| Happy To Be Wrong 10:43 - Oct 29 with 6169 views | Dorse |
After Bristol City, I was convinced that we were in the deepest of s hit this season. I have no idea how this will end but, for the first time in quite a while, we seem to be in a position where any outcome is possible rather than simply hoping to hit 16th.
Firstly, the team is actually getting results away from home. If McClaren and Co achieve nothing else this season, that is one huge bonus. It takes pressure off the home form to a degree and it feels less like the now infamous assertion that away games are bonuses (they weren't).
McClaren might not be everyone's cup of tea but you have to admire his chops. Being big enough to recognise when something isn't working, either selection-wise or tactically, and then changing it rather than sticking dogmatically to the script as written in pre-season is a big deal. It's an even bigger deal when the changes made actually improve both the results and the entire feeling around the club. Mr Redknapp, are you listening? Furthermore, sending Manning out on loan was a big call, as was dropping Ingram, and they might well prove to be a great decisions for us in the longer term.
McClaren and the club has also been cute about using 'experience'. This is not only on the field where Cameron and Rangel were clearly brought in to steady the backline in the absence of Hall but also in utilising Ramsey across the U23 and First Team. Some managers would baulk at bringing a former boss back into the First Team set-up but it has clearly been beneficial. Even McClaren's number two, Eustace, came from a management job rather than, say, being some sort of captain, leader or legend(ary racist). No-one is there to 'put the cones out'.
Finally, the style in which the team now operates is far more savvy and utilises the available skill sets far more effectively than at the start of the season. QPR are more compact and difficult to play through than they were even 6 weeks ago. This is rapid development from the team and you can see the self-belief grow with each game.
As I said before, after the Bristol City match, I was about as angry as I get with QPR. Now, I am properly impressed and delighted to be wrong. Nice work. [Post edited 29 Oct 2018 12:42]
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 10:59 - Oct 29 with 3962 views | Metallica_Hoop |
My knife and fork were out but I have since packed them away in the hamper and am lying back on the picnic blanket having polished off a bottle of red feeling all warm and mellow.
Fair play Mr M.
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| Beer and Beef has made us what we are - The Prince Regent |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:50 - Oct 29 with 3854 views | daveB |
I thought we were bang in trouble after Bristol City and we were, without those loan signings we'd have been dead and buried. Everyone one at the club from the top to bottom should have been looking at themselves to improve on what was a piss poor summer and start to the season. Thankfully they have.
I thought McClaren then got it badly wrong with his tactics trying to shoe horn the loan players in by playing a 4-4-2 which didn't suit anyone. Credit to him after the Swansea game he made changes and it's now working. Long may it continue.
My only concern is we've looked quite exciting about a year ago when we beat Wolves and Sheffield United and it looked like we had cracked it then fell apart quickly so will be interesting to see if we can maintain it, we do look in better shape than we did a year ago though which is promising and the turn around in how we play without the ball has been massive, we looked a shambles earlier this season without the ball but are so much better now. |  | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:57 - Oct 29 with 3833 views | oldmisery |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 10:59 - Oct 29 by Metallica_Hoop |
My knife and fork were out but I have since packed them away in the hamper and am lying back on the picnic blanket having polished off a bottle of red feeling all warm and mellow.
Fair play Mr M.
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Yes but more importantly, does she look like that because she's about to drink her own urine? |  | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 12:01 - Oct 29 with 3817 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
I am also a signed up member of the humble pie club. |  | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 12:01 - Oct 29 with 3819 views | davman |
Me too. Even after the Birmingham City game, I was fuming at the state of the club. Yes, what a turn round, but can it be sustained? Olly had us on good runs of four or five games only to be followed by six shite ones. If we are still top ten at Xmas, I'd start the cautious praise, but not before then.
Still not fully happy that this success is built on players who will not be here next season, but I guess that view goes against the grain as sticking with kids and the strikers we had may have led to a season like Ipswich's.
Time will tell... |  |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 12:06 - Oct 29 with 3805 views | jonno |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:50 - Oct 29 by daveB |
I thought we were bang in trouble after Bristol City and we were, without those loan signings we'd have been dead and buried. Everyone one at the club from the top to bottom should have been looking at themselves to improve on what was a piss poor summer and start to the season. Thankfully they have.
I thought McClaren then got it badly wrong with his tactics trying to shoe horn the loan players in by playing a 4-4-2 which didn't suit anyone. Credit to him after the Swansea game he made changes and it's now working. Long may it continue.
