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Comment | Patient stabilised but home win still proves elusive - Report
at 15:02:54
Thanks, Clive, great report. I think most aspects of the game have been analysed to death on the message board, but your possible explanation for only using three subs is an interesting one. We will never know of course, and they will certainly never admit it if it were true, but the idea of 'forgetting' they had already subbed Ashby off would be criminal if true.
My own (possibly clutching at straws) take on it, is a much welcomed return to a more pragmatic approach from Marti, which got us out of trouble yesterday. What we needed on Saturday even more urgently than to win the game, was NOT to lose it . Should you beat ten men? Of course but mitigating arguments that they are top of the league would quell most grumbles of discontent. To lose against ten as a result of a breakaway goal after Benni/Lloyd/Kolli gave the ball away cheaply, may have been a bridge too far even for Marti.
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Comment | Has the Martí express been derailed? – Analysis
at 23:09:34
Great work, Andrew. I am useless with stats and usually quite dismissive of them, but it is hard to argue with what you have presented here (or at least my interpretation of it). Another mitigating factor has to be the recent absence of Clarke-Salter. He is integral to our solidity at the back and hopefully will be fit next weekend. I also think Fox's absence should not be underrated, as he is a very experienced Championship player and they are pretty scarce amongst our current squad.
The concern I would have is by the time we get everyone fit, confidence will be at a low ebb, which will only exacerbate the problem. You could see against Hull, despite the flying start, when we didn't score (which doesn't fully sit with your analyses of having shots blocked more when we are behind - same with Plymouth), the confidence drained away and once Hull scored, it was like we lost belief. Obviously confidence comes with victories, but we need a couple of them asap. |
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Comment | Varane’s red sets Rangers on road to Rovers ruin – Report
at 23:47:40
Cheers Clive, and kudos to all you brave souls. As I have said in the forum, I don't believe it was a sending off and it's pretty depressing that a Premier League referee can be so easily influenced like that. It was hugely ironic that it was the first time Varane had gone forward with any great purpose, had beaten two players and then Baath came in very heavily and their legs got tangled up. But you are right (A) the ref was acutely aware he had fooked up with Santos a few seconds earlier (B) The Blackburn players and Travis in particular were a joke (C) Varane was going nowhere in particular with 20 seconds left until H/T so let the bloody ball run away from you and don't give the ref a decision to make.
But as I also said in the forum and you alluded to here, we were far too easy to beat with ten and never looked liked getting anything from the game second half. We were critical of our team at Sheffield United, Luton and Plymouth for only playing well in half the game. Since Luton they have stopped playing at all. Guess the International break came at just the wrong time. |
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Comment | BUNDLE – Report
at 23:35:53
Superb Clive. What a melee. Soul building in a rapidly soul destroying sport. Lloyd (unassisted) - surely that can't be right! In years to come, Lloyd will likely learn to give magnolia interviews, but this one was pure gold. |
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Comment | Twice in a week – Report
at 19:43:15
Clive, your final three paragraphs are sensational. Trying to explain to my students that prose is not simply descriptive but inclusive. Now I just need to show them this. Having read it, I was 'there' beside you on Friday night, amongst the carnage, tumbling down concrete steps, banging my head off metal barriers. Considering this is the work of a sick, jet-lagged, drunk/hungover journalist! Awesome. |
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Comment | Plymouth see red; QPR suffer déjà vu – Report
at 22:09:26
Cheers Clive, great report. Just on the first Forshaw booking and Paal not being booked for the same thing. Forshaw fouled Dembele THREE times in the one incident (which Ward rightly played advantage as Dembele retained possession and attempted a chip forward but over-hit it) whereas Paal only fouled Whitaker once. Repetitive fouling is a bookable offence.
You questioned whether Ward is good enough for this level and I would make the claim he is. Because the level is wildly inconsistent and pretty dire, due largely to poor decision making by players, management and officials, so yes he fits the criteria. But poor officiating is not confined to the Championship. How could David Coote not send off Joelinton after his attempt to decapitate the Bournemouth keeper?
One final point. Surprised at the lack of criticism of Field for Plymouth's equaliser. Ball was played straight to him and a really poor first touch allowed Whitaker to get his shot away. A great strike by the No 10 (a contender with Dembele for MotM) but it should never have arisen in the first place. |
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Comment | QPR lucky to escape intact from Cambridge chasing – Report
at 20:31:10
Thanks Clive. A lot to ponder over. LB is becoming a major issue and needs to be resolved quickly. I like Paal but something is off this season and I would say both he and club didn't expect him to be still here at this point. He expects to be sold over the next 2 weeks and it is hard to blame him if he is trying to avoid injury. The problem is exacerbated by Fox's injury as he would almost certainly have been playing last night if fit.
