Instead of feeling a little better as the hours and days have followed that horrendous opening day, I am finding myself feeling worse and worse. Now I don't consider myself to be of the "knee-jerk" variety of fan, but this first day hammering feels so much worse than last year's! After the Bolton defeat I was down, but expectations were very low and we all knew we were fielding what was basically a Championship team. Saturday we fielded a very good looking Premier League team, albeit a bit lacking in defence and most of us had high hopes for a decent mid table finish. I know it's only the first game....I know, I know!! BUT....Sparky hasn't filled me with confidence. Having had all pre-season to build his team he has bought a disproportionate amount of attacking midfielders and left it very late to get a right back. Too late, in fact to play in the first game! He has sold Helguson and retained Bothroyd. With Zamora so injury prone, we could really do with HH! He also bought Rob Green!! I'm not impressed with MH's judgement to date and I certainly wasn't impressed with Saturday's formation and tactics. Nor the appointment of Park as Captain (very good player that he is!). This brings me to Hughes's conundrum. With so many attacking midfielders and Cisse's need to have a forward up with him, Hughes is struggling to put out a balanced side. Until Faurlin returns (please God make it soon!) we only have Diakite and Derry to play in a holding midfield role and even then Diakite is more a box to box player. Derry is on his last legs too. I like him and think he should of started against Swansea but he's not the long term answer (not even a 90min answer in truth). The conundrum is fitting all these players into the team and the biggest one is whether Taarabt and Hoilett can play in the same starting 11. We have our own Lampard and Gerrard problem....can they play together? If Cisse needs a strong target man with him, then the answer is surely no. Once Faurlin is fit he and Diakite will surely fill the two central midfield spots and in a 4-4-2 that leaves Park on the right and either Taarabt or Hoilett on the left. A possible solution would be to play one of those two off Cisse....but he really needs to play off someone not have someone playing off him. 4-2-3-1 could be the answer....BUT this would mean Cisse being up top on his own or playing as one of the 3 behind Zamora. That only leaves 2 more places for Park, Taarabt and Hoilett!! A huge conundrum when things really should be pretty settled! If we lose to Norwich on Saturday, like we usually do, it is conceivable that we could go on to be bottom of the table with no points from 5 games! Now I'm not for one minute suggesting that Hughes should be sacked, that's plain crazy after just one game, but I do remain unconvinced. And if that calamitous situation materialises after those first five games I would expect Tony and Co to be putting a hit list together...........'Arry anyone?
A few inevitable injuries through the season and some of these unsolvable questions will soon solve themselves.
Yep, that's true. The Prem is a squad league, no doubt. Not sure what we'd do if Cisse and Zamora were injured though?
Col, now you are scaring me man! Let's see how we stand after Norwich. I am hoping and praying there will be some room for optimism.
I've rung a mate tonight reflecting on the possibility that come 7:30 on 1st Sept, we may be 12 points adrift. It is the QPR way. All we can do is sing and support and die a thousand deaths with every game. I did not think I had signed up for this AGAIN!! A point on Saturday is essential. COYRss!!
We lost 6 0 to fulham two weeks after our best away performance of the season at Wolves. We lost 6 1 to Chelsea the week after we beat Spurs 1 0 at home. It's not the end of the world, we aren't doomed, these results happen.
" If we lose to Norwich on Saturday, like we usually do, it is conceivable that we could go on to be bottom of the table with no points from 5 games!" I had that bad dream earlier and even loading up a league table of my nightmare. It's human nature to feel afraid but I am pass that and have been knocked enough in life not to sink ... Pick yourself up man!!! It's a worry but just that and hasn't happened yet!! You have want is called Monkey Mind ... let me help you all with my man Mooji: I am the witness [video=youtube;1VsXNURolJc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VsXNURolJc[/video]
Not yet, but if we don't get points from the next 4 games (not easy), it ought to be the end of Hughes.
[/QUOTE] Not yet, but if we don't get points from the next 4 games (not easy), it ought to be the end of Hughes.[/QUOTE] IF being the key word.
Not yet, but if we don't get points from the next 4 games (not easy), it ought to be the end of Hughes.[/QUOTE] IF being the key word.[/QUOTE] A big IF
I doubt that very much. It would not fit in with TF's management style. They gave Warnock much longer than that.
I agree, but TF is not a loser either. Hughes had half of last season and we struggled, he has had money to spend and if after 5 games we are struggling, I hope TF does the right thing before a bad situation becomes irreversible. Football is like my job in sales, results based. You are only as good as your last result.