My only concern is we've looked quite exciting about a year ago when we beat Wolves and Sheffield United and it looked like we had cracked it then fell apart quickly so will be interesting to see if we can maintain it, we do look in better shape than we did a year ago though which is promising and the turn around in how we play without the ball has been massive, we looked a shambles earlier this season without the ball but are so much better now. |
McLaren has long had a reputation for being a good coach - and you don't get that easily - and I suspected that if he was given enough time we would see improvements. It's happened faster than I thought though, so credit to him and his coaching staff as well as the players. He identified the areas where we were weak - not that difficult in the case of Washington who was clearly out of his depth at Championship level - and brought in some experience and better quality. Crucially he has realised he himself was getting it wrong and made the changes required to address that; not something you often see. No doubt we'll have games this season where things go wrong but I do have confidence that McLaren and his team will be able to ascertain exactly why that has happened. I've been impressed with his substitutions as well - they nearly always seem to make a difference. |  | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 12:38 - Oct 29 with 3733 views | Dorse |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 10:59 - Oct 29 by Metallica_Hoop |
My knife and fork were out but I have since packed them away in the hamper and am lying back on the picnic blanket having polished off a bottle of red feeling all warm and mellow.
Fair play Mr M.
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'You're my wife now....' | |
| 'What do we want? We don't know! When do we want it? Now!' |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 20:01 - Oct 29 with 3504 views | Boston |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 12:38 - Oct 29 by Dorse |
'You're my wife now....' |
....don’t ya just love nature programmes | |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 10:26 - Oct 30 with 3332 views | daveB |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 12:06 - Oct 29 by jonno |
McLaren has long had a reputation for being a good coach - and you don't get that easily - and I suspected that if he was given enough time we would see improvements. It's happened faster than I thought though, so credit to him and his coaching staff as well as the players. He identified the areas where we were weak - not that difficult in the case of Washington who was clearly out of his depth at Championship level - and brought in some experience and better quality. Crucially he has realised he himself was getting it wrong and made the changes required to address that; not something you often see. No doubt we'll have games this season where things go wrong but I do have confidence that McLaren and his team will be able to ascertain exactly why that has happened. I've been impressed with his substitutions as well - they nearly always seem to make a difference. |
What still surprises me is for a good coach how poorly he set us up at the start of the season, even without the loan signings we didn't need to be that poor without the ball, a lot of our problems were basic organisation.
I do think McClaren has been a bit humbled by it all which is a good thing. He started the season watching games from the stands and looking very aloof in post match press conferences, compare that to what we have now with him on the sideline organising and looking far more up for the challenge. I do think he came into the job thinking he was a bit above the club but in reality his career was over if he lost that Wigan match and he's come out fighting so fair play to him. | | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 10:45 - Oct 30 with 3292 views | PunteR |
Obviously he's turned this season round for the moment and credit to himand the players. But he was given a bit of help from the loan signings plus Rangel. What happens next season when we have no parachute payment and our loan players move on.? Freeman Eze, Luongo sold? More loans or is he coaching and developing players at the training ground to step up? |  |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:01 - Oct 30 with 3270 views | TacticalR |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:50 - Oct 29 by daveB |
I thought we were bang in trouble after Bristol City and we were, without those loan signings we'd have been dead and buried. Everyone one at the club from the top to bottom should have been looking at themselves to improve on what was a piss poor summer and start to the season. Thankfully they have.
I thought McClaren then got it badly wrong with his tactics trying to shoe horn the loan players in by playing a 4-4-2 which didn't suit anyone. Credit to him after the Swansea game he made changes and it's now working. Long may it continue.
My only concern is we've looked quite exciting about a year ago when we beat Wolves and Sheffield United and it looked like we had cracked it then fell apart quickly so will be interesting to see if we can maintain it, we do look in better shape than we did a year ago though which is promising and the turn around in how we play without the ball has been massive, we looked a shambles earlier this season without the ball but are so much better now. |
I got carried away by the awful results at the beginning of the season so I don't want to get carried away by the good results now.
