BFTG - QPR (A)

[CountryRoyal]

Well, at Heathrow having a pint before my flight.

After that performance I think I'm grateful I'm going to miss the next couple of games, needless to say it wasn't very good.

It was very demonstrative of an injury laden team, and perhaps highlighted our limited pre season. Lacking match sharpness is a polite way of describing that dross. Couldn't string more than a couple of passes together, ball retention was a foreign concept, we were pushed off the ball easily, second to every 50/50 etc etc, it was just shambolic.

I thought Jon Dadi looked good, put himself about and very energetic but I can't help think that Kermorgant would have slotted that chance he had. Probably our best chance in a game where we struggled to create and couldn't defend to save our lives.

Credit to QPR, notwithstanding how atrocious we were, I thought they played well. Hungry, organised and quick with the ball, if they could finish it the score line would have been much worse.

Mannone 5 - not a lot he could have done differently. Was painfully apparent that he's not used to what we're trying to do which is understandable, very indecisive about his kicking and who to pass to, but wasn't helped by lack of movement of the back 4. Thought he commanded his area well.

Gunter 3 - The Gunter we love to hate, plenty of passes straight to the opposition, plenty of taking a couple of touches running 4 yards then passing back. A fair amount of long balls as well which didn't trouble anyone.

Moore 5 - the best out of the back line but hardly did anything to warrant it, just wasn't quite as bad as everyone else.

Illori 1 - I can't remember a more calamitous individual display for a while. Was all over the shop defensively, lost his man multiple times, mis placed passes and lack of awareness. Culminated in a fitting end to his performance was the pen and sending off, apparently it was a bit soft but I haven't seen it, didn't look like too many complaints.

Blackett 4 - Just not a left back

Kelly 5 - tried to get about, spread the ball and was his normal tenacious self, but lost possession a bit too easily and didn't have an impact on the game.

Swift 4 - awful performance from him. Would have got 3 but he got an extra point for a killer tan, maybe the sun got to him a bit and he's suffering from delayed onset heat stroke?

Evans 4 - completely ineffective

Clement 4 - took me a while to realise he was playing

Jon Dadi 6 - put himself about and showed huge willingness to get to the ball first, was targeted by QPR who were very physical. Touch isn't the best and should have scored (think we will be saying that a lot)

Popa 5 - a lot of energy, a lot of no end product. Love his enthusiasm though.

Cba to do subs as tbh I'd completely lost interest by the time Mendes and Richards came on. Barrow looked useful.

Thought ref was a joke, he was probably gutted that his golden boy Mackie didn't get a goal - how he didn't get a card the whole game is utterly baffling. Crowd were shit but it's really hard to get behind that, nothing to shout about.

So yes, not the best way to kick off the new season but I expected we might get off to a slow burner. We will get better.

[Jagermesiter1871]

I feel like the club has been deliberately going for a slow start since we lost in the play-offs. Everything in pre-season seem half arsed from signings to friendlies and an opening display like that was guaranteed. The lack of urgency with signings particularly - it seems like we're waiting for deadline day when in reality surely you want the bulk of your transfers done as early into pre-season as possible so any signings can bed in. Utterly bizarre and I'm not sure what the clubs reasoning is.

[bobby1413]

Can someone more informed than me tell me where our other players are?

McShane is suspended but fit and can return whenever - right?

Quinn is injured still/again... for how long?

McCleary?

The others who I cannie be bothered to name or remember

[Sutekh]

Just on the back if those marks compared to last week v Vitesse. Sounds like a repeat of the first half of that game which makes me wonder just what on earth they've been doing in training all week as you think they'd have worked hard to get that sort of cr@p out of the system

Swift has been a poor copy of himself since well before Easter, Ilori is a hell of a lot better than that apparent mess delivered today so let's just put that down to a one off. It also took me a while to spot Clement was on the pitch last week so let's hope that his apparent repeat performance today is not indicative of what to expect from him.

