Well done Warbs and the boys! Didn’t get home until almost midnight and what a beautiful result. Pleasing once again to hear of so many good performances - is this a real team? A team that plays for each other? It feels, and looks, like it. Warbs is doing a phenomenal job (sorry Hammy, but it’s true). Loving the way that Willock and Dozell are showing such significant promise, while starting to make an impact. The weighted pass by Dozell to Charlie - lovely! The inter-play with Willock and Chair - just makes you smile. The result …. Beautiful. Another win under the belt and a little gap from 7th. But this league can change on a Stan Bowles sixpence. We need to show we can follow this up with an away win now at WRDC. Tougher game than it looks on paper. We will need to be sharp. Great to have a decent gap ‘til Monday to rest and prepare (and MW and the team do prepare in detail). Will be an intriguing, and testing, game. Can’t wait. Well done Rrrrrs.
Back home late, reflecting this morning. Great result after a very pleasing game. ...after first 10 minutes...we settled into the match well. Admit I was a bit worried after the flurry of chances around 60-70 minutes that we weren't going to score, but Amos slipped into a brilliant position from a beautiful Willock cross...from where I sit , he was just perfect as he ghosted in in front of the goalie. We now have 4 outstanding players who can cross the ball Willock, Chair, Unc and Wallace...that could be daunting to face. Dunne seems to have steadied the back 3 too. I am no longer worried about long balls in...fast centreforwards can beat our back 3, but only when no cover. But to me player of last night was Dozzell ( until he faded after a really solid performance) He let Johansen play, he was Johansens legs and did all the fetching and carrying. I was worried that playing without a dedicated DCM ( Ball or Field) was going to be a problem..Last night it was not a problem but a revelation that could really define our season. Warbs said we had 18 fit players..and 2 are goalies. 16 players in this relentless league...we are going to really need Amos, Field, Ball, Kakay. Hope Dykes can get back...we need him to rest Austin... And that is what we need in January. Gray is injury prone, can we send him back..Kelman to be kept, or recall the reluctant Bonne? Or someone new. The times ahead are exciting...but let's get through WRDerby...who I have to say are playing well under WR
Just watched the whole game back. I thought it was a very good display against another decent looking side. This league is far from ****, as some seem to think and Huddersfield played some decent stuff at times. However, as much as the commentator kept asserting that it was a "very open game", I felt we were by far the better side and could have won by 2 or 3 on another night. Austin and Chair both had excellent chances. Huddersfield were bright on the counter though. Good save by Dieng at the death and it was a bit of a wild challenge by Dickie as he charged into Campbell. VAR may have given a pen there. The central pairings of Dozzell with Johansen and Willock with Chair are working really well. Johansen was more like his old self imo. Pleased for Amos, but quite why their centre back just watched him stroll into the 6 yard box right in front of him and didn't bother to pick him up is a complete mystery, but I'm very glad he didn't. Another good assist from Willock who is our best player imo. Up to 4th. Blimey!!
Agree re Dozzell. He has been a revelation. We really do look like a decent team. Huge credit must go to Warburton and those behind the scenes. Our recruitment has been excellent on a relative shoestring.
It's no coincidence that our run of clean sheets has coincided with Dunne's reintroduction to the back three. He now looks every bit as good as Dickie and has a bit more pace. Hard to see how De Wijs gets a look in on his return. It also makes the MOTM decision very hard as Wallace, Willock, Albert and - much as it chastens me to say it - Dozzell also had excellent games. But in the end you can't really look beyond Johansen yet again as he was involved in pretty much every move until his injury. If this proves to be serious it's going to be a major blow to our hugely promising season.
Agree with all of that but maybe the clean sheets are as much down to Odebajo and Kakay not playing ! Just a thought
Really agree this League is not **** as is often said, though perhaps not so much this season. Yes we are 4th, but I struggle to remember any game so far which has in anyway been a comfortable or easy win. They have all been hard fought games I think.
Agree - this division is far from ****. Positions change easily as things are so close; top two look far away, but they do drop points and any slump if form will be highly interesting. WRDC adds intrigue - can they do a Houdini? With a good level of investment, marketing and wage system / salary cap that innovates and equalises teams this league could bring in significant investment, TV rights and financial rewards that could elevate the league even more. The only thing stopping it is the lack of capability of the EFL. They haven’t a clue!! They have no idea what they are sitting on! Anyway that will never change as long as I have a hole in my Rrrrrrrs! C’mon Rrrrrs let’s get ready for Derby and get a third win on the trot! Dozell, Johansen, Willock and Chair - let’s see more of that magic!!!
I think the Championship is ultra competitive and very hard to get out of, but is miles below the PL in terms of quality. Fulham are way ahead of us and most of the rest of the division, as were Norwich last year, but neither had/has a hope in the PL. Having said that the Championship is well ahead of all other European second leagues, and quite a few of the top divisions as well. Where I think the Championship genuinely is **** is the number of clubs and consequent stupid number of games. Injuries, tiredness and lack of coaching time all contribute to the free for all. Our season could genuinely hang on injuries and perhaps absences for ACON. Still, I suppose it also contributes to the entertainment and a bit of ‘levelling down’. It’s a nuts league, and fun to watch.
I actually think that we are playing around our level. We could possibly try to dominate for longer in games but all in all I reckon what you see is what you get from us.
Agree of course the quality of the Championship is well below the PL, but then with the money there the PL is a League with about the best quality in the World. That doesn't make the quality of the Championship ****, far from it. If we are talking about the organisation of the Championship, 3 games crammed into a week for 6 weeks or so, varying FFP sanctions, etc., etc then that"s another matter.
I can't find anything about Johansen's injury. There was an update on our injured with Warburton in West London Sport this morning and he doesn't mention Stefan, which is hopefully good news. Warburton unsure when injured QPR players will return - West London Sport
I sat next to two Spanish chaps at the PNE game who were on holiday here. They couldn't believe how good the quality of the game was compared to the second tier in Spain, or how big the crowd was. They went mad when we scored the winner and promised QPR would he their English team from now on.
Clive's report..... https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/footb.../56362/amos-powerplay-brings-qpr-home--report
