Match Day Thread QPR v Watford

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It's QPR so a boo boy is inevitable. As long as Polter is playing well, Gladwin will get stick. His best hope is Karl Henry returning to the team. Gladwin is still youngish and inexperienced but if he doesn't replicate a young Jairzinho on Sunday he'll be "not conference level" and "not as good as my sixteen year old" etc.

Point taken.
Thing is, I've never seen him look anything other than quite poor.
All coaches seem to have a blind spot with certain players and I believe that JFH has one where Gladwin is concerned.
Having said that, I would never boo him and I really hope he proves me wrong (Phillips didn't mind you).
 
So, as long as Leeds only attack down our left side we'll win at least 8-0.

I fear a bit for Onuoha against Dallas.


All full backs can be exposed against good players. Watch how the player in front of the full back either helps or hinders.
 
So, as long as Leeds only attack down our left side we'll win at least 8-0.

I fear a bit for Onuoha against Dallas.
Did Dallas play for Northern Ireland at the Euros? He looked quite good if it's the same one.

If we strengthen the right side it looks like we have a decent squad, while probably not an outstanding one. Playing a high energy game every game will be demanding but necessary to make the season interesting.
 
It's QPR so a boo boy is inevitable. As long as Polter is playing well, Gladwin will get stick. His best hope is Karl Henry returning to the team.

Every club has a player that doesn't get on well with the support, a 'boo boy'. Sometimes it is uncalled for and other times it is justified. People paying good money have a right to agree or disagree with what they are seeing. If not we should all shut up and act like statues. I cannot agree with booing Gladwin in a pre-season. As i said booing in a training game is stupid. I also think he needs more time.

I think fans warm to players and some they don't. Take Mackie. In my opinion he is rubbish and gives nothing to the game (other than his clappy warm ups), yet so many fans love him and think he should start. <doh> he cannot do anything wrong with a lot of our fans.

Take Clint Hill on some occasions he had bad games. I remember at Villa him giving away an unnecessary free kick which cost us a goal and points. Any other player would have been public enemy No1. In Clint's case he was our saviour many times so the fans respected him.

Then you get Gladwin or Henry (to a lesser degree) who seem to get booed even if they run their socks off.
It's a strange one but note just selective to our club.

We must also be careful calling fans 'neanderthal'? Are they stupid or can they see what others idiots can't? My good example was with Benny's appointment last year. I said he wasn't good enough and was mocked by many on here. I was right, others were wrong, who were the neanderthals? His stupidity cost us a season and maybe many more as we recover. We could also say the same with Clint Hill. I remember well the day we signed him seeing countless posts on here describing him as 'over the hill', rubbish, who were the neanderthals then?
 
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Every club has a player that doesn't get on well with the support, a 'boo boy'. Sometimes it is uncalled for and other times it is justified. People paying good money have a right to agree or disagree with what they are seeing. If not we should all shut up and act like statues. I cannot agree with booing Gladwin in a pre-season. As i said booing in a training game is stupid. I also think he needs more time.

I think fans warm to players and some they don't. Take Mackie. In my opinion he is rubbish and gives nothing to the game (other than his clappy warm ups), yet so many fans love him and think he should start. <doh> he cannot do anything wrong with a lot of our fans.

Take Clint Hill on some occasions he had bad games. I remember at Villa him giving away an unnecessary free kick which cost us a goal and points. Any other player would have been public enemy No1. In Clint's case he was our saviour many times so the fans respected him.

Then you get Gladwin or Henry (to a lesser degree) who seem to get booed even if they run their socks off.
It's a strange one but note just selective to our club.

We must also be careful calling fans 'neanderthal'? Are they stupid or can they see what others idiots can't? My good example was with Benny's appointment last year. I said he wasn't good enough and was mocked by many on here. I was right, others were wrong, who were the neanderthals? His stupidity cost us a season and maybe many more as we recover. We could also say the same with Clint Hill. I remember well the day we signed him seeing countless posts on here describing him as 'over the hill', rubbish, who were the neanderthals then?

Any adult booing is a bit dim regardless of what they're booing. Booing a young player the third or fourth time at Loftus Road is beyond stupid.
 
It really is odd to boo your own team although when you get to extremes like the Aston Villa team last season or in our case genuine mercenaries like Bosingwa it might be hard not to. we shouldn't underestimate the effect on the rest of the team as well.
 
Okay...back and recovered now.

Roller and I swapped our usual seats at the top of the loft for row A, South Africa Road...what a revelation. Apparently there is a TV screen that you can watch highlights on and all 4 corners have corner posts (things I never knew).

