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Comment | Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column
at 01:55:44
Your whole article says in fact in hindsight Les Ferdinand wasn’t the man for the job.
He was meant to lead and ensure that the catalogue of mistakes you list didn’t happen.
Of course that is ultimately the board’s fault. They appointed and kept him despite showing a lack of faith in his ability. |
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Comment | Terriers steamroller woeful Rangers — Report
at 11:14:22
What I watched did not tally with your report, Clive. The guys that analyse matches dispassionately say Huddersfield created one good chance. The next best was a 13% effort. I accept your reports here are intended for entertainment rather than accuracy. That's what the punters seem to want. As for you hoping the opposition score more to emphasise their superiority. That's just awful. When I think so little of my team I'll give up. Which in 50+ years hasn't happened yet.
We had a stinker because we created next to nothing. Why? Is the interesting question. The BBC picked out this from Warburton's comments
"Today was a really bad day at the office for us.
"We were second best at everything and Huddersfield deserved the points.
"I can't explain the performance to be honest. We were so off the pace. We were below par and we lost duels all over - almost to a man."
He didn't duck the question. What more could he say? He is the intelligent calm type, which for me is a huge advantage in the situation we are in of keeping the ship afloat while steadily developing young players and playing a style which is shown to work best when/if we ever get promoted. Piling fan pressure on him can only have a negative consequences.
Does the Huddersfield game worry me. No. Because I watched the Brentford and Bristol City games and the performances were well up to mid div standard, and we seem to have enough goals in us to win at least some matches.
I cannot see that the anxiety your sort of report promotes does anyone any good. Clearly a lot of people agree with you, panic at each and every setback, but that doesn't make them right.
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Comment | Terriers steamroller woeful Rangers — Report
at 22:56:04
I only saw the Sky highlights. There weren't many. Expected goals came out at 1.02 v 0.23. Huddersfield only had two goal attempts rated better than 10% chances. This idea that we should have been thrashed 5 or 6-nil is sheer fantasy.
I can understand the disappointment that we created so little but this idea that we would have been thrashed 5 or 6-nil but for Dieng is sheer fantasy. |
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Comment | Terriers steamroller woeful Rangers — Report
at 21:12:55
E15Hoop: I don't recognise Championship football from how you describe it.
7pts from 5 games in November. 3 away. Two wins against weaker teams. Two defeats to stronger teams. A draw against one of the strongest teams. All about par for a lower mid div team.
Arguably an unlucky 2-1 against one of the stronger teams in midweek when I thought we were just the better side (Infogol Expected Goals 2.93 v 1.93).
Most teams throw in a stinker once in a while. That performance against Huddersfield was certainly a stinker mainly because we conceded early and created so little. How much relevance does it have for the Millwall game and the future, I would suggest next to none.
Huddersfield are good on the break and strong at attacking down the wings (see WhoScored). Same as Coventry, another team we did poorly against. Against Bournemouth, Watford, Brentford and Bristol City we played well. So zero reason to go OTT with negativity. We are good against some teams and poor against others.
What we don't need is exagerration and panic. Clive is a journalist. He is addicted to exaggeration. It seems to suit the vocal majority that post here. I am sure the silent majority have seen it all before and know that it was just one bad day at the office.
Disappointing but nothing to get angry about. |
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Comment | Could the last one out... - Preview
at 10:56:42
If you regard professional football as firstly an entertainment, and only secondly a fight for points, then yet another manically depressing piece (it's all you do) is not necessary.
This QPR team is the most watchable we have had since Adel strutted his stuff. We have retained the players that make it entertaining.
For years you have been complaining of bloated squads full of unwanted players previous managers signed. Thanks to the sensible decisions over less than a year that is done with. However for you we always seem to have too many players or too few.
Only up front are we short. Which is a shame, but in my opinion Bristol City may find themselves with the Nakhi Wells we had in 2018/19 rather than our 2020 version. Hugill maybe a marginally less effective scorer than Wells but for my money he is more entertaining.
Actually I am thinking of buying season tickets again, for the first time since Jimmy Floyd and Holloway destroyed the pleasure.
We are at last on the right track and it's more fun to watch.
