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Comment | Varane’s red sets Rangers on road to Rovers ruin – Report
at 00:49:54
I’m becoming discouraged by the widening gap between how I imagine Marti intends us to play and the reality. We seem to have been focused on finding players to play on the turn and pass us through midfield, but with little success. Maybe he either needs to compromise with reality again and develop alternative ways to move the ball forwards quickly enough to over-stretch defences… or see if the one player who’s looked most able to do this at times, Paal, can be freed to actually play there and give Ashby a chance to use his pace and attacking instincts at full-back..? I’m hopeful that Dembele, Saito and Frey (and Chair) could be really dangerous if they receive the ball soon enough to expose defenders… Without knowing any context, I’ve been disappointed not to see Kolli given more chances so far… |
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Comment | Watch me rise up and leave, all the ashes you made out of me – Report
at 13:11:52
This so poignantly and intensely captures so much of my life’s experience. Can’t wait to read it with my now grownup son when he gets up! Who instinctively knew this was his best night ever @ Loftus Road. And I even had the curse/overwhelming thrill of winning the League Cup and shaking hands with Rodnee as my first season going to watch football IRL. When do Season Tickets go onsale? I let mine lapse last year, although ended-up hardly missing a game under Marti, but not now. |
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Comment | Blues brothers – Preview
at 12:26:33
On train through Sussex downs, trying to console ourselves that reading you're preview will go some way towards compensating for a loss..? But my optimist won't shut-up about having lots of good players now, brilliantly managed, and is teasing me with a 2-0 victory, which I seem to remember being a common 70s result..? |
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Comment | Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview
at 12:17:09
Just entertained the whole of my train carriage reading the entirety of your preview. For me, and obviously many others, the genius of your previews and reports remains huge consolation for what has happened on the pitch!!! Really, why don't you write a novel? And still we're excited about this afternoon and will feel hopeful walking up South Africa Road in a couple hours! I know; should become the new embodiment of insanity... |
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Comment | Right man. Right time? – Column
at 15:51:54
Very illuminating. I’d reluctantly given-in to the part of me that thinks going to games regularly from Hastings is too expensive to watch the sad emptiness of our recent play, which increasingly left me feeling like I’d fallen through a black hole on our fabulous train service and travelled way back in time.
Had agreed with my son to try again in the New Year… and now I’ve just bought tickets for Saturday week! If the best time to be hopeful is at the start… or even before the start (?) then I’m back on the rollercoaster… and hoping my faith that we have a nucleus of much better players than has shown recently will turn out to be true…. |
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Comment | Innnnn one - Report
at 12:21:56
Straight to the top of my best ever Clive reports! On our way to the Leicester game, though NEVER in 55 years have I felt less nervous because there's no hope left. You really should write a novel; your flights of tangental imagination are genius. |
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Comment | Colback bears gift to former club - Report
at 14:06:18
Left feeling more encouraged than disappointed… Of course I wish Colback hadn’t leapt in so recklessly… and find it hard to be too critical in light of this season’s much needed increased feistiness. Very impressed by the radical development of Dozzell, Armstrong’s skill-level and Kakay.
Strategically, I thought we adapted well to going down to 10 and, understandably, persevered with that at 1-1. Then happily surprised how we shifted the balance to at least create some threat after going behind, even though Sunderland were too good with the extra man. Interested to see O’Nien came from Wycombe!? Thought he and Clarke were outstanding. Also very impressed by Dobson’s podcast interview. |
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Comment | Dozzell's spectacular arrival drives QPR's latest Riverside wonder - Report
at 11:50:41
Love the lighthouse and Tina Turner images!
You mean you’re actually allowed to develop the skills and tactics to bring the best out of the players you’ve got, instead of buying lots of shiny new toys???
CM (as was, FM now) has a lot to answer for, alongside consuming much of my 30s. |
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Comment | A horrible new low — Report
at 09:40:29
Thanks very much, Clive, for somehow making me laugh so loud I hope nobody in hearing distance thinks I’m not working hard at the coal face.
Seems ironic (or something) that, on a fraction of their wage and status, Guildford Flames ice hockey team give a zillion times more physical and psychological commitment every game! |
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Comment | Millwall deliver more pain, and a cautionary tale to woeful QPR - Report
at 21:48:20
Unsurprisingly, I haven’t been thrilled by QPR’s recent form… and yet this report feels like it’s too coloured by your despondent mood, Clive. And I guess if I’d been to Hull and Huddersfield I might feel similarly. I saw other positive aspects of our play yesterday and feel optimistic about Tuesday and hopeful that Critchley is nurturing a better team. I thought Dozzell had a good game in his range, speed and accuracy of passing… better than any opposition player. Dieng was much better than for ages at coming for crosses. And I thought this was a real step forward for Armstrong compared with his earlier performances with much better control and vision, suggesting he could become very good for us. If you hadn’t already decided Martin was a joke, I thought most spectators might have thought he was pretty impressive and much more consistently effective than Dykes has often been. |
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Comment | Merry Christmas my R's - Preview
at 14:30:54
My 18 year old son and I have been reading to each other all your previews and match reports for over 5 years. Your inimitable humour; depth of personal insight and brilliant expression somehow seem even funnier/more moving read outloud? You’re one of the main reasons I love supporting QPR these days… re-creating the joy and sharing the desolation…
The one thing we differ on is he guesses you’re embarrassed by my emotional responses on here, while a lifetime teaching leads me to imagine any communication of appreciation might be worth saying..?
