I think you're missing the point there Brix. The formation was wrong.....AGAIN. Faurlin should be playing in the centre holding, alongside either granero or Diakite with either Granero or Diakite playing further forward in a 4-2-3-1. We were second best in the midfield for the entire first half. Every "2nd" ball fell to them. That's purely down to mathematics, with them having more players in the middle than us. I also don't agree that Reading are any great shakes. We made Leigertwood look good today ffs!
BrixtonR, that's a fabulous account, great to read a real intelligent account of the situation. I understand the pessimism, there's plenty of it on Royals Rendezvous as well tonight. Was a draw a fair result? Probably if you consider two different halves. But if it weren't were Reading goalie McCarthy I don't think we'd have come away with anything. Maybe a point away from home for a relegation threatened side is not the end of the world, but the truth is that a draw does neither of us many favours. Yet, it's only 9/10 games played, there's still well over 80 points left on the table! Your playing squad just needs a kick up the proverbial because there's talent in abundance, the subs bench alone today alone would be a dream of many a squad. You SHOULD make it through. It's probably going to be more difficult for us, unless the Russian president gets out his chequebook in a big way ...
1: the inability to defend a ball hoisted into the box Agree - but can't see that resolved without better quality defenders. Boss and Traore are fairly good getting forward but... 2: the inability to hoist effective balls into opposing boxes. Last year was even worse wasn't it? Only Traore managing any crosses then. This year it's more about no one in the middle or drifting in to meet the crosses we have managed so far.
Good well reasoned response Sooper. Unsurprising in your case given the number of quality posts you come up with. It's not so much that I'm just putting a heartfelt case for the defence in the Mark Hughes trial, more looking at things from deep within the do-do and thinking, what's the answer then.
Don't need one Swords. Simply looking at things from different sides of the equation is all. People want to get themselves in a lather by taking an academic exercise personally, they'll be dancing alone tonight!
I respect your ability to take a step back and have a look at the situation but I don't agree with the bad luck thing, nor do I think he can use the 'team needs time to gel' argument. All teams get a bit of bad luck but its all about confidence and belief. Our team doesn't have much about that at the moment. The evidence: being **** scared of losing to a team we're better than. We play worse against lower ability opposition out of fear. We play better against bigger teams because if you lose you can still hold your head up high. There's no such thing as luck in football, really... unless your season all comes down to one match and something freak happens in it against you. Otherwise, its all about being in the right positions and having confidence. Mark Hughes' job today was to get the team organised. Today, they were very disorganised and I can't blame individual players for that because they obviously put the effort in today. I can blame Mark Hughes, on the other hand because he's supposed to be the leader. I've supported Mark Hughes until today. I still don't think we should change manager. If anything, I think we should go down with him if that's what it takes. I don't think there are any good options for a replacement and I think it'll make things harder for the players in the remaining games of the season.
Thanks Bob but wasn't saying the rub was to blame for the Swans and Norwich debacles but more so these days and particularly today. Just wasn't gonna happen was it - and not because of bad tactics or **** players... If there were a manager around willing to come to us and capable of doing the biz I probably wouldn't bother representing the less popular side of the dialectic - but hey ho, that's the situation we're in and with the work he's clearly done, just a chance Hughes can turn things round.
So laugh then Wubs! Least I've cheered your day up a bit. Like the idea of Derry getting a role. Probably too soon for him atm though.
I agree it's often a lack of incisive movement or simply not enough bodies in the box which is making delivery look even worse than it is. And it is pretty bad.
Can't agree with that. It's a perfectly fair position to take, but I feel, with all the money we have spent and are spending and taking into account the amount of money on offer for next season, relegation would be a complete disaster.
Sound enough reasoning BR. Players are performing imho. Can't do much damage without an arrowhead though - and that is certainly Hughes' fault.
It WAS due to bad tactics mate imo. Not everything obviously, but bad tactics affected our overall performance imo.....that and the fact that the players don't seem to be putting it in for the manager. I may be well wide of the mark, but it looks like Hughes may be losing them.
Absolutely no way we can afford to be relegated. Money and players would leave and we would plummet no matter what TF says. But and it's a big but would this be better in the long run. Young hungry passionate players representing the hoops. It may take time or never happen but just something to consider.
Brix, Sorry sir, but trying to be soft, understanding and rationale in this situation are not the values that are called for. Hughes is proving week after week that he is absolutely incompetent for the job, you know it, he knows it, the players know it and TF knows it. Only problem here is that TF, who prides himself on being such a businessman has not put an objectives clause into his contract, so will cost him a fortune he can ill afford. Now, it pains me to read that you believe there are no other obvious candidates that can do a far better job, because there are - in UK and abroad who would jump at the chance. It doesn't need to be the usual merry go round of crap either! I'm afraid I'm totally resigned to going back to the Championship and can smell an almight Chris Wright situaton all over again. We can now ill afford ANY more dropped points and trust me there will be many, many more disappointments to come. It is now obvious and sorry to pint out but Bosingwa was a disgrace, that the players do not believe in this man. He is solely to blame for this position and yet he comes out this evening with more tripe that more time is needed. Take this as a rant if you will but all the facts and trends point to disaster. To finish off - THERE IS NO CHANCE OF MARK HUGHES TURNING THIS AROUND. Do you want to know primarily why? BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE AN EFFING CLUE WHAT'S WRONG! You're entitled to your opinion Brix but you're wrong as the facts do not back up your optimism. Sorry. Am not looking forward to Crouch and Co. coming up against our defence next week - It fills me with dread.
I do worry that we'll lose faurlin in jan. the lad always tops the tackling and passing charts and yet Hughes now decides he's the latest to be frozen out The fault for buying 476 midfielders and not enough defenders or a striker is really haunting us now. Why did we sell Helgusson and keep hogan in the 25 and then not use him? Madness
To be perfectly honest the Premier League is a horrible place with clubs financed by ill gotten (I'd say more but...) gains. **** it, in some ways I'd rather be in League One with honest players, an honest manager and an honest owner. Corruption corrupts us all. I despise CFC with all my heart.
I'm not saying we should accept relegation. I'm saying I'm not sure we'll avoid it if we change manager now. With that said, if this kind of football is the height of MH's abilities, then maybe it is best to change now and stick with that manager even if we go down. One part of the problem over the last few years might be the fact that managers coming in have seen QPR as a cushy job. Owners with buckets of money to spend and the possibility of high profile nameS coming in. Swansea have put us to shame because they have made shrewd business and have stuck with a majority of their players, building as they go. We actually were holding on well with our championship team in our last season. If we had slowly built upon that, we may have had a better finish last season and would have been able to build further over the summer. This all includes Warnock staying as well. Anyway, those opportunities have passed now. Something needs to click and hopefully it will soon.
I fear you are right IMAz but haven't we all been seduced to believe the premier league is the place to be no matter how or how sustainable it may be.
