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Reply | Madsen
at 17:45 21 Jan 2026
Also quite the indictment on Varane. |
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Reply | The 3 sides of a match thread at Oxford
at 17:34 21 Jan 2026
Everyone is talking up the rain, but I don't think it was driving rain by any means and the pitch held up fine. You can still put your foot on the ball and play on the deck, the issue was we couldn't trap a bag of cement. |
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Reply | The 3 sides of a match thread at Oxford
at 16:15 21 Jan 2026
It seems that many of us seem to be annoyed that, after a few injuries, we seem to be unable to play football. Which would be true when you have the quality we have sitting on the medical table.
There are a few things to be taken into consideration when looking at the big picture.
We were only ever playing good football this season on the counter mainly (apart from a couple of games); we transition the ball quickly and go forward with purpose (absolutely nothing wrong with this). Two years ago we were recruiting to be a possession-based team and recruited Marti for just that. Now we are mid-block, win the ball back and spring forward quickly, team. The issue with this is that Burrell makes the whole thing work, and the manager has no plan B currently.
Now is the lack of plan B, due to the fact we have had to pivot to this system after a gubbing at Coventry and he doesn't believe the players can play another system? Is it because we haven't recruited correctly? Is it because the game in general has moved on from possession-based football?
If you go back to when Cifuentes also had to pivot to being a mid-block team, he had to drop the 10 role completely and stodge up the midfield to get results. Stephan did this earlier, and to his credit, we have had a decent season thus far.
I find it alarming that those running the club talked up the possession-based game for 18 months, and now we can't seem to keep the ball for a prolonged period. EVEN if you decide you are a low-possession team, there are times when you need to try and gain a foothold in games; there are times when you need to try and play football (especially when it's windy and the weather is bad (keep it on the deck and play on the ground maybe?). Why are we not able to do that?
Another thing to consider is availability. Now I am happy to be corrected on any of these timelines, as I cannot be totally sure, so apologies in advance.
We have had slow starts to the past 3 seasons in August due to lack of fitness, lack of clarity on tactics and lack of bodies in the building (Ainsworth). We have also got to January twice in the last 3 seasons with half the squad on the medical table. We also had an injury crisis under Critchley which was poorly managed.
So have the injuries had an effect on our ability to play a consistently decent enough style of football because the backups aren't good enough? Is that recruitment? Is it bad luck with injuries? Squad mismanagement? Is it the schedule?
Now that I have got that out of the way, I need to caveat all that with saying I think the manager has done quite well to this point to get us where we are, and there have been some strong performances this season from quite a few players. Burrell has been great, Kone I have no doubt, will come good, and Madsen's Lazarus act has been remarkable.
But now JS, as the MC was, is now trying to get results with a squad running on fumes.
Where do we go from here? Do we stick it out and wait for Burrell to come back in this system? Do we keep shoehorning players into his role? Will we go again with this system next season and recruit appropriately? Will we have the money to do that? How bad are the injuries? Will we have the same issue this time next year.
This may sound like abit ranty, but you'll notice there were alot of question marks. THIS is my biggest gripe, yet again, at this football club there are more questions than answers. [Post edited 21 Jan 16:18]
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Reply | Team for Stoke?
at 15:54 16 Jan 2026
That free kick he skied over the bar from a brilliant crossing position infuriated me.
"Oh look im playing a premiership club, let me shoot and try and score a worldy instead if crossing and giving the team a chance"
Prick. |
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Reply | QPR convert 3.7 million worth of loans into shares
at 17:02 23 Oct 2025
Better the devil you know and all that and there are definitely far worse owners.
The debt was mainly their own huge mistakes and they have made many. But they've stayed the course.
In reality, the cost of running QPR for Reuben is loose change.
Westport revenues are through the roof and now they're expanding their Malaysian ports. |
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Thread | QPR convert 3.7 million worth of loans into shares
at 16:38 23 Oct 2025
QPR convert £3.7m of loans into 370 million fresh shares, taking the total number of shares in issue to over 15 billion.
As per Keiran Maguire.
I think this is the lowest transfer of debt to shares in a while, would suggests our financial footing has improved (but don't quote me on that). |
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Reply | Charlton Line Up
at 09:09 27 Aug 2025
I would drop Dembele. You cannot have a player in the team that refuses to work defensively. Not at the moment anyway. |
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Reply | This transfer window
at 16:14 25 Aug 2025
Getting pumped 7-1 and pissing away one of the 3 competitions we play in is not to like.
Nourry bot post? |
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Reply | Celar
at 16:12 25 Aug 2025
Likely another 2.5 million down the swanny.
Along with the 3.5 million quid hit we will probably take on Madsen.
Wonder if Andy Belk will get another promotion. |
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Reply | Isaac Hayden
at 13:10 25 Aug 2025
Sorry that he isn't fit to start until November. |
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Reply | The ‘project’…please enlighten me?
at 10:03 17 Aug 2025
I think this where most of us that are longer in the tooth have landed.
What I will say, is that I noticed that the summer break came at a good time for me as the negativity was affecting my mental health a bit. Cue a great summer off watching cricket and now I am trying to manage that by being more balanced.
Like most, I am excited by some of the signings, but also concerned that winning football matches isn't going to be easy again. |
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Thread | Julien Stephan - Word of warning
at 09:42 17 Aug 2025
I listened to his post match presser from the club and he mentioned fatigue towards the end of the game.
After the team he picked on Tuesday and how that went down, he really should be more careful with his words as this fanbase will eat him alive, they won't accept many more stunts like that. |
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Reply | Just back - Watford reflections
at 09:28 17 Aug 2025
But we are now a season and a half into the "game model".
Its a continuation of that. The only time we have had any sustained success in winning games, was when Cifuentes ditched the game model and went with 3 out and out midfielders and dropped the 10.
If you want to play with a 10, you need two wingers that will work back and defend (and backups) and also 3/4 players capable of playing 6 or 8.
The midfield, yet again is a massive problem. |
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Reply | Just back - Watford reflections
at 09:23 17 Aug 2025
But it's not a tough ask to be expected to close down a man that he just watched cross the ball for their 2nd goal.
He literally stood there and watched. Complete lack of effort. Thats nothing to do with playing out of position. |
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Reply | Injuries......
at 20:13 13 Aug 2025
Larkeche ACL. Can happen.
I have heard Poku is 3 months with a hammy. That is unacceptable.
Get rid of the charlatan Williams and get some proper physios and doctors in there. Someone professionally trained. |
| | Markofthegrove
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