Critchley reminds me of Frank Skinner, which is all good, so really looking forward to what comes next @ Loftus Road, starting this Thursday… |
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Comment | About Friday - Report
at 22:23:34
Thanks for re-creating a totally brilliant night. The unconfined joy was amazing. Going to have to learn how to pronounce Tim’s surname, which I know shouldn’t be a thing. Is there any way we might be able to afford him if we go-up..? Reminded me of seeing Netzer for the first time. |
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Comment | QPR stun league leaders with early statement of intent - Report
at 11:20:09
Yes, her comment in your leaver’s book is so brilliant! Have you really not got at least a few buried short stories..?
Really happy with so much about us this season… as you say, the improved performances of several players speaks eloquently of how good a manager we have… and (I guess it’s not crucial…) but it’s heart-warming that he even sounds like he grew-up locally! |
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Comment | Willock and Johansen find QPR’s happy place — Report
at 13:41:38
Another bonus of such a brilliant performance is how wonderfully you re-create it in words for us... (are you really not writing a novel..? Would love to read it...) Yes, trying really hard not to get too excited by this team! Echoes of Parker's gravity-defying and Venables' strategic planning and great communication feel resonant to me too. Really appreciating everything Mick has said so far
.. |
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Comment | Me, The Auld Fella and Charlie Austin — Column
at 18:53:32
Brilliant, haunting revelation of so much feeling and experience…
Thank you so much for writing it.
And obviously so deeply resonant for so many of us.
My dad took me to a 1-1 draw against Oldham (last game of 65-6 season), even though he’d never been before… and years later said watching football with me had become the highlight of his week.
I’ve been bringing my now 18 year old son for 10 years and the intensity of shared joy when we score is incomparable. |
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Comment | It is what it is - Preview
at 21:23:26
The rawness and depth of feeling you express is one of the things I appreciate most about supporting QPR… Would hate you to anaesthetise that. I’m still hopeful because our 1st team has a lot of very good players at this level… and we might still loan in a goalscorer..? I really hope we don’t smash-up Armstrong’s potential by idealising how much he can contribute right now. |
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Comment | And then I looked up at the sun and I could see - Report
at 22:52:01
Really… one of your Greatest Hits. Can never remember being more hooked into a game; thrilled beyond words then fearing the worst for the next 53 hours! Very excited so far by Mick’s team… Even keenly anticipating The Valley tomorrow… Very much hoping we can still buy/more likely loan a striker and a right back from the edited Premier League squads.
Still very much looking forward to reading your first novel… Happy to give you a response once you’ve finished your draft… (have you really not already..?) |
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Comment | More Peterborough pain turns the natives restless - Report
at 17:39:57
So much been looking forward to reading this for some desperate consolation and expression of how mystifying the afternoon was… And it really does help that we’re in this together… I agree with nearly all you say… Would love to hear Warburton respond… My son even, despairingly, wondered, only just jokingly, if we could have Todd Kane back rather than watch another cross (???) from Adomah not look remotely like he knew who he was aiming for! I loved Austin the 1st time and Adomah’s spirit and occasional flash… but I don’t see why they should ever play for QPR again… especially as Mo’s been so good recently and has that rare, missed quality of pace. I’ve so appreciated Mark’s whole approach from the start… and now, even I ams starting to wonder if he’s too in thrall to bigger name players… and, just maybe, we could find the next coming continental genius before they become Klopp or Conte..? |
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Comment | Chair's goal coughs QPR back into life - Report
at 01:02:58
Yes, I believe you’d have been a better ref… but I guess you’d have improved the quality on show more if you’d played up front for QPR!? I don’t see why his former excellence should ever justify him playing for QPR again… Austin’s lack of mobility and skill make him a liability and disables our attempt to play forward quickly. He played more like a rugby prop today and his reaction speed makes everyone else seem dynamic by comparison. I was similarly impressed by Odubajo and Hendrick, who surely now needs to play regularly… The highlight, though, was our new 5 year old penalty-taker @ halftime… she was magnificent and the club’s initiative and crowd’s response was brilliant. |
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