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Swansea’s illusion of grandeur punctured by Mackie — full match report
Swansea’s illusion of grandeur punctured by Mackie — full match report
Wednesday, 28th Dec 2011 19:40 by Clive Whittingham

QPR left Swansea with a point from a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night in a game they could easily have won or lost in slightly different circumstances.

The attraction of modern day football can be a difficult thing to quantify for the uninitiated at the best of times. If you’re attempting it this holiday season - for an elderly relative perhaps, or friends from abroad – maybe gloss over this match and move onto one a little less ridiculous. The Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night was a place where nothing made sense, where even the most clued up of football aficionados was left shaking their head.

Why, just as a for instance to start with, did the best part of 1,000 people decide to drive the thick end of 400 miles from London to South Wales slap bang on the middle of the Christmas and New Year break to watch their team that had won only one of its previous eight games take part in a match that was televised live and available to watch for the price of a pint in their local pub?

How, as a follow up question, did that team ultimately take a point from a game against the smallest (physically) team in the league despite - over the course of 11 ball acheing corners, countless attacking free kicks and an unprecedented two foul throws – delivering an object lesson is how to take dreadful set pieces?

For the first half at least QPR weren’t much better in open play either, frequently casting the ball aside like some tart from the office rather than treasuring it like a life-long lover. Possession though, isn’t everything. If it was, Swansea would be battling with the two Manchester clubs and Spurs at the top end of the Premier Division that they joined with QPR earlier this year.

Good God Swansea like possession, but at times the experience of watching them play is similar to one you might have on a visit to the Tate Modern. “Marvellous darling, simply wonderful” people cry as they gaze upon this supposed art form – quite often though, Swansea are the footballing equivalent of an abstract painting of a hairy minge. Pointless, pretentious, dull.

Side to side the ball goes, repeatedly left and right, and backwards - very frequently backwards. Pundits count the passes for you; “21, 22, 23”. Fluidly, calmly, methodically they go about their work, like a footballing metronome. Aren’t they majestic darling? But, like a metronome, they rarely go anywhere. Tick tock, left to right, pass, pass, pass, tick, tock. Swansea are fourteenth, without a single win away from home, and with only 17 goals scored in 18 matches.

QPR, meanwhile, look like a bored teenager on Boxing Day; grumpy and not entirely sure what to do with themselves. They no longer seem to know their best formation, system, shape or starting 11. They go from not even being able to take a throw in to looking like the only winners of a difficult away game and back again. They go from not being able to pass a ball five feet to stringing three minute long moves of their own together. They can spend an hour looking more capable of a moon landing in the team bus than scoring a goal and then get two in four minutes and then still lose anyway.

Neil Warnock’s team selection, formation and personnel wise, is increasingly erratic. Here he dropped both his centre halves after Wednesday’s Sunderland abomination and picked ageing left back Clint Hill in the centre with the club’s resident bulimic Fitz Hall. Armand Traore played left back, Luke Young right and Paddy Kenny in goal. Further forward a three man midfield of Joey Barton, Shaun Derry and Alejandro Faurlin morphed into a two man set up with Barton wideright. An initial front three of Jamie Mackie, Hiedar Helguson and Adel Taaabt, starting for the first time since early October, transformed into a lone striker with three man supporting cast after half time.

Given the contrast in the team and individual performances before and after half time it’s not hard to see why Warnock is having such difficult pinning down a successful formula. This team could win 2-0 at Arsenal on Saturday or concede eight, that’s just how they are; random, nonsensical, inconsistent, infuriating and without logic.

Speaking of which the referee for this fixture was Lee Probert, a man who gave the impression he’d rather overindulged in the Christmas sherry, or been plucked from the Boxing Day sales as a late replacement for somebody who had actually seen a game of football before.

Swansea started with Wayne Routledge wide on the right of their attack. Twice a QPR player, Routledge would surely have been so again this summer had Flavio Briatore not refused to spend even the most meagre sums while he awaited takeover offers. Routledge hasn’t scored a Premiership goal in his career which currently spans 112 top flight appearances with eight different clubs. QPR are usually ideal fodder for such occasions but although he made an early impact here, crossing low from the right in the ninth minute, the crucial blow was struck by a combination of lone striker Danny Graham, who could also have been a QPR player this summer had Flavio Briatore etc etc, and referee Probert.