And, as has been mentioned, there is something wrong with the training sessions given the number if injuries being picked up continually throughout the season. Of those apparently sidelined at the moment aren't Harriott and McCleary the only ones who were actually injured in games?

Still a lot of work to do in this window then methinks

[CountryRoyal]

I feel like the club has been deliberately going for a slow start since we lost in the play-offs. Everything in pre-season seem half arsed from signings to friendlies and an opening display like that was guaranteed. The lack of urgency with signings particularly - it seems like we're waiting for deadline day when in reality surely you want the bulk of your transfers done as early into pre-season as possible so any signings can bed in. Utterly bizarre and I'm not sure what the clubs reasoning is.

Waiting for the right player at the right price, when teams have already decided who they want/don't want in their squads. Wells is a good example I reckon.

There's nothing to worry about, we've shown time and time again that a championship season isn't won or lost in the first few games.

I forgot to add one positive from today is that the performance want for a lack of effort, they were trying unfortunately they just didn't have a clue what to do and they weren't up to scratch. That team alone is capable of much more, that being said I think we really need a couple of real quality additions if we're to even in any part replicate last season's succeses.

[Oilroyal]

I feel like the club has been deliberately going for a slow start since we lost in the play-offs. Everything in pre-season seem half arsed from signings to friendlies and an opening display like that was guaranteed. The lack of urgency with signings particularly - it seems like we're waiting for deadline day when in reality surely you want the bulk of your transfers done as early into pre-season as possible so any signings can bed in. Utterly bizarre and I'm not sure what the clubs reasoning is.

Waiting for the right player at the right price, when teams have already decided who they want/don't want in their squads. Wells is a good example I reckon.

There's nothing to worry about, we've shown time and time again that a championship season isn't won or lost in the first few games.

I forgot to add one positive from today is that the performance want for a lack of effort, they were trying unfortunately they just didn't have a clue what to do and they weren't up to scratch. That team alone is capable of much more, that being said I think we really need a couple of real quality additions if we're to even in any part replicate last season's succeses.

Until then the club shouldn’t be surprised at the lack on bums on seats..Cheque book out time brother, sister

[download]

Can someone more informed than me tell me where our other players are?

McShane is suspended but fit and can return whenever - right?

Quinn is injured still/again... for how long?

McCleary?

The others who I cannie be bothered to name or remember

McShane is carrying an injury.

[yuomi]

Tbh that was a perfect follow on from the playoff final, and summed up a pre season which has been notable only for its total lack of coherency and urgency. At Wembley, we sat back for 120 minutes and created, at best, a couple of half chances. Today was the same, only without the half chances. We can't pass, we can't retain the ball without passing, no one can find space, there's no communication, there's a total lack of effort and, most worryingly of all, no one seems to give a shit. I'm happy to put this down to first day nerves/blues/lack of match fitness/we haven't won an opener in 12 years, but there are ominous signs there we could be in for a long season.

cba with ratings other than to say that Swift urgently needs to sort himself out. A one legged Emerse Fae would have been more use.

[IceIceGylfi]

If today showed one thing, it's that we miss Williams. We were crying out for some steel and drive in midfield today and he was arguably the best in the team for that. A replacement with a similar style to him is needed badly imo.

[Jagermesiter1871]

If today showed one thing, it's that we miss Williams. We were crying out for some steel and drive in midfield today and he was arguably the best in the team for that. A replacement with a similar style to him is needed badly imo.

I highly doubt this. As far as I can remember Williams rarely if ever made a difference. He was quite often the best performer in a poor performance but was never single handily capable of driving the team on to do anything.

[Oilroyal]

If today showed one thing, it's that we miss Williams. We were crying out for some steel and drive in midfield today and he was arguably the best in the team for that. A replacement with a similar style to him is needed badly imo.

I highly doubt this. As far as I can remember Williams rarely if ever made a difference. He was quite often the best performer in a poor performance but was never single handily capable of driving the team on to do anything.

must be on a wind up

[CountryRoyal]

If today showed one thing, it's that we miss Williams. We were crying out for some steel and drive in midfield today and he was arguably the best in the team for that. A replacement with a similar style to him is needed badly imo.

