Bloody hell!!! They must have had to put in a huge effort for it to have been worse than they were against Forest.
They can't think of any new names on here so our heroes are now Faurlin and Austin The infection is deep We are a new team How long before they start on Phillips and Chery
From the horses mouth ... Keeper Smithies, making his home league debut for the R’s, protested that he had been fouled by Duffy at the far post. However, Ramsey admitted: “If I’m being honest, I’ve looked at it and although ordinarily refs give those (as fouls), I think Alex made a mistake there.” It did look a bit soft. Similar to when Green let West Brom score. Could of easily been given as a foul by the rubbish ref and there wouldn't have been too many arguments.
I was at the match. More fool me. For most of the first half we were dire, but much, much better in the second period. If I had to choose the worst players out of a not very good bunch, I would pick Henry and Perch (though both did pull off some excellent, strong challenges), and I'm afraid that Ned doesn't instil a lot of confidence (although his goal made amends for being outmuscled by Rhodes earlier on). The ref was a cock, with some lousy decisions, and he didn't invite Austin back on the pitch for about 2 minutes when he changed his boots, despite the catcalls of the fans. Angella got a (bandaged) head to most stuff that came his way, and Toszer looked good on the ball. Luongo probably had his worst game for us, but was still better than Mackie, who is basically a bull in a china shop. Free kicks and corners are a vast improvement over last season. Blackburn were no pushovers, and the final score was probably unfair on them. Also, their goalie has a hell of a kick on him. This is the Championship, and fortunes (and -at this stage - league places) will change overnight. We showed flashes of what we are capable of, but when we either hoof it to Austin (which we didn't do last night) or try to play it through a defence (which we did all too often, allowing Blackburn to regroup), we aren't going to score. If we attack quickly or get lots of bodies into the opponents' half, we are a real threat. However, we need to control the midfield much better (stringing some passes together would be a start), and do something about the dodgy defending (Konchesky was good, though). Easier said than done!
Oh, and apart from being partly to blame for the first goal, I thought Smithies was pretty good, and kept us in the game in the first half.
I have it on good authority (see earlier posts on other threads) that he is not that great, which means with Green and him as our 2 choices, we could be ****ed.
What good authority is that? He's been a reasonable Championship keeper for a few years. He's from Huddersfield and has only ever played for Huddersfield. I can understand a few nerves.
Our GD this season is going to be key. Once a team gets past our midfield the chances are that our defence won't cope.
No and why would you think that? Don't shoot the messenger mate, I'm just commenting on what I have been told.
1 point from 2 home games - whatever happened to fortress LR, clearly not good enough & should do better with the squad we have. I think picking Henry at home is way too negative we should put out a team with more adventure.
Just that he's a 25-year-old keeper with 270 senior appearances, which is quite rare, which makes me think he must be ok. If your source is the previous Huddersfield goalkeeper then perhaps he'd have an axe to grind.
I honestly can't understand this pillar to post swing on here We are a new team in a new era People demanding promotion are daft IMO Let the new rangers settle Let the league settle I cannot see us hoping for anything but consolidation Most of here wanted new fresh boys The club is a joke at the moment and having to eat a lot of humble pie Prepare yourself we should get well beaten away to Hull Both Burnley and Hull have their cores intact throw in ten championship teams who know this league and football and you have a realistic outcome QPR sold its own soul It has to get it back
I'm not saying Henry is good (he's ****) but we are the highest scorers in the league so I don't think adventure is the problem. Just a lack of mobility in the middle IMO.
