| Just back 16:45 - Jan 23 with 4622 views | TacticalR |
Overall an enjoyable game.
Scoring early probably settled us and we were on the attack for a lot of the first half. Wolves definitely showed us too much respect first half - second half they were a lot better and we got pushed further and further back and started giving away a lot of free kicks.
Great free kick from Phillips for Polter to get on the end of.
Polter was good but seemed to run out of steam after about 60 minutes. I think he was kept on because our other forward players are too small to receive the ball down when it's played high.
Luongo was like a little tiger and came away with the ball against much larger players time and again.
van La Parra had the beating of Konchesky all game.
I really, really wish we had someone who could take free kicks near the goal. |  |
| |  |
| Just back on 13:38 - Jan 24 with 1126 views | stevec |
| Just back on 13:26 - Jan 24 by parker64 |
Had difficulty tracking back in the second half. Don't know if it's fitness or as you say it got a bit much for him. They were walking through at will. For their goal Henry was shouting at him to be closer to his man. |
Yes, Ned and Hall were also at him, presumably explaining they needed a centre midfielder not a fckin sweeper. |  | | |
| Just back on 16:43 - Jan 24 with 1010 views | Neil_SI |
| Just back on 13:10 - Jan 24 by stevec |
Yeah, enough said about Fer but quite why the blue eyed boy of this forum, Luongo, gets off so lightly is a bit of a mystery although I'm probably answering my own question.
I can see his appeal, quite useful when time on the ball, but try watching him when he doesn't have it, his 2nd half was atrocious. For a period, every time Wolves moved through the middle he retreated into the back line, no challenges, left the much maligned Henry stranded. Time after time, he seemed to position himself with a Wolves player between him and a pass, you got the impression he was overwhelmed for long periods.
We totally lost centre midfield for most of 2nd period and much down to his performance. |
We pressed and harassed Wolves really well in the first half, especially as a team, but we ran out of steam and I think that contributed badly to what happened in the second. They did a lot of hard yards in the first, with the attacking players doing more than they have done for some time.
Henry struggled at times, but it was a tough match as Wolves are a strong side and have a decent way of playing in the midfield area. In the second, we became wide open because we just didn't have the energy to press at the same rate and therefore positionally the distances between the units started to appear and that allowed them to play.
That then gives more space in the middle, which made it worse for Henry and Luongo, and Henry being one of the fitter players with legs was still able to run around. It made him look worse, because it looked like he was chasing players around like a headless chicken when he wasn't. It was because he was ready to go but nobody else was willing to go anymore, including Luongo and the other attacking players.
It's always hard to know what to do in those scenarios. Do you sit a bit deeper and try to engage with more numbers in a slightly riskier area of the pitch, or do you engage and run the risk of having your man beat you and giving them dangerous space in behind? That happened between La Parra and Konchesky a lot, for example.
In the end, when Henry went off, and while I thought he struggled at times, it was alarming at how wide open everything became. We could have done with the likes of Mackie to come on to help put pressure on their players further up the pitch, and perhaps if we wanted to sit deeper, then Faurlin would have been a useful option to consider.
It was a hard fought game in the end, one which we came through unscathed and with some players like Luongo needing to go through that type of experience. |  | | |
| Just back on 17:11 - Jan 24 with 975 views | TacticalR |
Yes, in 'Tackle Soccer' (written in the 70s) Dave Sexton discusses the pros and cons of different styles of football, and he points out one of the problems with the pressing game is that it's very difficult to sustain throughout a match. | |
| |
| Just back on 17:17 - Jan 24 with 967 views | jonno |
The problem we have is that we only really have three midfield players who have the ability to win the ball in a challenge and thus prevent the opposing midfield running through that part of the pitch. Of those three, Faurlin needs to be protected in the number of games he plays and now due to injuries is not the player he was sadly, Sandro is apparently unable to play more than a couple of games a month and Henry is a liability in possession, slowing any attack down to walking pace and providing nothing in any attacking sense. The rest of them are basically lightweight, although good players generally such as Luongo and Chery, or lightweight because they aren't interested in working hard and/or making a challenge in the case of Fer and Phillips. To play a pressing game you need fitness and commitment, Fer and Phillips are two of the least committed players you will ever see, and you need to work hard, something which Luongo and Chery will need to understand and be prepared to do. Both good players in possession but they need to improve their games when the opposition has the ball. |  | | |
| Just back on 13:13 - Jan 25 with 831 views | R_from_afar |
| Just back on 17:17 - Jan 24 by jonno |
The problem we have is that we only really have three midfield players who have the ability to win the ball in a challenge and thus prevent the opposing midfield running through that part of the pitch. Of those three, Faurlin needs to be protected in the number of games he plays and now due to injuries is not the player he was sadly, Sandro is apparently unable to play more than a couple of games a month and Henry is a liability in possession, slowing any attack down to walking pace and providing nothing in any attacking sense. The rest of them are basically lightweight, although good players generally such as Luongo and Chery, or lightweight because they aren't interested in working hard and/or making a challenge in the case of Fer and Phillips. To play a pressing game you need fitness and commitment, Fer and Phillips are two of the least committed players you will ever see, and you need to work hard, something which Luongo and Chery will need to understand and be prepared to do. Both good players in possession but they need to improve their games when the opposition has the ball. |
Excellent analysis. We are crying out for a decent defensive midfielder. I only hope JFH has noticed and will try and find one.
Our midfield needs to help out all game long at times when we don't have the ball.
RFA |  |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
| |
| Just back on 15:04 - Jan 25 with 764 views | EastR |
I'm not sure how we can account for their goal being down to tiredness as a result of our pressing game as they scored it within 2 mins of the restart |  |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