Routledge’s cross was slightly behind Graham as he entered the penalty area, and travelling at a fair lick, so the former Watford man reached out and controlled the ball with his hand before turning and curling a fine finish around Hall and into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Kenny. All, except those who had been in the toilet or reading their programme at the time, wore perplexed expressions. Probert explained to QPR later that, yes, Graham had indeed handled the ball and, yes, he had seen him do it from a distance of roughly 15 yards away but that, in his opinion, the act of controlling an uncontrollable cross and bringing it down perfectly for the finish with the palm of his hand was not deliberate as defined by the rules of the game. The goal stood.

Like I say, if you’re trying to explain football to a novice this Christmas, scratch this match from your list of visual aids.

QPR had enjoyed the better of lively opening exchanges prior to that. Heidar Helguson almost found himself running through on goal in their first attack but Faurlin’s measured ball through to him clipped his heals and bounced to safety, then the Icelandic target man headed a deep cross from Barton down at the back post and Mackie worried the Swans’ in form goalkeeper Michel Vorm in the six yard box but the Dutchman gathered at the second attempt. At the other end Graham was inches away from connecting with Wayne Routledge’s well flighted cross at the near post.

But the R’s are revelling in making life difficult for themselves at the moment and having conceded they gave the ball away within two touches from their own kick off and immediately had to defend a corner which centre half Ashley Williams headed wide. They then allowed Scott Sinclair to run from halfway to the byline and cut a ball back that Graham was beaten to at the near post by Hill. Credit where credit is due though this, and another slaloming venture forward in the second half, was all we saw of Sinclair who was outstanding in the Swans’ promotion campaign last term but well marshalled here by Luke Young.

QPR’s outstanding player last season, and in this game, was Adel Taarabt. Here he turned in his best performance of the season, marrying the tricks and flicks that make him such a handful with an economical use of the ball often missing from his game. At the midway point of the half, shortly after the Graham chance, he milked a free kick from Agustien and quickly set up Barton for a long range shot that Vorm turned over the bar with what could kindly be described as a camera save.

That produced one of 11, mostly dreadful, QPR corners. Faurlin had a crack with this one although he quickly handed the job to Adel Taarabt (the lack of a designated taker hints at poor preparation) and he went deep where Hall was able to nod the ball down and Barton saw a volley blocked in the six yard area. Swansea, a team so lacking in height they were forced to constantly work set pieces short in a recent game against Alex Mcleish’s physical Aston Villa side, did threaten from a wide set piece for a second time in quick succession when Williams planted Allen’s delivery wide after being given too much time. QPR’s defence of these situations is almost as bad as their execution of them at the moment – again one has to question the preparation.

Not only did they struggle with corners and free kicks, QPR couldn’t even take their throw ins properly. Barton was penalised for a laughably bad effort during a period of the first half where he literally couldn’t do a thing right and then after half time Armand Traore repeated the trick leading to his manager picking up a ball and giving a demonstration of the technique. When they did produce a legal one, ten minutes before half time, they lost the ball within one touch and Paddy Kenny was quickly forced into a save by Danny Graham. The former Middlesbrough man had earlier found the side netting with a low shot that came after he’d been flagged offside, as did a later lob from Wayne Routledge that landed on the roof of the net. The defensive line was good on those occasions, and the makeshift partnership between Hill and Hall performed well overall albeit against one of the division’s statistically weakest attacks that would be further hampered by a poor choice of substitution in the second half.

The sides exchanged yellow cards before the break – Hill cautioned for a tactical foul on Angel Rangel as he counter attacked that left the Spaniard nursing an injury that would later force him off and young full back Ashley Richards for chopping down Joey Barton. Those two would clash again later.

As time wound down another poor corner was worked back to Taarabt who fed Young and his cross was headed over by Hill who was unmarked. Then Barton, finally improving after two and a half games of dross, delivered a fine cross that Helguson headed over when you would perhaps have expected him to score.

Half time bollocking handed out, QPR re-emerged for the second period with renewed purpose. Traore put in a testing early cross before Taarabt volleyed wide of the target via the aid of a deflection. Swansea, predictably, cleared the subsequent corner when a better delivery could have picked out Fitz Hall unattended at the back stick.

At the far end of the ground typically patient build up from the home side culminated with Allen laying Routledge in behind the last man but his cross shot flew all the way through the six yard box with Graham unable to arrive in time to apply a finishing touch.