As only a few of us bothered to make the trip last night...so here is my take on the evening. (Remember I am inherently optimistic) The first half was the most boring and insipid 45 minutes of football I can remember. Blackburn were not "better" than we were...they we just not as bad as we were....if you see the difference They were complete pants ....but we were worse. We weren't out-played, because no one was actually playing...They were just more likely to score, which they did. However on the stroke of half time at 45+7 (Spurr the Rovers player had been polaxed at about 2 minutes in ...no-one saw what happened, he was just lying there....and it took near on 10 minutes to get him off)....this incident actually destroyed the impetus of the start and may go some way to explaining the very dead first half. Anyway at 45+7, Austin broke away crossed to Chery who appeared to have a very easy header into a fairly open goal, which he contrived to put over the bar. The second half, was completely different. CR had obviously had spoken to them, and we came out like a steam train and duly scored. A lot of goalmouth action, Austin got the ball practically on the goal line about 10 yards to the right of the goal, and slotted it in through the narrowest of angles (helped by a touch from a Rovers player, I think) and 10 minutes later we had a stone wall penalty turned down, everyone in the ground except the lino saw it. We were playing well then, and that would have turned the match. We also had a fantastic breakaway down the left again with Austin, passing to Luongo, who instead of shooting when 1 on 1 with the goalie passed right (AWJM who I met on the way to the tube, said the ball was actually played behind him, and so the chance was not so clear cut as we behind the goal thought). This obviously fuddled his mind, as 5 minutes later he shot when a pass to Mackie probably would have got us the goal. So individually Smithes: I am not sure if it was a foul or not. He had both hands on the ball at one stage, and then he dropped it. The BBC it was headed out of his hands, the Rovers player (Rhodes?) was backing into him. I think I will take the 5th ammendment, on it. He should have had a firmer grip on the ball, but you see them given, and in fact....one was given against us in the second half, when Austin roughed up the keeper and he lost the ball, but went down poleaxed. The rest of the match he was Ok, a couple of good saves two point-blankers that Green would have been proud of. He punches rather than catches, which is worrying...BUT...He distributes the ball well from both throws and kicks!!! Konchesky: played Ok, little to mention and got forward....so OK Ned: turned and beaten for the Rovers 2nd...the distance between him and Angella at that time meant that Rhodes could run between the pair and shoot ...Smithes had no chance. Ned (partially) made up for it with his goal. Another fault...he is not chatty , he is not as good a captain as say Joey or Clint on the field...I do not think it is in his character to change that. Angella: You get what is written on the tin. Solid, keen to go forward. I was quite impressed, in a solid team he will be outstanding Perch: Have major problems with him, loses the ball too easily, never quite in the right place. Henry: He cannot cope with the creative side of his role, so his solid defence of the backfour, which was good last year, has gone...now a liability, when he goes forward, he cannot get back Toscer: better than Henry, but only just. Same faults but slightly better creatively...I would like to see Doughty and Ale play together Phillips: in and out of the game...and the number of times he stands off the ball rather than tackle, it cost us the winner on Saturday, it nearly cost us last night...I also think he, Chery and Luongo get confused by CR asking them to swap wings as often as they do Luongo: His poorest game, as he should have had 3 goals....but actually just saying that I realise, that 3 times he got into match winning positions...so the misses were bad, but he got there...so he wasn't all that bad Chery: was he playing? Replaced by Mackie, who gee-d things up a lot, by sheer energy...Should have come on sooner (sb72 would have enjoyed him coming on) Austin: always bustling, seemed too deep for me most of the time, several times was back to receive the ball to START an attacking move ChrisR: He took too long to make a change. Mackie for Chery, should have been made earlier. Ale for Henry should have been made at half time The ref and linesman (in front of R block 2nd half) were the worst I have seen in a long time. He booked Smithes for protesting over the goal. He booked Austin for coming on without permission when changing his boots, and then sent him back and refused to look at him or get him back for 2-3 minutes. One of the pettiest things I have ever seen. The lino missed the handball, and manage to get at least 3 corners/goalkicks the wrong way round. So ...to round up...I still have not seen us win since December 8th 2014. I have bought a new "lucky" shirt....which I put on at half time, and we scored immediately.....and in fact one the second half 2-1....and so I am optimistic for the future Sorry for the length but I have been to Clive W new creative writing classes.
It may just be that we are going to have one of those seasons where we are better away than at home precisely because offensively our players are not yet good enough to unpick a massed well-organised defence and defensively not good enough to deal with a fast well organised counter-attack. Let's remember where we all predicted where we would end up this season. Hands up the ones who confidently predicted that we would walk this league? No did n't think so.
