Match Day Thread QPR vs West Brom

Agree, we are physically and mentally fatigued. For what it’s worth games such as Boro & Leeds we should field some fresh legs and give those on the sidelines a go. They have something to prove and should be well up for it.

Players who look like they need a rest IMO:
Furlong
Lynch
Luongo
Wells
Smith
Bidwell

 

Smith has looked a real danger for us
It’s about using what you can
Wells is a loan player who didn’t take his chances

Don’t like the poster who just cherry picks out a player each time

Oxbow has made us a football team and I agree we are close to being a reasonable side

That won’t satisfy our fickle fan base however and that coming from a anti Hair Island fan who was proved wrong again

Stability is key

 

They look fine to me
Are they good enough to match our ambitions probably not but we as QPR do not deserve to be anywhere else than bottom half of the mad league

 

Yes, Livermore should have been sent off for that studs up lunge on Eze, and not there to score their winner. Despite this horrific run of bad luck, there are some positives.

We scored twice against a team who are likely to be PL again next season, and hadn't let in a goal in their last 4 away games apparently.

Hemed came on and did well retrieving a ball going out, beating his man, getting into the box, was pulled down by about 3 defenders, and put away the pen. He will be a good option up front.

Eze finally got going again with a bit of confidence and showed some of what he showed early season. If as it seems Freeman is out Saturday it will be good to see if Eze can step up in his absence.

BOS is starting to look a threat when he comes on.

Surely Rangel, Cameron and Hall will be back soon to stiffen our defence.

 

Only win games by scoring bob and we need wins so imo smith has to stay

 

Yes, Smith has been one of our best player in 2 or 3 recent games. When we make good use of him by putting in decent crosses from wide or diagonal positions, and support him in the box, he and we are a big threat, and we should of course use him. He is also huge at the back. It's only when we resort to pumping long balls forward that it goes wrong, but haven't seen much of that lately.

 

No one has mentioned Freemans injury.....we were doing fine until that point. Down to 10 and they went up a gear and we folded. Now, I do not know what the injury is and he has been our best player for a while now but I think he should and could have stayed on.....even just for the old fashioned stand on the half way line!! He was able to walk around the pitch so his leg wasn't hanging off!!!! Could do more damage...YES.....However, IMO staying on the pitch he would still have had to have been marked and he and Hemed could have swapped positions. As soon as WBA knew we were down to 10 it was over. I just think a point last night was massive and would have stopped the rot and us and the media going overboard....and in fact the team is more important than the individual. He may have caused a bit of damage by walking around or just standing for a few minutes but a draw probably would give us momentum with or without Freeman for a few games.....

 

Yet another game where SM appears to have not done his homework and/or sets us up with his favoured formation that doesn't suit the players and then really astutely changes things at half time to allow us to dominate the game only for bad luck to stymie us right at the end.

With WBA playing their usual game of quick, early balls into the channels it was suicidal for Bidwell and Furlong to be caught upfield so much and/or standing so far off their opponents as to make no difference. It was a real break that West Brom didn't score more in the first half and that somehow we equalised. McClaren's subs and tactical changes at the break made a huge difference and other than Lynch's moment of madness we looked far more likely to win the game. Having fought back again 2-2 would have been a fair reflection of the game but there is no luck or justice to be had right now.

If only Steve can work out how to get us playing for the other half of the game we could be a real threat in this league.

 

I think that's a very fair assessment. I'd just say that I thought Luke went off in the 80th minute so, including a scarcely believable 5 minutes of extra time, that made it a full 15 minutes we had to survive with 10 men and without our inspiration. In typical fashion, we sat too deep, hoofed the ball anywhere, our midfield morphed with our defence so that we were playing 7 at the back, with no defensive midfield challenge. Schoolboy stuff.

With Luke on the pitch, we looked just as likely as them, possibly more likely, to win it.

Another crucial point: we switched at half time to our familiar 4-4-1-1 from 3-5-2. For too much of the first half, that latter formation was more like 5-3-2 so we were overrun in midfield and, as the ball came out, we had too few midfielders moving into space, available to receive a pass.

As much as I like playing two up front, even if one of them seemingly has to be Matt Smith, we really don't have the personnel to play 3-5-2 successfully.

 

Two great saves from Lumley (and one comedy kick) kept us in it last night

But yet again our organisation at the back proved fatal and we constantly seem to leak goals in the centre

Disappointing that some fans chose to boo Lynch after his ill judged header that led to WBA's second goal - I thought much of his defending thereafter was pretty good

We may be cursing our bad luck in late decisions / goals but we've invariably had the preceding 90 minutes to get ahead, and too often we only seem to get going when we need to chase the game

I fear a big outflow of players in the summer - to further reduce total wages, to raise some transfer fees, or where players want to play elsewhere. I would be amazed if Freeman was still here at the start of next season for example

 

Just seen highlights.
Was their third an own goal?
Also, did the pen look soft??

 

That's all we basically do when Smith is on the pitch. He's absolutely ****e. If that is our tactic then fair enough, stick 3 more up around him and bypass the midfield. He is limited to heading the ball ffs. He's too slow to play through balls to, he's too slow to chase down defenders enabling opposition full backs to progress forward. But hey ho he has scored a couple of goals. It's like playing with 9 outfield players when not in possession. We play the better football when he's not on the pitch.

 

Better football? We have scored more and created more in the last few games he has started. The crosses to him have not been long punts. That'll do for me attack wise right now, "better football" or not.

 

A very good and accurate report

....if you want to re-live the nightmare.

https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/footb...unted-at-the-witching-hour-once-more-–-report

 

I'm glad he is fairly balanced. Lumley should have had a red for handling outside the area, Livermore definite red and the penalty was indeed soft. A 'good' read.

 

I thought the replay showed Lumley chested that outside his area, not handled, and nothing was given.

 

Glad it was if so.