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Reply | home game vs Derby County
at 16:18 13 Feb 2025
If you want to go to a “home” pub and have some half decent food in the process, go to the Crown & Sceptre but get their early or book, otherwise you won’t get a table. Also it’s Thai food.
Depending on the age of the kids, easiest thing will be to go to Westfield as there are tons of options, but they’re all chains.
If you are foodies, and want to experience an English gastro pub, not full of football fans getting on the beer after work on a Friday night, head to either The Dartmouth Castle in Hammersmith or The Andover Arms or The Anglesea Arms. Food is decent and the beer is good. If you’re American you’ll be able to afford them! All are between Hammersmith and the Goldhawk Rd, and about a 20 min walk to the ground. |
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Reply | In the blue corner – Report
at 13:56 13 Feb 2025
I keep saying this, but during the good run, and for most of this season we have played 4141, not 4231.
We have only played with one pivot at holding midfield. Early in the season it was Field often with Andersen and Madsen ahead of him as the central 2 in that 4. It was a disaster for all their immobility and softness, and Fields weakness at playing it forward to feet.
We switched this up just as the good run began, where Varane went into the single pivot role and Field and Morgan fulfilled the central 2 positions in the midfield 4. Suddenly legs, tackling, energy. They made the whole system work. Field worked well wide with Saito/Chair on the left, and Morgan did likewise with on the right. Morgan was slightly more pushed on, and Field a little deeper so they weren’t a flat two and created angles in the middle. Both got forward into the box (3 goals for Field in this spell), and both tracked back.
I actually think Field was very well suited to this role because he enabled to us press well effectively and on cue. It also meant he wasn’t having to start attacks from the base of midfield.
Against Blackburn, by dropping Varane, Field went back into the role of single pivot. Morgan went into Field’s role, and Chair came in and played the furthest forward. It worked against Blackburn because a) tactically they failed to address our change and new shape, b) Chair played very well, and c) Field did actually pass the ball well from the base. But it was more open.
Against Coventry, Colback replaced Morgan. The issue was a) Chair was poor and never got in the game and gave it away when he did, b) Field played too many hopeful punts and wasn’t cultured enough, and c) when Varane came on he played in the midfield 4, whilst Field stayed at the pivot. It didn’t work. We needed him to swap with Field.
Also worth noting at half time on Tues, our midfield had not made a single tackle yet. Colback and Chair simply nowhere near as effective as Field and Morgan out of possession, but also with few chances created with it.
Having Morgan and Field as the central 2 in a 4141, with a Varane behind, allows them to press with conviction and get stuck in. Our tackle count goes up, we win the ball higher up the pitch, and we are harder to play against. If we’re being outplayed, or dominated, they can effectively drop back into a deep 3 with a low block. With Chair and Colback in this two roles (similar to Madsen and Andersen) they simply can’t press as effectively or commit to tackles without the risk of the oppo beating their press regularly and then marauding through the middle of the pitch, so they half commit.
If you’re not going to play Varane, I’d be tempted to play Colback there, tell him to sit and stay goal side and utilise his passing, and instead have Field do the running, pressing and competing.
Personally, and I might be in the minority, I think the best midfield 3 is Varane, Field, Morgan in a 4141. However, that presents the conundrum of Chair. And, I will be in the minority in saying, Chair wouldn’t start for me. The system is more important than individuals, and so he’s competing for the role wide left. On current form, Saito is playing much better, so should start. Sacrilegious, I know.
This season our performances and results correlate with our tackle count, I believe, more so than anything else. |
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Reply | Corners
at 13:26 13 Feb 2025
Does that correspond with Chair returning to the side and set piece duties? Just asking.
And yes, I know he set up Frey’s header from a dead ball last week!! |
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Reply | QPR v Fat Frank's Lady Godìva first eleven match thread
at 21:49 11 Feb 2025
It’s incredibly annoying. It’s a basic. They shouldn’t be this bad consistently. We delivered 5 woeful corners into the box in the space of 5 minutes, one from Chair and four from Paal. It borders on a lack of professionalism. |
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Reply | QPR v Fat Frank's Lady Godìva first eleven match thread
at 21:42 11 Feb 2025
Was actually 4 in a row. All dreadful. And then he let it run out for a throw rather than control it and cross it from open play.
