QPR V Leeds Utd Match Thread

[Irish Ian]

Just some reflections from last night.

When Coop went off for stitches with five minutes to go in the first half our players just tried to waste time until he returned. Which I suppose is understandable.

But we seemed to dig a hole for ourselves which cost us the points.

All rhythm went out of our play and we didn't get it back until the last 15 minutes or so until we went all out for a goal. Maybe that came down to a lack of experience? I dunno.

For me if we are to get out of this slump we have to return to a steady side with both Dallas and Douglas playing each week. In fact even though they aren't exactly flair players that some of us are shouting for they have the experience and the steel to help us grind out the wins.

In fact last night both came close to securing us a point.

I think we need them week in week out more than we know. Giving these guys time to get sharp again will I believe prove worth it come the playoffs

[The Subhuman]

Bamford has to score there, and the first half chance. I'm not buying the rust thing now he's what 5/6 full starts in? He's just not as clinical as Roofe who'd have buried the first and probably the second.

The Hernandez FK late second lacked the runner too

I'm now very worried Bamford is just really slow, when Klich broke it took so long for Bamford to get there (and they started about level) that Klich had to hold on to it too long and lost it in the end

We lacking creativity in the middle of the park
Phillips sits too deep, I don't know if that's orders to drop into a back three when we lose the ball but it creates a lot of space outside of our box.
Roberts/Roofe are not AMF, so that means with Phillips sitting deep our central midfield is basically Klich on his own unless Pablo comes inside
Ayling has forgotten how to pass, a lot of our right side play stalls there
Harrison takes too long to make his mind up so a lot of our left sided play stalls
We're struggling to play through the middle because Roberts/Roofe just basically lay it off or back and play stalls there
We're missing for me three of our most influential players not including Saiz. Roofe creates space and make those runs that clearly Pablo was expecting Bamford to make last night. Beradi is one of the best at bringing it out of defence and Forshaw is our best box to box runner/player

I think MB though is hoping that a bit of luck and hard work will carry us through to promotion rather than make changes and wait for those changes to become effective. I understand the point of view

Finally injury, poor luck, bizarre reffering (another pen for the handball should have put us 1-0 up) and some just poor football at crucial times has haunted us all season, that erodes confidence and the fans are expecting auto because that what the stats tells them that's what happens!

[Cjay]

That is pretty awesome tbf.

True

But it needs to become the norm again, fast vertical passing

[weasel]

if, if and more ifs . be f**king honest for once that was a poor performance against a very poor team. fed up with all the same old excuses and nonsense. we wasn't good enough end off . fact is if we don't get roofe and clarke back quickly we all can kiss promotion goodbye.

And we have had equally bad performances and won. We were dire against Villa before a great fightback. Dire against Blackburn before 2 goals in the last couple of minutes of injury time. Poor on both occasions v Rotherham but got the wins because much like we did against QPR we created more chances despite not playing flowing football. Stick 2 chances away last night and we win, stick 1 away before they do and we probably win.

As for people saying about changing the way we play or a Plan B well the only plan B we need is Better finishing. We are doing the same thing we have done all season, dominating possession, having more chances than the opposition but the only change is that in the bad performances before we at least scored a goal or two. Because 1 facet of the way we are playing has stopped working it doesn't mean everything has suddenly gone wrong. Unfortunately the 1 facet that has stopped working is the most important.

A good job we have a level headed manager in charge not some clueless fans thinking we have a divine right to romp to a win in every game.

[1964white]

The one moment of real quality.

We were doing that a few times a game before

Brilliant move

The one moment of true quality only for us to screw up twice when we see the white of the posts

[whiteswan]

Watching Bamford last night I can't make my mind up if he's slow, rusty or he is not putting himself in there because of being scared of injury again. On some occasions it looked like he just pulled out at the last second

[Cjay]

Watching Bamford last night I can't make my mind up if he's slow, rusty or he is not putting himself in there because of being scared of injury again. On some occasions it looked like he just pulled out at the last second

Dont think he is slow, Boro fans said he had decent pace, not Usain Bolt but not a snail.

Maybe the knee injuries impacted his pace? It happens.

Although 2 knee injuries in the same knee, must play on your mind when on the pitch.

