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Comment | Three is the cursed number as QPR fall in a hole at Hull - Report
at 20:39:42
Thanks for your report.
We were outclassed and that hasn't very often happened since Cifuentes took over. All three Hull goals were good goals. The first goal took the wind out of our sails, and subsequent goals were further body blows that we didn't have the ability to recover from as we didn't look like scoring. If it was a midtable game we could just forget about it, but because we're in a relegation battle this is the last thing we needed with results around us on Saturday far from ideal. |
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Comment | To Hull and back - Preview
at 15:00:16
Thanks for your preview.
I can't see how anyone in their right mind would think that going down would do us any good. I call such people boiled frogs because they have forgotten that the owners started off with a Premiership club, so we have already gone down a division on their watch.
'Just get this done'. Amen. As I have said before, whatever happens in the remaining games, at least Cifuentes has restored some respectability to our season. |
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Comment | Faint hope, same failings, familiar faces – Report
at 14:06:55
Thanks for your report.
I thought Plymouth looked weak, perhaps due to lack of confidence (although gained a win over Leicester last night) and were there for the taking, but our inability to take our chances made this game look as though this was heading for a nil-nil draw. In the end Field somehow managed to bundle the ball over the line.
You have been a long-time critic of Begović and this game showed why. The thing I don't get is why Begović did what he did. I initially assumed he was under pressure from an opposition player or had collided with one of our players, but that wasn't the case. Why didn't he just punch the ball out if he wasn't going to catch? |
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Comment | Saturday's no-show piles pressure on QPR at Plymouth - Preview
at 14:49:11
Thanks for your preview.
The statistics tell us what we all know: we aren't doing well against teams around us (although at least we managed to beat Rotherham and Birmingham at home).
Because the attack and the midfield have dried up it's difficult to know where our next goal is coming from. On Chair and Willock's 'wild' shooting, if I was Cifuentes I would at least tell them to try and get more central if they are going to shoot from outside the box. Once they have started scoring again, then they can gamble when the angle is against them. At least Andersen brings some thought to proceedings and makes sensible decisions on the ball.
It's a bit unfortunate that Plymouth have got rid of Foster. We can only hope that they aren't picking up steam after their win at Rotherham. |
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Comment | Plymouth fret League One return after Foster misstep – Oppo profile
at 14:48:40
Thanks for your preview.
The statistics tell us what we all know: we aren't doing well against teams around us (although at least we managed to beat Rotherham and Birmingham at home).
Because the attack and the midfield have dried up it's difficult to know where our next goal is coming from. On Chair and Willock's 'wild' shooting, if I was Cifuentes I would at least tell them to try and get more central if they are going to shoot from outside the box. Once they have started scoring again, then they can gamble when the angle is against them. At least Andersen brings some thought to proceedings and makes sensible decisions on the ball.
It's a bit unfortunate that Plymouth have got rid of Foster. We can only hope that they aren't picking up steam after their win at Rotherham. |
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Comment | Complacent QPR caught cold by Owls – Report
at 11:07:51
Thanks for your report.
Very disappointing that we could not get something from the game. We have seen many times that the team has difficulty in games with any sort of expectation, especially at Loftus Road, although we seemed to have got past that psychological barrier with wins at home against Rotherham and Birmingham.
As we all know, the problem is up front. We struggle to score, so it's not surprising we struggle against defensive sides. We have won our two most recent games through defenders scoring, and we can't rely on that happening every week. If we can't score, then an opposition goal of the type we conceded turns into a disaster. I was particularly frustrated by Chair and Willock taking shots from distance when the angle was against them. It feels like they are both short on ideas and gambling on scoring wonder goals, trying to replay their greatest hits.
Wednesday weren't great, but they knew what they were doing, knew how and when to be physical, and knew how to get over the line. |
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Comment | Managers matter(?) – Preview
at 13:59:31
Thanks for your preview.
A very interesting reflection on the role of managers. You summed it up with this paradox: 'Most managers are much of a muchness. Get a really bad one, or a really good one, however, and you really know about it.' Everyone is obsessed with managers, but this is because of the outliers, and people judge everything by the outliers, longing for the day when the 'really good one' turns up.
I see that neither you or Aston has written off Sheffield Wednesday in your prediction. It has certainly felt (at least until recent weeks) that we were never able to shake them off as they always got a result whenever we got a result. |
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Comment | Owls approach final act of Röhl's remarkable rescue - Oppo profile
at 13:19:01
Thanks to Jon.
When we started improving under Cifuentes, Wednesday were always on our shoulder. We just could not shake them off. This changed in the last few weeks when Wednesday stopped picking up wins.
