 | Forum
Reply | QPR v Not Preston again Match Thread
at 17:54 21 Dec 2024
I called for this midfield 3 about 6 weeks ago. It has legs and 3 players with some positional sense.
As I posted in a different thread. The shape we play and what we’re asked to do requires serious engines in those roles.
It is why Madsen and Andersen (when they played there earlier in the season with Field deeper at ‘6’) were a complete disaster.
According to the Beeb, we won 52 duels to their 32. I’d wager a lot were from the midfield 3. That wins is the ball and gives us possession and a chance to play. |
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Reply | Preston Reflection
at 17:48 21 Dec 2024
Morgan and Field make this formation and shape work. We are playing an asymmetrical 4141 with Morgan further forward than Field, who are both ahead of Varane, who sits on his own. We’ve played this shape for a while but usually with Madsen in Morgan’s role. Early season, Field played at 6 and we had Madsen and Andersen in there ahead and it was a complete disaster.
In this shape with this personnel, Field and Morgan are the two central midfielders pushed further forward (in the 4). As such they need to have the legs to get up and down (two “8s” in old money) and the legs to get wide and create 2 on 1 situations out wide with the wingers (Saito and Smyth).
It requires a serious engine to execute this. And a lot of positional understanding/discipline to get back into shape when we lose it. I would wager both covered some serious distance today. Both were excellent. They make the whole shape work.
Smyth had an outstanding game too, it must be said. And Varane was excellent for the first hour but visibly tired.
Encouraging. |
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Reply | Ashby
at 00:52 15 Dec 2024
Ashby has been pretty poor for us; it is unarguable.
He isn’t young, and he seems incapable of playing a 10 yard pass to feet.
Paal is going through the motions.
The situation is entirely down to Nourry. It is spectacularly incompetent. |
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Reply | Tonight's highlights QPR 2 Oxford 0
at 00:25 12 Dec 2024
They have done well to stretch that out.
Has a side ever had zero highlights? Well done, Oxford. Back from whence you came. Sorry, lads. |
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Reply | Sam "Humble" Field on tonight's win
at 00:18 12 Dec 2024
He is also basically saying the new lads did not work hard enough to begin with and were a soft touch, which would be accurate. |
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Reply | Oxford Utd
at 21:58 11 Dec 2024
The worst side i have seen at this level since we returned a decade ago. Confident in that. One of the worst sides I have ever seen at this level. We were miles below par and won comfortably…and we’re us. |
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Reply | Another Injury Update
at 14:19 10 Dec 2024
It’s definitely positive if this becomes a regular thing (weekly). I’d like them to specify games players are likely to return for so the fans know who to expect in the team and can tailor their own expectations accordingly pre-kick off; helps with the atmosphere.
But this is definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully signs of a broader change in comms strategy. Let’s see.
Personally, I think they might want to be a little less earnest about this whole “Performance Department” stuff; it’s the fitness coaches, physio, and club doctor with a fancy 3rd party platform and data from the sports bras they wear. It’s ripe (and right) for p*ss taking and makes them all sound like they believe in their own importance.
Pretty sure Cifuentes and the players are responsible for the first team’s “Performance”. |
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Reply | Sam Field or no Sam Field?
at 12:36 9 Dec 2024
Conversely, the best way to start attacks is to win the ball back off the opposition. To do that you need to tackle. If you just wait for their attack to peter out with a bad shot/cross, you’re starting from your box. If you win the ball off them in open play the oppo might not be set to defend, and it’s the best time to attack. See Celar’ 2nd goal as an example.
Tackling has been our weakest suit all season. You pick the best tackler in the side. Madness not to.
Cook, JCS, and Field are the first 3 names on the team sheet when available. Those 3 played the last 10 games of last season when we picked up 19 points or whatever it was. And Field scored 4 goals in those games.
If you think not selecting Field is the solution, you’re misdiagnosing the problem. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread
at 16:51 4 Dec 2024
I’ve been ignoring them down the bottom. I think they’ll get out easily. They ballsed up sacking Rosenior and then appointing a bloke who seemed destined to fail. The temp guy is useless too. Now they can move on, I’m sure that pretty much any new appointment will help them rise up the league. |
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Reply | Jimmy D on today's game
at 13:51 3 Dec 2024
I am sure part of the reason Dunne has improved and been good at right back since Jan/Feb is because he is playing with Cook? His performances with Dickie in the previous season at centre half were often woeful. Cook improves those defenders around him whilst also doing his job competently, which is a rarity for defenders at QPR over the years.
I still think our challenges this season have been nothing really to do with Cook, JCS, Dunne or Morrison. Obviously Fox had is brain fart game and cost us 3 points. And Paal has been going through the motions a bit and got done against WBA.
The problem is the 5/6 in front of them. Field apart, that group have not made enough tackles, not competed well enough, nor tracked runners properly, often leaving the defence overrun. |
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Reply | FA cup 3rd round draw
at 09:49 2 Dec 2024
It’ll be someone like Blackburn or Peterborough. It always is. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread
at 16:46 28 Nov 2024
But surely the point is that points deductions are becoming fairly commonplace, and part of life in the Championship? You can’t remove them to make a point if they have impacted relegation/survival in prior seasons.
Personally I don’t recall anyone bandying around points totals in the high 50s to stay up last season. I recall people saying 50-53, which seems entirely reasonable.
My guess will be 46 will keep you up this year. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread
at 14:24 28 Nov 2024
Over the last 10 years you needed the following to stay up (ignoring GD)
2023/24 - 51 points
2022/23 - 45 (although Cardiff were 21st on 49)
2021/22 - 38 !! (although Reading were 21st on 41)
2020/21 - 44
2019/20 - 49
2018/19 - 41 (although Millwall were 21st on 44)
2017/18 - 42
2016/17 - 52 (although Forest were 21st and stayed up on GD (2 goals) on 51 points.
2015/16 - 41 (although Rotherham were 21st and stayed up on 49)
2014/15 - 42 (although Rotherham were 21st and stayed up on 46)
So over the last decade, you have only needed to reach 50 points twice, one of which was last year, so last season was undeniably the correct year to worry about the survival target. 7/10 years you would have stayed up with under 46 points, so less than a point per game.
Basically, usually you have to be very sh*t to get relegated. It’s quite an achievement. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread
at 14:12 28 Nov 2024
Well, I disagree. Last year there was just logic in forecasting a high amount needed to survive.
This year? Looking at the league, it would not surprise me if it could be a year where you stay up on a low total like 44. |
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