Centre midfield is still an issue and like you I feel Hayden is being missed. Not least because it allows Field to play further forward where I believe he is move effective. He is not confident enough to receive the ball in his own third, but in the oppos half he uses the ball much more effectively
I think Frey can be decent this season and could hit double figures if properly serviced by Chair/Dembele. Early days yet, but we need to be much better against Sheffield Utd or could get a bit of a tonking |
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Comment | Santos, Morrison double dip again highlights new direction – Signing
at 23:07:12
Cheers Greg, excellent analysis and just enough anecdotes and humour to keep an analytical phobic like me on side.
So basically Santos is a "modern' defender who can't actually (or want to) defend. You mention how his desire to hug the touchline would be a real benefit for Willock (if he's around) but with the latter's lack of interest in tracking back would that not leave us very exposed down our right flank? Would Marti not be better off deploying Santos as an out and out winger INSTEAD of Willock and putting either Dunne or Cannon behind him? |
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Comment | Nardi first arrival, epitomising QPR’s about face – Signing
at 16:59:12
So not ready, fair enough. But he is not going to become more experienced sitting on the bench and playing (2) cup games. Yet sending him out on loan creates problems should Nardi get injured. Bit of a dilemma for Marti and co |
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Comment | Nardi first arrival, epitomising QPR’s about face – Signing
at 11:59:47
Clive you were full of praise for Joe Walsh in your Coventry match report. Why do you think that Marti feels he is not ready? Nardi is a bit of a gamble given his recent injury problems and bound to be on a decent wage that may have been better utilised elsewhere. Also do you think Walsh would benefit from going out on loan now or do you expect him to be number 2 for the season? |
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Comment | The Coventry Conference – Report
at 22:36:20
Cheers Clive. All's well that ends well. Looking forward to the summer with interest. With a goal-scorer (as opposed to a striker) recruited, Walsh between the sticks, Chair on the pitch (not withstanding the moral and legal ramifications of that) and Marti at the helm it could be a very good season ahead. |
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Comment | The season that was - Preview
at 23:08:48
Very insightful piece as always, Clive. Slightly more damning of Ferdinand Hoos than I would be, but you have far greater inside knowledge. Enjoy the sheer pleasure of a stress free game game tomorrow. You and all the faithful deserve it. Imagine a 'dead rubber' with a game to spare - he truly is a miracle worker. |
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Comment | Three is the cursed number as QPR fall in a hole at Hull - Report
at 20:42:30
Thanks Alex - very articulately written. Youmention 'mood', We were not in the 'mood', yet we never gave up. I would argue that our 2-0 home win v Hull was our most comfortable/ complete home performance all season. A game we controlled. As close to a ''routine 2-0 win' as we have had for some time. Our performance against WBA - several places higher than Hull - was (apart from a mad few minutes) complete dominance and with more accuracy from the spot and a fully clued in ref that we deservedly win 4-2. So how come Hull were so far superior yesterday?
And why are we worrying about Preston ? Another game we comfortably won 2-0 earlier in the season., We haven't been brilliant all season, even since Marti has arrived but there is no need to fear any team in this division. Leicester have proved that twice in the past week alone |
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Comment | To Hull and back - Preview
at 00:36:23
Cheers Clive. Yep a draw looks likely. I think we all agree that one more win will do it. More likely we will draw the next two, lose to Leeds and need a point v Coventry on the last day. |
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Comment | Complacent QPR caught cold by Owls – Report
at 22:58:58
Cheers Clive, your downbeat mood matching the performance. I feel that Marti 'blaming himself' is instead a thinly veiled criticism of the players for failing to listen to his warning at how intense SW would be. I know the 'long ball' stuff is not pretty, but I could understand the manager's strategy. On Monday, he knew that Swansea crossed early and often so went with four CB's, which worked to a tee and rightly earned praise. Yesterday, he knew Rohl would have his players pressing from the edge of our box, so it was a reasonable strategy to knock high balls for Armstrong to run onto to beat that high press. If that was the plan I was surprised that Smyth did not start ahead of Willock as he is both faster and more direct, which might have suited better.
But whatever the tactics, we needed a lot more energy and determination than we showed on Saturday and there is no doubt that - despite the coaching staffs warnings during the week - complacency had crept in. I don't necessarily agree with you that we are as bad a team as you make out - I don't think a 'bad' team could have dominated WBA so completely as we did at Loftus Road. But you are dead right - and this applies to every team in the Championship, even Leicester - if you are not fully up for it every game, you will get punished . That is the nature of this division. |
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Comment | Risen indeed – Report
at 21:55:35
Excellent report Clive - cheers. After the Norwich game I (as objectively as possible) estimated we would collect 44 points this season. That we have exceeded that target with 6 games left is remarkable. Speaking of that Norwich game - you had high praise for Frey's movement and well taken goal. He seems to have regressed significantly since then?
On a completely different (and largely irrelevant) note, I wonder if things would have panned out differently if Warburton had got Cook's signing over the line in Jan 2022? |
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