Then, in the space of 60 seconds on the hour, the whole shape, pattern and direction of the game completely changed. First Swansea’s tidy Spanish full back Angel Rangel surrendered in his battle to continue through the pain barrier. His manager Brendan Rodgers responded by removing him and sending on striker Luke Moore. The effect of this was twofold: firstly it meant Kemiy Agustien, Swansea’s best midfield player to this point, was forced to move to right full back where he wasn’t nearly as effective; and secondly it immediately reduced Swansea to ten men because, as we know from our own miserable experiences with his brother Stefan, the Moore family is to football what Little Mix are to the music industry. Moore stayed true to previous form and was insipid, ineffective and almost completely useless in his half hour on the pitch. His arrival, along with the departure of Wayne Routledge who was replaced by Nathan Dyer, meant QPR were able to take the match over completely and they equalised straight from the restart.

A long kick downfield by Paddy Kenny was inadvertently flicked back into his own area by Leon Britton as he lost his balance and Jamie Mackie didn’t need asking twice to run in behind, control the ball and then slip it between Vorm’s legs and in for the equaliser.

Neil Warnock didn’t make a substitution in this game – he didn’t need to, Rodgers had done QPR’s game changing for them. With Leroy Lita and Stephen Dobbie to call on from the bench it’s hard to see the logic in introducing Moore. Rodgers would have done a better job up front himself. The giant Swan mascot wandering around the side of the pitch would have done a better job.

Then, the refereeing took a turn for the eccentric. First Fitz Hall was allowed to climb right over the back of Graham to win a header that subsequently developed into a chance for Mackie who skipped between two players in the penalty area but found Vorm had read his intentions and smothered the danger. Referee Probert wasn’t quite so alert, caught stationary and thinking about other things on the halfway line by Barton who was inadvertently tackled by the official which in turn allowed Swansea to attack and force a corner. Luckily Probert’s assist only fell to Moore rather than an actual footballer.

In between those incidents the home crowd had bayed for Barton’s blood after full back Richards had cleared a ball down the line and kicked through onto Barton’s outstretched block attempt. The Swansea man hit the deck immediately, writhing in apparent agony as the Swansea fans, to a man, stood and demanded immediate, harsh sanctions against the QPR man. A yellow card was produced, to the home fans’ disgust, and Richards them immediately made a complete and full recovery, leaping to his feet and bounding off down the field without the need for attention from the physio, stopping only to refuse Barton’s hand of apology. And we’re told the QPR man is the pantomime villain.

There was brief respite from the farce when Taarabt had a shot blocked on the edge of the area, and then skilfully turned his man and attempted to seek out the far corner in the same manner as Graham had in the first half but Vorm produced a fantastic finger tip save to deny him.

In between those two shots though, more from Probert. QPR’s Senegalese full back Armand Traore, not for the first time in the game it must be said, took an unnecessary extra touch on the ball in a dangerous area. On this occasion Danny Graham had gambled on him doing just that and raced to the scene to cleanly take the ball off his toe as he went to clear it down field. Traore executed the clearance anyway, hacking into the back of Graham’s leg and sending him sprawling in the penalty area. A blatant spot kick, a dictionary definition of a penalty, but once again Probert gave the impression of a man caught thinking about other things – he neither awarded the kick, nor waved play on. He just sort of stood there, stupefied.

Two minutes later Williams strode calmly out of the Swansea defence and executed a body slam on Adel Taarabt as he attacked down the left flank. Again a blatant foul, again Probert awarded nothing. We were one more piece of incompetence away from the police vacating the ground and declaring mob rule at this stage. Anything went. I’d suggest that Probert had borrowed the Stuart Attwell random generator of maddening refereeing decisions for the afternoon had Attwell not been making prolific use of it himself back in London at Arsenal v Wolves. For the second time in a week I’m struggling for words to describe a match official. Never mind a demotion, a long spell in the padded room is required for this chump.

With 13 minutes to go a football match broke out again. QPR strung an attractive move together down their left flank culminating in a cross from Traore that sailed through the six yard box to Joey Barton who should have put his boot through a presentable chance at the back post but instead searched for a team mate and lost the initiative. From the resulting corner Hall headed onto the roof of the net.

Swansea returned fire, Scott Sinclair posing a rare threat by jinking his way past three men and winning a free kick on the corner of the box that he took himself and Rangers were lucky to escape as Paddy Kenny’s unorthodox save at the far post sent the ball bouncing safely to a man wearing baby-sick orange rather than a home player.

