I was really pleased to see that we sold out last night. While you can argue that any PL club with an 18k capacity should easily be full for every game this was, after all, a relatively unattractive fixture, with live TV coverage, on a Monday evening, at the end of the month and outside of the tourist season. It gives me hope that we can fill that bigger stadium in the future. Having said that it was all pretty quiet until that second goal went in. Nervousness about our situation I suppose but we have traditionally benefited from a raucous crowd under the lights. Other random thoughts about the game: Yun MoM - despite a couple of mistakes his overall performance was top notch with excellent energy and reading the game Dunne also had a good game and yet despite these good individual performances we looked all over the place defensively for the first half hour. Someone needs to be seriously looking at our defensive coaching/tactics. Despite two excellent takes I'm still not 100% convinced that Chas can cut it in the PL. Conversely, Vargas really does look like the real deal. An extended run for him in harness with Krancjar is a mouthwatering prospect. Either Henry or Sandro need to rethink their hairdo so I can tell them apart. I'm pretty sure that Henry had a good game and Sandro not so good but I can't be certain.
Thanks for the post aaaaagh. You are correct about Henry and Sandro, Henry was very good last night. Sandro redeemed himself with that crucial tackle/block when Clark seemed certain to score. For me the spine of the team stood out. Green was back (I was hoping for McCarthy) and did ever so well. He was brave on a couple of tough calls. Think his communication with the defence is underrated. Dunne has already been covered and Henry as you pointed out was very solid. Up front Charlie scored the goals with good help from Zamora and Vargas. Caulker didn't put a foot wrong, though it was Dunne who battled the most with Benteke, Caulker had to keep track on the pacy Agbonlahor and Weimann. Yun is becoming a fans favourite, two very good games in a row proving his worth. A dead cert to start from now, especially after being singled out by Harry in his post match interview. Hoilett deserves a mention. Was very good when he came on. Smart tactical move by Harry by removing the tired Zamora and bringing on Hoilett. And by doing it both giving us more width and an extra man centrally (Fer), winning the midfield battle in the end.
The support was good and of course got better as the game became safer. It was great to chant, 'That's why you're going down', back at them after they started it on us! One minor point is that our crowd is far to quick with the exasperated 'Oooooohhhhhhh' when one of our players makes an error. At least let them make a couple before we start that nonsense.
Yes, full house, yet there were two empty seats in front of me, one either side of a grey haired gentleman. Closer inspection showed it was Alan Johnson, one time local postman, Labour Home Secretary and QPR fan. I assume he'd bought, or had bought for him, all three tickets so he didn't have to squeeze between members of the public and risk having his ear bent (after being recognised) on some particular political issue or other. I'm mildly sympathetic - I've always quite liked Johnson, one of the more genuine of our political masters. He only stayed for 45 minutes. He slipped away after half time, having checked his phone. Why? Who knows? My guess, for one of the following reasons: 1. Tony Fernandes messaged him to say the win was in the bag, so don't waste time with the second half. 2. His wife sent a text asking why he was late home and was he was still at the House of Commons...? 3. A panicking email came in from Ed Milliband who had just seen latest polls showing Labour 5 points down and UKIP 4 points up These politicians earn their stadium seats
Also, another query from me. Why did Charlie look to the QPR stands - in the region of X block - and put his finger to his lips? I normally associate that with a goal scorer to the opposing fans to shut them up. What was the message or have I misunderstood?
This was mentioned last season, and the answer was that someone in the crowd had been giving him some lip. I find that hard to believe (and that maybe the same person is still there, raving), but I don't really have an answer. Perhaps he just means, "stop worrying, we've got this sorted"?
Agree mostly with OP but I'm not sure what Charlie has to do to convince some people. Scored a goal every other game so far and has been quite literally starved of service in some of them games.
Agree completely... seems some people want him to fail. 4 goals in 8 games in a poor team and he is accused of not being able to cut in prem? His quality and technique shown with the take and left foot volley against Southampton from inside box... technique and quality of his strike from outside box last night... movement and finish ahead of a defender touted as best at world cup last night... and Kevin Gallen says Austin's best attribute is following flight of crosses and getting his head on it... A goalscorer is both the most important and also the most rare commodity in football and Charlie is a goalscorer People need to give him a break and appreciate him. Can give all the praise you want to likes of Dunne and Henry but it's only through scoring goals that you can win games and Charlie's our main hope of doing that
Vargas has been a revelation, a great loan signing from Napoli. When you think of some of the dross we've had on loan in the past... I hope we have an option to buy the Chilean. As to Charlie, he's finding his feet in the Prem and I think he'll improve with confidence - and his confidence must be rising now. As said, his goal against Southampton was out of the top drawer.
All good points aargh agree with most, but we gave the ball away so much, Fer, sandro especially. We will get punished by any half decent side, talking Stoke hull here, not chelski or man citeh, Villa wouldn't have scored if we had played for a week. Well done to the QPR marketing, I wasn't going but received two texts and an email reminding me it wasn't sold out as late as Saturday, bought the ticket Monday after I was pressured, now about the ppi