Also knows he is our only fit striker, that may also impact his choices?

[leic white 63]

And we have had equally bad performances and won. We were dire against Villa before a great fightback. Dire against Blackburn before 2 goals in the last couple of minutes of injury time. Poor on both occasions v Rotherham but got the wins because much like we did against QPR we created more chances despite not playing flowing football. Stick 2 chances away last night and we win, stick 1 away before they do and we probably win.

As for people saying about changing the way we play or a Plan B well the only plan B we need is Better finishing. We are doing the same thing we have done all season, dominating possession, having more chances than the opposition but the only change is that in the bad performances before we at least scored a goal or two. Because 1 facet of the way we are playing has stopped working it doesn't mean everything has suddenly gone wrong. Unfortunately the 1 facet that has stopped working is the most important.

A good job we have a level headed manager in charge not some clueless fans thinking we have a divine right to romp to a win in every game.

Hark at el senor weasel the resident know it all the master tactitian , manager of the year winner of numerous league championships and cups and jack of all trades far as im concerned
13 points from the last 10 games is not good enough regardless what spin you may put on it.

[paddy parrott]

Hi Weasel not a bad summation I guess but as I rarely disagree with your valuations mate.
I think dire versus Villa , Blackburn is too harsh we were far from dire .
We use the full pitch so well and passing through most sides is exquisite. Loftus rd. Is a tight and very compact area. Where you are dead right is our finishing has been shocking even dire I'd say. A quick question open to all .." could Berardi do a midfield job ? V WBA.

[1964white]

I was a little concerned after our performance v Bolton but still convinced we were good enough to beat a QPR team who had lost seven consecutive games conceding eleven goals in their last three games. I was wrong in my thinking forgetting our forwards couldn't score in brothel without an assist from the opposition. QPR only needed one chance with their top scorer Freeman (1 in every 4 games) scoring the winner. In the end we got what we deserved for our general sloppiness all over the park.

Positives

One sublime move that does show we can still show some quality at times, limited though
Cooper who did his best to lead his troops
Casilla, must wonder what he has to do to keep a clean sheet

Negatives

Our players couldn't hit a barn door
Bamford, £7m for what ?
Bamford & Roberts up top not working
We're missing Roofe
Can't keep a clean sheet
Poor defending for the hoops goals with four players involved doing nothing
Ayling can't defend
Alioski's crossing, how many poor corner kicks did he waste?
Douglas would have buried his chance in a amber shirt
Substitutions
Brown on for only ten minutes
No game changer on the bench with the unavailability of Jack Clarke once again
QPR players disgraceful time-wasting tactics feigning injuries

Ratings

8 Casilla
4 Ayling
6 Jansson
8 Cooper MOTM
5 Alioski
6 Phillips
6 Hernández
4 Roberts
5 Klich
4 Harrison
4 Bamford
6 Dallas
5 Douglas
5 Brown

[MightyWhites]

I was a little concerned after our performance v Bolton but still convinced we were good enough to beat a QPR team who had lost seven consecutive games conceding eleven goals in their last three games. I was wrong in my thinking forgetting our forwards couldn't score in brothel without an assist from the opposition. QPR only needed one chance with their top scorer Freeman (1 in every 4 games) scoring the winner. In the end we got what we deserved for our general sloppiness all over the park.

Positives

One sublime move that does show we can still show some quality at times, limited though
Cooper who did his best to lead his troops
Casilla, must wonder what he has to do to keep a clean sheet

Negatives

Our players couldn't hit a barn door
Bamford, £7m for what ?
Bamford & Roberts up top not working
We're missing Roofe
Can't keep a clean sheet
Poor defending for the hoops goals with four players involved doing nothing
Ayling can't defend
Alioski's crossing, how many poor corner kicks did he waste?
Douglas would have buried his chance in a amber shirt
Substitutions
Brown on for only ten minutes
No game changer on the bench with the unavailability of Jack Clarke once again
QPR players disgraceful time-wasting tactics feigning injuries

Ratings

8 Casilla
4 Ayling
6 Jansson
8 Cooper MOTM
5 Alioski
6 Phillips
6 Hernández
4 Roberts
5 Klich
4 Harrison
4 Bamford
6 Dallas
5 Douglas
5 Brown

Can't argue with any of that 64. That January transfer window is going to bite us in the arse IMO. The team needed freshening up and it didn't happen...again. That crap from Radz on twatter today doesn't wash with me either, trying to deflect the blame.

