| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 10:19 - Apr 29 with 5707 views | Antti_Heinola |
Watching the players walk around the pitch at the end for the Lap of Appreciation was a true 'I was there moment'. I wasn't there, though. Not because I was angry. Just disappointed.
1. THE GAME: Last week Clive wrote brilliantly about how QPR were finding ever more creative ways to lose matches. Turns out, though, that even our creativity for losing matches has its limits, so we looked back through the archive for one of the old ways to lose a match and used that instead.
Truly, this match was a microcosm of the second half of the season. If you had stopped going to games in early January (and God knows, we all wish we had), you could've simply turned up to this game, watched it, and it would have told you everything you needed to know about the second half of this season.
It wasn't a dire performance, but it wasn't much good. It was frequently dull. But at the same time, there was some fight and the odd flash of skill and in the end we should've taken at least a point. And, finally, we threw away our biggest chance to get a point with something involving a penalty. This description sums up about 4 or 5 games over the last few months, and take away the penalty and it sums up almost every other game. We may have been creative at losing, but the fact that we kept losing has become monotonous in the extreme.
But finally, barring the and inevitable turning over at Sheffield Wednesday next week (when our collection of loans, out-of-contracts and youngsters loses by at least three there, it'll be the ;east surprising thing since... well, see Jerk 2), this wretched season is over. Now I can enjoy my weekends again for a while.
There is/was some justifiable anger on this board over the weekend, but I think for most fans that stems from where we were at the turn of the year. Because after the first four games of this season, I would have snapped your hand off to be safe with two games to spare. The really annoying, frustrating, anger-inducing thing is that it really, really could have been so much better, so much more comfortable and enjoyable. But we totally, alarmingly, fcked it up. And that's what is so galling.
2. THE PENALTY: I have not been so sure someone would miss a penalty since Paul Furlong grabbed the ball to take the first fateful penalty in front of me and a few hundred other incandescent fans against Vauxhall Motors nearly 20 years ago. At that time (sorry Furs) Paul was not the cult hero, possibly even club legend, that he is today. He was Chelsea scum, permanently injured and completely unable to convert penalty kicks. He missed and I lost my sh!t - it was so obvious he'd miss, but he took it anyway. Still, soon, I felt bad about that, because I came to love Furs - he was brilliant. He was just no good at penalties.
On Saturday, when we got the penalty generously handed to us by diplomacy's Jack Robinson (by the way, if ever a song showed how bored our fans are by this second-half-of-season-sh!t-show, it's the Q Block chant - 'Robbo, you're a C***, Robbo, Robbo you're a C***' . Bit route one, lads?) I immediately looked around for who was going to take it. That's not Nahki Wells walking towards the ball is it? Yes. Well, surely he's fetching it for someone else - Ryan Manning, perhaps, or Josh Scowen. Oh, no, he's placing it. Yes, he's taking it. Unbelievable.
I mean did *anyone* think he was going to score? What on earth was he playing at? What was the manager doing? I know Eze and Hemed were off the pitch, but still. We saw earlier this season that he failed to convert a high pressure, last minute penalty. I'm all for redemption, but this is a team game and Wells, much as I like him and cannot fault his attitude, should not have been near the ball. I won't bore you with my list of who I would've picked to take that pen from 1-11 of those left on the pitch, but Wells was somewhere above Leistner but below Gary Cameron.
If Wells had missed a penalty earlier this season that occurred in the 60th minute of a game we won or maybe drew - then, maybe. If he had recently been in superb form, then, okay, maybe. If he had even come onto the pitch and not had two shots, both of which ballooned so far over the bar that the Upper Loft fans started trying to sort themselves out some accident insurance, then, maybe. But none of these things applied. He is a sadly dreadfully out of form, low-on-confidence striker who has already missed one massive penalty this season - a penalty that, had he scored, might have seen us have quite a different outcome for the rest of this season. And that's before you realise that he had previously, according to the excellent Jack Supple, missed his last FOUR penalties. Nahki. WHAT THE FK WERE YOU DOING?
Only one player on the pitch in hoops has scored penalties this season - Ryan Manning. And he should've had the ball. He'll also be with us next season, he'd had another good game at left back, and he deserved it. Absolutely infuriating.