I’m done with him. He can get in the sea. He is going through the motions. His execution is mostly poor. He’s weak in the challenge. He’s going through the motions. Yes, we’ve probably brought this on ourselves by trying to shift him on in the summer and then giving us no alternatives there, but have some professional pride.
Chair was also very poor tonight. Lost it twice in 20 seconds which led to their disallowed goal. Missed the clearance that immediately led to the double save, and created very little. He should have been subbed over Saito. His corners were also dreadful. |
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Reply | Frey
at 14:31 7 Feb 2025
Sorry, TK1, how do you know he’s on an “eye watering salary”? None of us know this, do we?
I actually assumed it was still very low. It was widely reported that last season he played for peanuts because of this prior situation at his former club. I can’t believe he had loads of suitors in the summer, so why would we have offered him a massive salary this season? |
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Reply | Frey
at 18:15 5 Feb 2025
I noticed that moment in the second half. He was ticking. Seriously fired up. I’m not sure but I think it might have stemmed from earlier in the second half someone cracked through the back of him late by the dug outs. Ref played on as we did a big switch. Frey was fuming with the ref and the defender who did it and ran from there into the box to get up with play shouting and pointing at the ref and the defender.
As a mate of mine who is a neutral said, he bounces games like he’s working at the old Walkabout.
Invaluable having some of that in your side in the Championship. |
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Reply | Frey
at 14:26 5 Feb 2025
What I like is that no team with him in it is getting bullied. |
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Reply | Madsen
at 00:24 5 Feb 2025
I think it’s horses for courses.
Frey is clearly the number 1, with the best all round game. He makes it stick, helps us get 10 yards up the pitch, is a threat in the air, and ensures the ball doesn’t come back quickly (mainly by manhandling the centre half).
Kolli is technically much better than Lloyd, although Alfie has improved a lot this season. But Kolli is less suited to playing at “9” than Lloyd, who is beginning to show he can do a job there.
At Hull Kolli started at 9 and offered little. Lloyd can on and changed the game. His pace, physicality and directness was something they couldn’t handle, but they’d contained Kolli with ease.
I think Kolli has the higher ceiling and might go further in the game, but he’s not a true 9.
If we’re really dominating a side I think Cifuentes would bring on Kolli. If it’s a bit stretched or we need to stretch the oppo, he’ll bring on Lloyd.
Either way, keeps them both keen. |
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Reply | Ronnie “ beckenbauer” Edwards
at 00:09 5 Feb 2025
Perhaps they sell him then, but I still doubt it AND we need a minimum of 2pts per game for play offs from here, let alone win the damn thing.
Slim. |
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Reply | Ronnie “ beckenbauer” Edwards
at 00:01 5 Feb 2025
Looked class tonight. Sadly cannot see how he’s ours next season. Much more likely to be lining up for Southampton against us. |
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Reply | Madsen
at 23:59 4 Feb 2025
Also worth remembering Morgan was not a Nourry/data signing. He was recommended by Bradley Allen. We signed him off the back of that on a free on a nothing salary to the EDS. Marti recognised the talent and gave him an opportunity and then when he looked good we signed him on a longer term deal.
You simply cannot consider that part of the summer recruitment process. He was also signed further back.
Oh, and you missed Santos, and Ashby, as well as Celar. [Post edited 5 Feb 0:00]
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Reply | Dunne off?
at 22:54 3 Feb 2025
Not if the line (and truth) was that contract negotiations were ongoing and in good faith.
As I have said, I think it was more us than him as to why he hadn’t re-signed. |
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Reply | Dunne off?
at 22:41 3 Feb 2025
I really hope he does extend his contract now.
