Julien Stéphan - gimme your two positives and two negatives

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awjm

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2011
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We're well into Stéphan's first season at QPR now, so what is everyone's take on him?

Give me your main positive about him and a secondary positive, and then give me your main negative and then secondary niggle you have with him.

Main positive: we are not in a relegation scrap and do not look at all like we will have one this season (I know, there's till time for one, but I can't see it). To some, being upper mid-table might sound small but I really think this is significant. Think about where we've been over the last 3 seasons. We've been absolutely shocking at times and narrowly escaped two almost inevitable relegations. That could have been the end of our club as we know it. Yes, we are having a bad 1 or 2 games here and there but we're competing with the majority of teams we come up against and are getting some good results. To be 11th now, being 3 points below the team in 6th, is a pretty good turnaround, imo.

Other positive: not always but quite often makes really good subs that come on and have an impact on the game or even win the game.

Main negative: for me, his biggest weakness is in mentally preparing the team for each match, or lack of! You can do all the training and drills you want (and I'm sure all of that side of things is good and well organised) but if you can't mentally prepare your team for each fixture, it can all count for nothing. Too often, our players start a game looking way too relaxed, lacking intensity, not taking the opposition as seriously as they should. I don't care where our opposition is in the table before kick off, or what their recent results have been like, our team should be focused and ready to work straight away. Too often, we piss about, chase shadows, do things halfheartedly and then find ourselves in a position where we have to chase the game, either coming from behind or having to overcome a team we've allowed to feel very confident because of how easy it is to move and pass around us.

Other negative: changing the line-up too often! In my opinion, the best method is to start your best team every game, no matter how condensed the fixtures are, and then you bring on subs after you've gotten a foothold in the game. It's ok to rest 1 or maybe 2 players from time to time, depending on things. But generally, start the same team and use earlier subs to give players rest later. And the bloody goalkeeper is changing every week when Nardi is clearly the best one!

Over to you.
 
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Main pos - we look an improved side from previous seasons, regardless of the off days

2nd pos - it's not all about him, unlike other managers we've had who want to be front and centre all the time

Main neg - seeming to throw away the third game in a three game week, regardless of opposition

2nd neg - tinker, tinker, tinker, tinker.
 
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We're well into Stéphan's first season at QPR now, so what is everyone's take on him?

Give me your main positive about him and a secondary positive, and then give me your main negative and then secondary niggle you have with him.

Main positive: we are not in a relegation scrap and do not look at all like we will have one this season (I know, there's till time for one, but I can't see it). To some, being upper mid-table might sound small but I really think this is significant. Think about where we've been over the last 3 seasons. We've been absolutely shocking at times and narrowly escaped two almost inevitable relegations. That could have been the end of our club as we know it. Yes, we are having a bad 1 or 2 games here and there but we're competing with the majority of teams we come up against and are getting some good results. To be 11th now, being 3 points below the team in 6th, is a pretty good turnaround, imo.

Other positive: not always but quite often makes really good subs that come on and have an impact on the game or even win the game.

Main negative: for me, his biggest weakness is in mentally preparing the team for each match, or lack of! You can do all the training and drills you want (and I'm sure all of that side of things is good and well organised) but if you can't mentally prepare your team for each fixture, it can all count for nothing. Too often, our players start a game looking way too relaxed, lacking intensity, not taking the opposition as seriously as they should. I don't care where our opposition is in the table before kick off, or what their recent results have been like, our team should be focused and ready to work straight away. Too often, we piss about, chase shadows, do things halfheartedly and then find ourselves in a position where we have to chase the game, either coming from behind or having to overcome a team we've allowed to feel very confident because of how easy it is to move and pass around us.

Other negative: changing the line-up too often! In my opinion, the best method is to start your best team every game, no matter how condensed the fixtures are, and then you bring on subs after you've gotten a foothold in the game. It's ok to rest 1 or maybe 2 players from time to time, depending on things. But generally, start the same team and use earlier subs to give players rest later. And the bloody goalkeeper is changing every week when Nardi is clearly the best one!

Over to you.
+ clearly he's grinding out better results than previous recent managers
+ no cult of personality

- the football is generally still terrible
- cannot stop tinkering players & positions which has cost us many points

BTW of the 3 keepers, Hamer is far and away the best
 
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Main - more points than last season and being in touch with 6th until our annual implosion. Hopefully! Bit of a cheat as not there yet.
Second pos - subs have made an impact at times.
Negative - lack of connection with fans.
Second neg - plan B seldom occurs before 60 mins. Why wait so long if it is not working?
 
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Does making a few subs on 60 minutes, almost always like-for-like and then continuing to play the same way anyway, actually constitute a plan B?
As Bob likes to allude to, he doesnt necessarily do like for like. Morgan coming on to play right back, Adamson coming on to play left wing etc etc. However not sure this constituents a plan, more a depleted squad and a bit of desperation chucked in
 
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+ overall an easier season by getting the points in the bag and, in the main, he always manages to halt a poor run sequence;
+ he has protected the team and turned the tanker around after Cov when the whole season could have crashed from there;
- not getting a settled back four quickly, it’s cost us heavily - just look at that goal difference;
- too much playing people in odd positions, I get the injury problem but we don’t get the best of the players (or maybe there’s a master plan).