I highly doubt this. As far as I can remember Williams rarely if ever made a difference. He was quite often the best performer in a poor performance but was never single handily capable of driving the team on to do anything.

must be on a wind up

Maybe jäger didn't go much in the second half of last season which was 10 fold better than the rest of his career with us. For most of his time here that's a fairly accurate description, however he was certainly one of our consistently best performers towards the end of the season.

Oh wait I've just read it properly. TBH he always "drove the team on" except he normally did it into opposition players and lost the ball. Certainly seemed to add a bit more of a footballing brain last season.

[Simon's Church]

Bodvarson and barrow looked lively, moore anf mannone might have been ok i guess. Everyone else was pretty useless

[CountryRoyal]

On Mannone did he not pull off a worldy save from a header? I thought i was a save but it was a goal kick.

[lightning strikes]

Thought the whole performance was without any positives. On reflection maybe Barrow is the new Gilkesy.

Run, run, run, run, Barrow!

[tmesis]

Ilori is a hell of a lot better than that apparent mess delivered today so let's just put that down to a one off.

Illori worries me.

He has the look of a player capable of so much more, but also has the look of a player who thinks the Championship is beneath him, and doesn't look interested.

The Gillingham cup tie could be interesting. Normally you look at the rotated teams and wonder who might do a job in the first team in a year or two. We'll be looking at the like of Sam Smith and Danny Loader and seeing if they could do a job right now.

[Oilroyal]

we lacked quality on the pitch today. The players and coaching staff know it.. end of

[NewCorkSeth]

If today showed one thing, it's that we miss Williams. We were crying out for some steel and drive in midfield today and he was arguably the best in the team for that. A replacement with a similar style to him is needed badly imo.

I highly doubt this. As far as I can remember Williams rarely if ever made a difference. He was quite often the best performer in a poor performance but was never single handily capable of driving the team on to do anything.

must be on a wind up

No I thinks its a fairly commonly held belief. Williams often being the best performer when we lost added to the idea but i disagree with the OP for different reason.

I think our problem was tactics and wing play. We were tracked very well across the pitch and ineffective when trying to break through the middle. I know it was frustratingly repeated last season, but its certainly true for todays performance, we lacked a plan B.

Our game plan, imo, seemed to be to play it through the centre and look for an overlap. QPR did a great job of looking for those through balls and intercepting them. When we did play it out the wings we looked much more dangerous but our positioning was awful. The crosses that actually managed to make it into the box were played into areas where we were marked well or had no players.

Mannone - 5 He saved the easy ones...
Gunter - 5 Wasnt too bad. Wasnt too good (through no fault of his own) seemed stranded by overall positioning of the team.
Moore - 6 Played well. Shame the rest of the team let him down.
Ilori - 3 How do defenders still wrap their arms around players in the box?? Soft challenge for the penalty but deserved.
Blackett - 4 Blackett is capable of some amazing touches on the ball but then manages to lose focus, miss tackles and kick the ball out.
Evans - 5 Lots of noise, not a lot else. was rarely in a good position for a pass.
Kelly - 5 Hilarious poor touch in the first 5 minutes, amazing lack of vision for the Irish Iniesta. (again probably a victim of tactics)
Swift - 4 Poor guy. Was clearly given the impossible task of breaking the divide between mid and attack. QPR shut him down.
Popa - 4 Awful. Stam seemed to spend a lot of time gesturing to him about where he should be on the pitch. My new escapegoat.
Clement - 3 Was he there?
Bodvarsson - 6 Gets an extra point for effort. Poor positioning, great breakaway run up the right.

[Hound]

Sounds a horrible effort all round, and sadly one that looked predicatable once the team was announced

Very worrying that you can get to the first game of the season with no fully fit subs and 3 lads who haven't played for the first team before

Gillingham game interesting as the team will surely have to be much the same

[windermereROYAL]

On Mannone did he not pull off a worldy save from a header? I thought i was a save but it was a goal kick.

offside