I was one of the first Arry out posters and no I do not regret it as I do not like the fella and still think hes a dinosaur. However, I note quite a few negative comments on here about the performance after a very much needed win in a very exciting game. Comments on individual players that maybe I could understand if we had lost. The way we are playing at times is a bit kamikazee and we are being done by the long ball which is concerning but hey ISNT IT EXCITING compared to a few years of drivel?!!!! Im looking forward to the next game because we look like scoring and players make mistakes and cant always have perfect games. My comments relating to Arry out were because of dire, inept, embarrassing performances but now there is a complete change around. There is a long way to go and yes we may have been punished if we were playing a more clinical team but that was our tactics yesterday to go for them. V City dont forget if it wasnt for Aguero we would have beaten them. So, players need to gel together and be fit but there is a mentality change as well. Who has instigated this change? Is it Arry, Hoddle, Sir Les, or the positive thinking guru etc?!!! P.s its definitely not Bond or Jordan
I think we have to go for it at home regardless of the opponent as to set up defensively and lose 0-1 pisses everyone off as well as set us up for defeat, we're just not good enough defensively at present. We do need to start picking up results away as we're bloody awful at present, Swansea would be a good start...
I would hope its a combination of all involved. So lots of work still to do, but I think we are elevated from relegation certs, to in there and fighting for survival. So well done so far, keep up the fight and effort put in so far, because we are going to need all working together.
For me, the major change has been that every player is giving their all & playing/working together. Whoever is responsible for that deserves great credit (even if it is HR!). I don't think that yesterday was a match of quality but every man of them (from both sides) tried desperately to win. It's hard to ask for more than that!
I'd also look at it that, may be, it's not just about us, but also because of the other teams and their problems around us in the league. We're so focused on our own problems that we're blind to what the other teams are doing. We ARE getting points here and there, and look - we're only 4 points away from mid-table! Any of those teams in the bottom half could be in our position come January. As Harry said, we've had some bad luck, but we're right there, and are obviously hanging on. We'll be fine.
I think part of the problem is expectation, both good and bad, based on events over the past few years. The word 'gel' was banded about on a weekly basis under the ill fated Hughes era and we waited and waited for it to happen, but with the players we had at the time it just didn't happen. Some were just used to playing in an established team with other great players around them and they simply weren't used to being under pressure. This year, having won promotion we've had to change the squad, which has led to the word being used again, Gel. Now because we've been here before and because it all went so horribly wrong under Hughes, any similarities and everyone gets jumpy. Now I'm no Harry apologist, he can irk me quite often and it's clear he's not as vocal or energetic as he used to be, but I think it was clear with the sort of players he bought in the summer, he wasn't going to make those same mistakes Hughes made with his signings. But it was always going to take time for the team to get to know each other and for things to....... GEL. I think to a large degree the players have realised that they had to make it work now rather than later, you can see more urgency in their play and I'm sure it wasn't a case of Harry telling them to take it easy before that. It's just that it is starting to come together and the players are growing in confidence as a result. History of late has been pretty unpleasant as a Rangers supporter, Wembley not withstanding, but that has always been the way as a Rangers fan. We've players who in the last couple of seasons have been lambasted by so many fans for not being good enough, but now are considered heroes. That's always been the case, players can be pretty dire one minute and great the next, don't forget Sir Les took some time to make it at Rangers, so we would do well to remember that history can repeat itself in a positive way and not always for the worst. Supporting a manager or player when things aren't going well can sometimes be the catalyst for things to turn around, all fans should remember this and not jump the gun when things aren't going great to call for the managers head.
This is a great reply and I totally agree with the sentiment. I was going to say, what irks me is that the fans are very quick to jump on the manager and slow in giving praise but I think this post answers this conundrum.
We certainly gave City a better game than Southampton today?!!!!!!!! Does that make us top 6 contenders?................
It shows we have to play positively and believe in ourselves, we actually outplayed them for periods of that game and we have to take that forward...
We had it in us to beat City and could have also picked up a point at Saints, that would have put us on 14 points.
Hoddle just commented on the transformation and basically said its because we are now playing 2 upfront..............simples...........
I don't think it took too much. We have a reasonable squad of players who were being shackled by ultra defensive tactics in the first few games. So it didn't take a committee or even a long speech to tell the players to take a few more chances when looking to get the ball forward. That, coupled with two up front has breathed new life into the tactics AT HOME. Away from LR it's the same old story of trying to grind 0-0s and failing miserably. The next obvious step also isn't a quantum leap.
Another thing that has changed in the last few weeks is the pundits beginning to talk us up a fair bit. Lots of 'looks like QPR might be ok', or 'QPR will strengthen in January and they will be fine'. Although it is all entirely speculation, positivity breeds positivity and that contributes to the encouragement from the better displays and, of course, the wins. I really hope it is not too early but give the way all the factors are starting to click into place, I'm actually beginning to believe we might nick that 17th spot this season or even slightly higher. I've also had this crazy idea that Chelsea are going to go unbeaten this season until they come to Loftus Road and lose there for the first time. In fact, I'm going to make a little enquiry to see what odds one might get for that!
I think that the team are much more Confident in their back four now that Rio is out. Thus giving them more licence to go forward and allow two up front. Charlie is benefitting from the options available, and Isla and Vargas are settling in. Where this leaves Matty Phillips I don't know and Hoilett doesn't seem to be able to do it for 90 minutes. Does anyone know of a Zamora type of forward and if so is he available. I was one hoping we were going to sign Nahki Wells but we didn't as I thought he would have been good in a 442 with Charlie.
I doubt if he will ever change ... why should he? How can he? He has shifted for sure because he has that survival ability He is far more on course with the club in terms of appearance ... Spurs sacking hurt him as did the England hope but he used our club for his own voice box ... not acceptable IMO He has been exposed as maybe not having the ability to coach He has spent a **** load of money and has signed some poor signings But this shift is doing us good Of course i would love to see Taarabt in our team and he has deflected a lot of that crap away from him ... because football fans are fickle and results are all that matters The team are playing well it seems so credit has to be given and I expect he will take it and spin it I can't myself really take to him as have never liked his approach and he gets away with stuff too often IMO ... I said we wouldn't get any points from these next few games and he is three up already. We still look fragile to me but the club's position comes first I have to state that he is at last doing a job for us albeit in his way We have to improve our away form, if we do then he is right we will be safe
Nothing's changed. We ain't started winning yet. We're still in the bottom free. If we move up table then that conversation can be had but at the moment we're still right in the shi*ter IMO. (No offence OP)
