On the way to the ground, the lad and I were really up beat and pretty confident that we were going to get all 3 points from the game. We were in our seats early to watch the players warm up as usual and started to play our "spot the players and who's in the team" game. Then...alarm bells!! Where's Remy? Where's Onuoha? (I thought he was limping when we saw him outside the ground). ****...who's going to play up front? Then we saw the subs warming up and started to piece things together. As it turned out, Harry lined us up as 4-4-1-1 with Taarabt playing behind Mackie. Not one person around me could believe that we were setting up with one up front, at home against Norwich. The game got under way and it was immediately clear that Derry and Mbia were being outnumbered in the middle by their three of Johnson, Tettey and Hoolahan. Taarabt wasn't working back to help this situation, presumably having been told to stay up off Mackie. The pattern was set and I sat and watched as a limited team like Norwich bossed possession and looked very comfortable. Taarabt was lively though and as ever, he was our only real creative force. Townsend also was looking lively, quick and promising. Derry was his usual reliable self, but Mbia, whilst working hard was all over the shop and his passing was erratic as usual. Some great skill from Taarabt and a forward run ended with a shot fizzing a couple of feet wide, but Adel's corners were as terrible as ever and Rangers really didn't threaten much. We simply don't get numbers forward and the Norwich back four were relaxed and un-tested. Traore and Townsend both made good runs down the left, but there were never any targets in the area. Cesar or a defender would knock a ball forward towards Mackie and the ball would come straight back at us after the latter failed to win a header and generally couldn't get into the game. The half ended and we all hoped for better things in the 2nd half. The 2nd half was an improvement once Zamora was introduced for the largely anonymous SWP, meaning Taarabt was pushed out to the left and to an extent pushed more out of the game. However, Rangers now had 2 up front and just by the virtue of more numbers in the attacking third, they started to put the Norwich defence under pressure. The ball was played up to the front, but unlike in the first half, when the ball came straight back, Zamora was able to make a nuisance of himself and get in some good flick ons and held the ball up quite well at times. Norwich were now under pressure and it told as Mackie chased a ball into the area and was brought down by Bunn. The keeper was booked and Loftus Road held its breath as Taarabt stepped up to take the spot kick. Disaster!! Adel placed the ball a little gingerly and although it was reasonably in the corner, Bunn sprung to his left and made a fine save. What a chance missed!! Rangers continued to push forward and Norwich continued to get dirtier and more thuggish with every challenge. This, along with their continual time wasting made them a very frustrating opposition. The referee finally started to make some bookings and Norwich were lucky not to lose a player to a second yellow card by the end. Taarabt, for once. delivered a sublime free kick which was curled behind the defence and in front of the keeper. Unfortunately no Rangers players were able to get on the end of it, although Samba was clearly held back (not for the first time) by Turner. Another good free kick from Taarabt saw Samba rise and flick a header towards goal only for the repugnant Holt to clear the ball off the line. At the other end, Cesar made 2 or 3 brilliant saves to keep Rangers in it. Surely we would already be down without this brilliant keeper? Zamora missed a guilt edged chance at the far post, somehow managing to put his header wide! The impressive Townsend unleashed a stinging shot in the dying minutes, only for Bunn to fling himself to his left to save Norwich again. The game ended with Rangers huffing and puffing and Norwich looking dangerous on the break whilst obviously happy with the draw. All in all I feel it was a big mistake to start this game with one up front, especially when Mackie isn't the player for that role. On the way out of the ground the result felt like a nail in our relegation coffin. News that Remy has strained his groin in training only adds to that feeling. Player ratings and comments: Cesar - 8 - Superb once more, although his kicking is a weak link. Fabio - 7 - Did well and worked hard. Off injured. Samba - 7 - Looked very solid and will get better and better as his fitness improves. Hill - 7 - Reliable as ever and kept Holt reasonably quiet. Traore - 7 - Defended well and also got forward using his pace. Unfortunately there was never anyone in the box for any crosses! SWP - 5 - A couple of good runs and worked hard, but largely anonymous. Derry - 7 - Shielded the back four well as usual. Mbia - 5 - Not too impressed with him tbh. Works hard, but his positioning and passing is generally poor. Townsend - 8 - Very good display on his debut. Looks quick and tricky and it would be good to have him and a fit Hoilett on either flank. Taarabt - 6 - Penalty miss was so costly, although no-one misses on purpose. Some good moments and kept going, even after being shunted out to the left. Our only attacking threat and he knows it. This puts huge pressure on him and he needs some help in the attacking third. Apart from a couple of good free kicks, his dead ball delivery was again poor and Harry should find alternatives for these. Mackie - 7 - Gets a 7 purely for his work rate and determination. Not his fault that he was played in a role he was entirely unsuited to. Subs: Zamora - 6 - Did well when he came on, but missed a sitter of a header at the far post late on. Jenas - 6 - Looked good on the ball for his short time on the pitch and tried to encourage Adel to keep going. Ben Haim - 6 - I like him. Looked good. A last word on the crowd. I thought we were terrible. Seems most are resigned to relegation. There were a few different faces in S block and it was like a morgue! Me and the lad tried to get them going but they just sat there in silence. Thoughts?