[1964white]

Can't argue with any of that 64. That January transfer window is going to bite us in the arse IMO. The team needed freshening up and it didn't happen...again. That crap from Radz on twatter today doesn't wash with me either, trying to deflect the blame.

What is he saying now Mighty ?

[weasel]

Hi Weasel not a bad summation I guess but as I rarely disagree with your valuations mate.
I think dire versus Villa , Blackburn is too harsh we were far from dire .
We use the full pitch so well and passing through most sides is exquisite. Loftus rd. Is a tight and very compact area. Where you are dead right is our finishing has been shocking even dire I'd say. A quick question open to all .." could Berardi do a midfield job ? V WBA.

Maybe dire was too harsh but I would still say similar performances to the QPR one and similar to lots of others - however results will always cloud how performances are viewed.

[The Subhuman]

I'm not coming from a results perspective and have already said I don't expect automatic this season, it's too early. There was a microcosm on Tuesday for what we're going through now. We stopped playing for a few minutes when we lost Cooper in an effort to just hold the status quo. That's what MB is doing right now, we're playing safe in the hope that we can keep the status quo while we wait for Bamford to find form, get injured first teamers back, bring long term injured along So that we can re-push from about 6/7 games out. My guess is we could slip to 4th/5th with the playoffs basically assured and then try to get the lost points back last few games or better yet wait for the pressure to get to the other 3/4 clubs involved.

I'd imagine we'd be very happy with a draw come Friday as we continue to tread water.

[Irish Ian]

I'm not coming from a results perspective and have already said I don't expect automatic this season, it's too early. There was a microcosm on Tuesday for what we're going through now. We stopped playing for a few minutes when we lost Cooper in an effort to just hold the status quo. That's what MB is doing right now, we're playing safe in the hope that we can keep the status quo while we wait for Bamford to find form, get injured first teamers back, bring long term injured along So that we can re-push from about 6/7 games out. My guess is we could slip to 4th/5th with the playoffs basically assured and then try to get the lost points back last few games or better yet wait for the pressure to get to the other 3/4 clubs involved.

I'd imagine we'd be very happy with a draw come Friday as we continue to tread water.

I hope you are right fair.

My worry is that the lads become mentally and emotionally tired the longer this slump goes on. That is what leads to sloppy passing, poor decision making which we witnessed last night. Our players never seem to even take a breather in game our play is always so frantic. At the same time we are running a tiny squad, who aren't getting properly rested between games. Recovery times seem to get longer when you are struggling for form. Pushing unready players into the fray in high pressure situations only adds to the mix. Clarke and the mystery virus.. it may come out on the wash but I wouldn't be surprised if he had sort of mental crash at Boro.

I would love to come away with a point on Friday but I fear more of the same.

My main fear is that the stories MBs sides crashing and burning in the second half of the season are accurate and by the time May comes around the whole squad will be shellshocked.


But on the positive, it wont take much to change. A couple of goals for our front players and that feeling of positivity would sweep through the club and the fanbase and once again we would be the team to fear.

[jindy30]

True we have not found the form of earlier in the season, but what has changed? Goal keeper? Philips being put or the old Leeds post christmas slump.

[weasel]

True we have not found the form of earlier in the season, but what has changed? Goal keeper? Philips being put or the old Leeds post christmas slump.

Goals pure and simple. Klich dried up, Hernandez dried up, Roofe injured (but before that had been going through a lean spell), Bamford has missed chances, Roberts doesn't look like scoring, no goals of late from our centrebacks, Ayling is never going to be a goal threat etc. Put blunty we need Hernandez, Klich, Bamford and Roberts to start scoring again with Alioski and Harrison also chipping in the odd goal too.

[White Riot]

Lets all hope that the boys hit form tonight.
We all need to back whoever pulls on our shirt and scare the crap out of WBA.
I've been down in the dumps since Tuesday night, but feel very positive about tonight.
Lets show these bastards what playing against Leeds at Elland Road is all about.
Bielsa needs to get them totally fired up.