BFTG - QPR (A)

[genome]

I had a nagging feeling before the game that it just felt we hadn't done enough in pre-season, I was finding it hard to believe the season was starting because it seemed like the team had really only got halfway through pre-season themselves and it showed on Saturday, hopefully at worst it just means we have a slow start to the season but that can have an overwhelming effect on the season.

I think it was a factor, plus injuries to a lot of first-teamers, and 3 new signings in the starting XI who will need time to learn the style of play and opposition's tactics in the league (less so for Bodvarsson).

I certainly won't be panicking until after the transfer window closes and/or our first teamers are back. If we're putting in performances like Saturday after that, then I'll be concerned.

To throw your toys out of the pram after one game is just silly. Nothing I didn't expect from Reading fans, though.

[CrowthorneRoyal]

Well, at Heathrow having a pint before my flight.

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?

A source at the club tells me its fake tan....

[Maneki Neko]

quite worried that anyone thinks its ok to get into the season totally undercooked and understaffed and also worried that the sheer volume of injuries is indicative of something deeper about our training/fitness regime

[genome]

quite worried that anyone thinks its ok to get into the season totally undercooked and understaffed and also worried that the sheer volume of injuries is indicative of something deeper about our training/fitness regime

Agreed on the injuries/understaffed thing, though I don't think it's for the want of trying, we've definitely been trying to get players in

Part of me thinks the undercooked thing is a poor excuse though, they are young professional footballers, two months without a game shouldn't affect them this much. It can be a factor but not the whole reason, and certainly not to the extent of the gulf between the sides on Saturday

[PieEater]

I had assumed that the pre-season itinerary was affected by the need to get the new pitch bedded in.

The pitch replacement would have been months/years in planning. This is not an excuse.

I would say that a stadium without a pitch is a pretty good excuse.

While it may have been planned for months beforehand, we didn't have the means to do it until the Chinese owners were confimred, and that was only after the play-off semi's. And we didn't know what league we would be playing in the following season so I would expect they wouldn't arrange any friendlies until they knew that.

You don't need a home pitch to play competitive preseason friendlies. IHMO Stam completely cocked up the preseason and the team were unprepared for Saturdays game.

[bobby1413]

What's the player situation like for Fulham?

Are any players now free that weren't on Saturday?

I'm guessing McShane can come back now?

[Hound]

to be fair to Stam and co, we finished the season about 3 weeks after most teams last year.

It is difficult to get the balance between giving enough of a break to recharge and getting ready for the new season. We still seem about 2 weeks off being fully up to speed in terms of numbers and games

Hopefully Gillingham will go smoothly and give a good run out before the next 2 tough home games. Could really do with the likes of Obita, Joey and Beerens back as well

[cornflake]

Beerens is due a scan this week to see if he can start training again.

[windermereROYAL]

to be fair to Stam and co, we finished the season about 3 weeks after most teams last year.

It is difficult to get the balance between giving enough of a break to recharge and getting ready for the new season. We still seem about 2 weeks off being fully up to speed in terms of numbers and games

Hopefully Gillingham will go smoothly and give a good run out before the next 2 tough home games. Could really do with the likes of Obita, Joey and Beerens back as well

Quinn seems to have been out forever too, I was under the impression he was back up to speed now,

[genome]

to be fair to Stam and co, we finished the season about 3 weeks after most teams last year.

It is difficult to get the balance between giving enough of a break to recharge and getting ready for the new season.

Especially when you consider that the season started earlier this year because of the World Cup.

[genome]

The pitch replacement would have been months/years in planning. This is not an excuse.

I would say that a stadium without a pitch is a pretty good excuse.

While it may have been planned for months beforehand, we didn't have the means to do it until the Chinese owners were confimred, and that was only after the play-off semi's. And we didn't know what league we would be playing in the following season so I would expect they wouldn't arrange any friendlies until they knew that.

You don't need a home pitch to play competitive preseason friendlies. IHMO Stam completely cocked up the preseason and the team were unprepared for Saturdays game.

Not denying that, I'm just talking about the lack of home friendlies.

[The Reverend]

Dellor was saying on the radio this morning that Ilori has a three match ban - is that right? I thought that was only for violent conduct and that a professional foul/denying a goalscoring opportunity* was a single game (served against Gillingham?)

It was the other end of the pitch and I've not seen it on the telly so if he knifed the bloke in the back fair enough

[tidus_mi2]

Dellor was saying on the radio this morning that Ilori has a three match ban - is that right? I thought that was only for violent conduct and that a professional foul/denying a goalscoring opportunity* was a single game (served against Gillingham?)

It was the other end of the pitch and I've not seen it on the telly so if he knifed the bloke in the back fair enough

You're correct, denial of goal scoring opportunity is only a 1 game ban. As for the challenge, I couldn't make much of it from the replay, the striker got away from him and was clear so Ilori either moved into him or there was a slight tug that I couldn't see.

[Hound]

just grabbed him in the 6 yard box

clear penalty, not really sure its a sending off tbh, but got to admit don't really know the intricacies of the rules around it nowadays, so not going to whinge too much

surely can't have been given for violent conduct (3 match ban), so would be a 1 gamer

[CountryRoyal]

Well, at Heathrow having a pint before my flight.

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?

A source at the club tells me its fake tan....

Well then I can only deduce he's somehow allergic and some of the chemicals affected him.

[windermereROYAL]

just grabbed him in the 6 yard box

clear penalty, not really sure its a sending off tbh, but got to admit don't really know the intricacies of the rules around it nowadays, so not going to whinge too much

surely can't have been given for violent conduct (3 match ban), so would be a 1 gamer

If the referee considers it a valid attempt to play the ball then it`s not a sending off, this was clearly a pull back, so a professional foul and correctly a sending off.
BBC saying a 1 game ban. that should be tomorrow so he should be ok for Saturday.

[Snowflake Royal]

Dellor as knowledgeable as ever then.

[Longhorn1970]

I don't think the squad is that bad, if there are any long term absentees then maybe look at a loan deal til Jan ? to bring someone in who would make a real difference you're looking at big bucks which the club don't have. So we may have to feed of scraps for the foreseeable and hope that Stam can get the best out of XI who take the field ..

quite worried that anyone thinks its ok to get into the season totally undercooked and understaffed and also worried that the sheer volume of injuries is indicative of something deeper about our training/fitness regime

Agreed on the injuries/understaffed thing, though I don't think it's for the want of trying, we've definitely been trying to get players in

Part of me thinks the undercooked thing is a poor excuse though, they are young professional footballers, two months without a game shouldn't affect them this much. It can be a factor but not the whole reason, and certainly not to the extent of the gulf between the sides on Saturday

[Maneki Neko]

Part of me thinks the undercooked thing is a poor excuse though, they are young professional footballers, two months without a game shouldn't affect them this much

I think this flies in the face of everything we know about offseasons/preseasons, and proper match fitness

[jd82]

Part of me thinks the undercooked thing is a poor excuse though, they are young professional footballers, two months without a game shouldn't affect them this much

I think this flies in the face of everything we know about offseasons/preseasons, and proper match fitness

^ this, remember the other young, professional footballers they played against were seemingly match fit/prepared...

Looked like a team short of fitness, sharpness and playing together.. and Stam was out thought by Ollie, I wasn't even sure what Plan A was supposed to be.. as soon as we were put under any pressure in our own half we basically shit the bed, not great for what is supposed to be a passing team (injuries etc notwithstanding)