This conversation would be very different if Wigan had capiltalised on just a small percentage of the chances they created. The problems we have through squad depletion were obvious all over the pitch: no pace in defence, a lightweight midfield and the BZ comedy show up front. Vital win for our play-off hopes but we are desperate for players to return if we are to do anything once we reach them.
I didn't see the game so I make no judgement on who is right or wrong, but it's amazing how different people see games so differently. Most people have raved about Zamora's performance last night, with Norway even saying he thought BZ could give Austin a run for his money!! Did Ned not play very well? Cos he is very quick at the back. Mind you, the other three are slower than me!! Yun should start at LB, get Danny back in at RB and play Onuoha next to Hill. Then we'd have reasonable to good pace in three of the four back 4 positions.
Zamora put a real shift in, especially in closing down and offering a route out towards the end, but was never a threat, he just doesn't seem to have the instincts of a real goalscorer. The right side of our defence looked a bit messy, to the extent that I wasn't sure whether Hughes or Ned was playing right back. But the camera angle, especially for the second half, on the stream didn't help. Hill was the stand out defender by a mile. I agree Col, the line up you suggest looks a lot tighter. Ned is fast and strong, but still needs an experienced head next to him - and he's not that young himself.
Zamora put in a lot of effort last night, but looked like has was wearing divers' boots at times. Overall, a better performance from the team, but we still could have lost. Wigan dominated possession for long periods and sometimes the back four looked very disorganised - we had natural CBs in both full-back positions when one or both of Simpson and Suk-Young should have started. A welcome win, but still not a satisfying performance.
So predictable Flyer. We are rubbish when we lose and lucky when we win!!! I, for one really enjoyed that game last night. Yes, we rode our luck at times (particularly at the start of the second half) but we showed a lot of effort and commitment and there was some good attacking link-up play at times. Perhaps you might grudgingly admit it was an improvement??
We ground out an important win. Just as important, we have at last shown we CAN grind out a win. How important that will be come the play-offs should we have to go through that route. We still need to improve in the midfield and in our passing, but at least an improvement. After a tough shift, it will be interesting to see if BZ is up to another game come Saturday. I think he is playing for his next contract now (not with us though).
You just admitted we were lucky! Everyone would have said it was crap if we lost 3-1. As I said, the effort was there and green had a great game but we didn't play very well.
I said we rode our luck at times not we were lucky. Overall I thought we just shaded it. I enjoyed it. Did you?
Tom Carroll is back in the team so your promotion charge is firmly back on and you may stand a chance of catching the top two.
I don't get this 'Zamora put a shift in' business. He worked hard particularly considering his knees are shot, but he posed no threat and created nothing so what's the point? Onouha may be fast compared to Dunne and Hughes (who isn't?) but at centre-back could do little about the Wigan threat which was coming at us at speed from all angles. Madness that HR didn't consider Yun until so late in the game. It's to be hoped that Simpson will restore some balance, Dunne can be rested and Hughes can reflect on what he want's to do with the rest of his life now that football is no longer an option. It's probably worth saying that Wigan were very good and you could see why they having been having so much success lately. HR should start planning his play off tactics now.
That's nonsense and its your usual anti-QPR tosh. We didn't deserve to lose 3-1 either. It was a fairly even game and a draw would have been a fair result. The thing is, when we deserved points from other games like at Brighton for example, you weren't calling us unlucky - you were calling us sh*t. You're inconsistent and a bullsh*t merchant Flyer. Get back to sniffing those panties AAAGH, you're normally spot on but I can't agree with you here. The "putting a shift" in thing was quite productive and not just a bloke running around like a headless chicken. Countless times he proved an outlet and released the pressure by holding up a long ball and bringing people into play. He was harried and harassed by the Wigan defence all game, at one point he had three of them almost literally hanging out of him yet he still got the ball down and found Morrisson. Without him ploughing away up there on his tod, Wigan would have overrun us for sure. I thought he had a really decent game me.
It was enjoyable but you'd have felt hard done by if you were a Wigan fan. It was a grind out win of an even match rather than us playing well or dominating, even the players have said that. What's the difference between riding your luck and being lucky?
Can't comment on first half hour as I didn't see it, still haven't seen the goal, but watched last 15 mins 1st half and whole of 2nd half. During that time Wigan had 4 or 5 really good chances and looked as if they could score when ever they went forward, they carved through the back 4 numerous tiimes especially in the first 10 mins of 2nd half. Thereafter the R's worked their way back into the game with some periods of sustained pressure that got the crowd going....BZ should have had a shot on goal when clean through but turned back and the chance was lost, Morrison & Carroll both had time to take a shot when on the edge of the area but again chose to pass, not sure how Morrisons free kick didn't go in or the follow up..... It was a committed performance, the polar opposite of Weds game last week, and the crowd reacted accordingly, back to how LR should be despite only 14.5k being there, sounded a lot more by the end..... We are by no means the finished article, on another day Wigan would have scored a couple, but RG earnt his wages last night especially with that save in the final minute.....but we held on and finally beat a top 6 side and with that comes momentum going into Saturday's game, it probably is too much to get auto now, but if Leicester beat Burnley and we win then the gap is 7 points plus Burnley still have to play Wigan.....who knows what will happen if we take say 22 points out of the last 24......it will be interesting......
Just a minor point about last saturday. the thing that impressed me is that BZ ran 25 plus yards at the end of the game to chase a lost cause. The keeper was unlucky but if Bobby had not made the effort ( and lots of strikers dont at that stage in a game) then he would not have been in the position to capitalise.
Me too, but as he hadn't been on long he should have managed to! I haven't seen last nights game but it seems he tried hard enough, and lasted 90. Good on him!
I think 'riding your luck at times' is just that whereas being lucky suggest we didn't deserve the win at all. Quite a big difference really.
