By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
I found Tony Incenzos blog on the abandoned Forest Milk Cup game game in November 85: coldest November night in London for 17 years….Yup, I recall my frozen feet, as I stamped to keep warm. https://www.888sport.com/blog/floodlight-failure-at-qpr-1985.
… and here is the link for the Jan 85 game ( “ the only game in London” - everything else snowed off) :
Jim Smiths side. I really liked that team. ( There was also a Boxing Day fixture v Spurs in 1978 which also ended 2-2).
The only London game: that was against Spurs . Bannister scored . I think Falco was playing for them. It was either a draw or we just edged it, I think the former. 1980s
There was an evening game in freezing weather at Loftus Road in the 80s when the lights failed and I think was abandoned - not sure. Freezing in the Ellerslie Road stand. .
Great report, thanks. Really depressing performance. I thought the tactics and formation didn’t suit and Cifuentes inflexibility sometimes worries me. If any game needed 3 CBs - 5 at the back it was this one. We know how Swansea play they are vulnerable to the old fashioned stuff, yes almost a little bit of Ainsworth …This was not a time to play a build from the back possession game.Frey should have started., Maybe even Frey and Kolli ( slightly deeper ). Compressed mid field. Yes I know it’s easy to be an armchair manager but you could see from the very beginning that our set up and tactics weren’t suited. I’m not sure that Fox was any worse than anyone else: we just couldn’t cope with their passing and movement. Possession stats are meaningful specially when 83%-17% - but this was never going to be a game where we dominated possession.
So…Reginald Christie, who murdered at least 6 people ( including his wife, Ethel) and lived at 10 Rillington Place W12( the road no longer exists; replaced by Bartle Road,near Ladbroke Grove) was found, when arrested in 1953, with a QPR badge in his inside pocket plus “ the tobacco tin in which he collected clumps of women’s pubic hair “ ( revolting; I kid you not: there’s a new book out about the murders). It appears he was a regular at home games . Any other notable villains in this category ( I mean Rs supporters, not tobacco tin collectors…)?
There must be more to Celar…surely? Totally, completely, utterly ineffectual. I found myself feeling sorry for him- just out of his depth. He’s not impressed in any game so far- his positioning, his anticipation, his running on and off the ball ( well maybe once…) , his control. Did he have a shot at goal on Tuesday? No presence.. No aggression .Maybe if he did something that got him booked, I’d warm to him. At least with Dykes, even when he wasn’t playing well, he was big and an asset when taking and defending corners. Celar hasn’t got the physical presence - well he isn’t that sort of player - the question is what sort of player is he? We had quite a small team ( in height terms) , without Frey and Madsen noticeable when taking and defending corners . There must have been something impressive about Celar for us to get him. Or was this faulty analysis by duff data driven software? Good to see Anderson having a decent part-game. Saito showed he can perform for 90 minutes. Chair is nowhere near his for towards the end of last season. Found myself thinking of the Jim Smith QPR sides- when did sweeepers go out of fashion?
It’s been worse in the time I’ve been supporting QPR. Alan Mullery’s tenure, the farcical period before Warnock was first appointed are just two. We’ve lost 4 games in a row and haven’t won at home this season. However…Dembele and Saito are good signings. I agree that Celar has been hugely disappointing so far. Madsen is a bit of an enigma ( which means I don’t have a fuxxxng clue how he’s going to turn out. Maybe he’ll turn out to be a Mike Fillery type or maybe even a John Gregory - dream on…). It’s still better than it was this time last season. There was no hope under Ainsworth and you could sense he’d lost the players. That doesn’t appear to be the case now. So , alright maybe a trifle rose tinted, I think this will be turned around.
I think that’s right. As a lone striker he doesn’t look comfortable. I’m not familiar with his pre QPR career and what brought the best out of him. His anticipation and positioning suggests he’s still adjusting to the English game generally and the Championship specifically. Maybe the lad will come good.
Great report. Captures the moment. I’ll just savour this. I’d forgotten that such a performance was possible. It’s too early to think about next season.A lot can happen. I’m going to keep the optimism bottled up. For now I’ll settle for the safety that’s been achieved. Huge achievement.
