| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA 23:01 - Apr 5 with 2421 views | Antti_Heinola |
Same old boring, predictable Rangers. You can set your bloody watch to them.
1. You Bastards. Just when you think you're out... they pull you back in, as Michael Corleone almost once said. Look, I've expected relegation all season. In my head I gave us minor stays of execution, but after Palace I was completely resigned to it... until everyone else lost in one weekend and a win v Everton might have seen an unlikely resurrection. Of course, we lost. And that was that. I relaxed. At least it's all over, I thought. We're down, and all that's left now is to just get through the rest of this miserable season and just be thankful Redknapp's gone. And then this. Hope. Agonising, paralysing hope. You bastards.
2. Changing luck. Having said that, any hope that has been rekindled is still more like a barely smoking ember that's cool enough to rest in the palm of your hand than an actual flame. There are several reasons for this. First, a dreadful Sunderland side was able to get three points out of an even more dreadful Newcastle side, which was a blow. Burnley picked up a decent point against Spurs. And Leicester won too. Hull and Villa's losses were expected, even if Hull might have counted on maybe a point in Wales. So not a grand set of results for us. Second, if you know anything at all about being a QPR fan you'll know without a shadow of a doubt that we'll lose at Villa (probably in ludicrous circumstances). And third, even if we somehow scrape a point there, we'd still have to win three of our final six - likely, home to Newcastle and West Ham and away at Leicester on the final day. We might do one of those. Perhaps we might even do two. But three, plus a result at Villa? Come on.
And my reason for saying this is that while of course a 4-1 win is fantastic and the team got some long overdue rewards that, Palace apart, their performances have deserved, this game could easily have gone the way of Everton, Arsenal, Spurs etc. Albion created some gorgeous chances that really they should have scored - bad misses, mainly, but also at least 2 deflections that went straight to Green instead of in the opposite corner. And whereas in recent weeks we've been hitting posts, bars and people on the line, this week shots finally went in. That is the slim line between victory and defeat - and for once we were on the right side of it. And yet... we still look like shipping at least two goals a game and I'm afraid that won't keep us up. I don't mean to be negative because there was tons to love about yesterday, but the same old failings are still there and I think too many teams will exploit them and ultimately send us down.
3. Zamora's Goal. Well, having spent quite a lot of time having a go at dear old Bobby, I have to be fair and praise him for a tremendous goal. I've seen him once or twice try similarly outrageous things this season, but I mainly put it down to him not having the legs to do much else when in those wide areas. And, initially, I thought this was probably a cross. But it clearly wasn't - he looked up at Myhill and went for it. Absolute precision. How he can score that and miss those two chances v Everton is a mystery, but who cares? I watch football to see special things that make me feel privileged to see them in the flesh. And this was one of those moments.
4. Barton's Goal. Quick word here for the captain and his second excellent performance in a row. Good finish, taken well. But watch it again and what's really impressive is that in the 95th minute of a game in which we're 3-1 up against 10 men and for all intents and purposes home and dry, he sprints 40 or 50 yards - a real lung-buster - to get up there and support Charlie Austin. This from a midfielder that, these days, rarely, if ever, runs past the forwards. That showed incredible commitment. If the whole team follow that example for the last 7 games... ah, that old bastard hope again...
5. Eddie Vargas. Having him on the left wing is not ideal - not least because he's as far as he could possibly be from his mate Isla without being sat behind Bondy, meaning their telepathy is wasted. But, he made a huge difference v Everton and for 30 minutes here he was great too. No, we haven't seen the best of him this season, yes he should have had more goals. But what a player of his quality has been doing sitting on the bench for the last few weeks is beyond me. Calm in possession, quick, clever, he can finish, he can pass, he reads the game, he works hard. It's all there. To get him in the side, Ramsey seemed to give him license to drift in, and he drifted wonderfully for the opener and that beautiful dipping shot. So, of course, he twists his knee, just as it looks like he might be a key player for the last month. In a microcosm, this was our season: flickering hope quickly extinguished by a large receptacle of water.
6. Fans. What incredible support. Well done to all who went - loud, proud, delirious. We'll need that next Sunday for the stupid early kick off. But, and this is just a personal thing - these are my knee jerks, after all - I cannot stand that 'How sh*t must you be, we're winning away' chant. First few times I heard it years ago, it was pretty funny, I do admit. But now... I don't know. I love self-deprecating humour, even if I'm rubbish at it, but something about basically telling your own team you think they're sh*t (however true that sentiment might be and however factually correct the idea that sentiment is based on might be, and however much it might be sung with love) sticks in my teeth a bit. The poor lads were 3-0 up and our fans were telling them it was only because the other team were even more diabolical than them. As I said, it's nitpicky and it's a personal thing, and everyone has the right to sing what they want and it is sort of funny... but I'd be quite happy if we just went back to the old '3-0, to the Rangers' chant on those once-a-season-if-we're-lucky days when we are 3-0 up.
