If I was Critchley.... 09:13 - Jan 29 with 6997 views | GaryBannister86 | I would follow up my excellent words in the post match interview. Build my own squad, with players that want to be here and understand that QPR is actually more than just a stepping stone / retirement home / cosy club. Send back Roberts with a note saying "Doesn't work, refund needed". Send back Tim with a note saying "Thanks, but train him yourself, please" Keep Laird and Lowe because the alternatives aren't worth thinking about and we still need points. Send Balogun back to Rangers with a note saying "Sorry, but he misses his Daddy" Terminate the contracts of the relentless dross like Niko, Kakay, Thomas and Archer. Gather the rest together, make Field captain. Tell them when Dykes returns he's our main man and that the level of commitment he shows (even when clearly unwell) is our minimum standard. Give more squad time to Armstrong, Amos, Alfie Lloyd when he's back, anyone from the U18s with a glimmer like Kolli. Show them what the future could be. Tell 'em we're in a relegation fight. Whatever football cliche crap you need. Cup Finals (maybe not the best idea to associate with the cups for us) etc. Get us those 12 points, get us to 50, then we will talk about next season. DO NOT get any more loans in before now and Tuesday. Or old crocks, or mercenaries. We are QPR. Find that somewhere. | ![](/images/avatars/30181.gif) | | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 21:42 - Jan 30 with 1765 views | ChrisNW6 |
If I was Critchley.... on 11:31 - Jan 30 by Hooping_Mad | In all honesty Dieng is not good at the moment, not selecting Archer seems like a weird call currently. If I was him I would banging on Neil's door. Headcase or not |
Have you seen Archer play? If Dieng gets injured or leaves, we need a new 1st team keeper. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 01:55 - Jan 31 with 1546 views | VancouverHoop |
If I was Critchley.... on 08:53 - Jan 30 by WokingR | If I was Critchley, I would send them all on a 10 mile run this morning. I would refuse to give them any coaching or let them near a ball, as they are not listening or doing what he wants them to do anyway. If any of them do feel this shouldn't be applied to them, then they need to realise they are a team, and if they are being let down by team mates then they need to call them out and sort this themselves. Same again tomorrow until this shit stops ! |
You are Stan Cullis and I claim my 5/— postal order. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 09:46 - Jan 31 with 1344 views | robith | Sounds like a great Football Manager save mate, won the champions league five times with us yet? | ![](/images/avatars/6058.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 10:20 - Jan 31 with 1285 views | TK1 |
If I was Critchley.... on 17:42 - Jan 29 by terryb | Personally Dave, I don't think being available every week is a reason for selecting someone! Duke-Mckenna has been available as well & he wouldn't have been worse for us since the start of Novenmer than Tim has been! However, back to the OP, the first thing I would do is revert to a back three & avoid playing Dickie & Dunne together in a back four. |
Duke-Mckenna is out injured for the foreseeable. He's managed around 75 minutes of L2 football for Orient this season, because he's either been injured or benched. The idea that there's a central midfielder signed to QPR who is more robust or as technically skilled (no matter his and the team's appalling form) than Tim Iroegbunam or Sam Field is for the birds. They're all injured, too fragile or just not up to it. I've seen lots of crazy talk about throwing U21s in and so forth - "they can't do any worse": I have Wes Daly, Dennis Oli, Danny Murphy, Richard Graham etc in the waiting room, Doctor. There's no surer way of ruining a young player of potential than blooding him in a broken first team in a tailspin with a poisonous support on their back.You do it when the team is doing well and the support is positive. Every development coach knows that. I'd be surprised if Neil Critchley doesn't. I'd be very worried if he just threw them in. I agree about the formation. The best thing NC could do is get all his best players on the pitch at once in the formation that they worked on in preseason (either this one or last). Adomah starting ahead of a Willock even only 80% fit should ring more alarm bells than anything else. The best players playing either 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 will get QPR out of this rut. There's no alternative. Kick arses, yes, but no kneejerk panic. Save that for social media and message boards. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 10:50 - Jan 31 with 1230 views | ozexile |
