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Reply | Marti, stick or twist?
at 22:26 23 Apr 2025
What the fck is he still doing here btw?? His job was finance, something he was brought on for initially and personally I thought did a good and sensible job of, why is he still here doing something different or being involved in the football side of things at all? |
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Reply | Marti, stick or twist?
at 20:32 23 Apr 2025
People in the club starting to talk and protecting their own positions now we're at the end of the season and decisions are to be made is not new, or unique to QPR. The Les, Lee, Ramsey fallout was only a few years ago and shít got leaked all over.
I agree this article doesn't say much we don't already know based on the WLS post match interview from Monday, but I think these whispers have been building for a while and people aren't happy - that usually ends with change somewhere... |
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Reply | More injuries and home woes for QPR against form Swans – Report
at 18:12 23 Apr 2025
Wins it back and keeps it simple, that's his job and he's one of the best in the team at doing it right now. But maintaining possession doesn't make you 'good' at passing unless a chunk of those passes are going forward and/or creating chances, otherwise it makes you good at not losing the ball (a good trait, but not the same thing).
Again I'm not digging Colback out for what he's not good at, because he's great at the main part of his job, but if you were to list Colbacks 5 best attributes, passing wouldn't be one of them. Field is the same btw, except he's 10 years younger and plays double the amount of games.
Ultimately I think if Colback were given another year on reduced wages with the expectation to add depth and be a good example to younger players, I'd 100% take that. But if it's to remain a top earner and start games, I'd rather we thank him and move on. |
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Reply | More injuries and home woes for QPR against form Swans – Report
at 16:00 23 Apr 2025
Not to turn this into a Colback thread and there will be end of season assessments to come, but a few things to consider.
1) Colback looks fresh recently, but you might expect that for a player that missed half the season and is playing for a new deal. Think he's done 20 odd games this season, similar to last year in terms of availability.
2) His best attributes are out of possession. He's not esp good passing or scoring, etc. He's very good at other things - particularly getting around the pitch to nuisance - but that requires fitness, athleticism and legs, all of which will diminish.
3) Let's not forget Johansen, he looked arguably better than Colback in the season before his extension, and we saw what an expensive mistake that turned out to be. I hope that lesson is one of the reasons we didn't pursue Hayden and instead signed a work in progress replacement with Varane.
Overall I agree Colback has been decent for the 50 odd games he's been available these last few years, and has shown up in patches and given us a bit of what we're lacking elsewhere. I also think his abilities and play style are relatively unique to our squad and midfield and need to be replaced next season, but do we really expect a 36 year old body - backed up by our medical team no less - to suddenly be able to maintain recent selection & performance levels in the slog of a championship? If you think he's good enough to start next season, are you happy to pay him even though he's likely going to miss half the season?
Overall I think it's fair to admit both sides, he's been important and fulfilled the remit of his contract, and that there's now an opportunity to shake hands and find a similar profile that would cost less and be more reliable. [Post edited 23 Apr 16:01]
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Reply | Swansea Reflection
at 01:28 22 Apr 2025
When you look at some of the 11's we've had to start or end games with this season, I don't think remarkable is an exaggeration. Those missing just today would represent 8 or 9 starters, yet we were still competitive.
I think we can concede that there's been a few times this season Marti was probing ideals over pragmatism which might have cost us, and similarly is guilty of slow changes like any manager, but we've had no decent striker all season - fit or not - but this is also the year we've shared goals around more than any other. I personally think the difference between us and Sheff Wens over the bottom 6/7 this season are very good managers, nothing else. [Post edited 22 Apr 15:05]
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Reply | Swansea Reflection
at 22:55 21 Apr 2025
First team players unfit/unavailable to start just todays game: JCS, Cook, Paal, Field, Varane, Smyth, Saito, Chair, Frey, Lloyd, Celar. We also had another non-contact muscle injury.
Marti's plan B has been starting games for most of this season. |
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Reply | Swansea Reflection
at 22:49 21 Apr 2025
Sutton looked a way off physically, but wanted the ball and made a couple of lovely runs, one of which was a touch away from a goal. Shows the levels though between youth and first team.
Chair looked fine I thought, although it was a bit disjointed the last 15mins |
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Reply | Swansea Reflection
at 22:46 21 Apr 2025
He actually gave a goal kick for this.... |
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Reply | Steve cook staying
at 17:55 15 Apr 2025
My point was more relying on his skill set, rather than the player himself. Having the ability to get around the pitch and press makes a huge difference to how we play and is something we have severely lacked at times, it's also one of the reasons Morgan stood out when he first came into the team - at a time when Colback was still unavailable.
