At least we competed today, we will beat teams playing like that with the better players to come in. Its said that today was better than games under Hughes.
Good signs, I'm excited again, roll on Tuesday, how many more times do we need to get ourselves up for it this season
Thought we did ok until utd stepped their game up Mbia did well apart from the diving, Tarbs was good and mackies work rate was excellent Cisse never looked like scoring Defence was tight I thought and Derry shielded the midfield Should have ended 3 - 2 but overall I'm pleased with a better performance
Who honestly thought beforehand that the Rs would get anything from this fixture? On balance, the performance (certainly up until Traore being replaced by Ferdinand) was pretty good. But after that substitution, and particularly once United had equalised, they seemed to stop doing what had worked so well for them up until then. Sure, United became more threatening once they had levelled things, but the Rs had been passing it about quite nicely, supporting each other, being patient and probing for long periods of the game before all that. Thereafter it was the usual story of losing shape, questionable substitutions and the inevitable capitulation. Was Traore injured? I thought he'd had a good came before making way for Ferdinand who is something of a dopey liability at the best. Hill, Derry and Nelsen had good games too, as, I thought, did Mbia. Yeah, I know the goals came from set pieces and the defending could have been better, but this was United and this stuff will take time. I'm feeling a tad charitable given the events of recent days. Mackie ran his socks off as is expected of the lad. He was offside in the first-half, but a great header nevertheless. Good poacher's goal as an opener. (Quick mention for Dyer too, who might just have had his best game wearing the hoops.) Granero for Faurlin was a bit like-for-like and, unless the latter was knackered or had taken a knock, I wouldn't have bothered making the change. Was Taarabt being overly petulant, presenting sufficient a liability to be replaced? I'm not so sure and was disappointed to see him leave the field. United were chasing the game and Fergie takes off a midfielder for a an extra striker. QPR are chasing the game and Bowen goes for a too much like-for-like change in my opinion. If he was going to put Hoilett on - which was the right thing to do - then why not have left Taarabt on and removed Faurlin at that time instead; push Hoilett up with Cisse and Mackie and leave Taarabt to create for them? When you're 3-1 down, why not? I wasn't too sure what Cisse was doing playing down the right wing for long spells of the second half; he's not going to score from there, is he? Quick word about Cesar. Generally he's a pretty good goalkeeper, not a bad blocker and shot-stopper. But for a 'keeper of his pedigree, and in a struggling side, I would dearly like to see him come out and catch the ball rather than punch it clear, which seems to be his preferred method of defence. A more assured 'keeper I feel should be commanding the box and, if he's going to come out for the ball, then flipping well claim it, not thump it out and invite another attack. Get your arms around it, Julio, and take the sting out of the attack and give your team a breather.
Harry will get that sorted, we lose concentration too easily and are punished. A settled back four would be a start...
