QPR game is the key test. If we either: a) win, or b) draw but play well, I think we are heading for a top 6 finish. So, no pressure then
Billy, please try to get this clearly. Brown may not start that many games, as much because Austin is fit and well and playing well. However, when Austin needs a break or can't play for some reason, Brown is just the sort of player we need at the base of a diamond or anywhere as a DM. What he does for the team is not particularly glamourous. If he's learned to stay on his feet in the tackle rather than dive in, we will get at least one more full season out of him. Although only against Stevenage, we saw exactly what he brings to the team. He was everywhere breaing up tackles. Don't continue to knock him. He might be 36, but he's a very fit 36 that still has a lot to offer.
Think QPR can be beaten, we just need to cope with their pace on attack. They struggled to put Bolton away and didn't look that sound when defending. Expect it will be a real battle of wills on Saturday, home crowd can be the difference.
Will he pick Brown to go up against barton and get him sent off. Barton has been QPR's stand out player so far and we need to stop him somehow. Will Rudy stifle him?
Maybe he'll go for two DMs, Austin and Brown. Would be nice to play Smith and Poleon up top. Smith gives us a different option up front, and Poleon gives us the potential for some trickery and maybe the odd penalty shout.
Stick with Rudy, he'll do the job just get him central rather than Green was against Ipswich. In fact I'd replace Green with Tonge probably, maybe give Poleon another go given the fact that QPR have an ageing defence
I think people are putting too much on the QPR game to be honest. If we win, it doesn't necessarily mean we're good enough to finish in the play offs, and if we lose it doesn't necessarily mean we're not good enough. The table after 10/12 games will be a better indicator of how we're doing than one game against the league favourites.
Mowatt in place of Brown for the occasional run out sounds better to me. Boggers, I'm just miffed that Colin saw fit to give Brown a run so he could activate his extension clause. Wonder who McD could have brought in had Brown not stayed?
I saw Mowatt play against Shels in pre season and unlike Dawson(who has a great future hopefully) was strong on the ball, strong in the tackle and passed and moved very well. Would love to see him given some match time in the coming weeks, maybe not starting but certainly coming off the bench. He's a great prospect.
A lot of supporters are saying this is the match to prove how far we've come, but I agree Billy, I think we can get some kind of result against them. Personally I think playing florist will be a much sterner test. But hey, it all about opinions..
Kiwi nothing wrong with what your saying, but it was only a couple of seasons ago we went through the 10 to 12 games and fopund ourselves inside the top 6. At Xmas we even went up to 2nd and we stayed inside the top 10 all season, but because we didn't invest in the january window we came 7th and ever since have gone backwards. So although its not a good analogy it shows what can happen. I believe QPR will not be far away at the end of the season and would like to bet that Wigan, Reading, Watford, Bolton, Blackpool, Forest and Leicester will all be having a go. Only 3 can go up but we have some serious competition this year and it galls me that we should have done a back-to-back promotion like Swansea, Norwich and Southampton did. Bates just got greedy and decided that we should go up without any help. Grayson would have been a hero wouldn't he, but instead the following season you saw Bates slag him off and sell his better players. As for Brown, he can do one for me because I've never forgiven him for sitting on his arse at pompey when he could have joined us the season before. he refused to come then because he was picking up prem wages and watching his club go into administration rather than help them and move to Leeds. The mans a cock and everything thats bad about football. So he's done it again thanks to Bates and gets to stay on a contract extension when he knows he should have been moved on again
'Arry has just told the BBC that he intends bringing in another 3 or 4 new faces before Monday as in his words: "If you are going to win this league or get promoted you have to be that much better than the other teams. We do need to improve and we all know that." He's bought Charlie Austin, Matt Philips and plenty more already ffs, but he's not wrong is he ..... to get out of tis league you have to be better consistently
Yeah, and that was the season we were the only side to do the double over the league champions, QPR, but we still didn't get promoted. Look at Cardiff, lost twice to relegated Peterborough last year. One game doesn't make a season. It'd be nice to win, but it wouldn't be a disaster if we lost, so let's not put too much emphasis and importance on one game, there are plenty more left that will decide our fate this year
Agree one and all that one swallow a summer doth not make, or put another way, if we beat QPR it doesn't make us world beaters. But if we get hammered, it does suggest that we may not have moved as far as our recent form is suggesting. Mowett off the bench on Saturday would be a good statement of intent.
If we start with Dom we will lose. He is too erratic at the minute. He is an ideal 70 minute sub when defenders are tiring. Hunt and Varney will continue to start.
Ever since that idiot on TalkSport (Moose) last night told the nation that Vaz Te was going to Leeds there have been loads of crazy stuff doing the rounds. The latest and remember Moose is a WHU fan, is that big Sam wants a swap deal and will take White???? Why would Sam see White as being good enough for prem footy, when we all think he's a fast runner who runs straight into walls, doors, anything except knowing how to get his foot around the ball and whip in great crosses onto a strikers head. I would love it to be true as i don't see a future outside athletics for White now, and I always remember Vaz Te scoring a hatrick against us when he was at Oakwell, so he could do a job at this level. Surley he would expect prem footy though, because Cardiff were chasing him at one stage and Holloway will take anybody to Palace at the moment.
Doc ... LOL ... White only has a future in athletics!! Moose is a first class numpty, I turn off the radio whenever he comes on. No way Sam will swap Vaz Te for White, he must be a complete idiot to do that. Vaz Te has quality and pace, but is erratic. McD may be able to get more out of him than Sam's hoofball, would be an interesting signing.
You might be right regarding Poleon GH, but I quite like the idea of Smith and Poleon up front. An ineresting and different combination.
