As the team was announced for Sunderland there was fairly common ground that everybody slated the selection. On here, on Twitter, other forums we didn't stand a chance and would be hopeless. Post match Ramsey is the messiah and should be given the job, he's the saviour and the way forward. Don't get me wrong there was a massive improvement in our play and how we took the game to them. However but for a couple of stunning saves by Green, an unmarked miss by Defoe etc we would be moaning about it being the same story as the rest of the season. Where was the marking, who's sorting out the defence etc This game was no different to Liverpool at home where we demolished them flying out of the blocks other than Sunderlsnd didn't take their chances which we presented. I'm still worried for is but more optimistic and s little bit excited that we can now push on. At least we attacked away from home!
Results is all that matters sadly I watch QPR to watch football and it's nice to see expression again It's gone up another level Can you imagine what is was like playing for that ego ? He believes he is Mr Football He found out to be a clown
Agree with DT, I want to see us play decent football and for the first time in 3 years I saw that. We will still leak goals and will likely be relegated, there is little Ramsay or anyone else can do about that, but at least I can be entertained on the way and have a bit of pride.
It's nearly all about narrow margins in the EPL as we know to our cost. This time we were disciplined and creative enough to give ourselves that edge. Fer hit the post. It could have been 3. The Hull game is MASSIVE
The Hull game is virtually a 6 point game. We'll either get some breathing space or be surrounded by it.
Completely agree with OP but slightly different slant. The fact that some games were so close (Liverpool, Swansea) is partly down to luck. I'm just hoping that Tuesday signified a change of luck despite Leroy's injury.
I'm coming over for the Everton game. My expectations and anticipation have changed dramatically, very excited now compared to 10 days ago. If that makes me fickle I have no problem with that
Agree with all this...I want to see my team play with vim, vitality and ideas....I do not want to go to LR, knowing in my heart we are going to lose, it is just a matter of time before the opposition score, and that is it, because we cannot score goals I want to go there thinking and hoping we will win...(no that is not wishing for a super team like Chelsea, quite the opposite)...it is a team that plays as though it wants to win I want to feel my team give all, and so we will be better than some teams e, sometimes getting the rub of the green(o) and beating top teams, but always giving it a go (a little like Burnley). If after giving it a go, we are relegated ...so be it But since Christmas with Arry, we have been going through the motions In the last two games, we upped the anti, we have been there Yes we rode our luck on Tuesday...but as Shankley once said..."it takes a lot of hard work to be this lucky" The more we try the "luckier" we will get I hope I am right
You could also look at it from the point of view that when you play anyone away, or home for that matter, they will have chances. If they fail to score, you've done your job, whether that be down to goal keeping heroics, poor finishing, last ditch tackling. It's part of the game. We did what we needed to do on Tuesday and have reaped the reward. The thing that pleased me most, other than greens 3 outstanding saves (goal keepers union), was the desire to put them under pressure deep in their defensive third. Long time since we've seen that away from LR and it changes the game. We needed that win and that performance and we got it and I reckon it will do team confidence no end of good.
It's a fair point. On another day, I think we could have lost 3-2 and there would be a lot of frustration about both the lack of points and the second half display. People would pick up the first half as a huge positive and something on which to build though. Considering the nerves (at least those I was feeling), I thought the second half was hugely impressive too - especially at the end where we were utilising gaps to retain possession. The manner of the first half is the main reason for cheer and the pressing and speed of accurate passing haven't been seen for a while. Even compared to our better home displays, I think this showed the same commitment but an added quality and confidence to our play. I was worrying that we might drift along, perhaps picking up a few points before finishing rock bottom and adrift but now I feel we can at least compete to the bitter end. Ramsey is very much still on trial IMO but he passed this particular test.
On paper, the line-up did look poor. What no-one saw was that at last Ramsay had decided to go on the front foot from the off. I've been saying for weeks, we need to attack teams when we go away and catch them by surprise by going after them straight from kick off. Harry's tactic of containment clearly wasn't working so this had to be worth a try. So at last we were positive and perhaps that changed our luck. Green made some truly brilliant saves, Defoe missed a couple of scuffers and I don't care what anyone says, Phillips mishit that cross from which Bobby scored a worldie. But we made our own luck because clearly Phillips had been told to get crosses in. And if he mishits one then who cares because there's always a chance we'd profit from it. So while the victory hopefully represents a sea change in our away mentality, we shouldn't get carried away. We need to be that positive again and again - regardless of the personnel in the starting line up.
WHAT?!!! OP, you're right we have to improve from that performance. But there's no reason why we won't. We deserved a point against Saints on Saturday but didn't get one. Some games it'll go for you, others it won't. It more or less balances out. As for Stan, sounds like he's taken over Apocalypse duties from Sooper!
I'm with you here Swordsy - it's like a new mini-season and we're about level with our rivals. Play with real endeavour and suddenly having our tougher home games give us a better chance than if they'd be away and our (relatively) easier away games give us more chance than if we were still winless on the road.
this is not the first decent performance of the season in all honesty - we did play some very decent stuff against both Liverpool and Man City for starters...
I was delighted with the performance but on another day, or against a better team, we would have conceded at least one. You said so yourself on the Sunderland board, claiming a draw would have been a fair result - I don't agree with that, we played much better football than them. This will be a real struggle, the margins are very fine and we will rely on other teams failing, as Col has always said. Probably mate, the two games I missed!
I admit that I was disappointed with the team selection for the Tuesday match. I even put in print on the match thread that "I don’t see goals in that starting line-up". But I was more than surprised by the way the team played. I always thought that we had good players who tend to under-perform, but not enough tactics, game plan, coaching, etc, etc. Suddenly we has a game plan and stuck to it. The same, or even some fringe players suddenly performed. Was it coincidental or perhaps it was the result of some tactics, coaching and man motivation? Perhaps we are now being managed by a coach who actually knows and understands the players? Perhaps he is also technically and tactically savvy? I don't know the answers but I was very impressed by what I saw, and the men in charge only had 10 days to achieve it! We have no transfer window to get new players. If as new coach/manager comes in he will need to learn and understand the players which takes time and we don't have it (we have only 13 matches and no more). So unless we have a magical "new manager effect", a la Pulis, I would give Chris Ramsey a go. Of course it is a risk, but it is risk that today I would take. But it is not my club, my money or my decision.
You're being cheeky there Stan. That's not quite what I said Being gracious in victory and trying to show a bit of humility (unlike their pleb who was posting on here) I said on another night they might have got a draw (afair). Which is clearly the case but as I said above, we deserved a draw against Southampton and didn't get it. It evens itself out. We must continue to improve and we've a decent chance of staying up. That makes very little logical sense and you know it!
What was happening IMO was simple Harold believes he is bigger than any club and was doing us a favour when he was with us The players were suppressed IMO under his rule … some didn't get a look in They are playing with a immediate freedom again in fact some are just playing when their careers were ruined by a dreadful old **** Taarabt SWP and Matt Phillips will all get better for us and Doughty is refreshing Harold's way buy new players …how does anyone on here think that wouldn't effect the squad we had He slated the Hughes players then purchased more Really glad he is exposed in the UK and hope he gets goes to Dubai … Now there's a great target for IS if they could keep his head still (sick joke but i hate him for what he did at QPR and is)
And Junior mishit the cross at Wembley (went straight to Koegh) from which Bobby scored a worldie, to get us here in the first place My point exactly you earn your won luck
