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Reply | 6 games in
at 09:38 24 Sep 2024
I think positives for me are we have been hard to beat, Dembele & Nardi have been impressive so far, we've looked a threat from set pieces (especially Dembele's corners and Frey's had a remarkable redemption arc from comic figure to potential cult hero in the space of about a month.
I don't think the performances have been as good as last season, I was disappointed on Saturday but I think in defence of that, Marti is clearly trying to get us play more expensively, we are missing our best player and there are players like Madsen, Celar, Varane who you'd hope will improve as the season goes on. I think all of those elements, as Clive says, will mean it'll take time for things to click. |
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Reply | The spine is there, the rest is not working
at 18:01 21 Sep 2024
Wholeheartedly agree with nearly all of this.
However, while I'm not calling for him to be dropped or calling him bad, I thought Field was really poor today and the central midfield was the biggest problem we had today. He was caught in possession multiple times including in the phase just before our equaliser where they could've made it two nil. 64% pass completion! Only 3 long balls so it wasn't even a case of bravely trying probing or direct passes.
And one excellent vintage block in the second half aside, I thought he was unusually off the boil out of possession. Got his feet in a mess to give up that free kick in the second half.
Agree we were far too static but think Dembele made some really intelligent runs and was always offering for the ball. He also matched Watmore, sprinting back 60/70 yards in the second half - so put in his fair share of graft. |
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Reply | The midfield hole
at 16:42 21 Sep 2024
Yeah I thought this was our biggest issue today.
I get the theory behind inviting the press to play through it, getting Paal to invert, allowing Madsen to push up into a City lite 3-2-4-1 sort of shape. But I feel the reality was a lot of passing it into Field's feet under pressure on the half turn and him getting caught and forcing Dunne to be the one to play the incisive line breaking pass. Which, on both counts, feels like a misuse of them and a mistake.
Also would've liked to see Madsen deeper and offer for passes from the back 4 more. It felt like there were huge gaps between Field/Paal and the forward players.
Early days with the new midfielders. But it feels like Varane is in the midfield destroyer mould, Madsen plays further forward so we're still reliant on a 35 year old, ill-disciplined Jack Colback to play a midfield orchestrator role that seems vital to this formation. |
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Reply | Paal
at 10:37 11 Aug 2024
Totally agree with Gazza.
I like Paal. I thought his one on one defending for the second was piss weak (even then Dunne should do better with the cross) but he's had 2 years of pretty consistently good performances, constant availability and even occasional goalscoring. Think he had some weaker games towards the end of last season but in the Leeds 4-0 he was excellent and totally nullified Gnonto. That was only 2 league games ago! I think he's the best fullback we've had in the last decade (perhaps damning with faint praise).
Obviously everyone has a right to weigh in on assessing players, manager and performance but I find it hard to really read too much in to yesterday's game beyond the fact we were missing our best player, a couple of exciting future signings and came up against a really organised side with a couple of excellent players who would be our star player (Swift, Mowatt). It's a long old season and a player like Paal will have more good games than bad if he stays. [Post edited 11 Aug 10:38]
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Reply | Armstrong
at 14:31 18 Jul 2024
Interested by the comparison to Semenyo from a Bristol City perspective. I think Semenyo is far more analogous to Osayi-Samuel in that they were pacey and technically decent but with a few rough edges.
Armstrong technical base level is a mile behind what Semenyo/Osayi-Samuel's was at the same age, imo. Maybe everything clicks for Sincs, think were indications of coaching working last season, with timing of his runs, control of his emotions and his back to goal play and he is still effective at Championship level - but I really don't see a world where he becomes a £10-20m player. |
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Reply | Cifuentes on Leeds
at 14:37 29 Apr 2024
Totally agree.
I remember that Rotherham away game and it was Paal inverting from full back into central midfield, all short passes out from the back, higher pressing and a far more Cruyff-lite football. Now, as you say, it's a lofted ball to our CB playing right back that is our main outlet from our goalkicks and a very disciplined out of possession defensive shape.
