BTFS - QPR

[Cypry]

Didn't go last night due to weather, but watched it on the box - player who irritated me the most was Swift. Starting to understand why some Brentford fans described him as "lazy". He just didn't seem to have ay urgency last night. lost count of the number of times he was second to the ball, and, unless my memory is failing, it was his lapse in concentration that gave away the ball for their goal.

[Esteban]

Overall, Stam has done a good job this season all things considered. But apart from the Villa game and possibly Newcastle, every time we've lost, it's been because Stam has got the tactics wrong. Last night is a perfect example. While he's learning, we have to expect that from time to time.

However, just to offer a little perspective, he's a fairly rookie manager, in a league that he's only really just learning about and in the midst of massive uncertainty at boardroom level.

Last night was as poor as it gets, but it's 3 defeats in 10 league games and, what, 6 or 7 wins? He's now got 9 days to turn it around, get McShane fit and maybe bring in one or two new players. There's still 20 games left, it's not as bad as most thought it might be at the start of the season.

[winchester_royal]

Overall, Stam has done a good job this season all things considered. But apart from the Villa game and possibly Newcastle, every time we've lost, it's been because Stam has got the tactics wrong. Last night is a perfect example. While he's learning, we have to expect that from time to time.

However, just to offer a little perspective, he's a fairly rookie manager, in a league that he's only really just learning about and in the midst of massive uncertainty at boardroom level.

Last night was as poor as it gets, but it's 3 defeats in 10 league games and, what, 6 or 7 wins? He's now got 9 days to turn it around, get McShane fit and maybe bring in one or two new players. There's still 20 games left, it's not as bad as most thought it might be at the start of the season.

'Not as bad'

We're third in the table. I think we can describe the season so far as a little better than that.

[John Smith]

Another terrible Reading QPR game. Will Sky ever learn?

I'm utterly bemused as to why they keep doing it. Do they think it's a derby or something?

Based on the season so far, the aim should be the playoffs

Brighton and Newcastle I think will get automatic and Leeds and Derby will be in the play offs. That leaves, imo, two places up for grabs and a right battle being set up between ourselves, Wednesday, Fulham, Huddersfield, Birmingham and possibly Villa and Norwich.

However, based on that atrocious load of **** tonight, plus the same **** at ManU, plus the same ***** for the first 75 minutes at Ashton Gate plus the inept 45 minutes we got at home to Fulham where Ayuto and Fredericks looked capable of running riot with ease it isn't going to be an easy target to achieve and certainly not without 2/3 decent signings this month.

And with Derby to follow next I think it'll get worse before it gets better.

Fully agree with everything here. Do you think last night might have been this season's 'Fulham Moment'?

It was one performance but we are in such a good position and clearly 3 or 4 players short of promotion. Echo everyone's sentiments of Van den Berg - surely one of the struggling Prem teams could loan us a decent fringe player. I see Jeff Schlupp is looking for a move... The lack of creative options cost us last night - Stam left his change far too late and then what other options were there?

We need to capitalise on the current situation because I can't see it being the same this time next season.

[Top Flight]

There were three reasons why we Ffffd it up last night.

1) No Paul McShane

McShane and Moore have formed a formidable partnership in central defence this season. Most of the time our defence is well organised, has a good shape and keeps the opposition out. Last night we were all at sea.

2) No Holding midfielder

We have two players that play the holding/defensive midfielder role. Joey Van den Berg and George Evans. Usually, if Joey has to drop into the back four then George Evans will play the holding midfielder role. For me, the lack of a holding midfielder was a key part of the reason that we were a disorganised mess last night. Evans should have been in the team last night. If he was, we would have had a guy that would have kept the teams shape. He would have sat in front of the back four. He would have dropped deep to collect the ball allowing us to play effectively out from the back. He would have dictated the play, spraying balls around the park. Evans is a disciplined performer who knows his role and plays his role well. Andries Ulderink said in the week, that we need quality to break QPR down. It looks like we went for two creative players in the centre of the park in Swift and Kelly and sacrificed the holding player. We lost our shape and discipline and organisation as a result.

3) Jordan Obita and not Tyler Blackett.

Usually Obita is great for us and I would select him over Tyler Blackett all the time. But him playing so high up the pitch and us not having a holding midfielder to cover for him when he is high and keep the teams shape and organisation was a major reason QPR floored us last night. Time after time Mackie and Rangers destroyed us down their right and our left side of the pitch. We got pulled apart with Obita playing high and no holding midfielder keeping things organised. The team were all over the place and the defence with Joey (not a natural) were stretched and out of position. How we let Mackie have so much space in the 6 yard box shows how disorganised we were.

Conclusion

I think this was probably a one off poor performance. Usually we wouldn't have set up our team in this way. You could point the finger at the management team for the way the team was set up last night, but at the same time they need to experiment and try out different ideas. Going with Kelly, Swift and Williams in the centre of the park was an idea. Unfortunately it didn't work. We learn our lesson and move on.

[Zammo]

I think Beerens actually looks alright when he plays like a genuine left winger - hugging the touchline and taking his man on. I mean, yeah, he doesn't do much defending, but that's not exactly uncharacteristic of wingers. It's when he drifts around the pitch looking lost that he's worthless.

Beerens whipped in some lovely crosses second half.

[Zammo]

My view.....virtually the same side played since August. Look tired. Needs freshening up with some quality & pace.

[MoorgateRoyal]

QPR were shit and we didn't have the brains to unpick their disciplined shape.

Disappointing.

[CountryRoyal]

QPR were shit and we didn't have the brains to unpick their disciplined shape.