If I was Critchley.... on 10:20 - Jan 31 by TK1 | Duke-Mckenna is out injured for the foreseeable. He's managed around 75 minutes of L2 football for Orient this season, because he's either been injured or benched. The idea that there's a central midfielder signed to QPR who is more robust or as technically skilled (no matter his and the team's appalling form) than Tim Iroegbunam or Sam Field is for the birds. They're all injured, too fragile or just not up to it. I've seen lots of crazy talk about throwing U21s in and so forth - "they can't do any worse": I have Wes Daly, Dennis Oli, Danny Murphy, Richard Graham etc in the waiting room, Doctor. There's no surer way of ruining a young player of potential than blooding him in a broken first team in a tailspin with a poisonous support on their back.You do it when the team is doing well and the support is positive. Every development coach knows that. I'd be surprised if Neil Critchley doesn't. I'd be very worried if he just threw them in. I agree about the formation. The best thing NC could do is get all his best players on the pitch at once in the formation that they worked on in preseason (either this one or last). Adomah starting ahead of a Willock even only 80% fit should ring more alarm bells than anything else. The best players playing either 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 will get QPR out of this rut. There's no alternative. Kick arses, yes, but no kneejerk panic. Save that for social media and message boards. |
We've got a mid 20's Charlie Owens somewhere who's pulled a wage for years. Any chance he can have a run? Can't be any worse and hardly a youngster. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 11:00 - Jan 31 with 1214 views | kernowhoop | We are not going to feature in the transfer window drama tonight. The Redknapp/Odemwingie days are gone. So, we have no choice but to make the best of what we have and look back on how we climbed to the top of the league in October. Most of the players that made that happen are still here and are available. They achieved success with slick football, played mostly on the ground. Anyone remember the passing movements between Paal, Chair and Willock? Today, we probably have even more players that can play that way. With Dykes in hospital, what they can't do is play a game that involves hoofing high balls into the middle. In fact, even when Dykes was leading the line, we were not particularly good at that. So, NC's task is to get our squad of mostly pretty good players performing in the way that suits them best. Simple really. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 12:45 - Jan 31 with 1136 views | kernowhoop |
If I was Critchley.... on 11:00 - Jan 31 by kernowhoop | We are not going to feature in the transfer window drama tonight. The Redknapp/Odemwingie days are gone. So, we have no choice but to make the best of what we have and look back on how we climbed to the top of the league in October. Most of the players that made that happen are still here and are available. They achieved success with slick football, played mostly on the ground. Anyone remember the passing movements between Paal, Chair and Willock? Today, we probably have even more players that can play that way. With Dykes in hospital, what they can't do is play a game that involves hoofing high balls into the middle. In fact, even when Dykes was leading the line, we were not particularly good at that. So, NC's task is to get our squad of mostly pretty good players performing in the way that suits them best. Simple really. |
This seems to happen quite often. I comment and then the discussion grinds to a halt. Too boring, I suppose. Sorry! | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 12:47 - Jan 31 with 1119 views | Monkey_Roots |
If I was Critchley.... on 12:45 - Jan 31 by kernowhoop | This seems to happen quite often. I comment and then the discussion grinds to a halt. Too boring, I suppose. Sorry! |
Or maybe you're like Jerry Springer with his final thought. There's just nothing more anyone can say. | ![](/images/avatars/8119.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) | Login to get fewer ads
If I was Critchley.... on 13:25 - Jan 31 with 1028 views | terryb |