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Comment | Focusing on the league - Preview
at 11:14:02
Putting a different slant on it I would expect the last thing any Championship manager would want is to arrive at the first week in March having to play an unnecessary game against the second best team in Europe, to have to put out my best team though they are knackered after 7 matches in the shortest month, only to get a 6-0 drubbing with the risk of injuries high.
That when I am trying to build momentum in the League, get as close to the play-offs as possible and attract better players to the club.
We saw last year what the cup did for McClaren. Brief praise, the inevitable loss of League form and then the sack. |
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Comment | Pressure building as QPR hunt elusive away win — full match preview
at 10:05:29
That's a panicky piece for someone telling everyone else not to panic. You could call it "a journalistic display of breathtaking incompetence".
It's a modern trend to speak of anyone whose decision didn't bring the desired result as if they are a mindless idiot. The fact is that the SWP, Granero, Faurlin, Park combination worked OK against Man City, Chelsea and Spurs and even brought some OTT glowing compliments. Hughes had a dilemma. Should he stick with that combo and hope to build a settled unit, or react to what he knew lay in wait with West Ham and make yet more changes on top of those that have been forced by injuries. For all we know that was a close call.
Important in that decision would have been a wish to use Cisse. Some may try to dismiss Cisse's contribution but 7 goals in 11 starts is hard to overlook. If Cisse had been left out there would have been just as many calling Hughes a mindless idiot for that decision.
"....a managerial display of breathtaking incompetence". Don't a silly. He just got it wrong for entirely understandable reasons. |
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Comment | Allardyce Hammers Hughes on grim night in W12 — full match report
at 13:11:09
Good report. Thanks.
If Samba had been on from the start and sent off after 18 minutes (highly likely) leaving us with 10 men for 80% of the game Hughes would probably have been blamed for that one too. The fact is that he (wrongly) placed his faith in SWP, Park, Faurlin and Granero, the four who played Spurs, and they let him down. The only one who came out with any credit was Ali. If you were harsh you could say that Granero ended up mainly hiding, and doesn't deserve your 5.
This adds a bit on the stats side -
http://www.eplindex.com/19758/qpr-west-ham-tactical-analysis.html/2 |
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Comment | Hostility and handshakes, QPR and Chelsea prepare for round four — full match preview
at 11:36:09
Why anyone would think that a team of strangers is going to stand much chance against the Champions League winners I don't know. But a season ago the fickle finger of fate guided us to a fluke result so who knows.
Thanks to an off-duty policeman interfering and an easily persuaded magistrate we are where we are on the other stuff.
Terry was acquitted on 13th July.
The FA charged him on 27th July.
The hearing date is on 24th September because the FA know it is necessary to get specialist lawyers on that panel.
If you are criticising the FA on this it is only because you criticise them on everything else and like to be consistent.
For some reason this makes me laugh
@TwopTwips
JOHN TERRY. Prevent lip readers from accusing you of making racist remarks by concealing your mouth in a pointy white hood. (via @timcore)
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Comment | QPR lucky to claim first point from Norwich draw — full match report
at 10:03:38
Hughes showed with Diakite last season that he wants the player to take responsibility for not stretching the referee's patience too far. So he would have been reluctant to take Clint Hill off, as he was reluctant to take Diakite off. In principle it's good management to place the responsibility on the player and try to keep them on the pitch, though it's a risk |
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Comment | QPR lucky to claim first point from Norwich draw — full match report
at 22:24:06
Fair conclusions imo. I only saw it on the Sky 1 hour highlights but we had improved little from the Swansea game.
It took best part of 12 weeks Jan-March for Hughes to build an effective team from the mottley arrivals of the last two transfer windows. So it will be no surprise to see him experimenting and reaching no obvious conclusion before November with this lot. As long as Fernandes doesn't freak out I wouldn't really worry about that. The high turnover of players was one of the reasons I had low expectations for the first half of this season. All we really needed was a better CB, a holding midfielder and if necessary a Kenny replacement. Like you say, a load of trinkets turned up. Lets hope they look good by Christmas. |
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Comment | Connolly cuts his QPR losses leaving potential unfulfilled
at 08:07:40
All true. Though I have never been a great fan of Matthew Connolly because I could never see the skill and presence on the ball going anywhere, but as you say that is probably the clubs fault as much as Matt's. I would like to think that players would take their careers into their own hands but that may be easier said than done. Certainly Matt and Kaspers seemed to get little positive assistance to build their promising partnership from Magilton and Warnock.