Thereafter QPR rather settled for a point, which was disappointing considering their second half dominance and the ease at which they were getting dangerous possession around the Swansea penalty area. I wondered about Jay Bothroyd or Shaun Wright-Phillips coming on to try and assert the advantage but Warnock, and his team, seemed happy with their point. So much so that they adopted Swansea’s metronome technique – brutally murdering the final ten minutes of the game by moving the ball from one side to the other and back again.

Probert was talked into booking Adel Taarabt by Ashley Williams for kicking the ball away in three minutes of added time – I say ‘talked into’ because Probert was actually looking the other way when the Moroccan did it and showed no inclination towards booking the QPR man until Williams delivered a volley of advice to him.

And that was that. For QPR a point well won but a nagging doubt that more ambition from players and manager could have brought a vital two more in the final ten minutes of the game. Moving forward the key, even before the anticipated January transfer window arrivals, must be to achieve a consistent team selection and level of performance – the gap between QPR’s best and worst football is vast and can often be seen within ten minutes of a match. The amount of simple things they’re doing wrong – ten yard passes, corners, free kicks, throw ins –should shame them into extra training. The way they’ve fought back twice this week against Swansea and Sunderland should reassure everybody that the spirit remains intact.

For Swansea, more penetration required. You don’t score goals from the halfway line, no matter how many passes you put together there, and you don’t win points for completing 30 passes and not actually going anywhere. It’s admirable stuff, but not particularly effective. Almost all their points have come at home so far, but Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and others all still have to come here.

For Lee Probert, a long holiday. Preferably with one of those travel companies that goes into liquidation shortly after you land at Arse End of Nowhere International Airport.

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Swansea: Vorm 7, Rangel 7 (Moore 57, 4), Williams 7, Caulker 6, Richards 6, Sinclair 6, Britton 6, Agustien 7, Allen 6, Routledge 7 (Dyer 56, 6), Graham 7

Subs Not Used: Tremmel, Dobbie, Monk, Lita, Gower

Booked: Richards (foul)

Goals: Graham 14 (assisted Routledge)

QPR: Kenny 6, Young 7, Hill 7, Hall 7, Traore 6, Mackie 7, Barton 6, Derry 6, Faurlin 7, Taarabt 7, Helguson 6

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Orr, Gabbidon, Bothroyd, Connolly, Smith, Wright-Phillips

Booked: Hill (foul), Barton (foul), Taarabt (kicking ball away)

Goals: Mackie 58 (assisted Kenny)

QPR Star Man – Adel Taarabt 7 Played in the right areas, didn’t give the ball away as much as he can do, and posed a threat to Swansea rather than his own team as has often been the case this season. Taarabt playing like this has to be in the team, we were so much better to look at and more dangerous in possession with him in the team than we have been recently without him. The problem is that he, like the team as a whole, could go from a good performance here to a dreadful one at Arsenal on Saturday. It’s his inconsistency and attitude that keeps Taarabt at QPR and, I believe, will do so again this January.

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) 3 For all the dodgy calls, bizarre decisions and tackles executed on QPR players in the centre of the field it’s the big decisions in games that referees should be judged on. Probert had two big calls to make in this match and got both of them wrong. He cannot say he was unsighted, or that the decisions were borderline, because they were clear as day, right in front of him and absolutely blatant. Swansea’s first goal should have been disallowed for handball, and they should have had a penalty in the second half. When you then marry that up with the other irritations you find yourself with a refereeing performance far, far beneath what should be expected of a referee in the Premier League.

Attendance: 19, 530 (900 QPR approx) It’s often difficult to generate atmosphere in a new stadium but Swansea have an enthusiastic home crowd and, as they didn’t make the Coventry mistake of building a ground three times bigger than they needed, they’re all tightly packed in on three sides. The result was a really fantastic atmosphere that lasted for the entire game, even immediately after the QPR equaliser. Compare the constant din and screaming appeals for every decision from the Swansea faithful to the library-like state of the famous Kop End when we visited the other week and it’s chalk and cheese. QPR deserve credit too, we brought more than twice as many fans to this game as I thought we would given the location, kick off time, Sky coverage and recent form. Excellent all round, as it always seems to be when we come here.

