I think that’s an excellent assessment and in tune with my thinking - particularly about constantly attempting to use the wings when it’s clearly not working and woefully slow sideways and backwards play across the back 5 (or 6 or 7!). We need a fit Colback in central midfield to take control. At the moment the midfield play either too deep or too wide which leaves Dykes isolated and also invites the opposition onto us. Need a Shaun Derry to protect the defence (Sam Field?) and the others pushed up. Playing quicker than a snail’s pace would also help.
It's great to read others perspectives on our current situation, opinions are what football is all about. Sounds like your lad has had some decent coaching. We encourage the body to be as open as possible when receiving a ball, obviously depending on how closely marked you are. The next phase is key though and has many variables from, is their a pass on? Is it a progressive pass? Is their movement from another player(s)? to play the said pass, is it a pass that will put us under pressure? It all comes back to 'speed of thought'. Being that one pass ahead. A great modern example is Bernardo Silva at Man City. Always one move Infront. It's literally impossible to coach grown adults to improve their ability, it can only be coached from a young age and that's what it all boils down to in my opinion. Our play is predictable, keeper to centre back, to full back to winger. The midfield have to give another dimension to the full back, the opposite winger has to move infield etc etc. their are so many components involved in playing out from the back that it takes weeks and weeks of practise on the training field and even the best teams will get caught out doing it once in a while.
Also, we need a midfielder who look’s up puts his foot on the ball and sprays the ball around creatively
I'm afraid it would take a lot to convince me that the blame shouldn't rest almost completely with the board. They are benevolent (to date) but benevolent idiots. I confess that I haven't watched a live game yet this year, which is the longest I've gone into a season without getting to Loftus Road in 30 odd years. Can't say I feel I'm missing much. Have watched us on Sky / red button / dodgy streams 6 or 7 times, and still have a reasonable amount of time for Marti, but will defer to those that have watched more closely. Where we are at the end of January is obviously critical.
I have a lot of belief...in confidence. And that is not something that can be coached into them. They are so scared of making a mistake. If they let in a goal...everyone knows we can't score If we did get someone who could score out of half chances or poach one. It would make a difference. That is what I am praying for...some one to come in and give the team a little confidence...to snatch a victory or two...and we will build on that and get out of it. Then we can remove the deadwood ..and begin to build sensibly
The hope, the hope … gets us all every time Beth. I’m with you … hoping for a scoring striker … hoping for some wins … hoping we’ll get out of this mess.
Agree strongly with your second bullet point. Time and again Dykes, Chair, Sinclair or whoever makes a run and calls for it and very seldom is there a ball over the top. I'm not calling for hoof ball but why not mix it up in the game? If we survive and Marti has some transfers (Ibelieve its a new 3 yearly FFP cycle) and a pre-season, then next season could actually be fun again.
This is where I would say that the main issue with QPR these days is a severe issue in the club culture. Something is seriously wrong. Every player who comes in gets sucked down into a confidence spiral. The club is being run badly and people don't have confidence in it. I've never liked our current set of owners. I preferred the Italians, and that's saying something! I actually think we are in agreement. See above! About 2 or 3 games ago I lost all hope in Armstrong. He is just not a footballer. He's a 100 metres sprinter. I would in no way sack Cifuentes. I think he is better than the other managers we've had recently. But I do think he's making mistakes and needs to learn quickly. Also, the club hasn't stated the length of his contract, if I'm not mistaken? So who knows how long he'll stay and what conditions are there. Against Cardiff, I observed so many occasions where literally there was no midfield. Just a massive gap between attack and defence. This is basically the main point in my thread... the time is now... we either go for it, throw the kitchen sink, or we get relegated with a whimper. We have to ask the players to play a higher level of passing football, do or die. We don't expect they'll start passing around like Arsenal, but they have to be put on the spot to try and take charge of the midfield and take charge of the style of play in matches. There's no way out of it. Well, looking at the kinds of goals he's scored for us, he clearly has ability. I'm not saying he's been perfect but if he was playing in a good club with a good style of play that actually suited him, I reckon he'd be a 15 goal per season striker at least. We simply don't play to his strengths. How often do we cross the ball into him? How often do we play another striker or second striker or advanced attacking midfielder to get onto the balls that he wins in the air? Because he wins more aerial 50/50s than he loses.
Sadly, I'm not sure Colback is much of an answer to our problems, especially considering his lack of discipline. But he can control a ball. When is he meant to return?? Yes. As I said in the original post, we need to be more dynamic. I don't mind counter attack football and preference over using the wings, but it can't be our only way. If a player is calling for the ball, I'd say effing give it to him. If Dykes, Chair or whoever is getting forward asks for the ball, send it unless you have much better options. Again, Dykes has scored a few goals in situations he has no right to. This tells me that if we actually got the ball onto his head or chest more often, he'd put more in. It's not difficult. I wholeheartedly agree that the board are ultimately responsible, but haven't mentioned them much because it seems like they're never going to leave us! Agree about confidence. It's key. But at this stage, the only way to get confidence into them is giving them the impetus to go all in and take it to the other teams, and hope that it leads to something. For me, there seems to be 3 options: We do the above and it works, confidence grows We do the above and it fails, confidence issues stay the same as they are or deepen We let teams walk all over us, as we are now, and our confidence issues deepen.
https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/12685681/lyndon-dykes-misses-sitter-for-qpr The moment I stopped believing and just felt sorry for him.
Career League: 1 goal per 5 games (0.20 goals per game) 230 games QPR League: 1 goal per 4.4 games (0.23 goals per game) 116 games Livingston League: 1 goal per 2 games (0.4 goals per game) 28 games
The question for me is how many chances is he getting altogether? What service is he getting? He clearly has an ability. Someone would be blind to not see it. He's not a Taarabt; he's not going to dribble past several players and slot it away. He needs to right kind of service to him. How I'd utilise him: From midfield or advanced defender, either a) slot the ball to his feet, let him hold it up and then lay the ball off to a midfielder/Chair, etc. Or b) when he makes a run and calls for the ball, send it up for him to run onto Or c) send the ball up to him and have an attacking midfielder or second striker overlap him to receive the nod on And then d) cross the ball onto his head in the box as often as possible How often are we really doing any of that? Instead, all he's doing is fighting for scraps and loose balls I'm not saying he's the best striker in the world but we have by no means seen his best because we have never provided what he needs as a striker. What ever happened to working with what you've got?
Our "tactics" of safe pass possession football will never get goals. Their defenders are not scared of the Begovic Dunne passing combonation.