I have got to the point where I cringe with every new rumour and signing however good the player and successful their career. I know that the players can only go backwards with us, with the current madness for hiring a new bunch every transfer window. Please somebody stop the carousel and start building a team. Please. |
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Comment | QPR’s summer of optimism blown apart for super soaraway Swans — full match report
at 10:08:32
Invariably a mistake to jump to conclusions on the basis of one match.
This team is at least a couple of months from settling down properly and you don't improve a defence by keep changing it. Those two lessons have been spelt out to us over and over again in the last few seasons but apparently still haven't sunk in with some of our support.
I reckon that Mark Hughes will accept that he made some poor decisions in the way he set the team up to play Swansea and whatever plan the team came out with in the second half was a spectacular failure. Maybe longer term ideas and Zamora not being fully fit led him down that path. Who knows?
Rob Green is a goalie who it is hard to like. His 'look' and body language do not inspire confidence and when he can't keep a routine one out of the net the heart sinks. But whatever we think now West Ham supporters are in no doubt he was a good PL keeper for them over several seasons and I am sure, if we bite our tongues, cross our fingers and summon up the patience of a saint he will do an equally good job for us. That's some if. |
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Comment | Ji-Sung Park coup accelerates QPR brand building
at 08:40:57
Apologies for adding to the doubts but... My earlier comments were based on what I saw and thought of Park in the second half of last season. With so many people thinking Park is a great signing I delved a bit deeper.
Park played in only one of United's final ten matches. In the key loss to Man City.
The BBC's comment was "Park's contribution had been minimal and it was no surprise when he was the first player sacrificed by Ferguson before the hour, as he chose to give United more offensive options by introducing Welbeck".
Park didn't play in the other nine games but was an unused substitute seven times. This during that vital part of the season which included the loss to Wigan and that 4-4 draw with Everton. Not a time to be leaving a useful player on the bench.
The idea that Park was still Ferguson's 'go-to' player is sadly a very long way from the truth.
I think Park is with us to sell shirts and to promote the brand in Asia. If he contributes a great deal to us on the pitch that will be a bonus. I wouldn't be raising your hopes. |
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Comment | Can QPR summon spirit of Holloway’s cast offs for Stoke visit? History
at 11:12:09
YouRs
I'm just accepting the possibility that Bolton and Blackburn might be as bad in the last two games as they have been for most of the season. We are not out of the bottom three because of the grace of God, we are out of the bottom three because there have been three worse teams than us.
In which case 34 points and a better GD may be enough. As it has been in 5 of the last 8 seasons. |
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Comment | Can QPR summon spirit of Holloway’s cast offs for Stoke visit? History
at 08:56:35
You may be right. Though the 'must win' mindset has never made much sense to me. Over and over again message board posters have worked themselves into a 'must win' frenzy only for us to lose, panic to ensue, followed by later realisation that things aren't that bad, we're still in 17th place.
In fact all we have to do is to at least match Bolton and keep Blackburn at bay.
It's quite possible that Bolton will lose both of their remaining games. They've already had four tough matches in 11 days. Last night after a 15 minute rally they had nothing left. Spurs didn't play well, they didn't have to. Bolton used the Muamba trump card, with limited effect. No sustained emotional boost this time.
We may have already reached the finishing line and only have to flop over it. Time will tell.
Like many Rsss fans I'm nervous as a kitten and a win on Sunday would be a huge step, but 'simply have to win'. Not true.
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Comment | Liverpool caught in QPR’s Wednesday night lights — full match report
at 01:04:15
Poetic and entertaining. You are steadily turning into Stuart Hall.
How I enjoyed those It's A Knockout TV nights played out in small Italian town piazzas under bright floodlights. Huge cartoon wobbly men laid waste by unhinged Malian wrecking balls.
Did you go to the match? |
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Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 270 | | Comment Votes: | 1 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 271 |
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