We've now seen what this group of players look like when they're trying, so it sticks out like a sore thumb when they don't. Last season the weekly lack of effort meant there was nothing to contrast it with- we'd lose every Saturday and sort of wonder "why are we losing?!". The first 45 today were Hughes-esque; slow, lethargic, no movement, lackadaisical. Intensity levels improved after the break, but this didn't really manifest itself into improved football until Zamora + Diakite were subbed (60mins?). The Diakite experiment has now officially failed, he doesn't have a footballing brain. He receives the ball, then simply gets his head down, and runs with it (regardless of what's in front of him). I'm Faurlin's biggest fan, he's my favourite QPR player, but he was garbage today. So slooow...both in pace and speed of decision making. We needed drive and direction from midfield, but he always lingered with the ball too long. The most frustrating aspect of this evening for me was our complete refusal to take long goal kicks. We're now Queens Parkelona Rangers and absolutely must roll the ball to the CB's, who must then pass it to the fullbacks. We had two big aerially-minded CF's in the fast half, yet never used their ability as target men. Every time we did play a long ball, Swindon struggled with it. I wouldn't have minded this style of play as much if we'd done it quickly. Swindon pressed us very high, and doubled up on our fullbacks. Onouha and Hill dithered too long before picking a pass, by which time Simpson and Yun were surrounded by Town players, and had nowhere to go. Murphy had clearly been instructed to play it out from the back at all costs, but it was very obvious early on that this just didn't work. If it wasn't slow via the CB's, it was slow via Faurlin who occasionally dropped back to receive the ball. Johnson and Sharriff improved us a lot, with the latter particularly impressing on his debut (tricky, skilful, VERY fast, diligent in defensive duties). I thought SWP was one of the more positive influences during the turgid first 60, even if he did make the odd error. Yun disappointed me, but he improved as the game went on, and wasn't aided by our slow buildup. Zamora was completely anonymous again, and is surely finished as a rangers player (Hitchcock/sharriff are a better bet from the bench). From where I was sat, the the Yun penalty appeal was legit, and the SWP one wasn't. It was a pretty crappy atmosphere all in all, and at the moment i'm trying to glean some consolation in the hope that our first loss is better experienced in the cup than the league. (and the Reading side that got battered was strong too )
Did anyone get a good look at their second goal? That was caused by crappy passing at the back from Hill/Onouha wasn't it? There was a moment as well where Murphy almost got dispossessed by not hoofing with his left foot, and instead seemingly trying to pick a pass. I'm undecided whether our passing buildup was poor because of the back 4, or poor because of the lack of support from the central midfeilders. Maybe Henry + Barton would've facilitated it a little better
I agree regarding Diakite. Sad to say but I hope that's the last time I see him play for us. We missed Barton in the mid - I now really hope he stays. Harry must have told them to keep the ball with short passes from the back. It just did not work tonight with that team of players. With our best eleven, it might. The SWP penalty looked stonewall from the front of `R block only 3 rows back. We had a fair few chances but it was just one of those nights. Perhaps it will blow away any complacency and spur them on to a result on Saturday? Disappointed but not too miserable over this.
Similar feelings really, 0-2 was harsh on us, but we can't complain about the loss. Swindon were fairly decent, they didn't look any worse than our opposition so far this season. There were so many sloppy errors in the first half, but at least we made chances once we started trying. Two decent penalty appeals from the sounds of things, a couple of gilt edged shooting opportunities. We did give it a good go in the final 30, wheras in the past we'd have just slunk away with our tail between our legs.
Well done Grifter. Summed up the game better than I could. I'm a massive Faurlin fan but today he was woeful. Look laboured in every way. What a shame as I can't see him featuring that much on that form. Another favourite of mine Diakite was even worse. Head down running into brick walls. Also completely out of position. Right midfield. What was the point of that? I agree about Young who improved massively after the break. He looked the fastest player on the pitch. And yes grifter the goal came about after a hospital pass from Ned who had a good game. Murphy I feel could have done better. I liked the look of Shariff he put a great ball through the middle on the deck that Phillips missed. Lacked intensity apart from a twenty minute spell where we should have scored. Grifter was the disallowed goal definitely offside?
Cheers Het! I really couldn't tell about the offside goal, I was in SA Road so didn't have the best view. Gutted for Charlie though!
"Harry's Swindon Verdict": http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/270813-harrys-swindon-verdict-1018315.aspx "In the second half we just couldn't get the goal. We went 1-0 down and I thought Swindon played well in the first half, they were very good. They were the better team. "They've got four or five kids from Tottenham who I know very well, they're good footballers and they passed the ball great. "In the second half we got after them, had chances but couldn't get the goal. "We upped the tempo of the game after half-time, and had the chances not to get beat but that's how it goes. "That's the competition. You look at some of the results tonight, and it's amazing."
