Match Day Thread Barnsley v QPR

[Star of David Bardsley]

Which is why I think we should have two strikers as standard. I don't mind trying the three defenders thing but we must have two strikers, in my opinion.

About Lua Lua and Nbakoto: let me ask you one thing... have you seen either of them play in their preferred position?

You'd have to tell me what that position is as I still don't know.

I've seen Yeni up front, wide left, wide right and somewhere vaguely in the middle to little effect. Lua Lua is a decent player from what I've seen but not worth picking over our own players IMO. I can understand why he's a good option when we're chasing a game.

 

[awjm]

You'd have to tell me what that position is as I still don't know.

I've seen Yeni up front, wide left, wide right and somewhere vaguely in the middle to little effect. Lua Lua is a decent player from what I've seen but not worth picking over our own players IMO. I can understand why he's a good option when we're chasing a game.

LuaLua is a winger who can be played as striker.
N'gbakoto has historically played CAM, striker and winger.
For most of the time at QPR, they've both often been used as central midfielders with the occasional use on the wing. On the wing, N'gbakoto has actually looked quite good as a sub but hasn't started in that position (as far as I can remember).

To be fair to them, it's hard to really get into the swing of things if you only get a cameo appearance from time to time.

And just because LuaLua is on loan it doesn't mean that he won't have a good attitude. He also could be ours if he becomes a success.

By the way, my point here isn't that they're our answer or they're much better than we've had. My point is that they haven't really been given a chance at any point and have often been used in a position that is not best suited to them.

And my even more generalised point is about the lack of real opportunities some players are getting when others seem to get chance after chance even though there isn't much final product. Can anyone see anything wrong with N'gbakoto or Sylla getting a chance to start ahead of Washington. I don't even have anything against Washington but surely we can try a few options.

 

[Lawrence Jacoby]

That's two matches against relegation troubled teams and we haven't done well at all - losing points with draws and slipping down the league rather worryingly. A poor result against the Ruperts and we could have a mini crisis on our hands. I do wonder if the Clint Hill decision could be more costly than a compromise deal. We really need to pick up a win VERY soon.

Don’t agree re Clint Hill at all
Bap and Robinson are looking better each match and predict they will become fans favourites Clint is over the Hill hasn’t played and would imo be miles off the pace
He is a great memory that’s it

We have nothing to worry about at the back at all I cannot see it at all we take no prisoners at the moment

Alex Bapstise is looking very very good imo Legend in the making for QPR

Fulham game enjoy it and stop worrying at least we will put out a side that won’t give up The match itself is a derby so can go either way

 

[Star of David Bardsley]

LuaLua is a winger who can be played as striker.
N'gbakoto has historically played CAM, striker and winger.
For most of the time at QPR, they've both often been used as central midfielders with the occasional use on the wing. On the wing, N'gbakoto has actually looked quite good as a sub but hasn't started in that position (as far as I can remember).

To be fair to them, it's hard to really get into the swing of things if you only get a cameo appearance from time to time.

And just because LuaLua is on loan it doesn't mean that he won't have a good attitude. He also could be ours if he becomes a success.

By the way, my point here isn't that they're our answer or they're much better than we've had. My point is that they haven't really been given a chance at any point and have often been used in a position that is not best suited to them.

And my even more generalised point is about the lack of real opportunities some players are getting when others seem to get chance after chance even though there isn't much final product. Can anyone see anything wrong with N'gbakoto or Sylla getting a chance to start ahead of Washington. I don't even have anything against Washington but surely we can try a few options.

It's just one game that sticks in my mind but at Rotherham Yeni was played left wing in a 4-3-3. Both he and Chery had little defensive responsibility whatsoever and he was awful (as almost all of them were that day).

Washington probably doesn't have the quality of Yeni or Sylla on the ball but even at his worst he's an asset without the ball. Yeni in particular looks like a guy who has only ever played five-a-side. When he's on the ball he can be effective but both his runs when we have it and his defensive work when we don't are genuinely non-league level still and he's not a kid. If it is something that can be coached I'm not sure but how long do we give to get those basics right?