As you say, it's worth a look if the wages look OK, but I think we should be looking to move on from a 35 year old whose best traits are when we're out of possession (unlike Bannan who was mentioned by way of comparison earlier). |
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Reply | Satio.
at 11:35 15 Apr 2025
Unless there's a pre agreed option we can exercise, I can't see how this one gets done unfortunately.
A shame, great player and character, and a good Chair alternative / replacement |
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Reply | Steve cook staying
at 11:33 15 Apr 2025
It's a player LIKE Colback we should look to get, not Colback himself. His game relies on legs, work rate and availability, all of which transform our midfield, to rely on a 35 year old for those things is a bit mental. |
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Reply | Steve cook staying
at 17:05 14 Apr 2025
Not the same type of player at all. Varane was the Hayden replacement, and it was 100% the right move.
Hayden as an experienced head and depth in DM I'd probably still take, but not as a replacement for Colback. In my view Field and Colback are the similar players - pressing 8's capable of dropping as more of a DM if needed. |
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Reply | Steve cook staying
at 12:19 14 Apr 2025
Pros
- Experience and (actual) leadership - there's a difference between the two and Cook has shown himself to be a fantastic captain - almost every youth player has referenced conversations with him and you don't change mentality without representation from proven winners
- Position of need - we don't have enough CB's and that's before we lose Dunne, Fox and Ronnie. With JCS and Morrison injury issues, even Field got a game at CB this season...
- Continuity with players and bigger profiles - there's going to be huge turnover again this summer and the the less turbulence, esp in defence, is important
- A pre-Nourry profile - wherever you land with Nourry and his signings, the glaring omission has been proven Championship experience and we suffered for it this season, Cook may not have showed up on the data report, but his importance in lots of games the last few years has been huge and obvious for those present
Cons
- Expensive - exact salaries are conjecture but think it's fairly well accepted that Cook is one of our highest earners, if not the highest. High earners need high justification and to play every game, and I'm not 100% he makes our best 11
- Depreciation & Maintanence - we saw signs in the last third of the season that Cooks body is starting to show signs of wear and his performances suffered. He's not someone that relies on pace or athleticism, but older players need to be managed correctly, and this medical team haven't exactly inspired confidence in doing that...
- Succession planning - I think with the lack of depth this isn't as big a concern, but I do think Morrison has shown enough to be given the starting job full time, and at 22, is the kind of profile that shouldn't be on the bench behind a 33 year old. Surely Morrison was signed as a successor to Cook, and if all 3 are fit, you'd prefer to see a Morrison/JCS partnership develop.
Contract technicality - Maybe untrue or irrelevant, but it might not be ideal if this new contract was born from a clause in the contract rather than a decision from the club... Then again if a certain number of games triggered that clause, I guess we decided to allow it one way or another |
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Reply | UFC Great Sport Or Barbaric Entertainment
at 11:52 14 Apr 2025
The sport is fine, and the mixed part of MMA means there's so many different styles with broad skills to utilise. When you see the way high profile boxing has gone with exhibition matches, etc, I think this has remained a highly competitive sport.
The part of UFC that does put me off is the kinds of people it attracts and the 'stars' that can say and do whatever they like with no accountability. A company that gave and continues to give a platform to cnts like McGregor, has Trump and Musk ringside, etc... Not for me. |
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Reply | Dembele has had a free ride this season
at 01:04 5 Apr 2025
Just turned 22, his first season in the Championship, coming off a near season ending injury that required surgery, back into a team that is massively flailing and missing key support, attack and leadership where he's being asked to play a number of different positions to cover others. |
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Reply | So another game with no striker…
at 18:44 4 Apr 2025
In the same vain, but nowhere near as suicidal, we play Dunne up top and get players around him. He'd be a great target man if nothing else. |
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Reply | So another game with no striker…
at 18:43 4 Apr 2025
I'm reading it that maybe he had a reaction in training, so was in the pics but maybe had a reaction that means he won't be risked tomorrow? Either way we could do with him ASAP.
Whatever the situation, Bristol Preston and Swansea could have Frey, Kolli, Saito & Field all back in the mix, which would be huge. |
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Reply | an early SHEPHERDS (bush) v SHEEP match thread....
at 17:02 4 Apr 2025
I agree that he should start, but we have no idea what Lloyd we'll get tomorrow.
In cameos this season he's been a physical prescence and hard worker, away at Hull he made a big difference and was probably ahead of Kolli at that point. Other times he looks like Sunday league would be a stretch... Big opportunity tomorrow and I hope he has the game of his life |
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Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 1483 | | Comment Votes: | 54 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 1537 |
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