I get everyone’s frustration. It has been a bad year. We all hoped the championship would be an instant change, but we are a mess. I would argue we have actually hot worse every window since Puel!
It’s always exciting buying players because fans are generally optimists and dreamers. So yeah we were all happy. The reality is though that we knew very little about any of the players coming in (save perhaps Fellows and Azaz). We only needed a couple of new players imo; not nine or however many. Now we just have a team of players totally unknown to each other and playing like it. Is Roerslev and improvement on Bree? Quarshie an improvement on Bednarek? Downs an improvement on the strikers we already have? Jay Robinson was breaking through and looking great. Now he’s back down the pecking order. Not saying I’d send Scienza back or anything, but it does make you wonder sometimes whether or not we’d just be better off trying to build an actual team rather than replacing most of them every year.
The issue I have regarding Stewart is that I just don't know if he's any good or not. From what little we've seen, I'm yet to be convinced. But he's played so little - especially in terms of getting a run in the side - that it's really difficult to know. But I do absolutely believe that there's a huge Che-shaped in our attack, which desperately needs to be filled. And maybe, hopefully, that can be Stewart.
I don't think it's so much that one striker is too easy to defend against. Solo strikers have caused our defence all sorts of problems this season already. It's just that we don't have the striker to play that role effectively. And if this is the formation we were planning on playing, then it's another massive failure of a transfer window to not recruit a striker that fits that role as it's so integral to this formation working (not to mention Stills favoured tactic of just slinging a million hopeful crosses in the box). So yeah, I'm with you. You've got to play with what you've got, and so we probably need to play 2 up front. In theory, and depending on the opposition. 4132 might be worth a go. Might help Azaz too having another midfielder working closer to him, and more than one striker to work with. Would probably suit Downes if you just tell him to sit in front of the defence, mop up and play it simple too.
Downs is a work in progress, and though he may not be an improvement, we're not exactly looking at quality up top there with the others at the moment either. I still think it's a case of chance creation with the strikers more than anything (though a little bit of desire and McBurnie ****housery would go a long way). We did need a clear out. People wanted out, and we needed to try and purge a bit. Quarshie is an interesting one for me. He may not be as polished as some of the others (yet), but he has that aggression and will to win that the others don't, so I'd like to see him in the team just for that. Scienza has a bit of the same too. I'd want them both starting the next match personally.
I mean for speed and physicality he is literally the only player who could possibly get close to him.
What good is being in position when you can’t hold your own? And when was Quarshie out of position for a header? Not once. His issue was one on one on the floor.
Yep, he needs to learn his trade a little in the u21s. Maybe, we try and change the CBs one by one, drop THB or Jack for maybe Wood the next game and see if there is any chemistry, a bit of trial and error. The former pair don't both deserve to start against Boro imo.
He's got the speed in his legs but not in his brain atm, could be a liability right now but there is lots of promise there.
He has played 270 minutes, during which we conceded twice. I think people have invented some alternative history where he was a liability. The worst defending this season has come from THB.
Wood had seemed solid when given a chance. And Edwards is adored by QPR fans for a reason. I agree that we need to look at our CB pairing, but I don't agree that we need to be looking in Quarshie's direction.
Yeah I agree. And this is where the threat will come from mostly against Liverpool. Not in the air but on the ground.
I prefer raw to utterly weak. We have needed someone of Quarshie’s profile for three years, and we are absolutely getting bullied because we don’t have someone like him.