3. MANNING: Another good performance full of skill and deftness and intelligence. He may not be positionally brilliant - that will have to be learned - he may not be the best defender, but that can be learned too - but he has quality and showed it again on Saturday. Once more his delivery and passing was, in the main, very good. His ability to get himself out of tight situations is admirable. He prefers to find a pass and takes responsibility to do so rather than just firing it up the pitch. He feels unflustered and unhurried, and maybe he will convert more fully into a left back. I could also see him playing left midfield. He doesn't have searing pace, but he can beat a man and his crossing is probably the best at the club. A rare encouraging sign.
4. CENTRE BACKS: Clive said it last week - it looks like we probably should have tried George Cameron at CB earlier than we have. He looked totally at ease there, alongside Leistner, whose sheer strength makes us look a better side when he plays. Few players use their arse quite as well as Leistner when in a tight spot. Gallen-esque. OK, so we did concede a fairly sloppy goal, but on the whole, and particularly when bearing in mind their lac of pace, these two looked very good together. A shame it's happened this late in the season.
5. SHODIPO: I frequently forget about Shodipo. It's sad to think the player that JFH thought so highly of, who had a couple of tremendous assists to his name, has had such a tough time over the last couple of years or so. Particularly when he produces cameos like the one on Saturday. It was nothing complicated - get ball, run with ball, beat man, cross ball. Sorted. In my fanciful world where we don't finish bottom next season, I imagine us finding a Bielsa-like coach able to wring the very best out of our talented youth; Smith as a static spearhead, with three from Bright, Smyth, Eze, Chair and Shodipo buzzing around him and chucking crosses in for him. I stress this is fanciful. But I am allowed to dream if I want to and you can't stop me.
Anyway, he was a pleasure to watch. I didn't even mind when he beat the same player six times before finally crossing the ball. Who cares? We were losing, but my God it was nice to see a bit of fun on the pitch. I dunno - he'll probably end up in non league or league two, but it feels like there's something there. Make or break season for him next time out.
6. WALKER: The full debut cliches:
Dream Debut? Nope.
Looked sharp? Not really.
Showed some nice touches? Maybe.
Quiet debut. Yep.
I thought Eze had his best game for a while - the difference when he was moved into the centre was stark. Whoever does come in now really needs to be able to inspire these young players. We have two or three (Chair, Eze, Bright) who really could be very, very good players at this level. But they need to be trusted and inspired. It's a big ask.
And that's that. Thanks to all - see you next season! Hurray! Cannot wait. Pulis might be available soon... |  |
| |  |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:12 - Apr 29 with 4746 views | JordanFoster |
Class read, Antti - not just for this weekend but the whole season along with Clive's report.
I think you make a lot of good point, especially about Manning. I agree that his quality on the ball and delivery is the best at the club, but as you point out his positioning is off and he does need to learn a bit more about the defensive side to the position which is often overlooked by the Twitteratti. At the minute, I would still have Bidwell but I wouldn't be against them both starting down the left with Manning further forward.
Moving onto the next point I agreed with RE:Wells. There was no way that ball was going in the net was there? I felt that it had more to do with Wells' rectifying his four missed penalties rather than him putting the team first and not losing for the record amount of itmes at home in a season. As you say, if he had put the team first Manning would have taken.
Also, I felt Freeman should have got a run out in his last home again. Even if only for five minutes he's been a bright spark in a dour season and took home 3 POTY awards - IMO he should have been given a last hurrah. |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:36 - Apr 29 with 4675 views | rsonist |
Hi, resident contrary git here, apologies in advance.
Bloody hell though, I know we're all fed up but are we not just slightly flogging this Wells penalty to death a bit? He's the senior striker, he wanted to put a previous miss right, he backed himself as strikers do, it's really not particularly controversial that he took it on. Was Hoos supposed to run onto the pitch waving his loan contract at him or something? Half expect if someone else had missed everyone would probably turn round and point to him as a disinterested mercenary coward.
McIntyre is apparently quite right to airily state that two-thirds of QPR is PR if we're really expecting the club to have sat down and strategically concocted a fairytale narrative where the emergency youth left back takes a pen if we happen to get one just to prove the future is bright. (As if giving Walker a start for no particular reason wasn't enough!)
