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Comment | Dunne delivers QPR's perfect present - Report
at 23:31:38
Confess I was struggling not to lose faith in our summer recruitment,,, but now, using Clive’s mode of calibrating success, more than half are starting to show how good they can be… Saito, Morrison, Nardi, Varane, Morgan, probably Dembele, possibly Celar and I still think Madsen might become a positive asset as he adjusts…
And loving to see Kolli become a potential star… On Saturday I thought he learned so much during 15 minutes, he then became much better at holding-up play and skillfully passing to others…
So very happy the club kept faith in Marti!
Not so long ago my friends mercilessly mocked my hope we might mage a run towards the play-offs… and maybe they’ll still be right, but a friend who supports Middlesbrough says he thinks we’ll overtake them in January, which is probably a little premature..? |
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Comment | Celarbrace drags QPR’s team, fans and striker back from the brink – Report
at 00:31:57
So very pleased the club hasn't jettisoned Marti... and thrilled Celar's goals vindicated his faith in him, even after I'd lost mine... Both goals were those, I thought, of a very skilful striker... Doubt if many of us would have responded so resiliently if we'd endured something like his experience, after being so trashed for our work in Slovenia... And I love watching Saito, whose spirit seems almost the inverse of Willock's... even though he was brilliant at times for us. I know this proves my insane optimism... but I found myself calculating the points gap between us and the play-off positions! |
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Comment | Bonfire of the vanities – Report
at 16:23:27
I agree with most of what you say… and can’t remember ever leaving before the final whistle before (but had enough after their 3rd goal). And starting to wonder if Marti can’t see how feeble our hiding midfield and seeming absence of plans to move the ball forward are..?
And think some of the criticism of our players is at risk of scapegoating. Celar and Santos probably aren’t up to the level… but Madsen sometimes, even on Tuesday, shows real skill… when played primarily as an attacker… It’s the balance of different types of player that’s lacking. And the lack of heart and spirit for the physical struggle.
And without selecting Fox and Santos maybe we save losing those 4 goals?
Would also like to see Kolli given a run in a position that plays to his great potential.
Still hopeful we can do better than last season… |
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Comment | Varane’s red sets Rangers on road to Rovers ruin – Report
at 00:49:54
I’m becoming discouraged by the widening gap between how I imagine Marti intends us to play and the reality. We seem to have been focused on finding players to play on the turn and pass us through midfield, but with little success. Maybe he either needs to compromise with reality again and develop alternative ways to move the ball forwards quickly enough to over-stretch defences… or see if the one player who’s looked most able to do this at times, Paal, can be freed to actually play there and give Ashby a chance to use his pace and attacking instincts at full-back..? I’m hopeful that Dembele, Saito and Frey (and Chair) could be really dangerous if they receive the ball soon enough to expose defenders… Without knowing any context, I’ve been disappointed not to see Kolli given more chances so far… |
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Comment | Watch me rise up and leave, all the ashes you made out of me – Report
at 13:11:52
This so poignantly and intensely captures so much of my life’s experience. Can’t wait to read it with my now grownup son when he gets up! Who instinctively knew this was his best night ever @ Loftus Road. And I even had the curse/overwhelming thrill of winning the League Cup and shaking hands with Rodnee as my first season going to watch football IRL. When do Season Tickets go onsale? I let mine lapse last year, although ended-up hardly missing a game under Marti, but not now. |
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Comment | Blues brothers – Preview
at 12:26:33
On train through Sussex downs, trying to console ourselves that reading you're preview will go some way towards compensating for a loss..? But my optimist won't shut-up about having lots of good players now, brilliantly managed, and is teasing me with a 2-0 victory, which I seem to remember being a common 70s result..? |
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Comment | Resolution, revolution, evolution – Preview
at 12:17:09
Just entertained the whole of my train carriage reading the entirety of your preview. For me, and obviously many others, the genius of your previews and reports remains huge consolation for what has happened on the pitch!!! Really, why don't you write a novel? And still we're excited about this afternoon and will feel hopeful walking up South Africa Road in a couple hours! I know; should become the new embodiment of insanity... |
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Comment | Right man. Right time? – Column
at 15:51:54
Very illuminating. I’d reluctantly given-in to the part of me that thinks going to games regularly from Hastings is too expensive to watch the sad emptiness of our recent play, which increasingly left me feeling like I’d fallen through a black hole on our fabulous train service and travelled way back in time.
Had agreed with my son to try again in the New Year… and now I’ve just bought tickets for Saturday week! If the best time to be hopeful is at the start… or even before the start (?) then I’m back on the rollercoaster… and hoping my faith that we have a nucleus of much better players than has shown recently will turn out to be true…. |
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Comment | Innnnn one - Report
at 12:21:56
Straight to the top of my best ever Clive reports! On our way to the Leicester game, though NEVER in 55 years have I felt less nervous because there's no hope left. You really should write a novel; your flights of tangental imagination are genius. |
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Comment | Colback bears gift to former club - Report
at 14:06:18
Left feeling more encouraged than disappointed… Of course I wish Colback hadn’t leapt in so recklessly… and find it hard to be too critical in light of this season’s much needed increased feistiness. Very impressed by the radical development of Dozzell, Armstrong’s skill-level and Kakay.