If I was Critchley.... on 10:20 - Jan 31 by TK1 | Duke-Mckenna is out injured for the foreseeable. He's managed around 75 minutes of L2 football for Orient this season, because he's either been injured or benched. The idea that there's a central midfielder signed to QPR who is more robust or as technically skilled (no matter his and the team's appalling form) than Tim Iroegbunam or Sam Field is for the birds. They're all injured, too fragile or just not up to it. I've seen lots of crazy talk about throwing U21s in and so forth - "they can't do any worse": I have Wes Daly, Dennis Oli, Danny Murphy, Richard Graham etc in the waiting room, Doctor. There's no surer way of ruining a young player of potential than blooding him in a broken first team in a tailspin with a poisonous support on their back.You do it when the team is doing well and the support is positive. Every development coach knows that. I'd be surprised if Neil Critchley doesn't. I'd be very worried if he just threw them in. I agree about the formation. The best thing NC could do is get all his best players on the pitch at once in the formation that they worked on in preseason (either this one or last). Adomah starting ahead of a Willock even only 80% fit should ring more alarm bells than anything else. The best players playing either 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 will get QPR out of this rut. There's no alternative. Kick arses, yes, but no kneejerk panic. Save that for social media and message boards. |
Sorry, I didn't recall that Duke-Mckenna was out on loan. I only named him as an example rather than sugesting that he should have been playing! "There's no surer way of ruining a young player of potential than blooding him in a broken first team in a tailspin with a poisonous support on their back.You do it when the team is doing well and the support is positive. Every development coach knows that. I'd be surprised if Neil Critchley doesn't. I'd be very worried if he just threw them in. " I completely agree with this, but it is what we have been doing with Iroegbunam! You obviously wouldn't agree, but IMO he has continually given pocession away in most games. If he had done this for Villa he would not have stayed in the team, so why should he for us? He won't learn that passing to the opposition is a mistake if he is selected game after game regardless! Of course he is technically more skilled than our own youngsters, but more robust? Not from what i've seen. There are more ticks in the liability box for him than there are in the asset side of the balance sheet. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 15:10 - Jan 31 with 921 views | TK1 |
If I was Critchley.... on 13:25 - Jan 31 by terryb | Sorry, I didn't recall that Duke-Mckenna was out on loan. I only named him as an example rather than sugesting that he should have been playing! "There's no surer way of ruining a young player of potential than blooding him in a broken first team in a tailspin with a poisonous support on their back.You do it when the team is doing well and the support is positive. Every development coach knows that. I'd be surprised if Neil Critchley doesn't. I'd be very worried if he just threw them in. " I completely agree with this, but it is what we have been doing with Iroegbunam! You obviously wouldn't agree, but IMO he has continually given pocession away in most games. If he had done this for Villa he would not have stayed in the team, so why should he for us? He won't learn that passing to the opposition is a mistake if he is selected game after game regardless! Of course he is technically more skilled than our own youngsters, but more robust? Not from what i've seen. There are more ticks in the liability box for him than there are in the asset side of the balance sheet. |
Sorry, badly worded. By robust I literally meant Tim's available regularly to play whereas theoretical replacements like Johanson and Amos just aren't. Think he's a better bet than Dozzell but do understand that as Dozzell is a contracted player it's probably in our interests to play him more (but we will regret that in a two-man mid). I really don't believe we have a player below the first team squad ready for Championship football, as evidenced by the fact most loans are at National League level - but would love to be proven wrong. I do think the set-up is totally wrong for our midfield and our many tens. We have midfielders who need to play in a three (and have played well in that formation) and a load of attackers brought in to play behind a 9. Seems weird to try something else and keep failing with it. Let's assume SJ is fit now. A three of Field, Tim, SJ was a really good midfield earlier in the season. Personally, I'd back that playing behind Chair, Willock and Lowe to click again (Dykes: let's assume he's out for a while). I understand it's a terrible run but there are so many legitimate reasons for it that I find it depressing we're at the "throw the kids in" stage again. It always comes just after the "we need to move to a new stadium" stage of a dreadful run so I'm not surprised. Next will be the 'bring back Derry/Hill/Warnock' stage but hopefully we'll win first. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 16:29 - Jan 31 with 843 views | derbyhoop | If anybody still believes in "throw the kids in" they need to keep an eye on tonight's B team against Colchester. No Amos, who I'd hoped would be fit enough. No Drewe nor Gubbins. I wonder if they are getting pushed up to first team squad. | ![](/images/avatars/1276.gif) |
| Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime. (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 18:47 - Jan 31 with 768 views | terryb |
If I was Critchley.... on 15:10 - Jan 31 by TK1 | Sorry, badly worded. By robust I literally meant Tim's available regularly to play whereas theoretical replacements like Johanson and Amos just aren't. Think he's a better bet than Dozzell but do understand that as Dozzell is a contracted player it's probably in our interests to play him more (but we will regret that in a two-man mid). I really don't believe we have a player below the first team squad ready for Championship football, as evidenced by the fact most loans are at National League level - but would love to be proven wrong. I do think the set-up is totally wrong for our midfield and our many tens. We have midfielders who need to play in a three (and have played well in that formation) and a load of attackers brought in to play behind a 9. Seems weird to try something else and keep failing with it. Let's assume SJ is fit now. A three of Field, Tim, SJ was a really good midfield earlier in the season. Personally, I'd back that playing behind Chair, Willock and Lowe to click again (Dykes: let's assume he's out for a while). I understand it's a terrible run but there are so many legitimate reasons for it that I find it depressing we're at the "throw the kids in" stage again. It always comes just after the "we need to move to a new stadium" stage of a dreadful run so I'm not surprised. Next will be the 'bring back Derry/Hill/Warnock' stage but hopefully we'll win first. |
I wouldn't disagree with much of that although I don't think that Dozell gives the ball away more than Tim or wins less challenges. Not that I think Dozell is the answer, as my comments when we signed him would bear out! You are probably/definitely right that we don't have a player below the first team squad that is ready to play in the Championship, but Richards will become a Rangers player provided we're not relegated & so his progression is far more important than Tim & Roberts. Of course, he hasn't been available for most of the season, but if we're not (and we're not) going to be in the play offs, he need to play rather than those two. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
If I was Critchley.... on 19:02 - Jan 31 with 725 views | steveo04 |
If I was Critchley.... on 15:10 - Jan 31 by TK1 | Sorry, badly worded. By robust I literally meant Tim's available regularly to play whereas theoretical replacements like Johanson and Amos just aren't. Think he's a better bet than Dozzell but do understand that as Dozzell is a contracted player it's probably in our interests to play him more (but we will regret that in a two-man mid). I really don't believe we have a player below the first team squad ready for Championship football, as evidenced by the fact most loans are at National League level - but would love to be proven wrong. I do think the set-up is totally wrong for our midfield and our many tens. We have midfielders who need to play in a three (and have played well in that formation) and a load of attackers brought in to play behind a 9. Seems weird to try something else and keep failing with it. Let's assume SJ is fit now. A three of Field, Tim, SJ was a really good midfield earlier in the season. Personally, I'd back that playing behind Chair, Willock and Lowe to click again (Dykes: let's assume he's out for a while). I understand it's a terrible run but there are so many legitimate reasons for it that I find it depressing we're at the "throw the kids in" stage again. It always comes just after the "we need to move to a new stadium" stage of a dreadful run so I'm not surprised. Next will be the 'bring back Derry/Hill/Warnock' stage but hopefully we'll win first. |
Absolutely spot on , the problem is the formation, summer recruitment was for 433 , Roberts and Richards were brought as back up to chair and Willock and the also cover ( Roberts cf) Richards ( md) Tim in a 3 is so much better in a two he looks lost , chair is not a left winger , Willock is not a left winger . The formation is so unbalanced is doesn’t work . We now have 5 number 10 , two had to play wide Please go back to 433 Neil | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
| |