Anyway, of course Wells fecked it right up. And it does sum the second half of our season up to be sure, but I'd also venture it sums up the discourse around the club too - where everything abruptly having gone wrong is presented as everything always having been wrong from the very start ("absolutely botched", in Norf's words). I still can't get my head around why everything suddenly snowballed into a doom spiral, I wish I did, but I do just about remember that it was coming off for a bit; that there was justification, circumstance, and fleeting vindication to the loans in and out; and that Wells was good and we all liked him lots. But I suppose there's no satisfaction in the wrong sides of fine margins and the unexplained. |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:37 - Apr 29 with 4667 views | Maggsinho |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:36 - Apr 29 by rsonist |
Hi, resident contrary git here, apologies in advance.
Bloody hell though, I know we're all fed up but are we not just slightly flogging this Wells penalty to death a bit? He's the senior striker, he wanted to put a previous miss right, he backed himself as strikers do, it's really not particularly controversial that he took it on. Was Hoos supposed to run onto the pitch waving his loan contract at him or something? Half expect if someone else had missed everyone would probably turn round and point to him as a disinterested mercenary coward.
McIntyre is apparently quite right to airily state that two-thirds of QPR is PR if we're really expecting the club to have sat down and strategically concocted a fairytale narrative where the emergency youth left back takes a pen if we happen to get one just to prove the future is bright. (As if giving Walker a start for no particular reason wasn't enough!)
Anyway, of course Wells fecked it right up. And it does sum the second half of our season up to be sure, but I'd also venture it sums up the discourse around the club too - where everything abruptly having gone wrong is presented as everything always having been wrong from the very start ("absolutely botched", in Norf's words). I still can't get my head around why everything suddenly snowballed into a doom spiral, I wish I did, but I do just about remember that it was coming off for a bit; that there was justification, circumstance, and fleeting vindication to the loans in and out; and that Wells was good and we all liked him lots. But I suppose there's no satisfaction in the wrong sides of fine margins and the unexplained. |
Christ, don't bring Hoos into it! |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:44 - Apr 29 with 4626 views | rsonist |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:12 - Apr 29 by JordanFoster |
Class read, Antti - not just for this weekend but the whole season along with Clive's report.
I think you make a lot of good point, especially about Manning. I agree that his quality on the ball and delivery is the best at the club, but as you point out his positioning is off and he does need to learn a bit more about the defensive side to the position which is often overlooked by the Twitteratti. At the minute, I would still have Bidwell but I wouldn't be against them both starting down the left with Manning further forward.
Moving onto the next point I agreed with RE:Wells. There was no way that ball was going in the net was there? I felt that it had more to do with Wells' rectifying his four missed penalties rather than him putting the team first and not losing for the record amount of itmes at home in a season. As you say, if he had put the team first Manning would have taken.
Also, I felt Freeman should have got a run out in his last home again. Even if only for five minutes he's been a bright spark in a dour season and took home 3 POTY awards - IMO he should have been given a last hurrah. |
"You know what lads, I've been studying the club record books for home losses in a season and I've missed the last few, never mind my 100 goal professional career, clearly I'm just absolutely fcking shit, here kid you take it". | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:46 - Apr 29 with 4620 views | TheChef |
Nice one Antti, cheers.
Ah the old classic - 'I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed'.
Who's George Cameron? Sounds like a terrifying hybrid of David Cameron and George Osborne. Lolz, etc.
Think you're a bit harsh on the Forest goal, which was a lovely passing move. Would have dissected many defences better than ours. |  |
| |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:55 - Apr 29 with 4577 views | jonno |
Thanks for the jerks throughout the season mate. Only professional footballers and politicians could have the barefaced cheek to take a "lap of honour" after such an abysmal set of "performances" throughout this season! |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:18 - Apr 29 with 4513 views | JordanFoster |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:44 - Apr 29 by rsonist |
"You know what lads, I've been studying the club record books for home losses in a season and I've missed the last few, never mind my 100 goal professional career, clearly I'm just absolutely fcking shit, here kid you take it". |
It's not about that or about the kid taking it as you so brilliantly put it. It's about having standards, Wells after the season he has had, when clearly low on confidence and not being a decent penalty taker shouldn't have been allowed to take the penalty.