The original formation was unfathomable Col, it soon became obvious that Norwich were very comfortable being able to play in between our midfield 2 and 3 with little pressure on them and they were happy to go from side to side with plenty of possession and little ambition. The second half was different in that we got at them a bit more but still failed to get enough bodies forward to really take advantage. The Zamora miss was due to a shirt-tug as he went up for it, missed by the ref as usual. Townsend was the real plus for us on the day but will be wasted if we don't get players forward to get on the end of his crosses, his best cross in the first half went over SWP's head, unfortunately the law of the sod...
Pretty much spot on Col. We were set up wrong for a game we should have won, simply because even we are better than Norwich, an ugly bunch. Some good points but nagging sense of disappointment/opportunity spurned. But on this evidence at least Norwich will be in the mix for the drop. Atmosphere flat, especially compared to the Citeh game. partly blame the early kick off, which always kills the noise - not enough pub time for some.
Only my opinion Col but i would of marked up Zamora and Jenas by a point and taken at least a point of Mackie. I thought Bobby's flick on's were outstanding and if he has the right person to get on the end of them (Remy ?) then SURELY goals will start flowing. Jenas i thought looked very confident on the ball and to be honest, had a lot more still in him than i could of imagined. Jamie ?? I so love the lad, gives 100% every game and is one of the great triers of the team....sadly, IMO, his lack of ability and skill sometimes shows him up to be a great Championship player, but not a very good Premiership player. As for the crowd....SPOT ON. Terrible tense atmosphere, maybe because of what was happening on the pitch, maybe because of the situation we find ourselves in. I can't see it getting any better in the near future i'm afraid.
great report as usual col. one thing i noticed last night when i was watching the highlights. AT pen was saved andi counted 6at least possibly 7 norwich players reacting to the rebound and not 1qpr player. i know we dont get many pens but surely the players should have the cop on to follow up just incase. ....
Your tone is one of general discontentment there Col, probably more to do with the realisation that our inadequacies to date are largely still with us, than a pure reflection on our performance yesterday. Don't blame you though cos whilst there was a buzz about us at times yesterday, there's a bell tolling quietly in the background that's sounding increasingly like a morse message spelling Q-P-R... For all the good 'Arry's done in stopping the infernal leakage that mostly caused our demise, our inability to get goals to compensate now seems to have entered the mindset of the squad causing a self-fulfilling prophesy. Whilst we've upped our efforts, it's as though we've almost accepted our fate in that regard. Very, very worrying - and such a great shame for owners and fans alike. Thanks for a report that's brave and honest enough to subtly include the most unpalatable of truths. What is a match report if it fails to let us know the score? Yours does and must be appreciated as such. Well done mate.
Thanks for the write up. Extra shooting practice the next week is needed I think. The game was summed up for me by Mackie managing to run at the goal as Jenas took a free kick, and get his arse in the way of a shot that may have gone in.
Cheers Brix. You're right of course, in that I am beginning to accept our fate. But it's the going down without going for it that will really piss me off. One up front, at home against Norwich? If Hughes had done that he would have rightly been called clueless. The difference with Harry, as you rightly say, is that the defence is now sorted. Sadly, this isn't enough is it?
I find it hard to mark subs, as they have much less time on the pitch generally mate. Zamora had about 30 mins and Jenas about 20. If they'd both been on for most of the game and performed the way they did throughout, I would have marked them higher. All opinions eh?
Col I can't begin to explain how downhearted I am after yesterday. The punch bag got an awful savaging this morning in the gym. Don't want to be accused of being a pessimist but simply can't see us scoring enough to stay up. I think Harry has done an incredible job shoring up the defence but in achieving defensive stability it has seriously blunted our ability to be creative. I watched the match again last night and was shocked to see how few players we manage to get in the box when we do attack. Adel is the only player we have who plays with his head up and if he doesn't produce we look blunt. We are too predictable and any decent manager can work us out. I think we will remain difficult to beat and we will pick up hard fought points along the way but just can't see us scoring enough. Thought Zamora looked decent and would get a 7 in my ratings. Other than that spot on.
It'll be the same old set-up at Swansea, if we go at them they'll pass through us like a knife through butter. Strangely, I fancy we might just get something out of that game as they are in that comfortable no-man's land with one eye on the Wembley game...
Good report, Col. For me, the news of the Remy injury depressed me more than anything else. He could well have been the difference in a game like yesterday and would have taken defenders' focus off Taarabt. If we're to have any hope at all of going on a winning run, we have to have good news over this next week on Remy's condition imho.
BBC Radio 5 live: QPR assistant manager Joe Jordan has just revealed on BBC Radio 5 live that star striker Loic Remy has a "slight groin strain". There had been mixed reports over the severity of the injury, and that latest revelation is great news for the relegation-threatened team.