| The spine is there, the rest is not working 17:03 - Sep 21 with 1550 views | Hunterhoop |
We appear hard to beat.
Performance down the spine are strong:
Nardi
JCS & Cook
Field
Frey
They are all playing well. They are doing their job.
The rest is not right, and frankly Cifuentes needs to work it out.
We tried to play out the same way for 90 mins today with zero success. We did not create a chance from playing out from the back and rarely even broke the half way line. Pragmatism might be required.
Our “ballers” need to uo their game. Madsen is coasting and half asleep off the ball. Andersen is way below his level. Dembele had a great assist but offered little else. Smyth’s end product continues to be poor. Lloyd is green. Saito was good today but he blows hot and cold. Even Varane came on and was rolled twice in midfield being the wrong side.
A lot do the squad needs to seriously step up. They are performing below their known ability or expectation. We were far too static today and far too cautious on the ball. And that wasn’t on Field or the centre halves. Our ball players were not finding space to receive it. They simply did not do their jobs. And off the ball they were abysmal.
Cifuentes has not worked out our best team yet. But the spine is there…
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| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 17:07 - Sep 21 with 1493 views | mart_Goblin |
It feels like everything is on hold until Chair returns .
Like, until he’s back, we won’t know the way this team fits together.
One or 2 not fitting in or playing well enough . Of course it will take time but they should be moulding together better than they are |  | | |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 17:27 - Sep 21 with 1317 views | Antti_Heinola |
Couldn’t make the game today but sounds like similar issues to the whole season. I’m not too worried though. We haven’t lost since the opening day and have shown character and work ethic in every match. Not clicking and a bit ponderous, but these things are a bit easier to improve. Its really a new team out there and we’ve been competitive in all games, against some difficult opposition, particularly away.
As Simmo said on the pod we need to recognise all this and trust the squad will develop. Varane has his best game by miles on tuesday. Frey has improved dramatically. We could do with some clean sheets but as Hunter says the spine is decent. It’ll be slow but I think we’ll see progress. |  |
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| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 17:53 - Sep 21 with 1153 views | baz_qpr |
I thought today was a classic 12:30 on Saturday performance. We lacked intensity, the crowd lack intensity. We can't high press against a team that goes long all the time either.
I thought the inversion of Paal into Centre Midfield 1st half to give us an extra attacker worked against us, the ball stuck in the middle of the park going between the defence and the defensive midfield with 5 fairly static players in front of them with no space to work made it difficult Millwall on the other hand whilst direct were pulling our defence all over the place (especially on transition) and ultimately our goal came from the one time we broke from deep with space for Dembele to run into.
I would also say with Madsen, Anderson, Dembele and Saito you had 4 quite passive players all technicians in a game where we need to win the right to play, and none of those really looking to get in behind always coming deep so we became predictable.
2nd half the subs actually made us worse, neither Smyth or Lloyd got into the game at all. Neither managed to stretch them and both Varane and Field were then too deep.
tbh we did well to come away with a draw at half time I thought this was a game we would lose.
We need to play to our strengths and that has to be working out ways to get Dembele and Saito/Chair/Smyth into space to run ahead of them. We are at our best as well when we mix it up a bit more, far too predictable today.
Having said all that Anderson, Dunne and Smyth had particularly poor performances.
Frey MOTM by a country mile, great goal well taken |  | | |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 17:58 - Sep 21 with 1118 views | SimonJames |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 17:27 - Sep 21 by Antti_Heinola |
Couldn’t make the game today but sounds like similar issues to the whole season. I’m not too worried though. We haven’t lost since the opening day and have shown character and work ethic in every match. Not clicking and a bit ponderous, but these things are a bit easier to improve. Its really a new team out there and we’ve been competitive in all games, against some difficult opposition, particularly away.
As Simmo said on the pod we need to recognise all this and trust the squad will develop. Varane has his best game by miles on tuesday. Frey has improved dramatically. We could do with some clean sheets but as Hunter says the spine is decent. It’ll be slow but I think we’ll see progress. |
We haven't lost since the opening day, but all of the teams above us from 7-13 have lost at least two games.
We are hard to beat, but when are we going to look like a team that wins games? |  |
| 100% of people who drink water will die. |
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| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 18:01 - Sep 21 with 1108 views | WadR |
Wholeheartedly agree with nearly all of this.