Whether a kid takes it or not is irrelevant, there should be a bit of professional pride. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:21 - Apr 29 with 4501 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:55 - Apr 29 by jonno |
Thanks for the jerks throughout the season mate. Only professional footballers and politicians could have the barefaced cheek to take a "lap of honour" after such an abysmal set of "performances" throughout this season! |
to be fair, it was a 'lap of appreciation' - ie players saying thanks to fans. That was made clear, but yep, i do agree. | |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:25 - Apr 29 with 4481 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 11:36 - Apr 29 by rsonist |
Hi, resident contrary git here, apologies in advance.
Bloody hell though, I know we're all fed up but are we not just slightly flogging this Wells penalty to death a bit? He's the senior striker, he wanted to put a previous miss right, he backed himself as strikers do, it's really not particularly controversial that he took it on. Was Hoos supposed to run onto the pitch waving his loan contract at him or something? Half expect if someone else had missed everyone would probably turn round and point to him as a disinterested mercenary coward.
McIntyre is apparently quite right to airily state that two-thirds of QPR is PR if we're really expecting the club to have sat down and strategically concocted a fairytale narrative where the emergency youth left back takes a pen if we happen to get one just to prove the future is bright. (As if giving Walker a start for no particular reason wasn't enough!)
Anyway, of course Wells fecked it right up. And it does sum the second half of our season up to be sure, but I'd also venture it sums up the discourse around the club too - where everything abruptly having gone wrong is presented as everything always having been wrong from the very start ("absolutely botched", in Norf's words). I still can't get my head around why everything suddenly snowballed into a doom spiral, I wish I did, but I do just about remember that it was coming off for a bit; that there was justification, circumstance, and fleeting vindication to the loans in and out; and that Wells was good and we all liked him lots. But I suppose there's no satisfaction in the wrong sides of fine margins and the unexplained. |
Fair points mate, but can't agree on Wells. When you've missed 4 in a row, you don't take the pen. Sorry if it's flogging it, but i haven't been on much since Sun, and that was the main talking point of the game for me!
Ryan Manning is 22, has been around the first team for 3 years and scored 3 pens this season for a team fighting relegation from the opening day. He may have missed had he taken it, but it's hardly a controversial choice. Oteh scored a pen for us this season without any bother and he's younger and less experienced. Some players are better at pens than others, regardless of age.
Not sure what Hoos had to do with it, bit weird, but Eustace should've been on top of it. It's not a 'fairytale narrative' it's just who was the best man for the job. Patently, it wasn't Wells. Fair play to him for having the balls, but it was the wrong call. Anyway, doesn't matter. | |
| |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:30 - Apr 29 with 4453 views | Mytch_QPR |
Good point about Cameron - out of the expensive loan signings he has probably made the most impact (apart from Nahki's purple patch) - I doubt we could afford to go for him but he's the one I'd try to keep if there's any chance.
I think the point about Wells is that he had already missed two good opportunities to score. It was clear that his confidence is shot. If he had just come on then I might have agreed he should take the penalty.
Agree with you Antti - disappointed (no point in getting angry - it causes more stress than we already put ourselves through!) |  |
| |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:38 - Apr 29 with 4416 views | rsonist |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:25 - Apr 29 by Antti_Heinola |
Fair points mate, but can't agree on Wells. When you've missed 4 in a row, you don't take the pen. Sorry if it's flogging it, but i haven't been on much since Sun, and that was the main talking point of the game for me!
Ryan Manning is 22, has been around the first team for 3 years and scored 3 pens this season for a team fighting relegation from the opening day. He may have missed had he taken it, but it's hardly a controversial choice. Oteh scored a pen for us this season without any bother and he's younger and less experienced. Some players are better at pens than others, regardless of age.
