Give Fer a rest FFS. All 11 were very good today. We beat City every Match going except in the Referees on a bung world. We had 5/6 lost count, in the net, they had 2.
I'm a fan of Niko, but I don't think he has the energy that Fer has. Either one is a compromise to some extent.
Henry's done well breaking things up, but his passing isn't good enough. Nor is Sandro's. They shouldn't play together IMO.
But what does that mean? Surely it means that if the ball is intercepted while still in the area it has to be retaken. As per Green deliberately kicking the ball at the West Ham forward because he got fed up of being pestered by him. Surely if however it is simply miskicked as happened here but is then kicked again by the free kick taker outside the area, to an opponent, the referee has the option of playing the advantage rule in the opponent's favour? Why should that not happen? What precisely is the difference between a miscued kick which goes straight to the forward (which would have led to a goal) and one which is so badly miscued that the goalie ends up kicking the ball twice straight to the forward? According to Mike Dean's interpretation the even more calamitous mistake leads to a result that Hart get a total reprieve for his howler. On any view it was an unjust and incorrect decision.
The performances over the past few weeks have been begnd my wldest expectations. If anyone had said a month ago we'd be disappointed only getting 1 point against Lvepool, Scum and City the men in the White coats would've paid them a visit. Well done to the players, coaches, manager and fans we've a club we can be proud of again
People talking about a lack of intensity or energy from Fer then demanding krancjar in his place make me laugh. While I'm not doubting nikos ability on the ball (I'm a big fan of his), I know who I'd prefer to have in an opposing tackle or a 50-50. Niko looks like he's running through concrete all the time. I've seen that last ditch tackle he puts in enough now to last me a lifetime.
I personally would have put Hoilett on for Fer, he doesn't mind a tackle, would have closed down quicker and more importantly would have been giving them more to think about going forward. Overall though it was a very positive performance again and we all should be happy!
Phil Neville on MOTD re City's first goal - 'It's a little bit offside'. Is your wife a little bit pregnant?
Ozzie is saying that on another thread. You can't have both. If you put Kranjcar or Taarabt in there then you have to sacrifice intensity. There's more intensity in a drunken gaze than in Adel Taarabt and not much more in Kranjcar. Christ help us if some of our fans were picking the team. Away to Chelsea we'd have had a midfield of Kranjcar, Taarabt, Hoillett and any other step-over merchant you can think of. We'd have been beaten up badly and the same tonight. A team like QPR can't really afford to carry anyone and if you do have to put one in then it can't be any more than one at a time.
Anyone else think Jenas as a pundit is as useless as he was playing for us? Has little to say, totally deferring to Phil Neville (who is the BBCs poor mans version of Gary Neville, an excellent pundit IMO).
What a game! Despite the already mentioned controversies, I can't let that spoil what was a cracking game of football. This is what attending live matches is all about. Great drama, end to end action and a fantastic atmosphere under the lights. Superb.
No Ozzie didn't Swords! I wrote nobody deserves to be dropped from yesterday's performance. All 11 were great. But at some point against weaker teams than City or Chelsea we will need to use other players to get through and around the of back of packed defenses. Doesn't mean dropping Fer automatically, using Vargas further forward off Austin and leaving OBZ out is another way. But we will need someone with more ability to unlock packed defenses than we are using now IMO. Nico's ability with free kicks could have won us yesterday's game if he'd come in 2nd half.
Have to say Nines, id have loved to have been at that game....At home, under the lights against he league champions...... Everything you could ask for in a fixture...couple that with a rapidly imroving team who are actually putting a decent shift in..and thast footballing heaven... I we get relegated playing like that then i will be proud of our team regardless... Think Harry is answering a few questions now. The "harry out brigade" have quietened down a bit. Long may it continue...