The fans warming comments are interesting. I’ve always noticed him push the players towards the fans, while steps back. Which shows that he definitely sees it as not all about him like the few before him. I quite like that but it clearly has a negative affect for many.
 
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Main positive....he isn't Neil crichley
Second positive...he isn't Gareth Ainsworrh

Main negative..the football has been ****e
Second negative..tombola selections
 
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Main positive - We've reached 50 points before 40 games
Second positive - Burrell, who had been a revelation up till his injury

Main negative - Too many games we have offered absolutely nothing
Second negative - Our midfield is so ineffective most games

Sadly, the negatives far outweigh the positives and I don't believe his 'ideology', whatever it may be, actually works in the Championship...
 
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Main positive - He has played 2 up top when we have had 2 up top to play. At the same time he taught our strikers to get into the 6 yard box.
It reminded me of the glory Rob Hulse years
Second positive - He built a team around Madsen which many of us would have missed!

Main negative - He has cocked up the keeper situation
Second negative - He doesn't make quite enought subs, quite early enough. Marti kept our squad fitter doing so. I know it has its risks
3rd neg neg - if he lets Chair dominate the set pieces ever again

Defo deserves a second year with squad tweaks and a good rest
 
Positives: Got us to 50 pts with a ridiculous amount of injuries to key players.
Keen to bring through young players.
Negs: Questionable tinkering. Too laid back/nice
 
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Positive: I would like to think he has gained valuable experience in English/Championship football and will take us even further next season.
Positive: He comes across as honest and is player-focused.

Negative: Plays players out of position too often (on the odd occasion, this could give greater insight into a player's ability i.e. can be positive)
Negative: Too passive
 
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Any more thoughts now that the season is, more or less, over?

I still by my original post below. The main negative being that he doesn't seem to be preparing the squad mentally for match day and the moment of kick-off. He doesn't seem to be managing the players well, in terms of managing their mindset. You can do all the preparation in tactics, but if you don't get the team to take a game seriously from the first whistle to the last, that's all pointless.

But we've been nowhere near a relegation scrap for the first time in several seasons.

We're well into Stéphan's first season at QPR now, so what is everyone's take on him?

Give me your main positive about him and a secondary positive, and then give me your main negative and then secondary niggle you have with him.

Main positive: we are not in a relegation scrap and do not look at all like we will have one this season (I know, there's till time for one, but I can't see it). To some, being upper mid-table might sound small but I really think this is significant. Think about where we've been over the last 3 seasons. We've been absolutely shocking at times and narrowly escaped two almost inevitable relegations. That could have been the end of our club as we know it. Yes, we are having a bad 1 or 2 games here and there but we're competing with the majority of teams we come up against and are getting some good results. To be 11th now, being 3 points below the team in 6th, is a pretty good turnaround, imo.

Other positive: not always but quite often makes really good subs that come on and have an impact on the game or even win the game.

Main negative: for me, his biggest weakness is in mentally preparing the team for each match, or lack of! You can do all the training and drills you want (and I'm sure all of that side of things is good and well organised) but if you can't mentally prepare your team for each fixture, it can all count for nothing. Too often, our players start a game looking way too relaxed, lacking intensity, not taking the opposition as seriously as they should. I don't care where our opposition is in the table before kick off, or what their recent results have been like, our team should be focused and ready to work straight away. Too often, we piss about, chase shadows, do things halfheartedly and then find ourselves in a position where we have to chase the game, either coming from behind or having to overcome a team we've allowed to feel very confident because of how easy it is to move and pass around us.

Other negative: changing the line-up too often! In my opinion, the best method is to start your best team every game, no matter how condensed the fixtures are, and then you bring on subs after you've gotten a foothold in the game. It's ok to rest 1 or maybe 2 players from time to time, depending on things. But generally, start the same team and use earlier subs to give players rest later. And the bloody goalkeeper is changing every week when Nardi is clearly the best one!

Over to you.
 
Got team playing some amazing football
Got the team playing some terrible football
Picks an attacking team
Picks totally out of form players
 
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He has adapted his style and has made us a better attacking unit than we have been for several seasons. When we attack with pace we can beat the best teams in the division.
He has improved players like Smyth, Kolli and Morgan (eventually)who have all played better this year with his tactics.
The defence has not improved. His chopping and changing goalkeepers has been a disaster. No one seems to able to play effectively in the defensive midfield role,
Why is that? Hayden, Field, Varane - none have had a good season and we have suffered more than our fair share of long range goals as well as poor set piece marking.
Not all our defensive frailties are his fault and the club needs to prioritise RB and LB recruitment.
 
Positive 1...we were never really in a relegation scrap, and a few times we flirted with the top 6
Positive 2...we saw a couple of players come through....Madsen, Vale (Edwards and Morgan too and possibly Bennie)

Negatives1 The big fuss over the goalies, maybe not of his making
Negative 2...we start slow (Saturday was the big exception), and we only seem to play in the last 20 minutes (especially away from home)


Big rumours he is going to a French Ligue 1 team anyhow
 
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