Not sure what Hoos had to do with it, bit weird, but Eustace should've been on top of it. It's not a 'fairytale narrative' it's just who was the best man for the job. Patently, it wasn't Wells. Fair play to him for having the balls, but it was the wrong call. Anyway, doesn't matter. |
The only reason I (jokingly!) bring up Hoos is because of the repeated assertion that someone who isn't contracted to the club next season shouldn't even be allowed to take pens. As if that's how clubs are run! | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:45 - Apr 29 with 4378 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:38 - Apr 29 by rsonist |
The only reason I (jokingly!) bring up Hoos is because of the repeated assertion that someone who isn't contracted to the club next season shouldn't even be allowed to take pens. As if that's how clubs are run! |
well, i don't agree with that - if Hemed had been on the pitch i'd have wanted him to take it! | |
| |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:53 - Apr 29 with 4348 views | rsonist |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:18 - Apr 29 by JordanFoster |
It's not about that or about the kid taking it as you so brilliantly put it. It's about having standards, Wells after the season he has had, when clearly low on confidence and not being a decent penalty taker shouldn't have been allowed to take the penalty.
Whether a kid takes it or not is irrelevant, there should be a bit of professional pride. |
Hard to fathom this response tbh. Professional pride is precisely why he took the pen! (Even though his execution looked a complete pisstake).
You're talking as though these aren't real human footballers with emotions who interact with each other as part of a group. All these overarching robotic things you're expecting to have instantly gone through their minds when the pen was awarded are completely unrealistic, no player ever thinks like that. You either back yourself or you don't back yourself and that's it. Presumably these standards you loftily refer to amount to Eustace peering into his iPad and seeing Wells' morale arrow is pointing down on Football Manager, I dunno. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:00 - Apr 29 with 4321 views | JordanFoster |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 12:53 - Apr 29 by rsonist |
Hard to fathom this response tbh. Professional pride is precisely why he took the pen! (Even though his execution looked a complete pisstake).
You're talking as though these aren't real human footballers with emotions who interact with each other as part of a group. All these overarching robotic things you're expecting to have instantly gone through their minds when the pen was awarded are completely unrealistic, no player ever thinks like that. You either back yourself or you don't back yourself and that's it. Presumably these standards you loftily refer to amount to Eustace peering into his iPad and seeing Wells' morale arrow is pointing down on Football Manager, I dunno. |
Well in that case I bow to your superior knowledge. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:28 - Apr 29 with 4225 views | A40Bosh |
Strange isn't how resignation now sets in this season where anger previously would have raged on in my gut for days after a missed penalty.
I couldn't go Saturday so I was listening into the official comms and about 30 secs before the penalty happened I was fantasising that Nick London would be wrong about the ref never giving us a penalty and that he would. Sure enough 30 secs later the penalty was awarded.
As soon as the name of the taker came up I knew we would lose the game 0-1.
I wasn't angry, upset or even annoyed. It was just a cert.
That is the 2nd half of this season for you |  |
| |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:30 - Apr 29 with 4220 views | ridethewave |
"We have two or three (Chair, Eze, Bright) who really could be very, very good players at this level. But they need to be trusted and inspired. It's a big ask."
Spot on. Cheers Antti. |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:31 - Apr 29 with 4219 views | bosh67 |
I don't think anyone is blaming Wells for taking it, it's just that he should have had the ball ripped from his hands, been gaffer taped up and bundled into the back of a van for 2 minutes to let someone else take it. I also don't go with the f*ck Wells crowd now hounding him but he does seem to take missing quite badly, so would have been better to take him out the line of fire and give the ball to someone who understands that you don't wait for the keeper to dive and then pass it straight to him. With his right foot. Why his right foot? Every goal he has scored bar one has been with his left. Unfathomable.
For me Wells is a very good player, hampered by self doubt whilst playing. I also don't think he is an out and out striker. Earlier in the season he dropped very deep and picked the ball up around midfield. From that position he sprayed the ball around like Ale Faurlin and I thought, blimey, this guy can read the game and pick out a pass no problem. He would then gallop up the pitch, about 30 yards about and get into a position to shoot. So my thought was this guy is an attacking midfielder pretending to be a forward. He just looked so much better being involved as a playmaker and making his way forward behind a striker or strikers. Then he and the team stopped doing that. |  |
| |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:35 - Apr 29 with 4197 views | PinnerPaul |
Cheers AH - agree reading these but can't agree about Cameron or Manning.
Cameron - no point playing an old, slow injury prone player there - we have Lynch for that.