The match was very interesting and very encouraging. A few facts from the match from what I think I saw....

First the biggest proviso..Watford are way behind us with preparations (add into that JFH has got this team much better prepared than Ramsey, Arry or Sparky ever did in pre-season). Their players did not look as conditioned as ours did...and could not play at our tempo...well done team.

So onto us....We were pretty sure we were playing a sort of 4-3-2-1.
In defence Luongo and Cousins (and to a far lesser degree Gladwin) were a defensive shield in front of the back 4...but their remit was to break very quickly, which took a lot of strength (Cousins faded, but Luongo had an excellent match and lasted ). Gladwin was really in and out, an excellent steal early on (for about the first 10 minutes he was outstanding) but as the game wore on frailties and lack of skill and patience crept in, he tried to help Ned defensively, but there is lack of understanding between both of them on who is to do what and when ..

Polter was outstanding, he run, harried, held the line, tackled back. There was an "Austin-esque" moment too...perfect cross from the left from Shodipo, and we saw BFG rise above the crowd and just nod it onto the bar. Shodipo too for the first 60 was great, and will cause an awful lot of problems, he too did his shift on tackling back (real great prospect). Chery worked his socks off and had one particular mazy run.
The CBs looked solid...there was a real heart stopping moment when Hall took a rather bad knock just before half time (in fact he was out at HT testing his run) but he carried on until replaced by Lynch (who also looked really good)...so hoping it was OK. Caulker was quiet but in a good way...no panics, no hurry ..he just got on with it. Bidwell looked good on the left, it was him shouting and organising the defence...There is our next captain. Smithies had a couple of quick saves, but was not really called on (surely he cannot wear that black goalkeeping strip in the league matches...). Great to see Conor score, even if it was a bit of fluky luck,,,he did need to be in there to put it in. Hope he goes from strength to strength now

So where was the problem...you guessed it...on the right I an afraid with Ned (and with his cover in front, Gladwin)....Watford soon spotted it, and all the danger came down their left.
He was out of position, and those times he was correctly positioned they run/passed round him. He is not a RB nor is he a captain

I am assuming JFH knows this (that is why the no2 shirt is up for grabs).

All in all, I was expecting to see a follow on to the Burton match, but no...high tempo, pressing play on a hot sunny day. Lots of chances, not all taken, so that can be improved on....
So mildly optimistic...this team has to be too good to have problems with relegation, but is it good enough for playoffs...unless all teams are as badly prepared as watford, probably not....

But I am so much happier today than I was on Wednesday.
We need a right back....sorry Ned, I think your role this year is club captain and perennial defensive cover from the bench.

I hope we fill the no2 and no 15 shirt (with the Icelander) this week...then we might have a season to look forward to.

Beth, thanks for a very detailed and interesting insight. It is much appreciated.

As for your venture from the back row of the Loft, did you also discover that there are "seats" and that one should "sit" on them?
 
The problem with Gladwin is he had a terrible first game for us last season and looked totally unfit then
He also has a languid manner which makes him look like he doesn't care.
There were a few very brief spells at the end of last season when he looked OK

He just needs to knock it in with his arse after 10 minutes next week and he will be fine
The idiots will turn
 
It's QPR so a boo boy is inevitable. As long as Polter is playing well, Gladwin will get stick. His best hope is Karl Henry returning to the team. Gladwin is still youngish and inexperienced but if he doesn't replicate a young Jairzinho on Sunday he'll be "not conference level" and "not as good as my sixteen year old" etc.
Henry returning to the team? I read he came on 2nd half yesterday and was our MOM in a recent friendly.
 
Any adult booing is a bit dim regardless of what they're booing. Booing a young player the third or fourth time at Loftus Road is beyond stupid.
I don't boo but i sometimes swear or walk out in some cases. However, if others boo then so be it. They pay their money so they are entitled to show their displeasure.
 
Bloody hell Watford if i say black you say white? Is this because i slated Mackie? get over it bud, you can't be right all the time.

No. It's a debate. If the bloke next to me has a right to boo a player having a bad game because he's paid to get in then I have just as much right to call him out for that stupidity, particularly given it's likely to hinder the team
 
No. It's a debate. If the bloke next to me has a right to boo a player having a bad game because he's paid to get in then I have just as much right to call him out for that stupidity, particularly given it's likely to hinder the team

Well i am sure just about every QPR fan at some point has either booed, sworn, shouted in disgust. If they say they haven't they are probably talking B@@@@@@@'s