Disappointing.

They were weren't they? All their fans and pundits waxing lyrical about how good they were, absolutely no recognition about how shocking we were and it was hardly a triumph to beat us on the day.

[Hound]

to be fair, Holloway got it right. They certainly aren't a great team, but their tactics were good and you would have to credit him for that

[LoyalRoyal22]

For a team that is massively overachieving, we are going to have results like last night where the team cant replicate the high levels they have set themselves.

Looked last night like a 4-3-1-2 with Beerens behind Yann & McCleary, but the shape didn't really work.

I do not understand the negativity, and the players keep mentioning this as well. We have passed all expectations but the team are still getting grief from the fans, its not there fault you have set your own expectations too high. A top ten finish would be a massive achievement & a solid building block.

Final point, I agree with the majority about JVDB, he is not a central defender & we could see this back at Molineux( Wolves Away). Should give Cooper a chance. Would prefer Evans to be starting in the holding role aswell

Next two games are of high importance if we want to finish in the top6, but does it really matter if we dont?



PS: The attendance was embarrassing

[Zammo]

FWIW - the worst home performance in recent years was McDermott's final game at home............

30 April 2016 Championship Preston (HOME) L: 1-2

[GazzTheSpaz]

Yep the attendance was abysmal but when you televise a freezing cold Thursday night match that's what you get, if I realised it was on TV I would have stayed at home too.

Playing a possession game is all very well but sometimes you have to actually try and attack, we were getting in almost dangerous positions and then passing back and it was so obvious to QPR (and anyone else from now on) what our game plan was. I don't feel like we struck fear into the eyes of QPR, a lot of them will think we were playing for the draw from the start.

Sort out the ownership, buy a CB (So VDB can go back to CDM), LW and ST and we'll be OK.

[Westwood52]

Hats off to Holloway last night-he had done his homework and sussed us out. We are so slow on the ball, that he knew if they crowded out the player in possession in the Rangers half, that we wouldn't be going anywhere-he then got the necessary break on the goal. Whether they can continue play like that until April & survive is another matter.

Al Habs 6 : Quiet game really-no chance with the goal-one really awful clearance, straight into touch; just when we needed to be moving forward, in the last quarter.

Gunts 4: I am usually his supporter in a sea of criticism-however last night , he never offered anything going forward and should never be captain.
Obita 5:Couple of awful moments-that lamentable cross & the very weak clearance out of his own corner-late in the game-however he did offer more than Gunts going forward.

Joey 2: The goal was heavily down to him; giving the ball away, when everyone else was moving forward-then a comical 10 minutes when all he could do to stop them was to rugby tackle-silly booking-everyone knows what jobsworth Refs are in this division. One good covering tackle.

Moore 5: Personally I thought he struggled a bit-through lack of support around him-from the last two games I can see why Leics let him go.

Kelly 6: TBF I thought he was our best player-MOM would be pushing it. At least he kept making himself available & showed a sense of urgency.
Williams 5: Constantly caught on the ball, terrible 1st touch, takes an age to get himself sorted on the ball and no vision. He can go.
Swift 4: To misquote Clough over Brooking-stung like a butterfly-that England injury has really affected him. How long will it take him to get back. That said he was our one hope of something special-why take him off-is he still not fit ?

Macca 3: That push late in the 2nd half resulting in their free kick deep in our half, with time running out said it all. I think he is on his way-either in January or the Summer-will we get this sort of flitting performance out of him until the end of the season ? Which would be a shame as he is our one impact player.

Kermit 2: I disagree with most, I thought he was awful. Missed a sitter, kept on falling over or losing the ball in possession.

Roy 6: Hmm-course he was bad-but late in the 2nd half he was our only outlet with a view to saving the game.

Meigte Unclassified really-jury is out.

Stam; simply no plan B but Yacoub apart he had no options on the bench-surprised he did not try Hail Mary Cooper at CF. Will we be finding our true level in this division lower mid table until April-with a slow slide down.

Let's hope we have not spent all the budget on Ilori-we deffo need somebody up front to rev us up and pose a goal threat.

Ref: Ok ish 1st half-let QPR & particularly Mackie get way with murder-but he had a terrible 2nd-how was the pull back on Macca when he was bearing down on goal not a booking-equally how could that shoulder charge on Macca just outside the area not be a free kick ? And he continued to let the Rangers continue to manhandle 2nd half ?

[Top Flight]

I think Beerens actually looks alright when he plays like a genuine left winger - hugging the touchline and taking his man on. I mean, yeah, he doesn't do much defending, but that's not exactly uncharacteristic of wingers. It's when he drifts around the pitch looking lost that he's worthless.

Beerens whipped in some lovely crosses second half.

Yes he did. In Kermorgant, we have our very own poor mans Ibrahimovic and we don't play anywhere near enough to his strengths. We should be using Beerens and McLearys excellent crossing abilities to get a far higher quantity of dangerous balls into the box and cause havoc to the opposition. We don't do this nearly enough.

We as fans keep asking for a new striker signing but our team doesn't give the already excellent striker that we have got enough service. Feed the Kermie and he will score.

[No Fixed Abode]

IF we had played better we COULD'VE won that game.

[genome]

Yeah. So?

[No Fixed Abode]

Yeah. So?

Do you think that the football league should scrap the current format of the EFL trophy given last nights poor attendance?

[genome]

The poor attendance had nothing to do with the EFL trophy

[No Fixed Abode]

The poor attendance had nothing to do with the EFL trophy

? It was an EFL trophy game wasn't it?