He is not a centre back so why try and convert at his ripe old age?
Manning - Very good on the ball I agree, but surely the areas that you say need work - positioning and defending are pretty important for a FB - midfield only for me - what's the point shoe horning players in the wrong positions?
Shodipo - a little contradiction there - firstly saying he kept it simple, next saying he beat his man 6 times before crossing - needs to simplify his game for me and even then not as defensively sound as Pav or as pacy/dangerous as Bright - we can't keep them all so its a no from me for him - decent enough but in area (We also have Chair and little Smyth) where we have enough already.
PS I WAS there for the LOA and still got home at my normal time.
Saw Bidwell and Angel , but, surprise, surprise, no Mr Lynch! | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:49 - Apr 29 with 4155 views | ridethewave |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:35 - Apr 29 by PinnerPaul |
Cheers AH - agree reading these but can't agree about Cameron or Manning.
Cameron - no point playing an old, slow injury prone player there - we have Lynch for that.
He is not a centre back so why try and convert at his ripe old age?
Manning - Very good on the ball I agree, but surely the areas that you say need work - positioning and defending are pretty important for a FB - midfield only for me - what's the point shoe horning players in the wrong positions?
Shodipo - a little contradiction there - firstly saying he kept it simple, next saying he beat his man 6 times before crossing - needs to simplify his game for me and even then not as defensively sound as Pav or as pacy/dangerous as Bright - we can't keep them all so its a no from me for him - decent enough but in area (We also have Chair and little Smyth) where we have enough already.
PS I WAS there for the LOA and still got home at my normal time.
Saw Bidwell and Angel , but, surprise, surprise, no Mr Lynch! |
This Manning thing could cause a few arguments next season if he starts at LB!
For me, I'd have him there over Bidwell any day. I'm so sick of watching Bidwell take a touch backwards with his left foot and then pass it inside to his CB, or otherwise lump it down the line. That's all he ever does.
Manning though is a real footballer. He spots passes Bidwell just can't conceive, his touch is outstanding and he's a real flash of skill in him. None of that can be taught, it's just natural ability that Bidwell doesn't have. The defensive positioning can be taught. And let's not forget he's played, what, 3 games at LB? Let's not wright him off in that position just yet.
And he's under contract. And he's young. And he'll be here next season. It's a massive yes for me over Bidwell. [Post edited 29 Apr 2019 14:20]
| | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 16:01 - Apr 29 with 3915 views | stevec |
Wasnt Wells on 9 goals so maybe grabbed it for a double figures bonus?
That aside, if this club had any organisation, Manning would have been nominated penalty taker. |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 16:03 - Apr 29 with 3905 views | PinnerPaul |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:49 - Apr 29 by ridethewave |
This Manning thing could cause a few arguments next season if he starts at LB!
For me, I'd have him there over Bidwell any day. I'm so sick of watching Bidwell take a touch backwards with his left foot and then pass it inside to his CB, or otherwise lump it down the line. That's all he ever does.
Manning though is a real footballer. He spots passes Bidwell just can't conceive, his touch is outstanding and he's a real flash of skill in him. None of that can be taught, it's just natural ability that Bidwell doesn't have. The defensive positioning can be taught. And let's not forget he's played, what, 3 games at LB? Let's not wright him off in that position just yet.
And he's under contract. And he's young. And he'll be here next season. It's a massive yes for me over Bidwell. [Post edited 29 Apr 2019 14:20]
|
Maybe!
I DO agree with all your positives there - just think the skills you mention would be put to better use in midfield | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 16:13 - Apr 29 with 3873 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 13:35 - Apr 29 by PinnerPaul |
Cheers AH - agree reading these but can't agree about Cameron or Manning.
Cameron - no point playing an old, slow injury prone player there - we have Lynch for that.
He is not a centre back so why try and convert at his ripe old age?
Manning - Very good on the ball I agree, but surely the areas that you say need work - positioning and defending are pretty important for a FB - midfield only for me - what's the point shoe horning players in the wrong positions?
Shodipo - a little contradiction there - firstly saying he kept it simple, next saying he beat his man 6 times before crossing - needs to simplify his game for me and even then not as defensively sound as Pav or as pacy/dangerous as Bright - we can't keep them all so its a no from me for him - decent enough but in area (We also have Chair and little Smyth) where we have enough already.