He's been really good at making those footballing philosophy concessions this season and learning on the job. I'm also really interested to see how much he moves the dial for next season - if it'll be closer to Hammarby Marti or a continuation of the last 3 months but you'd think Dunne has earned the right to be our starting right back next season, wouldn't you? |
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Reply | Player of the season
at 13:34 21 Apr 2024
1. Cook - I think the two vital goals recently just nudge him ahead of JCS. Proper defender and a leader. Throws his body in front of shots and into tackles with a brave abandon that, after years of Lynch, Hall & others, is remarkable.
2. Clarke-Salter - He's so good. The way he uses his body to just ease strikers off the ball. Technically excellent but also brave and physical. He's been great all season. Barely below a 7 at any point.
3. Chair - Fewer goals and assists than you'd expect from a player of his quality. But still our most talented player, incredibly hard working and has won us games almost on his own at times. Thought he was very good, in an understated way, yesterday.
I've loved the Dunne redemption arc as much as anyone. The Birmingham goal a clear moment of the season and he's been great in the dozen games since he came in at RB but don't think he can make the podium given the first 2/3rds of the season.
Likewise Field - been excellent the last couple of months but rather ropey at times earlier in the season. |
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Reply | Martí Cifuentes.
at 14:00 4 Mar 2024
What I find really remarkable is how good he has been at coaching the team out of possession. Set pieces aside, we've gone from the farcical goals conceded against Blackburn at home and being so easy to play through to having a really excellent defensive shape, staying really compact and hard to break down.
The opposition has had an xG of under 1.0 in 14 of his 21 games in charge and we've kept 7 clean sheets. Compared to xG of over 2.0 in 6 of Ainsworth's 14 games and only 2 clean sheets.
Obviously a lot has to do with Cook and JCS being regularly available. But watching the game on Saturday, it was night and day from some of the Ainsworth games. Players seem to know exactly what the press triggers are, you have even Willock putting effort in, staying switched on, tracking runners.
And this is all from a manager who is a Cruyff disciple, who seemed to have a criticism at Hammarby for conceding equalisers and being unable to be defensively pragmatic. |
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Reply | The rise and fall of a player
at 15:19 12 Feb 2024
Been a frequent defender of Willock but find watching him now sad and frustrating.
There was a point in the first half where he picked up possession just inside our half with room to drive - not dissimilar to the position he started his run to score the wonder goal v Boro last season - and he just didn't have the legs. Couldn't beat players for pace and invariably has to check back rather than take people on. That's the part I find sad.
What's infuriating is his consistent half arsing especially in the defensive side of the game. He bottles every 50/50 - there was one against Huddersfield which was more like an 80/20 in his favour and he flailed the meekest limb at the ball, we lost possession and Huddersfield had a dangerous attack. Having knackered hamstrings doesn't excuse that. |
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Reply | Field 2 match ban
at 14:11 29 Jan 2024
Almost impressive really given he has only played 16 games this season. Averaging a yellow every 130 minutes. Plus a red card too |
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Reply | Joey Barton
at 15:09 19 Jan 2024
I think it's a stretch to describe Barton as 'demanding more from people' when he was attempting to injure teammates, get managers sacked and headbutting opposition players.
Listening to that Onuoha podcast, he talks about helping Eze when he was first at QPR with the elements needed to round out his game, teaching him what it takes to be a pro. He does rather jaded about his QPR experience but he's never spoken negatively about the club in the same way Barton has.
The anecdote about the training 5 a side tournament where Barton threw a strop and cost his teammates the forfeit felt insightful. Stroppy and self interested when things aren't going his way and bullying and nasty to any dissenters. [Post edited 19 Jan 15:10]
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Reply | Colback or Dozzell?
at 14:33 15 Jan 2024
On the ball he's an upgrade on Dozzell. When our back 4 have possession, he actually asks for the ball and moves into space to receive. He's the only player bar Chair who offers for the ball from our throw ins and can take the ball under pressure without immediately kicking it out of play or gifting it to the opposition.
But all other elements I've been underwhelmed by - moany, picks up really soft bookings, looks a bit off the pace and has barely been available for selection.
With Clive on the yellow - Clarke-Salter forces a pass that is never on. Colback makes an orange card foul that he kinda has to make.