Similarly someone like Wheeler might not have the ability to smash one in from 30 yards like Yeni might, but you know he'll do a particular job if asked even when he's not on form. For me, that's why they should both get in over him. Lua Lua is better as the 'x factor' player when we need something different.

 

[Stroller]

One of the worst 1st halves i have witnessed in a very long time. Feel for Osayi-Samuel as all he had to work on was bidwell hoofing it up the line for him to chase in vain and then gets taken off at http. Mackie is not a championship player, he has no concept of the game other than running around and giving 100% which is not enough if you want to do anything in this league, and if you want to develop a young player like Osayi-Samuel you cannot play Mackie. When Connor came on we were a different team as he is actually a decent footballer so can read the game around him thus linking in other players that Mackie is uncapable of. Wszolek obviously had his Poland call up on his mind as his passing was poor his crossing even worse and his capacity to beat the final man totally out the window and missed an absolute sitter, he was a mile off the pace.. He should have been hauled off at half time. Smith is an absolute joke. Why not sign up any Sunday league player who is tall fat and incapable of moving, he should of had a hat trick in the time that he was on. Robinson looked a natural, Scowen, Luongo, Freeman Washington are all spot on for this league, even Caulker looked decent against an awful team. Ollie has got to stop making excuses pick his best 11 from the start regardless of the opposition and how they may or may not set up, otherwise we are in for another very poor season. Get rid of average pros like Mackie, Baptiste, Smith and Bidwell as we will never progress with them in our team drop people who don't give a crap, which in tonight's performance is Wszolek, develop Wheeler, Samuel, Furlong, but play them alongside decent players who have a forward thinking philosophic approach and we might get somewhere. We have actually good some decent players, play them all and cover the rest of the team with potential

This sums up my thoughts on our current squad pretty well. Washington is a much better player than Mackie is but gets a lot of stick, whilst Mackie is treated as some kind of hero. It's not even as if Mackie works any harder than Washington. Wszolek is overrated in my opinion. He has pace and some ability, but doesn't produce enough. As you say, Robinson is a natural, and he has performed very well as auxiliary CB. He could well develop into a very good player in that position, but I expect he will return to left-back when others return from injury. He should be first choice LB, though. In Scowen, Luongo and Freeman we have an excellent midfield three, with good cover available in the likes of Manning and Cousins. The brief glimpses of Wheeler
and Samuel have looked promising and overall I think that the management team have assembled a decent squad on bugger-all money. My biggest reservation is Holloway's tactical tinkering and playing people out of position.

 

[SW Ranger]

A couple of frustrating results that’s all we have a team that can match anyone in this division although Villa could run away with this league imo
They are getting stronger and stronger
We have just hit a flat spot but our midfield is looking the best in the division imo
Can’t fault any of them just need a bit more class maybe on our finishing as the effort is there for the full 90

That's great if you want to pass the ball around the middle of the park. We need to defend, keep clean sheets and score goals. Teams will just pass by our midfield and take points from us.
When will this tinkering and putting players in unfamiliar positions stop?

 

[Tramore Ranger]

That's great if you want to pass the ball around the middle of the park. We need to defend, keep clean sheets and score goals. Teams will just pass by our midfield and take points from us.
When will this tinkering and putting players in unfamiliar positions stop?

Not sure this is where we're at.......we're trying to defend from the front so you need players who can press for the whole game, this enables the midfield to play higher up the pitch and in Scowan who can read the game and mop up anything that gets close to the back 4. We're no where near the finished article at the moment but we're so much better than last season although the stats are almost identical, but I get the feeling we can get points from most sides these days even if we go behind whereas last season once we conceeded that was it.

The other thing that I feel is a bit of a red herring is this obsession people have about keeping clean sheets, that only applies if the game ends 0-0 otherwise as long as you score more than the opposition you win, simples..........

Up the R's