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18StoneOfHoop added 19:52 - Dec 28
And back comes Clive with the racey saucy metaphores and similes.
Swansea are the "equivalent of an abstract painting of a hairy minge.Pointless,pretentious,dull."
Produced my first Post Xmas throaty belly laugh upset cup of tea and snort up the hooter.
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18StoneOfHoop added 20:19 - Dec 28
More brown-nosing
________________

Now I've finally read it all,I've got to add that that's a beautifully and amusingly written account.
As Ray Wilkins could and would doubtless tell you 'the boy,Clive,really has put in an exceptional first-rate performance there.' Best Report Of The Season so far.
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RangerKIK added 20:30 - Dec 28
Totally agree with the sentiment of - what exactly were our tactics for this game? Seems like the pre match team talk is 'right lads go out there and remember.....enjoy yourselves'. The sort of team talk we used to get in the Cub Scouts. Then after the first 45 minutes a vague game plan is conjured up. What has happended to the coherent, exciting, attacking team that played Newcastle and Wolves earlier in the season. I WANT THEM BACK!

Really wished we had pushed more for the winner in the last 10 minutes. Confidence is low and a point seemed a bit of a relief I suppose.

Anyone have any idea how exactly you can run onto a lofted out swinging corner? We seem to like those. Do you think we practice set pieces in training?

Traore is really growing on me but I think he must be the most one footed player I have ever seen. The amount of times he cuts inside onto his right foot followed by me shouting 'shoot the f**king ball........oh yeah forgot it's Traore'' is becoming really tedious. Again something he could practice during the week maybe??!!

Totally agree Clive - beat Arsenal 2-0 or lose by eight. Both seem absolutely possible with this lot. We are the Forrest Gumps of the Premier League.

Oh yeah seeing Mackie in loads of space and Taarabt not passing to him and choosing to take on a ridiculous shot, followed by Mackie running up the line to complain to Warnock. I got all nostalgic, just like old times.

Time to break off the Kalipers and start pushing up the table now team. Run Rangers run.......
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Northernr added 20:40 - Dec 28
I think with Traore it would be nice to see him played wide left and try and bring in another left back in January. We're going to need another left back anyway with him off to the Nations Cup shortly. All his strengths are attacking, all his weaknesses are defensive. I think he's potentially a superb player.

Nobody can complain at Taarabt for his decision making on Tuesday, I thought he played very well. Like a Premiership adapted Taarabt. Long may that continue, it's been a while.

The concern I have is that if you ask Warnock what his best team is and what system it's in I don't think he knows at the moment. That' complicated further by Taarabt's return to form because Warnock would probably tell you that Barton, Faurlin, Mackie, Wright-Phillips, Traore, Ferdinand, Gabbidon and Young are all in his best teams, but can Taarabt fit into that without one of the attackers dropping out to make way for Derry to protect us?
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qprmick added 20:41 - Dec 28
Good report again, thanks. PIty Hall can't score a goal like Gorkss or Danny. We should be happy that he made the distance unscathed, I suppose. The next game will be a real test with Van Persie and Walcott, I am more than a bit nervous. I still remember that Cup defeat,vividly.
This one made me ingest my tea nasally."For Lee Probert, a long holiday. Preferably with one of those travel companies that goes into liquidation shortly after you land at Arse End of Nowhere International Airport."
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Neil_SI added 20:46 - Dec 28
Great report Clive.

RangerKIK - in my view, Taarabt had every right to shoot at that moment, or pass, and Mackie didn't need to have such a whine about it. In fact, it was Taarabt's skill that created that moment and unlikely a moment the others are capable of creating.
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stircrazyjack added 21:24 - Dec 28
nice article is that and your comments on my beloved swans are spot on in a lot of what you wrote but please bare in mind that that was the poorest we have played at home all season, even in the first half we were way off our fluent and pacy uptempo self...

OO and calling us the smallest club in the league./ really?

Home sellout every home game for us all season with plans to add another 6 thousand odd seats soon.

ID say wigan deserve the tag of the smallest team in the league with you lot not far ahead of the northern pie eaters
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Northernr added 21:31 - Dec 28
stircrazyjack - a misunderstanding has occurred. When I said "smallest" I meant literally, as in the height of your players. Correct me if I'm wrong but Williams and Graham are your only players over 6ft 2ins tall?
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stircrazyjack added 21:42 - Dec 28
far enough mate , wasnt looking for an argument as the piece is a good read and qpr were well worth a point even though the ref missed a stonewall pen standing 5 yards from the foul on danny graham but you had enough chances to have scored more as well.

