad looked paper-thin at the start of the Championship campaign owing largely to the lack of leaders within the camp. Losing players such as Nedum Onuoha, James Perch and Jamie Mackie may not have the biggest losses in terms of quality, but as some of the key leaders and personalities last term, it certainly left a huge void in the camp. Steve McClaren worked closely with Les Ferdinand and the scouting to identify the likes of Angel Rangel, Nahki Wells, Tomer Hemed and Geoff Cameron - all of whom linked up with the QPR squad during the month of August. As well as proving undoubted quality on the pitch, the impact they've had as leaders in the dressing room has been pivotal to QPR turning their form around. Allowing Ebere Eze to play his natural game He's regarded as QPR's hottest prospect in many years, but we simply weren't seeing it at the start of the campaign. While clearly talented in the attacking third, McClaren insisted on using Eze in a position which put emphasis on him contributing to the teams' defensive play - something which simply isn't one of his strengths. However Eze has been afforded more of a free role of late, which allows him to preserve his energy for key moments in QPR's attack. As long as the youngster continues to deliver in attack, it does seem a masterstroke to give Eze a licence to roam, as afterall, the number 10 is probably the only real match-winner within the squad. please log in to view this image Ebere Eze Plugging the gaps in defence The departures of Perch, Onuoha and Robinson left the QPR squad hugely depleted in defence - and it looked like a desperate struggle after conceding 13 in their first four games. However, a combination of working the likes of Toni Leistner, Angel Rangel and Geoff Cameron into the defence, and finding a formation that protects the back four, QPR have been able to solidify a previously shaky defence. Four clean sheets in their last five league games has been a huge boost, and is testament to the work done by McClaren and his team to address the issue. Introducing natural goal-scorers It sounds so simple, but it's absolutely crucial. QPR have previously struggled to take their chances in the final third, putting pressure on the team to create a higher quanity of chances just to get their reward. However the additions of Nahki Wells and Tomer Hemed have added much more composure to the attack, meaning that as well as contributing goals themselves, they've also been on hand to create chances for the likes of Ebere Eze and Luke Freeman in midfield. It's been a while since QPR have had a natural goal-scorer, and the fans at Loftus Road are certainly appreciating the goal-scoring talent currently on show. please log in to view this image Tomer Hemed and Nakhi Wells in action for QPR against Wigan Athletic. (Image: Henry Browne/Getty Images) Getting the best out of QPR's key men Among many criticisms at the start of the season was the fact that several of QPR's key players simply weren't playing to their full capability. The likes of Massimo Luongo and Luke Freeman were crucial to Ian Holloway's side last term, but looked like shadows of their former selves in the opening weeks. However, a mixture of work on the training ground and establishing a new system has allowed McClaren to start seeing the best of these players which has undoubtedly aided the form of the team. If QPR are to enjoy a successful campaign it's crucial that they allow their best players to flourish, and thankfully we're seeing early signs that this is happening. Reducing squad size While a number of departures were decided before Steve McClaren's tenure, he still had some difficult decisions to make over his squad. McClaren decided that the likes of Conor Washington, Ryan Manning and David Wheeler were unlikely to feature in his squad and acted accordingly to move them on. While one or two players still have a question mark over their long-term future at the club, it's been a real plus for McClaren to streamline his squad allowing him to work with a much smaller pool of players, and allowing them all to feature more regularly in his team. This will also aid the cause of QPR's young players such as Aramide Oteh, Paul Smyth and Ilias Chair who will now have a clearer route to the first team when it's decided that they're ready. Finding the best formation for the team Steve McClaren tried several formulas at the start of the season, but it seems that he's finally settled on a system that suits the team perfectly. The 4-4-1-1 system used against Sheffield Wednesday was the perfect blend of defensive solidity and attacking flair, as the four-man midfield did well to shield the defence, while the wide players and Ebere Eze as number 10 provided a real threat in the attacking third. It might not be a system that will work in every game, but it's pleasing to see that the formation might just what's needed to get the best of the current group of players. Taking the heat off the young prospects We've discussed the addition of some experienced summer signings, and that has no doubt helped QPR's form. While Ian Holloway's use of young players last term was fantastic in terms of experience, there's no doubting that inexperienced players do add an element of inconsistency to their form. We're already seeing that QPR have really settled into the season, and this can only benefit the young players who are now allowed to play with less pressure on their shoulders, while also having the benefit of learning from the experienced heads in the squad. The definitive list of how long each and every QPR player has left on their contract Forging strong relationships all over the pitch It links in with the new formation and the new personnel, but we're starting to see real cohesion in the QPR squad. From the partnerships between Toni Leistner and Joel Lynch in defence, to Geoff Cameron and Massimo Luongo in midfield, the understanding between key players in the team is really starting to come to fruition as QPR look to kick-on after their early season woes. If these relationships can continue to blossom then you'd expect the form of Steve McClaren's side to go from strength to strength as the campaign unfolds.