On a similar note, how about we avoid the inevitable choruses about Remy (who will be starting thanks to Costa's injury) next week too? You know, because winding up opposition forwards has worked *so* well for us in the past.
4-1. 4-1! How did that happen? |  |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 23:56 - Apr 5 with 2338 views | PunteR |
Fantastic result. I still think we switched off at crucial times and could have let WBA back in it...but ..4-1 ..happy days.
Real shame about Vargas.
Another good read Annti. I'm just off now to read Clives report.. How good is this site? |  |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 14:59 - Apr 6 with 2017 views | FredManRave |
A great read, as always Antti.
However, if it were my jerky I would definitely have made space for a mention on Ramsey. The guy has taken alot of criticism on here recently, maybe rightly so bearing in mind "his" results so I just think that when the team play well (3-0 up at HT FFS!) win away from home (4-1 FFS) and it's obvious that Ramsey has been responsible for positive changes in personel both before and during the game, work being done on the training ground and just the fact that even if he's not qualified and won't make all the right decisions (according to us!) all the time, it's only right he should get some credit.
Maybe I'm falling into the lovely chap trap but Ramsey really is a breath of fresh air after Redknapps reign (of terror) and he's been dealt such a shite hand and been put in a difficult situation I'm surprised he hasn't been praised more on here in generl over the weekend since he masterminded our victory. |  |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 15:28 - Apr 6 with 1984 views | Neil_SI |
Despite a record of two wins and six losses, Chris Ramsey has done well and can be pleased with the job he’s done.
Saturday's emphatic 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion was the perfect tonic he needed to boost his managerial credentials. It’s a results based business, but sometimes you need to look beyond that to realise when someone’s worth their weight in gold.
He’s made some mistakes, and at times, pandered to the rhetoric when it comes to fielding youngsters, but that’s to be expected for someone who is inexperienced and never managed at this kind of level before.
I think he’s done well.
The question marks fans raise often have simple answers. Why did he pick Shaun Wright-Phillips, for example?
It’s about equality — something which players buy into and is important to them. In his first two matches against Southampton and Sunderland, Ramsey used 22 players across both squads and got everybody involved. He’s since stretched that to 28 players in total.
This included players who had been left out in the cold, such as Adel Taarabt, Matt Phillips and Shaun Wright-Phillips, to youngsters looking to gain experience. You need everybody on side and pulling in the same direction for a relegation scrap, so this was a smart move.
He has also stayed true to his word — telling his players that if they are fit and available for selection, then they will be considered if they perform well in training.
That’s why we’ve seen Wright-Phillips back in the mix, albeit he is now out of favour again after the fans didn’t take to his re-emergence, but you have to remember, Wright-Phillips is still a popular figure in the dressing room and has friends there who want to see him get a fair crack at the whip too.
That's why we've seen Eduardo Vargas left out of the side, but brought back in once he responded positively to feedback and the requirements expected of him over the past weeks. Ramsey is rewarding players for their hard work and commitment to the cause, not because of what's gone on in the past or what their name is.
By delivering on his promises, Ramsey has helped unite a dressing room and keep them fighting together, irrespective of whether they have the quality to do so to survive. His decision to take them warm weather training to Dubai, a team bonding exercise, was also a sensible move.
He has won their respect and has always be straight with them. He's repeatedly identified QPR’s strengths and weaknesses, highlighting them in victory and defeat, and clearly understands the magnitude of the situation the club finds itself in. He has shown good consistency in everything he's done at a club where instability is rife.
That honesty keeps his players on their toes and willing to go again, and that’s why despite the difficult run of results, Rangers still have a punchers chance of staying up. They're fighting for themselves, for him and the club. That much is evident, and it could so easily not have been the case as we've seen in previous campaigns.
So the players and Ramsey will take belief from the result against West Brom, which comes at the perfect moment to inject a boost of confidence into the side ahead of a tricky encounter with Aston Villa tomorrow night.
It’s become a huge game, and winning back-to-back matches, and away from home, is obviously not easy. But if Rangers win that one and find some kind of momentum, the rest of the sides around them will become very nervous indeed.
Ramsey can take all the credit for this as far as I'm concerned. I was worried that people would only look at his results and decide he wasn't up to scratch, but someone who has worked in the game as long as he has and who has earned his stripes, deserves his shot, whether it's with us or someone else. I think he's played out his chance with us really well.
All Ramsey has done is treat the club with respect and care — the very things you want to see from the owners and the board.