The thing that really got to me at the beginning of the season wasn't that the defence was terrible (that was expected after losing our central defence and goalie), it was that all our reliable players seemed to have suffered a big drop in performance and the whole team looked completely demoralised. |  |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:01 - Oct 30 with 3266 views | traininvain |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 10:45 - Oct 30 by PunteR |
Obviously he's turned this season round for the moment and credit to himand the players. But he was given a bit of help from the loan signings plus Rangel. What happens next season when we have no parachute payment and our loan players move on.? Freeman Eze, Luongo sold? More loans or is he coaching and developing players at the training ground to step up? |
McClaren replaced Smithies, Onuoha, Mackie, Perch and Robinson with Rangel, Hemed and Wells. It was a bit of help, but much needed as otherwise we would have been reliant upon a very inexperienced squad.
It looks like his coaching is paying dividends with Eze, Lumley, Freeman, Luongo etc and that would suggest he's a good coach which should benefit any players willing to put in hard work in training. |  | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:10 - Oct 30 with 3258 views | enfieldargh |
The Blackpool game pushed me over the edge( outside stresses dont help) as I was so keen to see us progress in a cup competition.
My only desire this season was to watch a fighting structured team that wins more than it looses and can score more than it concedes.
Manning going out on loan appeared nonsensical at the time but I think signing Cameron has justified this albeit more by luck than judgement.
I hope that the team structure continues to blossom and get results in this very open championship....
Who knows where we will end up at the end of the season, I expect the big guns to gather some form of momentum and forge ahead but there is always a fly in the ointment which upsets the bookies.
Could be Blackburn or dare I say Birmingham as an outsider, but I can guarantee it wont be us.....wheres that humble pie salesman gone |  |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 12:04 - Oct 30 with 3197 views | timcocking |
I've always thought the cliche 'he's a good coach, not a manager' is claptrap, just a media line people like to trot out.
But some of the things MaClaren has done have been awful at times. He's looked almost as if he's no grasp of when he's doing things which will alienate players. The captaincy issue was humiliating for everybody, i'm certain. Also there have been many mistakes in selection and stuff. It took them ages to get the formation and selection right and it still hasn't been spot on imo. I think this time we were justified in thinking wtf at one stage. Things literally could not have gone worse.
Blimey, have they turned it around now, though! Can't do anything but give a huge amount of credit at the moment. All these away wins and clean sheets - i'd only ever read about things like that in books before. He does, indeed, have seemed relatively quick to learn from his mistakes and adapt well. If it continues like this, he'll have done an incredible job.
I'd be very pleased to see it. He has suffered a great deal in his football management career, always looks haunted to me. I bet he has sleepless nights about it all the time. And i don't think any fanbase can teach us much about football suffering. |  | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:20 - Oct 30 with 3082 views | E17hoop |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:57 - Oct 29 by oldmisery |
Yes but more importantly, does she look like that because she's about to drink her own urine? |
Looking at how much is gone from the bottle, more likely because she's about to drink his. |  |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:27 - Oct 30 with 3069 views | PunteR |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 11:01 - Oct 30 by traininvain |
McClaren replaced Smithies, Onuoha, Mackie, Perch and Robinson with Rangel, Hemed and Wells. It was a bit of help, but much needed as otherwise we would have been reliant upon a very inexperienced squad.
It looks like his coaching is paying dividends with Eze, Lumley, Freeman, Luongo etc and that would suggest he's a good coach which should benefit any players willing to put in hard work in training. |
We always had a decent back up for Smithies in Lumley. Rangel came in to cover the injured Furlong. Leistner was to replace Onouha and a decent signing.
Agree we needed experience. Ive always said we need a mix of both youth and experience, i think its vital in this league.
My concern is next season like i said. Unless we're going for a promotion push this season than i worry where the club will be once money will have completely dried up and SM will have to rely on his coaching nous and lower league scouting. | |
| Occasional providers of half decent House music. |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:32 - Oct 30 with 3052 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 10:45 - Oct 30 by PunteR |
Obviously he's turned this season round for the moment and credit to himand the players. But he was given a bit of help from the loan signings plus Rangel. What happens next season when we have no parachute payment and our loan players move on.? Freeman Eze, Luongo sold? More loans or is he coaching and developing players at the training ground to step up? |
This is why we should be giving all the young'uns plenty of time, because even the ones we don't rate will be an asset next season.
The only thing that can save us from relegation next year is promotion this year! | | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:40 - Oct 30 with 3031 views | Northernr |
It's been a season of peaks and troughs like few others I can remember.
Things looked absolutely desperate in August and while I'm always against sacking managers mid-season except in extreme circumstances I didn't see it going well from there. isawqpratwhitecity was right back then, it needed a bit of calm and more time, but I doubt even he saw it going as well as it has since.