Its hell of a tough league and relegation will go to the wire

best of luck
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ozranger added 21:47 - Dec 28
Another superb report Clive.

For us in Aussieland where games are in the middle of the night it is a redeeming feature to have such detailed and enjoyable reports to read. That is, except that I got up to watch this game at 4am. What got me was two things, both a comment and an observation. The commentators said that many on the field will be 'replaced' come January and thus were not playing with the enthusiasm even though their futures were in doubt. A fascinating comment and worth a thought. The observation is that Tarrabt is really now playing for himself. The comment above about him shooting instead of passing to Mackie fits well with this. If he wants to go to a big club he has to perform and perform in a way that makes him a standout. I think the Arsenal game will be his true 'coming out' game. This was a warm up. Whether that will be good for us I do not know.

As to Probert, not the padded room but a long spell in the paddock is more appropriate.
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R_in_Sweden added 22:12 - Dec 28
Another good report, Clive.

Agree with you about the mantra of Swansea = great in possession being wrongly interpreted as the equivalent of great football. I also think that 7 was a little bit stingy for both Taarabt and Faurlin. I thought that Taarabt got the mixture of flicks and tricks together with actually playing some simpler passes about right. Faurlin worked his bollocks off in the second half. I'd also like to see Traore further up the field, he's disguised as a defender at the moment.

Warnock's post match comments do tend to deflect from his erratic team selections and in some cases poor performances where he likes to focus on individual mistakes at set pieces and bizarre refereeing decisions instead.

Heads didn't go down yesterday which was good to see..

Warnock's New Year's resolution should be - we shall practice at set pieces.
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YorkRanger added 22:18 - Dec 28
My word a great write up Clive. When all is said and done I still think this is a point gained not two lost.
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xian added 23:33 - Dec 28
One point you missed, Clive - eight of the team were out Championship side, with only additions being the 2 fullbacks and Joey. Suggests that it is not necessarily new signing that do the job, but the right attitude. Also, one of your betes noires, Fitz Hall, had a stormer.
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MelakaRanger added 00:37 - Dec 29
OZ Ranger. We must have the same 'feed' as thats what my commentator said and maybe it rings true.

I too was amazed at Fitz Halls performance. The best I have seen.

But this was a dire game. Still a point is a point.

However unlike many I was not impressed with Taarabt and Barton was dross yet again.

Warnock wants leaders. But shouldn't our Captain be a Leader? He is not and shows no signs of being the Leader we need. Time for Barton to up his game and lead this team. He and SWP are the biggest disappointments from our summer signings.

I also agree we could beat Arsenal or lose big time. Oh to be a QPR supporter!
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aussiehoop added 06:43 - Dec 29
Adel was the only player providing continuous movement and creating angles for passes. He and Traore were our only attacking outlets.

The same goes for the Sunderland game.

Adel is the best player i've seen in a Rangers shirt in my 23 years... Sometimes he deserves the bad press etc: but i think any negative opinions are not deserved in this game.
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JB007007 added 07:56 - Dec 29
Thanks Clive.
Taarabt on this performance is worthy of a start at Arsenal, but its so frustrating for us not knowing what you will get from one game to another with him. Thought Faurlin was superb in midfield again and Fitz played really well, cutting one ball over to Graham out with an overhead kick timed to perfection.
Don't know why Routledge wasn't booked in the first half when he was flagged offside and continued to lop the ball over the bar after controlling it - seeing as Taarabt was later on.
Annoyed at Wolves getting a point at Arsenal the other day as its unlikely they'll drop another two points against lower teams in one week?
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SheffieldSteve added 08:54 - Dec 29
Agree with most of the above, another good article, Clive, perceptive as usual. Faurlin is becoming the consistently good player in our midfield, Adel played well at last, but Warnock has said he is getting fitter, and I think this has been one of the main reasons he has been left out recently, that and his petulence.
Joey Barton? Where to start? He seems to have forgotten how to pass the ball (please watch Faurlin Joey!) or how to take dead ball kicks, but that seems the same for the whole lot of them. Could we just bring Cook back to take corners, like those blokes that come in for American Rules games just to kick the ball? However, Barton did play his best for a while in the reshaped team that casme out for the second half...
Now, that does seem to be a positive, I'm trusting, of Warnock's making, ie, with the same players, he still turned round the way they were playing, but I fear that your (Clive) suggestion it was more the result of the opposition manager's reshape that helped us. I think it helped, but I also think he was responding to QPR actually playing better after about 35 minutes, particularly in the second half.
Fizsall playing 90 minutes+, has to be applauded, though doubt he'll survive another 90 minutes at Arsenal. The worries over our defence carries on, and losing Traore very soon too is worrying.
Close thing re our best player between Ale and Adel, not sure I'd go for Adel, but it was his best performance so far this season, though I think I'd go for Faurlin, but so close to call it's hard to disagree.
Last thing ("at last", I hear anyone who bothers to read this far down) but, Mr Mackie, the only thing I can say is that what he lacks in skill he makes up for in enthusiasm, and it was a superbly taken goal, well controlled with his chest (no need for him to use his arms) and put past the keeper with aplomb... I'm so pleased for the lad!
Arsenal, yep, again, can only agree, we'll either win, lose or draw, ie who knows which QPR will turn up?
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QPRski added 09:09 - Dec 29
Excellent report. It is great to see your cutting edge humour returning to true potency.