Cheers Grifter. That's a great insight into tonight's game. Did you ever during the course of the match get the feeling that Harry wanted out of this competition? I smell a rat here, but can't quite put my finger on it. I personally think Harry has done a Warnock.
Yes, great review of game Grifter - was very frustrating trying to follow match using a Bet365 live schematic indicating current play in game. Was excited when GOAL QPR popped up, but score didn't go 1-1 (was Austin's disallowed goal). Perhaps if that goal had stood, we would have taken over the game. I wonder what Steve McLaren thought of that load of nonsense in the 1st half? Leeds will be an important test for us - hopefully with a stronger squad we can regroup and pick up a result.
I've a funny feeling Redknapp threw this game like COLIN practically admitted to doing a few years back.
Harry played a centre midfielder on the right wing in his 1st game for over a year, a right winger on the left, and two centre mids who have just come back from injury as our engine room! It's safe to say he couldn't give a toss! Disagree about the back 5. Apart from yun in the 1st half, I thought they were excellent all night. They were let down horrendously by the midfield all game. They were slow to pass it out because no one in front of them moved to give them options. Austin won not a single header when the ball was played up to him and zamora passed it straight back to Swindon every chance he got so the long ball was definitely out! Defence didn't deserve that result tonight, the rest were a shower of s**te.......
I was listening on QPR iPlayer. But from what I've seen, heard and read... none of this makes any sense.
Game of opinions I suppose mack! Hard to say the defence didn't deserve the result when they gifted Swindon the second goal though. The first goal wasn't produced through spectacular play either, wasn't it just a standard daisy-cutter cross through the box none of our defence got a foot on? Jenas and Faurlin haven't just come back from injury, they were fit all pre-season! In fact, I can't remember jenas being injured at all? SWP has played on the left every game he's been included for us so far this season, and he's been fine. I've seen no one complain about him being on the wrong wing during our victories. Onouha particularly was ponderous with his passing, frequently Simpson would be completely in space, but Nedum would take 10 seconds to pick the pass, by which time Simpson had been closed down by Town players.
I was at the game! Saw all of it, right to the end and haven't been drinking! The defence played well, every other player was s**t bar none! What about that doesn't make sense? Both goals were essentially down to woeful midfielders giving the ball away catching us out! Austin showed a couple of flashes of what he can do but that was it, every ball played up to him in the air was won by their centre back and he missed an absolute sitter of a header from 2 yards out, open goal! Not impressed at all with him tonight! Hill or Simpson were mom tonight. We need more quality and quick, there's no way we can rely on these to get us up.......
Hill was poor, I can't believe murphy kept rolling the ball out to him to distribute, as if he's our version of iniesta or something... Hill was on the left of our central defence pairing, so was mainly responsible for for all the nothing-balls going to Yun. Wasn't it our CB's who cocked up for the 2nd goal? Austin didn't get a lot of service really, the ball never made it to him with all the cocking about the back four were doing. We were a poor imitation of Swansea for a lot of that game. edit: These lot didn't rate Hill today either http://www.wearetherangersboys.com/forum/showthread.php?168579-Should-Clint-get-a-England-cap
The second goal was down to Jenas, he run away from the ball expecting hill to beat their winger to it when he was twice the distance away from it! The first one we cleared it, the midfield gifted it straight back to them as the defence wanted to come out. Yun got done easily, but we all agree he had a shakey 1st half. The cross was a powered low and hard across goal, very difficult to defend against! We only started to show anything like team play from the 75th minute, and missed p**s easy chances to win it!
Not sure I agree with the emphasis of the thread. First half ok - we were lethargy - the focus of the game for me and most worrying was the terrible finishing - Austin missed a sitter of a header - and then stumbled when the ball was crossed across the goal. SWP goes into scared rabbit when 1:1 with the goalie - the follow up between johnson and Austin was Ealing comedy. We could have scored 6 goals in the second half - we were running through them IMO. Mo Shariff - what a great player - speed, class, covered back - nice touches - please can we play him every week - what a great debut! Bad Bad people Yun was guilty for the first goal - should not have let the pass come over. Hill not at fault for the second goal - Jenas out of touch for the whole game - bad passing, poor attitude, was looking the wrong way when Hill passed to him - does not care about the badge / club - job on waster... Please can Zamora never ever play for us again.....
Thought everyone on here said they talk utter s**te all the time? Like you say, matter of opinions. I thought hill was solid. You can't blame players for following instructions from management to build slowly from the back, but you can blame the poor performances of the midfield for not giving the defence an outlet! Jenas was largely invisible, Faurlins touch was awful, Diakite was playing some form of human tenpin bowling, whereby he'd run at as many players as he could, with or without the ball trying to knock them down. And SWP, got tackled and lost the ball as soon as he received it. Zamora was, well, zamora! Austin, like I said, showed flashes of what he can do, he's great at holding off and going past players with power, but didn't do it enough. And anything put near his head was pointless! And before anyone mentions the disallowed goal, he was on the goal line, it was impossible to miss.......