Things look absolutely brilliant now, I can't believe it's turned around to the extent it has and he's made a number of big key decisions that have helped it get there. But that Blackpool debacle was a big misstep and it's only a couple of weeks since Swansea handed us our arse. We could easily get done at Blackburn on Saturday.
Things are rarely as good or as bad as they seem across a long season, let's assess how he's done at the end. He's been allowed to spend money his predecessors weren't on the sort of players they weren't allowed to have so things should have got better, and they shouldn't have been as bad as they were in the first place. Unless we go up (ho ho) we are still going to be in a position in August next year where Hemed, Wells, Cameron and Rangel aren't here any more, the parachute payments are over and a good number of the players we do own will have been stuck playing U23 football for a year so what do we do then?
This rather childish "told you so" business on line whenever we lose a couple of games or win a couple of games is exactly that. He wasn't doing very well, and now he is. Let's look at where we are in May and then assess. |  | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:49 - Oct 30 with 3008 views | traininvain |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:32 - Oct 30 by BazzaInTheLoft |
This is why we should be giving all the young'uns plenty of time, because even the ones we don't rate will be an asset next season.
The only thing that can save us from relegation next year is promotion this year! |
It's a long season. The youngsters will get plenty of game time and they'll be part of an upwardly mobile Championship squad as opposed to one circling the drain.
They'll learn a lot more from pros like Leistner, Hemed, Cameron and Wells. And who's to say that two or three of the older players won't be around next season.
It's a gradual process and a balancing act between youth and experience. We have two youngsters starting every week with others on the periphery. And we're winning. Most of us would have bitten your arm off a few years ago for this situation.
I think it's a bit melodramatic to suggest that we'll be relegated next season if we don't start playing Bright, Smyth etc. Who knows what next summer holds in terms of coming and goings. Apologies if your post was tongue in cheek! | | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:53 - Oct 30 with 2996 views | enfieldargh |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:40 - Oct 30 by Northernr |
It's been a season of peaks and troughs like few others I can remember.
Things looked absolutely desperate in August and while I'm always against sacking managers mid-season except in extreme circumstances I didn't see it going well from there. isawqpratwhitecity was right back then, it needed a bit of calm and more time, but I doubt even he saw it going as well as it has since.
Things look absolutely brilliant now, I can't believe it's turned around to the extent it has and he's made a number of big key decisions that have helped it get there. But that Blackpool debacle was a big misstep and it's only a couple of weeks since Swansea handed us our arse. We could easily get done at Blackburn on Saturday.
Things are rarely as good or as bad as they seem across a long season, let's assess how he's done at the end. He's been allowed to spend money his predecessors weren't on the sort of players they weren't allowed to have so things should have got better, and they shouldn't have been as bad as they were in the first place. Unless we go up (ho ho) we are still going to be in a position in August next year where Hemed, Wells, Cameron and Rangel aren't here any more, the parachute payments are over and a good number of the players we do own will have been stuck playing U23 football for a year so what do we do then?
This rather childish "told you so" business on line whenever we lose a couple of games or win a couple of games is exactly that. He wasn't doing very well, and now he is. Let's look at where we are in May and then assess. |
I expect us to get done at Blackburn.
Obviously I want us to win but if we do loose let it be with some fight | |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 14:38 - Oct 30 with 2930 views | francisbowles |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:40 - Oct 30 by Northernr |
It's been a season of peaks and troughs like few others I can remember.
Things looked absolutely desperate in August and while I'm always against sacking managers mid-season except in extreme circumstances I didn't see it going well from there. isawqpratwhitecity was right back then, it needed a bit of calm and more time, but I doubt even he saw it going as well as it has since.
Things look absolutely brilliant now, I can't believe it's turned around to the extent it has and he's made a number of big key decisions that have helped it get there. But that Blackpool debacle was a big misstep and it's only a couple of weeks since Swansea handed us our arse. We could easily get done at Blackburn on Saturday.
Things are rarely as good or as bad as they seem across a long season, let's assess how he's done at the end. He's been allowed to spend money his predecessors weren't on the sort of players they weren't allowed to have so things should have got better, and they shouldn't have been as bad as they were in the first place. Unless we go up (ho ho) we are still going to be in a position in August next year where Hemed, Wells, Cameron and Rangel aren't here any more, the parachute payments are over and a good number of the players we do own will have been stuck playing U23 football for a year so what do we do then?