PS I WAS there for the LOA and still got home at my normal time.
Saw Bidwell and Angel , but, surprise, surprise, no Mr Lynch! |
Thanks mate.
Cameron has played CB as well as CDM throughout his career I think - he was actually bought with the idea of him playing as a CB or a CDM. BBC even described him as a defender who can play midfield when we signed him: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45370222 so not really about conversion. He's confident playing there as we've seen last two games. On evidence of last two games, he would have been a better option than Lynch.
I'm very much the opposite to your opinion and that of many fans that players can only play in one position and once that's settled when they're about 16 they apparently can't play anywhere else. Ashley Cole was a striker until relatively late in his development, for example. Lots of young full backs struggle with positioning - see Furlong, particularly last season, when he was asked to play wing back. Defending for me is a lot about organisation and experience and there's no reason why Manning couldn't turn into a left back. If you want any more evidence, Clive Wilson was a decent midfielder all his career - he was nearly 30 when Gerry converted (shoehorned?) him into left back, where he promptly became one of the best left backs in the league and was our POTY two or three times running. Manning can absolutely play left back in my opinion. Whether that's best for him long term or not, I don't know, but it shouldn't be written off just because he played most of his very short career in midfield. Look at Ashley Young and Valencia at United, Milner at Liverpool, Delph at City. OK, players on a different level to Manning, but all have developed into good full backs.
Yep you're right about Shodipo - he did keep it simple, but on one occasion he had some fun! You're probably right about his future, but I'm not going to get too worked up about his tracking back or lack of it! | |
| |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 16:50 - Apr 29 with 3783 views | WadR |
Echo Antti's post above. I think players, especially young ones, are more malleable than fans often give them credit for. Danny Rose and Jordi Alba were both winger until they were well into their early 20s.
There were a couple of times in the first half when Manning beat Forest men with the sort of deftness and skill that Bidwell just doesn't have. I still think Bidwell is under-appreciated by QPR fans and more than good enough for the Championship but it is good to see Manning show some promise in that position too.
Thanks Antti for the kneejerks, they're always considered, interesting and an excellent read. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 18:00 - Apr 29 with 3666 views | Lblock |
Having missed every game I’d normally have seen live since the 2nd week of March I have to say the LFW match reports and AKJ’s have taken on added meaning to me.
The service you lads give to people who can’t attend is immense and I commend your efforts for the season to the house.
My view on a few things mentioned is:-
I’d have Manning at LB over Bidwell every day of the week; in fact I’d have Shodipo, Matt Ingram or Lee Hoos there ahead of Bidwell if truth be known. Really pinning my hopes on Niko Hammalien coming back a new man and/or we sign someone mobile, strong with the ability to drop the shoulder and pass to a teammate who plays LB....... I know; the stuff of a madman’s dreams
Shockingly not shocking that Lynch didn’t join the lap of “thanks you mugs”. The man showing his complete lack of application, dedication and class to the end. If there’s a Dubai Utd I hope his trial works out for him.
Next season looms large like a spectre of doom already and I do fear for us. I’m not sure these youngsters of ours are as good as we seem Tom imagine them to be. I’m hoping a really creative and inspiring man can be at the helm in next few weeks and his phonebook has one or four experienced pro’s who are on a free and reasonable money which can be given a call.
Looking forward to a summer heatwave; new season in August and into 2020 where hopefully I don’t “shit the bed” (c) NorthernR by the end of January as to our chances of relegation. We live in hope
Thanks again both. |  |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
| |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 0 Forest 1 on 23:43 - Apr 29 with 3323 views | oldmisery |
Many interesting and varied views on specific players in this thread. When we signed Cameron back in August, a Stokey pal told me that he had played around 200 games for them, mostly at Right Back and occasionally as Centre Back. Apparently he only really featured in midfield when playing for the USA. The point about Wells having scored one hundred career goals (111 in 318 appearances) may be looked at in terms of who he scored those goals for i.e. 53 in 112 appearances for Bradford in Division Two and 58 in 206 for Huddersfield and us in the Championship - which probably indicates that he's not really all that prolific at 'our' level. | | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
