Mackie, Austin, Phillips and two soft goals - Knee jerks

Antti Heinola returns with his post-match talking points column as QPR get the new campaign underway with a poor 2-0 loss at Charlton.

Mass Luongo

Start with a positive, that's how I roll. For this week, anyway. Now, this geezer is a player (aka a playa, aka a baller). I don't hesitate to say that he is by far and away the best Australian midfielder we've had at the club. What? Oh. OK, well, that does seem like faint praise in retrospect. But the point is he is a proper player and a proper signing of the exact sort (if such a thing exists) that QPR should be focusing on. I was really, really impressed.

A midfielder who can run. A midfielder that gets back *and* goes forward. A midfielder that tackles without flying in and almost maiming someone. A midfielder that seems to have a level head. A midfielder with some pace. All brilliant. And most impressive of all was his passing. Absolutely excellent. Great awareness, positional sense, and always available for the ball. I'm not saying he's the finished article, or the messiah, or even a naughty boy but I am saying we have been crying out for a midfielder like this for years. Brilliant.

ACL prediction: November.

Charlie Austin

I love QPR, I love and have loved a lot of players and of course I love our great fans. But I was really disappointed yesterday with some fans' reactions to Austin and some views expressed on the message board since. Let's get a few things straight: Austin almost single-handedly got us promotion. Austin scored 18 goals in a shit team last season and did his very best to keep us up. Austin has played through injuries. Austin has never once publicly asked for a transfer, agitated for a move, been in the press talking about moving, had his agent in the press courting clubs or been anything except completely professional from the moment he signed until today.

Yesterday he wasn't fit. Even a halfwit should have known that from before kick-off considering he has had various knocks that have limited him to just one pre-season game, at Barnet. His performance was hardly surprising. He started very well I thought - showing for the ball, laying it off nicely and went close with a good effort (and was miles away with an ambitious volley). He also laid the ball through for Chery in what was our best chance of the half, if not the game. But he visibly tired. And the fans started moaning. And groaning. And yelling at him to chase every completely hopeless lost cause and getting annoyed when he didn't. That's a real pet peeve of mine - exhausting yourself chasing every single lost cause, every single pass back, may keep the fans happy, but it's stupid and irresponsible because maybe, when you really need that burst of speed, it may not be there because the jets have run out of fuel.

QPR fans have history of this, of course. Sir Les may be a club legend, but every single week back then there were a group who enjoyed barracking him for being lazy, or precious, or for (in their eyes) wanting a big move. It happens with many of the good players we get, in fact. When Austin got booed yesterday, I was ashamed by our fans. I'm not sure how else to say it: He. Wasn't. Fully. Fit. Fans, though, like to project their stupid prejudices onto what they see so a man who has done nothing but good for the club and has acted professionally about all the speculation of a transfer, was booed for one poor performance, accused of faking an injury and even criticised for the way he waved to the crowd after the game. I don't get it.

Ramsey

The knives have been sharpening all summer, and they're already out - it's a wonder certain message board posters can type while holding so many blades. I've seen criticism about tactics (claims that we didn't have any, and that we were playing hoofball, which I still can't get my head round) and criticism of his 'in-game management'. We can always pick apart decisions after the fact, but let's have a quick look at the game.

I really liked the look of the team before kick-off. Balanced, and, despite real fears by many, actually very experienced. I think only Luongo hadn't played at Championship level before. And for 20-25 minutes you could really see (as Neil has outlined, so I won't go on about this) what Ramsey has been working on. Good passing, midfield collecting the ball from defence, stretching the opposition with the two wide players staying really wide, and probing for an opening. We had about ten corners and at one stage Charlton were clinging on - booting it away and waiting for the next wave of attacks. But, we didn't quite have the guile or the directness to force a really good opening. Charlton did really well to come back into it and threaten, I thought, and ended the stronger of the two sides as we took a breath. Fine.

Second half, we should have had the lead after Mackie made a good chance for Phillips (a combination reversed later where Mackie was unlucky to see his shot deflected over - another sign that the new formation has promise and will hopefully see us getting more men in the box on a regular basis this season). But we struggled a bit after that. Henry was off the pace, Phillips faded and Austin was leggy. It was a poor first goal to concede (see below), as was the second.

Ramsey was a little unlucky in that we conceded the second goal moments after he made his first changes. They could have come earlier, perhaps, maybe by a few minutes, but that's it. Charlton may have had good possession, but they weren't particularly threatening. Austin, I think, should have come off after about an hour when he was clearly struggling. But I like to look at things from both sides. At 1-0 down I can see why he left him on: if Charlie does get a chance, he'll probably bury it, half-fit or not. But in retrospect, he should have had the hook earlier - but that's not Austin's fault, so booing him was more than unfair.

Should Ramsey have started Austin? Debatable. He needs minutes, so I can see why he started him, but you could argue bringing him on with 20 or 30 left might have been more effective. Overall, while it was a disappointing result and a disappointing second half performance, I was encouraged by much that I saw (Luongo, Chery, Mackie, Chief, the style of play he's trying to implement). Much too early to start dismissing Ramsey as a coach - in every single game you lose we can find reasons to criticise the coach.

One thing though: Ramsey does need a win, and quickly. If we don't win before the international break, it's obvious fans are going to lose patience very quickly. Hope he gets it and gets some proper time to develop what is really a brand new squad.

The goals

It was a real shame we conceded because I actually thought we defended reasonably well, goals apart, if that makes sense. The big, unknown threat of Makienok was always going to be a battle, but Clint and Chief marshalled him brilliantly - he was actually far more effective as a defender in his own box than up front (overall I thought he was pretty poor, but what do you expect from a giant Mikkel Beck?). But the two goals were bad. Old failings to close down quickly were the root, but I don't think anyone can excuse Green from the first one. That was really, really poor keeping. Once again, he does seem susceptible to the daisy-cutter and his reaction said it all. As I said the other week in reply to Bluce - yep, I call him 'King Green at least once a game too. Second goal was at least a great strike.

Matty Phillips

Like Austin, disappointing. I thought he played well first half, linking up particularly well with Chery and Perch, but without ever really threatening, without ever shifting it and putting in one of his trademark crosses. Second half, though, he fell away badly. True, he had our best shot and set up Mackie for a decent chance, but overall he wasn't involved and arguably should have been helping Perch a little more for both goals. Hopefully just a one-off and he'll settle into this new formation in due course. As with many of the issues from yesterday, we need to have some patience. There are a lot of changes - in personnel, in style, in formation, in attitude. That doesn't happen overnight.

Jamie Mackie

Saving the best until last. Never should have been sold, brilliant to see him back. Along with Mass, he was the real bright spot of the game, particularly in the second half. The full back barely laid a glove on him all game and at least twice Charlton resorted to just violently taking him out. His much-criticised first touch was excellent, he rolled his defender time and again, he created chances, had a shot or two and was really our best hope of getting back into the game. Led from the left wing, if such a thing is possible. Fantastic to have him back. We'll need him this season.

Pictures — Action Images

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