What the board have done well, whether intentional or not, is appoint two black men in high profile positions — proving that we can be innovative and give opportunity. Let’s continue to do that and appoint Ramsey on a full-time basis now and allow him the opportunity to further his development.
There are unknowns, of course there are, in terms of how Ramsey would approach rebuilding a squad with Les Ferdinand, whether it’s in the Championship or Premier League, but I’d like to see him given a chance to do it and develop his own team.
For now, it’s our turn as fans to show our support and rally behind them for the run-in, because that might just give us the edge and let everybody realise their dreams. |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 15:35 - Apr 6 with 1973 views | terryb |
Thanks again antti.
I'm sure you have it right about the trip to Villa, but I honestly believe that we are (at least in theory) a better side than them.
Dreading watching this on a stream, but I know I can't not watch it! |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 15:43 - Apr 6 with 1963 views | Neil_SI |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 15:35 - Apr 6 by terryb |
Thanks again antti.
I'm sure you have it right about the trip to Villa, but I honestly believe that we are (at least in theory) a better side than them.
Dreading watching this on a stream, but I know I can't not watch it! |
The Villa match is a tricky one for us. It's the kind of game we can do really well or lose heavily in, mainly because of styles. They are primarily set up for the counter attack, which Tim Sherwood has correctly identified as their strengths and moved their playing style back to.
We have been soft for a few years when hit on the counter, so we need to be really careful with how we go about approaching this one. We still were weak defensively against West Brom, and didn't take care of some obvious problems or danger areas.
I thought we could have done a lot better suffocating supply and delivery from deep, such as balls launched into Victor Anichebe, and getting bodies around him to deal with second balls. Similarly we just continue to allow players to whip dangerous balls into the box from wide areas and some of our concentration and marking really needs to tighten up.
But likewise you have to accept that at times you're going to be put under pressure and be under the cosh, so it's pleasing to see the team win one of these, and win well. We played some good stuff going forward ourselves and some sensible football at times in key moments, especially from Joey Barton and Matt Phillips. | | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 22:47 - Apr 6 with 1799 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 15:43 - Apr 6 by Neil_SI |
The Villa match is a tricky one for us. It's the kind of game we can do really well or lose heavily in, mainly because of styles. They are primarily set up for the counter attack, which Tim Sherwood has correctly identified as their strengths and moved their playing style back to.
We have been soft for a few years when hit on the counter, so we need to be really careful with how we go about approaching this one. We still were weak defensively against West Brom, and didn't take care of some obvious problems or danger areas.
I thought we could have done a lot better suffocating supply and delivery from deep, such as balls launched into Victor Anichebe, and getting bodies around him to deal with second balls. Similarly we just continue to allow players to whip dangerous balls into the box from wide areas and some of our concentration and marking really needs to tighten up.
But likewise you have to accept that at times you're going to be put under pressure and be under the cosh, so it's pleasing to see the team win one of these, and win well. We played some good stuff going forward ourselves and some sensible football at times in key moments, especially from Joey Barton and Matt Phillips. |
Good points Neil.
My knee jerk the other week about us going a goal down in the vast majority of games this season sums it up - when we go a goal down, we generally lose because we don't have the mobility to get forward in numbers AND get back too, so teams pick us off. However, when we have taken the lead, we generally get a result - possibly only once off the top of my head have we lost after being a goal up. This is because leading suits us - we can then get nice and compact and not worry about scoring goals so much, while still having players like Phillips and Austin who can exploit the added gaps an attacking team leave at the back.
First goal on Tue is vital. If Villa get it, I think that's curtains. | |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 23:02 - Apr 6 with 1782 views | CroydonCaptJack |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 22:47 - Apr 6 by Antti_Heinola |
Good points Neil.
My knee jerk the other week about us going a goal down in the vast majority of games this season sums it up - when we go a goal down, we generally lose because we don't have the mobility to get forward in numbers AND get back too, so teams pick us off. However, when we have taken the lead, we generally get a result - possibly only once off the top of my head have we lost after being a goal up. This is because leading suits us - we can then get nice and compact and not worry about scoring goals so much, while still having players like Phillips and Austin who can exploit the added gaps an attacking team leave at the back.
First goal on Tue is vital. If Villa get it, I think that's curtains. |
I would love to be one nil up with ten minutes to go tomorrow. |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - WBA on 05:43 - Apr 7 with 1698 views | BrisbaneR |
I think there is only one way for us to play on Tuesday night - ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK.
It's clear to all on here that we dont really excel at sitting deep and trying to nick a goal, and the approach on Saturday seemed to be lets just go for it, and if we go down, we go down swinging.
Same again Tuesday night please....fortune favours the brave and alll that....
(You're right Antti....the bastards...they've got me again...) | | | |
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