Is this really a surprise ? We went **** last season because we didn't have enough goals up top and kept conceding poor goals especially from set pieces. We were and still are giving away far too many chances it's just teams weren't taking them. As soon as other sides were and are more clinical in their finishing We have been made to pay. When Balogun came in we looked like we might tighten up at the back but we've been unable to field the same 2 centre backs for any period of time due to injuries. Add to this the fact we didn't bring in any strikers for the last 2 windows and you see tge problem. It's more down to the board than the managers , absolutely criminal not to have Brough at least 1 striker in. Others will disagree and say oh but there aren't good strikers sbout that don't cost a bomb, I'd respond with in that case how have other teams with small budgets got 2, 3 or 4 strikers in their squads ? It's down to recruitment , and finding a bargain. We've been **** at this regarding buying strikers for a good while now. Anyone that thinks Willock isn't interested needs to wake up, he's coming back off another injury and isn't fully up to speed. When he isn't match fit you see how poor we are and without him firing we're a bang average side. It's clear to everyone now even the most optimistic ones that Roberts was a very poor loan, especially as a back up to Willock or as a striking option. We have to get a striker in in January, either loan or buy. Hopefully the break gives everyone a chance to recover from injury and form, the trouble is we have so many injury prone players , it just seems like a never ending conveyor belt of crocks. Only criticism of Beale is last 2 games his subs have been way too late and he maybe could've changed up the formation today. With what we have at the moment mid table would be a result at the end of the season.
Lots of results went our way, even though we lost. Tweets downed at home. Rotherham unlucky not to win, but keep Luton at bay. Terriers take a point off Swans and keep them behind us on GD. WBA keep Stoke on 25. Bristol City keep Watford within striking distance for us. Millwall comeback to keep Preston behind us, also on GD, though they do overtake us on GD. So, not the worst of days.
It is strange how we swing so significantly from top to bottom of the form table. Did the very same last year. I really think it’s down to depth of squad and one or two injuries to key player completely ruining our system.
No, not at all. Just poking the bear This is classic Rangers, we are 'the' Rollercoaster club Beale will be fine. The test is how he reacts to a bad run Top 6 was my hope for this season - it's still on
Just back from a rare away day for me. Last one was Wigan away in Feb 2019 for my 60th with the lads and we lost that too. The one before that was Hull away and we lost that too. Then there was Chelsea away in the FA Cup and we lost that too. Then there was Southampton away and we won with a superb goal from Ray Jones maybe 15 or more years ago! RIP Ray. I enjoyed the journey to Coventry catching up with a friend and enjoying the sunshine. We arrived in good time for lunch expecting to find the usual food concessions of which there were none so it was the M&S Cafe for us. The first thing that struck me in the ground was the shape and size of the pitch. It almost looked square and looked a lot wider then our pitch. I did wonder how that would impact the play. Don't think that's an excuse for what was to follow! Coventry started energetically with crisp and accurate passing and were enjoying tormenting JCS. Each time they approached our box, they carried threat which, sadly, could not be said for us pretty much at all in the first half. The defending was not at all confident and not surprisingly we found ourselves 1 down after some key stone cop defending. I was hoping that we could get to HT only one down so that when the 'other' QPR team came out for the second half, we could give it a good go which we managed to do. I did wonder whether we'd see changes at HT but MB decided that was not required. We did play with more intent in the second half but there was pretty much a complete lack of incisive play to unlock the Coventry defence. Other have commented on individual players so I won't repeat their accurate observations. However, the best chance fell to a Dickie thunderbolt that was on target and required a good save from their keeper. That was pretty much our main chance!! Bonkers. Why did MB wait until pretty much too late to make the subs? Would love to know what the logic / rationale for that was. Coventry play nice football and immense credit to them for an almost complete lack of time wasting although that was maybe becuase there was blood in the water and they were hoping to increase the tally. Their fans were in good voice throughout too. Actually left on 90 mins as didn't fancy walking through 20k gloating and cheering Coventry fans. The better team, by several orders of magnitude, won on the day. I don't know whether this is just our annual bad run of form or whether this QPR team has been found out and, by implication, MB too. Seldom has a long break been more needed for a football team! Thankfully uneventful journey home.
So sorry to hear this Bob. There is too much crime and not enough done to catch the crooks. Hope you get it back unscathed.
Yes, but it was actually a tiny hamlet when I used to deliver oilfield (not mining) equipment to surrounding drilling rigs in northern Alberta during 1958/59. Did give full details a few weeks ago on this site but cannot find my post again, unfortunately. Returned to UK early 1965. That'll do for now, as subject must be getting boring for all of you! (P.S: With the arrival of the tar sands operation (a mining system) Swan Hills is now a full-blooded township, with a mayor and other goodies that go with that status)
Yes, he was their match winner all right. Didn't think there was much to separate the teams otherwise. Think we'd have won that if he had played for us.
No, Stroller, it's a long way from Drumheller, which is about 100km east of Calgary. Drumheller is a pretty grim part of western Canada, and is called the 'badlands' due to the huge area of sandy wasteland. Business for that area was handled by the Calgary branch of the supply company I worked for, whereas my office/warehouse was in Edmonton.
Yeah, I went to Drumheller a couple of times a long time ago visiting friends who'd moved out there. Didn't seem too grim really and we had some good times there and in Calgary before driving up into the mountains and down to Vancouver. We stopped over in a place called Revelstoke, which was stunning. The first time I was in Drumheller I had a bit of a disagreement with a fella in a bar over a game of pool. We went back the next year and this fella's picture was plastered everywhere as a candidate for Mayor! Alberta's a very rich province now isn't it?
