Right so here's my ratings for the match:
Ruddy: 8 (great save from the penalty, unlucky to concede and otherwise very solid
R Martin: 8 (had a great match, very busy, unlucky not to score with a couple of chances and his crossing was excellent)
Bassong: 7 (very solid, what a relief to see him in the side, unlucky to give away a penalty)
Barnett: 7 (a reassuringly reliable performance from him, completely dominant in the air)
Garrido: 7 (solid, didn't have a lot to do, but was generally very reliable and looks like he will do well)
Johnson: 8 (had a stellar first half, quietened a little in the second, the only problem was his decision making in the final third could have been better)
Pilkington: 6 (started very brightly with a wonderful assist, but faded considerably and his shooting was terrible- we know he is better than this)
Howson: 7 (ever reliable, battling and never seems to give the ball away. Didn't offer enough of a threat going forward considering what he can do)
Snodgrass: 7 (had a very good home debut and the only reason I didn't give him an 8 was because of that missed header- could have done much better with a couple of other chances
Holt: 6 (did reasonably well, as usual battling and ran rings around Hill, but the service given wasn't particularly great and what he did get I felt he could have done better)
Jackson: 7 (very lively and stretched the defence fantastically- had moments of class to beat his man, but there were a few shots which were wayward and, as a striker, that's not acceptable)
Subs:
Morison and Martin- both 5s- were not long enough to really assess
As for Hughton: Did fantastically well to galvanise the squad after last week's horror show. I thought he should have made changes earlier- possibly bringing on Morison earlier when it was clear we were winning a lot of corners/free kicks. However, he will be content with the performance, if not the result, because if we play like that week in, week out we will be in mid table (assuming someone actually scores a bit)
Referees: Had a bit of a horror show. I shall give them the benefit of the doubt on the penalty award and I accept that most players step a bit early on penalties, but for Zamora to be fully two yards in right in front of the referee before scoring is completely unacceptable. To make matters worse, they completely missed the obvious hand ball by Green outside the box, despite the assistant having a clear view. Not that they did QPR many favours either- I thought they were a little trigger happy with some of the free kicks given, even though frustrated QPR players clearly began to lash out. Overall the ref stopped us winning this match and prevented Ruddy from getting a deserved clean sheet.
Overall, a very strong performance from us and a lot to be happy with. With hindsight, we deserved the win but I would have taken a draw at the beginning of the match. When you combine that with the performance, I feel it was very encouraging. Our defence finally looked reliable (although admittedly QPR didn't offer much...) and our midfield was in control. We just need to work on creating clear cut chances and a little bit more deadliness in the final third. It just goes to show that there was no need to panic; especially given that we're no longer in the relegation zone (though might just avoid alphabetically if Liverpool pick up a point...)
Ruddy: 8 (great save from the penalty, unlucky to concede and otherwise very solid
R Martin: 8 (had a great match, very busy, unlucky not to score with a couple of chances and his crossing was excellent)
Bassong: 7 (very solid, what a relief to see him in the side, unlucky to give away a penalty)
Barnett: 7 (a reassuringly reliable performance from him, completely dominant in the air)
Garrido: 7 (solid, didn't have a lot to do, but was generally very reliable and looks like he will do well)
Johnson: 8 (had a stellar first half, quietened a little in the second, the only problem was his decision making in the final third could have been better)
Pilkington: 6 (started very brightly with a wonderful assist, but faded considerably and his shooting was terrible- we know he is better than this)
Howson: 7 (ever reliable, battling and never seems to give the ball away. Didn't offer enough of a threat going forward considering what he can do)
Snodgrass: 7 (had a very good home debut and the only reason I didn't give him an 8 was because of that missed header- could have done much better with a couple of other chances
Holt: 6 (did reasonably well, as usual battling and ran rings around Hill, but the service given wasn't particularly great and what he did get I felt he could have done better)
Jackson: 7 (very lively and stretched the defence fantastically- had moments of class to beat his man, but there were a few shots which were wayward and, as a striker, that's not acceptable)
Subs:
Morison and Martin- both 5s- were not long enough to really assess
As for Hughton: Did fantastically well to galvanise the squad after last week's horror show. I thought he should have made changes earlier- possibly bringing on Morison earlier when it was clear we were winning a lot of corners/free kicks. However, he will be content with the performance, if not the result, because if we play like that week in, week out we will be in mid table (assuming someone actually scores a bit)
Referees: Had a bit of a horror show. I shall give them the benefit of the doubt on the penalty award and I accept that most players step a bit early on penalties, but for Zamora to be fully two yards in right in front of the referee before scoring is completely unacceptable. To make matters worse, they completely missed the obvious hand ball by Green outside the box, despite the assistant having a clear view. Not that they did QPR many favours either- I thought they were a little trigger happy with some of the free kicks given, even though frustrated QPR players clearly began to lash out. Overall the ref stopped us winning this match and prevented Ruddy from getting a deserved clean sheet.
Overall, a very strong performance from us and a lot to be happy with. With hindsight, we deserved the win but I would have taken a draw at the beginning of the match. When you combine that with the performance, I feel it was very encouraging. Our defence finally looked reliable (although admittedly QPR didn't offer much...) and our midfield was in control. We just need to work on creating clear cut chances and a little bit more deadliness in the final third. It just goes to show that there was no need to panic; especially given that we're no longer in the relegation zone (though might just avoid alphabetically if Liverpool pick up a point...)