Although Jon talks about the lack of goals, Wednesday really overran us with attacking players at the end of the game in the away fixture earlier in the season.
It sounds like Wednesday must do everything they can to keep Röhl, whatever division they end up in. |
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Comment | Risen indeed – Report
at 12:55:44
Thanks for your report.
Fortunately for us Swansea did not take their chances (and hit the bar twice).
Cifuentes seems to have turned set pieces, our greatest weakness, into a strength. Once again it was defenders to the rescue with Dunne heading back across the goal, and a brilliant strike from Cook. |
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Comment | Derby win brightens Swans' season of slog - Oppo profile
at 19:41:59
Thanks to Keith and Phil.
It seems strange that Michael Duff didn't get it. He must have known about Swansea's style.
Despite everything, at least Swansea haven't had to contend with a relegation battle. |
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Comment | The noise before the noise – Preview
at 14:59:47
Thanks for your preview.
There have to be some highs to go with all the lows (which have been chipping away at the club for years). With all our goal-scoring problems it's great to see a wonder-goal conjured from somewhere completely unexpected.
Let's hope our élan from Friday will carry over and help us get something at Swansea. |
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Comment | Dunne’d in the gob – Report
at 14:19:25
Thanks for your report.
Until *that* goal, this looked as though it was heading for a draw. At times we looked like a team of individuals...Chair and Willock in particular showing a touch of self-indulgence, hanging on to the ball for too long or going for impossible shots. Also frustrating that Chair, Willock and Field weren't able to get their head over the ball and all ended up skying shots from good positions.
Birmingham were better than expected, and knew how to get the ball forward quickly. We looked disoriented after Hayden went off, with very poor marking of Bacuna for the Birmingham goal.
Attackers can't score? Midfielders can't score? Defenders to the rescue: Cook and super-Dunne. Agree that it feels like ages since a key moment has gone our way, and finally one has. |
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Comment | Blues brothers – Preview
at 21:49:22
Thanks for your preview.
We have struggled against teams at the bottom (although as Aston pointed out at least we managed to beat Rotherham) and now, as you pointed out, we're not scoring either (otherwise we could have won at Sunderland). Let's hope that Laird and Roberts are in non-committal mode. I can see this game being a battle of nerves, so let's also hope that we can settle and find a bit of creativity and put away our chances.
Whatever happens against Birmingham, or in the other remaining games, at least Cifuentes has restored some respectability to our season. |
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Comment | Blues hunt hangover cure after Christmas with Rooney - Interview
at 16:33:34
Thanks to Matthew.
Surprised to hear that QPR misfits Roberts, Laird and Dozzell have done ok at Birmingham.
History does point to Rowett being able to manage clubs at the lower end of the Championship, so this seems like a good appointment given the situation. |
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Comment | Sunderland stalemate keeps Rangers hanging – Report
at 17:23:30
Thanks for your report.
We seem to have had a lot of these boring stalemates in recent seasons. If we had scored early the game might have opened up, but after half an hour I think Sunderland settled when they realised that there wasn't that much to fear.
We didn't take our chances, in particular the Andersen chance and the Willock chance. In his heyday Willock would have put that one away.
Armstrong always going for the near post felt futile. His problem is that there is nobody to pass to, but I think he should at least try something different if he has to go on his own e.g. cutting in to improve the angle.
Wasn't the solution to Dykes not doing anything supposed to be for him to operate as an attacking midfielder? I guess for that to work you need either Frey or Armstrong on the pitch as the centre-forward, or Chair, Willock or Andersen to be racing into the box. |
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Comment | Great comedy duos of our time – Preview
at 14:57:08
Thanks for your preview.
QPR and Sunderland. There should be a scheme for twinning asylums.
I really hope that this is not another one of those 'oppo in crisis' situations that we can't make the best of. |
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Comment | Sunderland unravelling after six straight defeats - Interview
at 14:32:08
Thanks to What The Falk and A Love Supreme.
Interesting that neither of the Sunderland fans is that keen on Mowbray, even in retrospect.
The youth model that everyone says they want to follow doesn't seem to be working that well. Beale's reputation has been seriously damaged, but it was saying the right thing about that model that allowed him to talk his way into the club. |
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Comment | Act three – Report
at 17:04:27
Thanks for your report.
Definitely lacking in oomph after our recent heroics against Leicester and West Brom. It was back to earlier in the season when we never quite looked like scoring, and not scoring leaves the door open to the opposition. As you point out, we generally don't do well in three-game weeks. Andersen as star man seems reasonable - there is always that feeling that something is going to happen when he's around. |
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