However, while I'm not calling for him to be dropped or calling him bad, I thought Field was really poor today and the central midfield was the biggest problem we had today. He was caught in possession multiple times including in the phase just before our equaliser where they could've made it two nil. 64% pass completion! Only 3 long balls so it wasn't even a case of bravely trying probing or direct passes.
And one excellent vintage block in the second half aside, I thought he was unusually off the boil out of possession. Got his feet in a mess to give up that free kick in the second half.
Agree we were far too static but think Dembele made some really intelligent runs and was always offering for the ball. He also matched Watmore, sprinting back 60/70 yards in the second half - so put in his fair share of graft. |  | | |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 18:24 - Sep 21 with 978 views | Pdog |
I'd like to see Santos or Ashby given a run at RB to give some more balance, threat, energy and options going forward.
As much as i love Jimmy, a fine stand-in job and great backs-to-the-wall option, it's never quite looked natural. |  | | |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 18:46 - Sep 21 with 868 views | WatfordR |
The points about being static and too cautious are key. While the back four are trying to play out, look beyond them and our lot are often just stood watching. It's no wonder the back four look cautious. The midfielders have simply got to move the opposition around and look to create space for others. That's not just a problem today but for a number of seasons imo.
On the plus side, I thought our goal was absolutely the best thing about the game today, quality from Dembele, Saito and Frey, the sort of goal I can't remember us scoring for a very long time. Frey's movement and finish were just top drawer.
Like a few others on here, I feel this season will all be about how we finsih, not how we start. |  | | |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 19:37 - Sep 21 with 696 views | Spaceman_P |
what's the deal with the 12:30 slump at loftus road? it's like we as fans collectively become a morgue.
We were buzzing last year, away support even this year has been brilliant.... but at home especially at 12:30.... it's like a wake. |  | | |
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| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 20:28 - Sep 21 with 527 views | Hunterhoop |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 18:46 - Sep 21 by WatfordR |
The points about being static and too cautious are key. While the back four are trying to play out, look beyond them and our lot are often just stood watching. It's no wonder the back four look cautious. The midfielders have simply got to move the opposition around and look to create space for others. That's not just a problem today but for a number of seasons imo.
On the plus side, I thought our goal was absolutely the best thing about the game today, quality from Dembele, Saito and Frey, the sort of goal I can't remember us scoring for a very long time. Frey's movement and finish were just top drawer.
Like a few others on here, I feel this season will all be about how we finsih, not how we start. |
Frey looks like a top all round number 9. Hold up play strong. Won’t get bullied. A threat from crosses and in behind. He’s not great at anything but he is good at a lot. We might have found our main man up top though. Crowd definitely warming to him. | | | |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 20:38 - Sep 21 with 480 views | stainrods_elbow |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 18:24 - Sep 21 by Pdog |
I'd like to see Santos or Ashby given a run at RB to give some more balance, threat, energy and options going forward.
As much as i love Jimmy, a fine stand-in job and great backs-to-the-wall option, it's never quite looked natural. |
Think I'd agree with that, as Santos is improving and clearly likes to get forward. I can foresee Smyth operating well with him on that side, with Saito working the other flank. |  |
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| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 20:41 - Sep 21 with 475 views | Rangersw12 |
Wise words...... | | | |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 20:45 - Sep 21 with 443 views | QPunkR |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 17:58 - Sep 21 by SimonJames |
We haven't lost since the opening day, but all of the teams above us from 7-13 have lost at least two games.
We are hard to beat, but when are we going to look like a team that wins games? |
Exactly that. We haven't looked like a winning team for about 80+% of the season so far. Very lackadaisical |  |
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| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 20:56 - Sep 21 with 404 views | bosh67 |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 20:45 - Sep 21 by QPunkR |
Exactly that. We haven't looked like a winning team for about 80+% of the season so far. Very lackadaisical |
Yet we don't lose matches from losing positions. Let's not forget that. In fact we don't lose many games at all. |  |
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| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 21:19 - Sep 21 with 331 views | Antti_Heinola |
| The spine is there, the rest is not working on 20:45 - Sep 21 by QPunkR |
Exactly that. We haven't looked like a winning team for about 80+% of the season so far. Very lackadaisical |
lackadaisical is very harsh imo. lacking determination or enthusiasm? i'm not getting that, at all. Quite the opposite, considering we've come from behind in almost every game this season. | |
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