No Style Points Needed, Just Confidence

It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t Real Madrid – Barcelona. But, when it mattered, it was a win. And man was it needed! On a fantastic evening for football at mystic Loftus Road, Queens Park Rangers found a way to pull out a 2-0 win and three critical points in the process.
The performance wasn’t equal to that against Liverpool FC, but the result was just as effective. From the onset the urgency was present, and the will to win was great. The only exception to the rule was that the product on the field was not matching what was in the mindset for some of the players. For Rangers the match was filled with ill-advised passes and crosses within the midfield and final third. While we were too busy scattering wayward balls left and right, Aston Villa were enjoying the bulk of possession evident by their 63% possession in the 1st half and 55% overall for the match. Yet the Villans had difficulty capitalizing on all that possession, as the back four of Dunne, Caulker, Suk-Young and Isla were at their best thwarting away the majority of their chances. Couple that with a stellar performance by Robert Green in goal, and our clean sheet all but looked assured. The question really was would we be able to put the ball in the back of the net?
Enter the effective frontline of Charlie Austin, Bobby Zamora, and Eduardo Vargas. Each of these men in their own right were fantastic for vast majority of the match; inserting their own style and tenacity when needed most. Zamora’s physical strength and ability to hold play was on full display as he continued to frustrate Ron Vlaar throughout the match. Vargas’s pace and vision had the Villa wing players in confusion as he continuously had his way when pushing forward. And Austin…well what more is there to say really. Austin’s subliminal finishing only brought added frustration to a Villa side that just cannot buy a goal at the moment. Throughout the match Charlie exhibited all that is great within his game: hold-up play, shielding of defenders, and making runs that leave him in the best possible position to score. Simply put, this was Austin’s finest hour in the Premier League; worthy of a Man of the Match performance.
But this is not all just about Austin, or any other player in particular. While the overall product was not easy on the eye, the tenacity and desire within the club is starting to show just at the right time. Just a few weeks ago the media and supporters were having a laugh at the continued failures of Rangers; with more reports about finances, dressing room bust-ups, despair within the backroom staff and management all making its rounds. But with two strong home performances, the previously maligned psyche and mental fortitude of the squad may be turning for the better. A sense of confidence and enthusiasm has been evident and the players are finally starting to stamp their mark in the games. Everyone seems to have collectively woken up from whatever was holding them back and performing like the club we all knew they could on the pitch. In the absence of Joey Barton, Karl Henry has been a pleasant surprise with his timely passing, pressing, and tackling within the midfield and creating opportunities. Sandro seems to be recovering from early injuries and is steadily becoming a force while doing all the dirty work and cleanup in front of the backline. Yun Suk-Young again showed why he clearly deserves to be on the pitch as he put in another proper shift within his fullback position. Great control, footwork, and timely passing has shown that he is a keeper and needs to seriously be considered for future matches. In essence, Suk-Young has been a pleasant surprise for a team sorely lacking within the fullback position after the sale of Danny Simpson earlier in the season. Likewise, guys like Hoilett, Dunne, Caulker, and Isla have all risen to the occasion and began to play within the squad and making great contributions.
As great as it is right now, reality states that we are sitting 19th and facing the daunting task of going to Stamford Bridge for our following fixture against the current leaders in Chelsea FC. But this is never a match played on paper. This West London derby typically ensure to bring out the best in both squads, and the R’s have a history of not listening to the hype of playing against Chelsea through the years. This will be a highly charged, emotional contest for both the players and the supporters. In all fairness as supporters we want to see our club go into this match and account ourselves well against the league leaders. But don’t think for a second that we will not be looking to contest. The month of October has seemed to awaken Rangers out of their early season slumbers. And while a win is far-fetched, all we ask is for 100% commitment and a proper shift from each and every player who will be on the pitch in a Rangers shirt.
Whether it was the constant media rumours, the frustration of supporters, the public spats of player and manager…whatever the case may be there seems to be a turn for the better. Fantastic win, solid home performances, and instilled confidence in a side mired in a relegation battle. Last time against a Top 5 club we were destroyed as Manchester United picked us apart. And out of respect to West Ham’s current form, they ran by us and took the game at their will. Now we are in this position again. Time to build on this momentum. Come On You RRRsss!!!


http://statesidesuperhoop.weebly.com/blog/-no-style-points-needed-just-confidence

 

Good write up Rafa.

Don't know if it's coincidence, but we look so much more solid at the back without Rio........

Also seems, by luck or design, that we have finally found a settled team and formation - hopefully Harry has broken his tombola selection machine and picks a similar side for Chelsea match.

 

lmao

 

Maybe we need to bring SWP back .................. wasn't his last goal against Chelsea, at The Bridge a few years back?

 

SWP is a must start for the game . Joking apart, all we want is to come out of the game with some pride. If the players work hard and give the Scum a hard day but end up losing then so be it.

 

Fair comment 'SRR' but it wouldn't surprise me if we won, seriously.
One thing l've learnt in life is to expect the unexpected and with our team, anything and everything has happen and will probably continue to do so.

 

As they say its the hope that kills. Of course there is a part of me that is thinking we can win. I went to the 1 nil win at Stamford Bridge with a Scum friend of mine in the Matthew Harding stand. When the goal went in I had to bury my head and let out a scream. I got away with it as most of the fans around me did the same for the opposite reason. I'm not going to the game this time but will watch it at a pub. I'm making sure the same Scum fan is out with us, hoping that he may be a lucky omen for us. Come on you RRRRRRsssssss!