I rushed back from work for the 18:00 CET kick off only to discover that Canal+ in Poland decided to switch the live Sky transmission an NBA match!!! Obviously they thought that the Arsenal & Spurs matches were enough Premiership exicitement for one day. That was quite a downer for me (and major amusement for the whole family) and back I went to to the web feeds.

Th match was of two exterme halves. Why we cannot be consistent is certainly beyond me and also NW it seems. Perhaps he needs to give his half time bollocking before the kick off?

I was very pleased to see Taarabt play another excellent game in the Premiership and it is a pity he did not get on the score sheet as I am sure this would give his confidence a trmenendous boost. I hope he has a chance to shine at the Emirates. However I am concerned about what centre half pairing we will have for Arsenal match as it will be a real test of our defensive skills. At least the Arsenal game will be on Canal+ ... I hope!!!
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PinnerPaul added 10:49 - Dec 29
I think the inconsistency argument applies to most of the teams outside the top 6 in the Premiership surely?

Compare the performances of Stoke, Everton & Wolves against us with their best matches this season and the difference is vast.
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johann28 added 11:22 - Dec 29
Superb report, as ever, thank you. So many areas of concern - very difficult. Warnock seems to be pinning his hopes on January, but signings to date have hardly been successful, and what 'system' they'll be joining is anyone's guess. Agree re:Traore - good going forward but can't defend (I said this here when we signed him and was mocked at the time); Gabbidon is slow; Bothroyd will never be a prem. player. Gorkss was better than any of the defenders at Swansea. Barton and SWP are good players but need their heads sorting out. What's happened to Campbell? Buzsaky? Trouble ahead, I fear.
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Monahoop added 16:35 - Dec 29
An enjoyable read as per usual Clive.
The way I saw this game in a local pub with nine other R's supporters and a lone Swan [ probably the only one in Ireland ], was that we were either watching an above average Championship game or a scrappy basement Premier League game. The game which had its good moments, didn't seem to lend itself to being a top class game, which was a shame really as both sides are capable of turning on the style when they want to.
There was definately something of the old Championship QPR team of last season about them in this game. Taraabt I thought had a good game, not outstanding, but a vast improvement on some of his showings this term. The much maligned Hall had in my opinion, his best game of the campaign to date. Had he been better positioned behind Young when Graham struck for goal, there may have been a different outcome. Just bad luck really rather than poor defending. Well done to him. Traore did well too but I had misgivings about Derry and Faurlin, two fine players playing with low confidence at the moment. The latter being handed the MotM award by Sky was indeed a bit of an eye raiser. I found it hard to actually pick a MotM from this showing even though most had a reasonable game, but no one shone really brightly in that sickly orange kit on the evening. A draw a fair result from a difficult venue.
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tudor added 18:40 - Dec 29
Clive excellent as per usual and your right not a good game for us but thank the lawd the referees remain as consistent as ever !

You dont fancy becoming a Swans supporter and writing for us do you there's a Rossi's fish and chip supper in it for you !
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Northernr added 19:24 - Dec 29
Thanks Tudor, don't mind Swansea but it's a bit of a trek from Barnet as we found on Tuesday - even with a fridge full of beer in the back!
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DylanP added 20:27 - Dec 29
Great writing Clive.

Thanks
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