Dozzell was ok when he came on - seems keen to play the classy reverse pass, even when it's not on. And then his long ball straight to Hamer in the last min of injury time was criminal. |
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Reply | Chris Ramsey gone
at 16:33 8 Jan 2024
Chair's the top response under QPR's tweet saying 'the best' in relation to Ramsey.
It's interesting, as alluded to by a few other posters, he's had a good rep as a coach within football. And Chair, Eze, Bright all credit him with improving their games.
But has there been a development team signing or young player whose development has really been shaped positively by Ramsey in the last 4 years? |
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Reply | Bluebirds Match Thread
at 17:06 1 Jan 2024
Thought Paal was poor today - bad set pieces and awful/cowardly 1 on 1 defending for the corner for their first - but I think he's one of the few who is willing to play forward passes first time or try the difficult ball. He's really the least of our problems.
75 mins of that was really bleak. Kolli and Smyth only ones to emerge with any (slim) credit from today. I've really had it with Dozzell, piss weak in the tackle, passive on the ball, hides off the ball - a complete waste of a shirt.
Need a minor miracle to stay up. An inspirational couple of loan signings and Chair to stay healthy for the rest of the season. |
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Reply | Set pieces.
at 15:39 12 Nov 2023
Obviously different manager but feels odd to return to Paal taking them when Dozzell put in consistently excellent corners versus Huddersfield. Agree that our deliveries have been really bad.
Did at least enjoy us trying the short routine that ended up with Dozzell shooting from the edge of the area - hope it's a sign we're looking at inventive set pieces. |
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Reply | De Canio Mark 2
at 10:53 1 Nov 2023
I'm sure I remember a podcast interview with, I think, Ephraim saying that De Canio enjoyed the London nightlife a bit too much, was sometimes late to training and left a lot of tactics up to the players.
Can't imagine the language barrier helped but think that, even if Ephraim was exaggerating, that our attractive football that season was more due to the freedom afforded to and quality of the attacking players than anything manager led!
Everything I've heard so far about Cifuentes sounds really promising though. |
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Reply | Not fit to wear the shirt.
at 10:10 25 Oct 2023
I'm in the 'the squad isn't great but this is on the manager' camp.
The formation and tactics last night were embarrassing. 5-4-1, everyone behind the ball out of possession, no attempt to commit players forward. It's West Brom, not Man City!
As stated by ngb, our gameplan was more or less hoof it vaguely towards Dykes. If he won the flick on, there wasn't a QPR player within 10 yards of him. Chair, consistently doubled or trebled up on, isolated. We've seen from previous seasons that Chair can be a great player at this level but he needs runners beyond him and intelligent players playing close to him. It's utterly thankless and a waste of his talents to play him like this.
There's enough quality in that line up - Chair, Field, Cannon, Dykes, Paal, Colback, JCS - I'd say that starting XI is better than Huddersfield's or Plymouth's. Last night I didn't see players downing tools - I saw players low on confidence trying to execute a terrible gameplan. [Post edited 25 Oct 2023 10:15]
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Reply | Other championship teams transfers
at 15:13 1 Sep 2023
Millwall sign Allan Campbell on loan from Luton and Ryan Longman on loan from Hull.
Would've taken either here. Feel like Longman would've been a good option at wingback. |
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Reply | Iroegbaenum - Decent prospect
at 16:59 23 Apr 2023
This is a reflection of the wider team tactics rather than personal fault. I don't think Field completed more than 5 passes in the first 67 minutes. Our midfield was utterly bypassed and also outnumbered until the last 10 when we had a couple of spells of possession.
If you go back to Beale era, and say the Reading home game, he completed 47 passes at a 87% success rate.
I like Tim and think he's had more good games than bad. He's had the odd stinker (thinking Hull away) where he has shown naivety and defensive weakness. But he dribbles well, gets stuck in, can pass and shoot with both feet. He's only 19 and, without getting into the merits/issues with loans, I can see him developing into a top flight midfielder. |
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Reply | That feeling that we are going down…
at 12:13 17 Apr 2023
For the first time, we're seen as favourites for the last relegation spot by one of the more reputable projections
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