Is Harry's obvious admiration of Zamora costing us dear? Most managers have a "player blind spot" and in my opinion, Harry's is BZ. He's an ok target man when he's fit, but at half fitness he truly is painful to watch. I admire the fact that he has 33 injections to get through a half, but really.....he shouldn't bother. Also, is Harry's obvious dislike of Taarabt costing us too? I realise that Harry couldn't have known that Fulham would be reduced to 10 men, but those last 15 mins were tailor made for Taarabt to take advantage of the extra space. He didn't look match fit, but hey.....nor is Zamora!! Leaving Zamora on and taking Taarabt off was a huge error imo. It would appear that Redknapp makes his mind up very quickly about players and that's that. Cisse sent out on loan when we had no forwards. Faurlin discarded in the same way. Hoilett doesn't appear to be too much in favour too, nor Diakite. These apparently quick assessments could cost us dear imo.
He seems to be getting this talented squad playing but sadly not the results I agree about Taarabt however he looked really unfit IMO and does suffer from bloating . I agree about Harold that it didn't add up his quotes about the team lumping it into the area and how he wanted composure and deck football . We continually opened Fulham wide open in the second half not by Fulham relaxing as you said earlier by the shape changing ... the ball being moved quickly ... And closing them down quicker This team can play and I think Harold is right to play BZ in a style but why no back up plan using Bothroyd ? Park is a great presser but on the bench away from home ? Taarabt started great but Park for what I can only assume to protect a lead It went wrong and not to plan that's certain but its over now
Col All fair questions. I don't know the answer to any of them. What is obvious is that other than the first dozen or so games under NW, we have being languishing at or near the bottom of the table for the last two years. The table never lies. That's a hard pill to swallow for us QPR fans but its a fact. Our owners have unfortunately made a series of errors. I know I won't be popular in saying this but I thought that MH was a super appointment and that he would guide us through our formative years in the Prem. several of MHs purchases excited many of us and its their unexplainable performances that have left us where we are. I know many of you blame MH and will point out that it was his signings that under performed but I hold the players responsible. In several matches both this and last year there was a visible lack of effort. There's so many unanswered questions at our club Col. Who funded the extravagant purchases over the last two years. TF says its the owners and not the club. Do we, or can we really believe that? Is Eccles-cake still involved in our club? Will Harry stay if we go down? How many of the players will stay? How many of the owners will stay? I was at a mates stag party lately and had an interesting conversation with some of my mates about QPR. Every single one of them wanted to see us relegated for what they saw as us trying to buy our Prem status with our purchasing power. It was hard to listen to but it seems that we don't have to many 'neutral' fans. The common consensus was we deserved to go down and that we would be better off offloading our superstars and rebuilding a team rather than a team of individuals. Some mates eh!! The respect they had for Swansea and Norwich was nauseating and drove me to the Jemmy. Anyway Col. Too many questions hanging over our beloved club. I'd still love to f**k the begrudgers and stay up but perhaps there was some merit in their points and that we may need to purge our soul to gain back the neutrals.
I agree with Dave (and others) about Redknapp not using Bothroyd. It doesn't make sense to me, especially against a team like Fulham with big but mobile centre halves. It's all well and good having smaller, quicker guys like Remy, but they need to feed off others. Having the creative types like Taarabt to assist is one thing, as is having wingers providing from the flanks, but if it was me I would also accommodate the option of the big guy like Bothroyd that can hold the ball up and bring others into the game. It's somewhat ironic that Bothroyd is arguably playing the best football of his QPR career, but has been relegated to sporadic cameo appearances all season.
Good points all round. For me it is also baffling that Bothroyd cant even get into the matchday squad with Zamora half fit. I asked Bothroyd on twitter after Villa if he is injured, and no hes ready to go. Madness. BZ can hardly move around the pitch.
All good points guys. The Betty situation is another blind spot of Harry's it seems. I'm no big admirer of Bothroyd, but with BZ so chronically injured, surely he is the natural shoe in? Apart from that "once in a season" drive that Swarzser somehow saved, Zamora did nothing against Fulham. Makes no sense, but hey.....there it is.
Difficult to disagree with anything that's been said. Perhaps someone will ask Harold these questions tomorrow? Interesting that there is no bickering tonight. We seem to have moved beyond denial into grim acceptance mode. Not sure why. 21 points to go. On a positive note, Onuoha played well when he came on. Should he not be given a start if only so that Samba can sort himself out? I don't see we have anything to lose now. If Samba is half the player he thinks he is, he will take being dropped from the starting line up in the correct way. If he does not, well we will all have learned something about his attitude and motivation.
Harold's not the messiah but there are worse out there. Hughes and Warnock for example. Not a very constructive response, sorry. Guess what we miss is what Harold and his team see in training. Who knows? And if the fitness and conditioning staff tell him Zamora can play 90 minutes and Adel can't, he'll draw his own conclusions. He didn't pull many punches after the Southampton games about attitudes and players crying off injured. Adel and Traore can't play with slight strains, but BZ can in a state of chronic collapse. If you are in a fight who do you trust? Samba had a mare, but I'd rather we dropped Hill than him, Yorkshire. His heart is huge, but his mobility, speed and distribution are not helping us.
I agree that we still have a chance. Win against Wigan, Reading, Stoke and Toon and try to get something from the other games. I just feel that the last two games were real opportunities missed to pick up points.
While your right Bz didn't have the best game, with this squad we someone like BZ up front, he is the best we have so play he should. A while back I suggested Betty play if Bobby was injured but people seemed to disagree then but a guess a week let alone a month is a long time in football. As to Adel, churning up that nest again a don't have the spirit. On the bright side, I'm glad to see, while the defeat are just as painful, we are at least trying to go out with a bag rather than a whimper. Also in true R's style we are reaching the bottom so we should see a couple of wins now, enough to allow to dream again before being dashed on the rocks below.
I' agree Col, though for me his biggest blind spot is letting Park get in the Match day squad. I'd play any one of our other midfield players in front of him any time. As I also said before I don't understand when Zamora is not even fit, he doesn't use Adel as a withdrawn target man, with Remy, Townsend, and Hoillet (if he has any form) playing off him. When it worked so well before, without Remy and Townsend why doesn't he at least try that again now. I've never seen Betty play well as a holding target man either as some suggest, when he has played well for us it wasn't his holding play. Harry has done better than Hughes, no doubt, who wouldn't have, but not sure he's done better than Colin,I doubt his points per game in the PL is much better than Colins's was, even with the vastly more expensive players he has available.
I am losing my initial enthusiasm for Harry. We have certainly improved and at first we were far more resilient. If (when) we go down, I won't be overly disappointed if we part company.
Thanks, confirms what I thought then. Just hope Harry's way out in front by the end of the season, 40 from 25 will do just fine.