This rather childish "told you so" business on line whenever we lose a couple of games or win a couple of games is exactly that. He wasn't doing very well, and now he is. Let's look at where we are in May and then assess. |
The problem at Blackburn, and any game really, will be if we go behind. We will have to try and push out a bit without leaving gaps. Could be tricky as we lack pace at the back and need all those bodies to block and cover. We managed ok against Derby but we may get a few more 'Swanseas' along the way.
I think January will be vital. See where we are in the league, with injuries and who is flashing the chequebook for Eze, Freeman or Luongo and whether anyone gets recalled. Loan a few out Smyth, Kakay, Ingram, Oteh, Chair, Hamalainen, maybe leave Manning at Rotherham. Recall Dieng as cover. Resign Rangel. Put out a strong team in the FA cup, as the matches are not as frequent in January as pre Christmas and the end of the season. | | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 14:49 - Oct 30 with 2917 views | derbyhoop |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:40 - Oct 30 by Northernr |
It's been a season of peaks and troughs like few others I can remember.
Things looked absolutely desperate in August and while I'm always against sacking managers mid-season except in extreme circumstances I didn't see it going well from there. isawqpratwhitecity was right back then, it needed a bit of calm and more time, but I doubt even he saw it going as well as it has since.
Things look absolutely brilliant now, I can't believe it's turned around to the extent it has and he's made a number of big key decisions that have helped it get there. But that Blackpool debacle was a big misstep and it's only a couple of weeks since Swansea handed us our arse. We could easily get done at Blackburn on Saturday.
Things are rarely as good or as bad as they seem across a long season, let's assess how he's done at the end. He's been allowed to spend money his predecessors weren't on the sort of players they weren't allowed to have so things should have got better, and they shouldn't have been as bad as they were in the first place. Unless we go up (ho ho) we are still going to be in a position in August next year where Hemed, Wells, Cameron and Rangel aren't here any more, the parachute payments are over and a good number of the players we do own will have been stuck playing U23 football for a year so what do we do then?
This rather childish "told you so" business on line whenever we lose a couple of games or win a couple of games is exactly that. He wasn't doing very well, and now he is. Let's look at where we are in May and then assess. |
I agree. Assess whether Steve Mc has done a good job at the end of the season.
Signing Hemed, Wells, Rangel and Cameron replaced the experience lost in the Summer. Who is to say some of those won't be here next year. It's hard to imagine other Championship clubs rushing to sign them, especially if parent clubs demand sizeable fees. |  |
| Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime. (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 15:41 - Oct 30 with 2865 views | Rangersw12 |
Depends how you judge a manager if it's just results then yes he's turned it around and credit to him correcting the mistakes he made earlier in the season
If your judging him on what he's doing for the club then it's all very short term and about what happens in the next 3 games rather than planning for the season and next
We will back to square one in the summer when the loan players go back but will more than likely have p*ssed off young players like Smyth and BOS who are not getting a chance
Lets hope that changes going forward and we see more game time for Smyth , BOS and Chair at least | | | |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 16:22 - Oct 30 with 2823 views | Esox_Lucius |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 15:41 - Oct 30 by Rangersw12 |
Depends how you judge a manager if it's just results then yes he's turned it around and credit to him correcting the mistakes he made earlier in the season
If your judging him on what he's doing for the club then it's all very short term and about what happens in the next 3 games rather than planning for the season and next
We will back to square one in the summer when the loan players go back but will more than likely have p*ssed off young players like Smyth and BOS who are not getting a chance
Lets hope that changes going forward and we see more game time for Smyth , BOS and Chair at least |
and that will only happen if the people who scream for him to be sacked after almost every defeat are reined in. If he had carried on losing games but giving Chair, Smyth, Manning, Oteh etc. a start for each of those games do you think the fans would have understood that he was trying to better them? No, of course they wouldn't, they just want to win every game AND play youngsters in every position. SMC is in an almost no win situation with a lot of supporters. |  |
| The grass is always greener. |
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| Happy To Be Wrong on 16:29 - Oct 30 with 2814 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Happy To Be Wrong on 13:32 - Oct 30 by BazzaInTheLoft |
This is why we should be giving all the young'uns plenty of time, because even the ones we don't rate will be an asset next season.
The only thing that can save us from relegation next year is promotion this year! |
If things continue to improve, I suspect more young-uns will get time. But we were in such dire straits that we needed experience. The team isn't exactly old. Rangel may only be here until Jan, Cameron only a loan, other than that, all the regulars are a decent age! |  |
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