Strategically, I thought we adapted well to going down to 10 and, understandably, persevered with that at 1-1. Then happily surprised how we shifted the balance to at least create some threat after going behind, even though Sunderland were too good with the extra man. Interested to see O’Nien came from Wycombe!? Thought he and Clarke were outstanding. Also very impressed by Dobson’s podcast interview. |
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Comment | Dozzell's spectacular arrival drives QPR's latest Riverside wonder - Report
at 11:50:41
Love the lighthouse and Tina Turner images!
You mean you’re actually allowed to develop the skills and tactics to bring the best out of the players you’ve got, instead of buying lots of shiny new toys???
CM (as was, FM now) has a lot to answer for, alongside consuming much of my 30s. |
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Comment | A horrible new low — Report
at 09:40:29
Thanks very much, Clive, for somehow making me laugh so loud I hope nobody in hearing distance thinks I’m not working hard at the coal face.
Seems ironic (or something) that, on a fraction of their wage and status, Guildford Flames ice hockey team give a zillion times more physical and psychological commitment every game! |
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Comment | Millwall deliver more pain, and a cautionary tale to woeful QPR - Report
at 21:48:20
Unsurprisingly, I haven’t been thrilled by QPR’s recent form… and yet this report feels like it’s too coloured by your despondent mood, Clive. And I guess if I’d been to Hull and Huddersfield I might feel similarly. I saw other positive aspects of our play yesterday and feel optimistic about Tuesday and hopeful that Critchley is nurturing a better team. I thought Dozzell had a good game in his range, speed and accuracy of passing… better than any opposition player. Dieng was much better than for ages at coming for crosses. And I thought this was a real step forward for Armstrong compared with his earlier performances with much better control and vision, suggesting he could become very good for us. If you hadn’t already decided Martin was a joke, I thought most spectators might have thought he was pretty impressive and much more consistently effective than Dykes has often been. |
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Comment | Merry Christmas my R's - Preview
at 14:30:54
My 18 year old son and I have been reading to each other all your previews and match reports for over 5 years. Your inimitable humour; depth of personal insight and brilliant expression somehow seem even funnier/more moving read outloud? You’re one of the main reasons I love supporting QPR these days… re-creating the joy and sharing the desolation…
The one thing we differ on is he guesses you’re embarrassed by my emotional responses on here, while a lifetime teaching leads me to imagine any communication of appreciation might be worth saying..?
Critchley reminds me of Frank Skinner, which is all good, so really looking forward to what comes next @ Loftus Road, starting this Thursday… |
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Comment | About Friday - Report
at 22:23:34
Thanks for re-creating a totally brilliant night. The unconfined joy was amazing. Going to have to learn how to pronounce Tim’s surname, which I know shouldn’t be a thing. Is there any way we might be able to afford him if we go-up..? Reminded me of seeing Netzer for the first time. |
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Comment | QPR stun league leaders with early statement of intent - Report
at 11:20:09
Yes, her comment in your leaver’s book is so brilliant! Have you really not got at least a few buried short stories..?
Really happy with so much about us this season… as you say, the improved performances of several players speaks eloquently of how good a manager we have… and (I guess it’s not crucial…) but it’s heart-warming that he even sounds like he grew-up locally! |
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Comment | Willock and Johansen find QPR’s happy place — Report
at 13:41:38
Another bonus of such a brilliant performance is how wonderfully you re-create it in words for us... (are you really not writing a novel..? Would love to read it...) Yes, trying really hard not to get too excited by this team! Echoes of Parker's gravity-defying and Venables' strategic planning and great communication feel resonant to me too. Really appreciating everything Mick has said so far
.. |
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Comment | Me, The Auld Fella and Charlie Austin — Column
at 18:53:32
Brilliant, haunting revelation of so much feeling and experience…
Thank you so much for writing it.
And obviously so deeply resonant for so many of us.
My dad took me to a 1-1 draw against Oldham (last game of 65-6 season), even though he’d never been before… and years later said watching football with me had become the highlight of his week.
I’ve been bringing my now 18 year old son for 10 years and the intensity of shared joy when we score is incomparable. |
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Comment | It is what it is - Preview
at 21:23:26
The rawness and depth of feeling you express is one of the things I appreciate most about supporting QPR… Would hate you to anaesthetise that. I’m still hopeful because our 1st team has a lot of very good players at this level… and we might still loan in a goalscorer..? I really hope we don’t smash-up Armstrong’s potential by idealising how much he can contribute right now. |
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