Antti Heinola provides his usual six talking points from Griffin Park where QPR surrendered a solid first half to an insipid second and slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Brentford.
I feel for our Head coach a bit. With a defence not only unable to keep clean sheets but unable to even keep a clean sheet for half a match, he finally made us more sensible and more compact. Two clean sheets resulted and a bit of stability achieved.
But Brentford was always going to be a different story. A team desperate to beat us, a great atmosphere, a nearly-London derby, an opposition with pace and attacking intent. But for the first half, things largely went to plan. Brentford played some nice stuff, but never really penetrated; their only chance came with a characteristic fumble from Rob Green.
Meanwhile, it took us a long time to become an attacking threat, but finally, in the last 10-15 minutes of the half, we did. Matt Phillips got a bit stronger, Jay Emmanuel Thomas was involved, Daniel Toszer was winning the ball nice and high. And most importantly, Massimo Luongo was buzzing around to great effect. To hit the bar and the post in such quick succession was nothing but bad luck. Had one gone in and we had been 1-0 up at half time, it would not have been pretty, but it would have been extremely effective and another step forward in making us a tougher, uglier proposition. But it was not to be, and we paid for it after the break.
We weren't unlucky to lose, far from it, but the first half was decent if uninspiring and we really should have been a goal up at the break. We weren't, Brentford capitalised, and no matter what Ramsey did, we never looked like getting back in the game. He now faces a real challenge to try and knit together a more pragmatic approach while still making us dangerous going forward.
After Brentford scored, this was where the game was truly lost. On 75 minutes, I started counting. We did not, unless I missed it, manage more than one accurate pass in a row from then until the final whistle. That is devastatingly rubbish. Especially for a team that has shown at times this season that they can put some very good passing moves together.
We didn't just fail to threaten, we failed to threaten to threaten. Brentford played very, very well after the goal, but poor Charlie Austin and Emmanuel-Thomas were left as little more than bystanders as the rest of the side failed to even get the ball into the box, or provide them with a pass that was a bit better than a 50-50.
Ramsey did try - he switched to a 4-4-2 for the first time this season, but it had no effect - in fact, it probably had an adverse effect, because we were even less threatening than we had been before. Junior Hoilett was never in the game. Austin looked keen, then willing, then downcast. Toszer summed it up with a trademark shank from distance right at the end. Where are those incredible long-range mortars his YouTube video promised us?
On this occasion, Ramsey changed things and changed them early. But nothing happened at all. A real lack of belief there, as if everyone was waiting for Phillips, JET or Austin to save us with something incredible, rather than trying as a collective to dig themselves out of a hole.
And this is related to the above really. While Ramsey gets plenty of deserved stick, I still think the majority of the signings have been decent - especially the headline ones. And I really like Luongo. For me, the reason things got worse when he went off (and I understand why he took him off to get Hoilett on the left wing) was that he is so key to the way we try to play. While Chery can drift out of games and Phillips blows hot and cold, Luongo constantly looks for the ball, constantly shows for it, and usually uses it intelligently. I'd still like to see him played further back and to have him dictate our play a little more.
Once he was withdrawn that link between forwards and defensive midfield disappeared. JET and Austin were more isolated, not less. Toszer frequently had few decent options ahead of him. That ability to knit play together was gone. I appreciate it's early in his career still, but we have to find a way to use him to the best of his abilities. At the moment he's shoe-horned a bit into that position, and seems to be first option to be subbed, regardless of how well he's playing.
Long throws, apart from when Delap was doing them at Stoke, are the most overrated 'weapon' in the whole of football, ever. Fairly easy to defend, especially if you're expecting them; very difficult to score from because they usually drop short. Our constant use of this as almost our best hope is starting to grate. That our only in-form scorer is taking them makes it even worse. Abandon this crappy nonsense, now.
But even apart from defending, Phillips could do with more of a hand down that side, someone who might overlap a bit. Onuoha does his best to get up behind him, but as we've always said, he's not a right back - well, not as a long term option. As a quick stop-gap for a game or two, he's adequate enough. But we need more there. Not sure how this is going to change, though. At the moment, if we're going to be mid-table and win as many as we lose, we might as well play Furlong there and try and integrate him into the team, and tolerate his mistakes as he learns.
Body language did not good from Leslie up in the stand. I don't like reading too much into things like that, but he (understandably) did not look happy at all. Was that because Warnock has been forced on him? Or because Warnock was phoning down to the bench and giving advice Les didn't agree with? Or because he wants Ramsey to be given a free hand and find his own way? Does he just not want to be sitting with Warnock? Is he worried about his own position? Or is he starting to think that he may have to replace his mate and, possibly, fall on his own sword?
All very depressing.
No. 2in an occasional series: Players You Hadn't Thought About For Ages: Steve Lynex.
Pictures: Action Images