We are 50.0 on Betfair ( Hudds 1.16,Brum 1.85, SW 2.Ply 7.8, Bburn 8.8, Stoke 70.0). I think we are overpriced at 50.0 and if I wasn’t emotionally involved I would take that price. 250/1 is crazy
The premature articulation from many that “ we are safe now” is….err, premature and possibly shows that many Rs supporters can’t add up. We are not out of the shit yet. We need more points , two would do for me , although three would be gilt edged, but my optimism doesn’t run that far. Wednesday appear to in good shape and Birmingham can be unpredictable. Blackburn and Plymouth are too close to us. At this stage of the season, strange things happen. I’m not relaxed, in fact I’m still stressed , wary, apprehensive and very grateful for the Preston keeper.
Yes Chair, Anderson & Willock together does come across as less than the sum of its parts, with a predictable routine of short passes , followed by more short passes at the edge the box…just felt very ponderous . I guess with Willock being below his best - that Chair - Willock linkup in so many of the early Beale games last season is a distant memory. I feel Willock is so much better when he cuts inside and he looks quite isolated for large periods being so wide. We lack a player like Amos who was good breaking from MF and capitalising on the short passes routines - maybe Hodge could play that role. The short passes are good and accurate but progress from these at home is slow and ponderous. Maybe that’s one the differences from playing away : we seem less ponderous away from home, playing on the break. It was very noticeable that SW central midfield functioned better than ours - Hayden’s worst game. It is a funny game because if we’d taken our chances we’d be commenting differently, more positively. But there’s evidence now that just as we win away typically as a counterattacking team with less possession, that is also how we are undone at Loftus Road by away teams.
I agree that we were a bit disappointing yesterday ( but that partly is a result of higher expectations). We are definitely much better now in roles, shape and anticipation when not in possession, but too ponderous, too slow, sometimes in the transition Away from home against over committed sides, breaking through probably easier than at home. I’d like to see Hodge get more time Although he can’t really be blamed for Bacunas goal, Begovic is becoming a serious liability and does not radiate confidence and that can be catching.
Looking at our record since Marti took over, If we average points per game, it’s 35 over 25 games or 1.4 points per game. On that basis we would have 54.6 points ( rather than 43) after 39 games which would make us 10th ( where Middlesbrough currently sit…) and long shots for the playoffs. So ( deep breath…) assuming we are now going to be safe this season ( I think we need 53 points to be absolutely sure and if we maintain the current points per game ratio we should get there) we only need marginal changes to the squad to become a promotion chasing side. Impressed by Bacuna yesterday - he stood out in an otherwise poor Birmingham side. Good role model for Armstrong who was surprisingly disappointing ( well…apart from playing a part in setting up THAT goal…) Should Marti play Anderson, Chair and Willpck together - all players who want a lot of the ball? I’m not sure. I guess a good problem for a manager to have.
Since Marti took over our record ( in the league) is as follows:
Home W4, D4,L3 ; 11 games, 16 pts ( = 1.45 pts per game) Away W4, D2, L4; 10 games, 14 pts ( = 1.4 pts per game) So averaging out at 1.428 pts per game.
If we’d averaged that from the beginning of the season ; ie 35 games so far, we would have had 50 points ( ok 49.98…) . Probably 10th in the table, just a few points off the play offs.
More to the point, if we maintain this average of 1.428 pts per game, we should end up with 53 or 54 points at the end of the season, which I guess would mean not only safety but a reasonably respectable 16th or 17th ( as a reminder last season we ended up 20th with 50 pts).
So… it’s all Les’ fault that we lost to Luton? What a load of crap you write : I understand and share the frustration but this kind of “ fan from the heart …bullshit” is such bollocks although sadly inevitable. Fernandez screwed up badly in the Redknapp and pre Redknapp period. We are still paying the price for that. Les’ appointment brought some stability to the club. He’s doesn’t get everything right but overall he is an asset. I also like the fact that he’s intelligent and speaks his mind.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
