Austin keeps ragged Rangers on course Sunday, 15th Sep 2013 22:51 by Clive Whittingham QPRâs unbeaten start to the league season continued on Saturday with a 1-0 win against Birmingham that came despite the Râs turning in their worst performance in the Championship so far. Queens Park Rangers appear to be engaged in an elaborate game of chicken â testing just how poorly they can play while still winning Championship football matches. The Râs won four and drew one of their first five league games in August, rarely elevating their performances above workmanlike. Blackpoolâs Matt Phillips, Tottenham duo Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Tom Carroll, and Dynamo Kievâs Niko Kranjcar were added at the end of the transfer window to add guile, speed and creativity to the graft and grind. While admittedly only two of the new comers were involved on Saturday against Birmingham â Carroll from the start, Phillips as a first half substitute when Junior Hoilettâs porcelain hamstring cracked again â Rangers appear to be getting worse rather than better. And yet the victories keep coming. This was a club record fourth consecutive 1-0 win, and the Râs now havenât conceded a goal in four and a half matches. please log in to view this image On Saturday they faced Birmingham City, a good bet for relegation from the Championship this season amidst continued financial uncertainty thanks to criminal charges being pursued against owner Carson Yeung. So many quality and experienced players have left St Andrews of late that manager Lee Clark is effectively working with his hands tied behind his back but the former Newcastle and Fulham midfielder had a plan for this game far more creative and effective than anything QPR offered. A 3-4-3 formation with overlapping wing backs, and the experienced pairing of Wade Elliott and Chris Burke operating in the right channel, was enough to dominate large swathes of the game and ultimately Birmingham, roared on by a boisterous travelling support, will wonder how on earth they left W12 with no points. When referee Mike Jones harshly adjudged Tom Carroll to have fouled Andrew Shinnie at the midway point of the first half Shinnie planted the resulting free kick on Lee Novakâs head and the centre forward guided the ball flush against the post. Earlier another free kick had been laid square across the face of the area for Elliott to blast over and when they did put the ball in the net, immediately after half time, Spectorâs goal â a combination of neat build up play, slack defending, and rank goalkeeping - was ruled out for offside. Soon after Rangers allowed Burke to skip into the penalty area unchecked and deliver a dangerous low cross shot that Richard Dunne had to fend away at the near post. Dunne, ably partnered by Onuoha, stood as a tower of strength at the heart of the QPR defence. Old, with a catalogue of recent injury problems on his record, and built more like a pub landlord than a central defender, Dunne was nevertheless QPRâs outstanding player on Saturday. He had to be - Rangers were heavily reliant on their two centre backs to keep them in the game and itâs the back four that looks the only part of the team to be fully formed and functioning at the moment. The Râs still havenât conceded a goal with Dunne on the pitch this season. - See more at: http://loftforwords.fansnetwork.co....angers-on-course--report#sthash.H3Ze57Jb.dpuf
"The R’s still haven’t conceded a goal with Dunne on the pitch this season." Richard Dunne, what a man, what a player. We're blessed to have him.
The City fans behind the goal hurled a flare onto the pitch as an expression of their irritation. It remains a mystery why I canât get into Loftus Road with a bottle of Diet Coke with the lid on, but pond life from all four corners of the UK is coming to W12 week after week and being allowed to put on pyrotechnic displays completely unchecked by the wonderful Loftus Road stewards. A two minute wait while a thick pair of gardening gloves and a bucket of sand were located was farcical.
I thought it was hilarious one time when a couple of kids ran on, one was a 15 year old girl and the male stewards werent allowed to chase here for PC reasons, she sort of wondered about a bit and looked a bit lost when no one went to drag her off. Eventually some fat female steward did it as the girl just waited for her. So if you want to kill a player during a game, just make sure you use a female and you will have no problems at all.
Christ don't this Clive geezer go on Good report though and is that club record really true 4 x 1-0 wins.
I can only add my translation: QPR won and Henry should of started. Harold don't fiddle with the good work Stephen is doing on the training pitch
The more relevant point is that Zamora shouldn't have started and HR should abandon 4-4-2, which I think he will. Henry is an irrelevance.
Pretty much as I saw the match too. Didn't want to be on a downer on Saturday night after such a great day but I felt we were very lucky on Saturday. Very solid at the back but seriously lacking in creativity going forward. What ever happened to wingers taking their man on and whipping in crosses. Our wide players consistently refused to run the channels and get behind their full backs. Way too much traffic in the middle of the field to consistently play through it. If we are going to move away from a 4-4-2 to a more fluid 4-2-3-1 then Henry is essential as Barton is not a DCM
He doesnt fit into the 3 either. Faurlin and Barton would do fine in the 2.[/QUOTE] Amazing how we all see things differently. Not saying I'm right just that I have a different opinion. I don't see Barton, Faurlin or Jenas as an out and out DCM. Of course all three can play in a midfield two or as the two deep players in a 4-2-3-1 but I always prefer one of the two deep players to be a recognised DCM. I'm not saying that Henry is a better player than any of the above, he's not but I do think he will provide better defensive cover than the others and therefore continue to make us very solid at the back. Just my thoughts.
I agree with this. I think one of the reasons Barton was less effective on Saturday was due to the absence of Henry. Barton had his work cut out due to Carroll not being a DM and had to over compensate for this. Carroll or Faurlin will be fine playing at the top of a midfield three but are too lightweight to play in a two. The 4-2-3-1 or 4-5-1 is the best balance for the personnel we have. But the defensive MF pairing needs to contain Henry and either Barton or O'Neil. I'd also hate to think what we'd be left with if Austin gets injured.
Maybe a start would be to play them on their prefered sides?!!!!!! It was doing my head in watching Matty Phillips play on the left all afternoon. He was getting to the byline every time, but had to turn back cause he can't use his left foot, resulting in a support pass. Play him on the right and he WILL get around his full back and get crosses in, something which is vital if we want to see the best from Austin. On Saturday he didn't have one cross to work with, not one! It baffles me that the men that makes the decissions doesn't see this.
The 2 in a 4231 arent a sit right in front of the back 4 type that Henry is. Henry should only play in a 451 with 2 CM ahead of him. 4231 W---------AM------W ------CM--------CM Those 2 arent and out and out DCM 451 W------------------------W --------CM------CM -------------DCM The 2 formations are almost the same except you swap an AM for a DCM and the 2 CMs dont really change much.
Thats Redknapps genius tactics for you, hes played every winger on their wrong side and all they do is cut into trouble and lose the ball or have a shot blocked. Same with the 442, any idiot can see it doesnt work with Zamora except for the manager.
Flyer As you well know football is a very fluid game that basically changes depending on if you have the ball or not. Regardless of whatever formation we play, IMO, we should not take to the pitch without at least one DCM in the team. That's just my opinion mate not the bible. Personally I think Henry is the bottom of the pile of current midfielders we have regarding technical ability and creativity but from what I have seen (on TV) he has the best defensive positioning of the lot and will protect our back four. If Barton continues to pick the ball up from our back four and initiate play, then we will concede goals from his sloppy passing. With Carroll and Kranjcar potentially offering creativity in central areas and Hoillett, Philips and SWP offering genuine pace on the wings I think we will be fine in the coming weeks if we can get the balance of the team right and for me that means at least one recognised DCM