I just think the club have messed this up. If the only issue holding up the extension was 3 or 4 years we should have got it done and then could have negotiated now or in the summer with a strong hand. 31 is not over the hill for a defender; he would still most likely have been useful then, in the event you never actually sold him.
Now, unless Dunne’s agent is an idiot, which I highly doubt, we will almost certainly have to pay more to extend him than we would have one month ago, and it’ll need to be his length of contract.
Oh, and Nourry also has given himself a problem. If Dunne doesn’t sign the extension and is clear he’ll walk in the summer, do we stick in the reserves to make a point to other players? Are we consistent in approach *cough, Kolli* or do we have one rule for Dunne than we might for others?
[Post edited 3 Feb 22:43]
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Reply | Dunne off?
at 22:36 3 Feb 2025
If Sheff Utd’s interest has ended now, who thinks we’re now going to extend Dunne on a confidential 4 year deal?
Failing to extend Dunne having turned down decent money for him only to see him walk on a free is going to look pretty stupid.
I wouldn’t be surprised any extension will now cost us more in wages too. Holding is only on loan, so Sheff Utd could choose to just sign Dunne on a free now in the summer. |
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Reply | Dunne off?
at 16:51 3 Feb 2025
Quite.
Especially when it sounds like our attempted replacement for Dunne is Djiksteel, who is, wait for it, 28 years old. What contract length will he want? We’ll never know. |
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Reply | Dunne off?
at 15:06 3 Feb 2025
Well, exactly. If a 5th year option is the players, we should absolutely say “no chance”. Who in their right mind would agree that?!
If it’s the club’s option, then this is just a debate about whether we want to extend 3 years or 4. I’d prefer 3, but, if he could walk for free in 5 months, and it would have given me leverage in negotiations in Jan, I would have just agreed 4 years before the turn of the year and been done with it. You can still sell him if the offer is right. And 30 or 31 for a defender isn’t over the hill. It’s prime career territory, or should be if they’ve learnt anything along the way. |
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Reply | Dunne off?
at 14:35 3 Feb 2025
Isn’t that the point? If he has no resale value at 30 or 31, what’s the difference? If that poster is correct, we offered a contract until he’s 30 (when he has no resale value) but won’t extend it a year, when he will also have no resale value.
He is still likely to be a first teamer and valuable on the pitch at 31. Cook is 33, isn’t he? We’ve had lots of defenders adding value into their 30s. So what is the exposure?
The plus 1 bit is irrelevant if on the club’s side and surely no one agrees it on the player’s side! So a 3 or 4 year deal. If that’s the only sticking point, and salary is agreed, that seems odd to die in a ditch over.
I completely agree that we if we can’t extend him we have to sell him. You can still sell them when they have extended though. [Post edited 3 Feb 14:36]
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Reply | Dunne off?
at 13:35 3 Feb 2025
I’d heard the same thing on the offer. It would end up somewhere between the two figures come end of the season.
I hadn’t heard the Dunne situation. If that is the case, I’d be interested in why we don’t move to a 4 year deal (one extra, that’s all, he’s 27, not 30 today) and have the option of a 5th on our side. Can’t be his.
If money isn’t the issue, why not agree that? We have Madsen on a 5 year deal supposedly. Centre halves at 31 are still in their prime. |
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Reply | Dunne off?
at 11:24 3 Feb 2025
No one can blame Dunne if we go.
We had either not offered him a contract (he said this, and I tend to suspect it) until now when Sheff Utd are there, too 2, waving a bigger contract and potential for Prem football. Of course, he would be tempted.
If we can get 2m for him, then that is a good return.
The only failure we have made here is not renewing him in December (or earlier) before the Sheff Utd interest ramped up. Then we’d be able to command a bigger fee now or in the summer…or he remains our player.
The difference to Austin’s, BOS, Manning, Willock, etc, is that none of them wanted to sign an extension with us at the time and ran their contracts down. I think Dunne would have renewed. It was us who weren’t the interested party…until our performances picked up with him key and we realised there was market value in him. |
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