Forum | Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 by Antti_Heinola

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Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 11:08 - Dec 17 with 2951 views

An unexpected and extremely satisfying three points against a team ripped from the pages of The BFG. Recent results felt and looked like a wobble even if we probably only played poorly in parts of games and arguably deserved more than two points out of 12. Still, this is a side that over the last two years has been prone to barren runs more barren than 95-year-old Baron Barren, the impotent Baron of Barrenshire. So a win, and a very good performance, was relieving, welcome and fully deserved.

1. BORO: I don't think I've ever started a knee jerks talking about the opposition, but like Clive in his report, I can't help it. Jesus wept. This is a side with some very decent players in it. Howson, Hugill, Assombolonga, Ayala, Clayton, Downing. I mean, these are not sh!t players, but almost none of them did much of note on Saturday through no real fault of their own. In the first half they were direct - as you'd expect. In the second, it was genuinely the worst, most naked, dullest, bone-headed, creatively-bankrupt 45 minutes of 'football' from a team with that sort of talent in it that I've ever seen.

At Cambridge, John Beck used to make sure the grass was a bit longer at the end of the pitches so his teams could hit long balls into the corners and then get crosses in. They played the channels, got in behind teams. That was ugly enough. This didn't even have that. This was simply one long game of humping the ball from behind the halfway line long, straight and high. Our biggest player (once Lynch had gone off) was probably only taller than two of Boro's entire side, and yet our defence, shorn of its usual full back, with a rookie keeper, and one centre back hobbling off with less than hour gone, actually dealt with this quite easily. Boro had one meaningful shot in the game, and it went in. They didn't even deserve that.

And I feel for their players and their fans. This was anti-football at it's worst. Pulis has a team that should win promotion, that has had money lavished on it, and effectively he's saying, 'this is all I can do with this lot.' And to think some people wanted him here at one stage. Jesus Christ. The bloke should be banned from the game. This isn't what this sport is. They aren't in a relegation dogfight, with no money and no players. They're a team who should be challenging for the title. And that's how they play? Their fans deserved more, I felt sorry for their midfield (genuinely, he might as well play 5-0-5), and Assombalonga was completely wasted.

You look at our team, which must be one of the smallest in the league, and think this is the kind of team that Boro should steamroller. Maybe in the past they would have. But there was steel from Rangers, steel and boldness and resolve; a determination to defend the crap thrown at them and to still try and play actual football, with passing and stuff. The short corner routine that almost brought a goal for Eze was a better moment, produced in about 3 seconds, than Boro managed in the entire game. After their equaliser, I felt we would probably crumble. We didn't, and Wells's winner was the least we deserved.

And what's Pulis's reaction? To blame the ref. OK mate. Nothing to do with your absolute, craven inability to do anything with that side other than exhort them to lump long, high balls towards the penalty box at every opportunity, then? He added: 'Because of the situation with us not scoring goals, the team is trying their damnedest to win a game of football. The players have reacted to the fact that we haven't been scoring and, in their desperation to score, we've lost our shape a bit.' Shape? What shape? Why do you need shape to play the way you make them play? Boro fans deserve more than this utter sh!t.

On the QPR pod the other week there was talk that 'it's well known' Freeman wants to leave. But, surely, he can't have watched that and thought to himself 'I'd play for that lot'. What would be the point?

2. WELLS: And now the goals are coming too. He's been playing well all season, but the goals were missing. Slowly they came at first, but now with more regularity, which is lucky, because Hemed seems to be out for a while. Saturday was possibly his best game for us and for a player so slight and, while not short, not exactly tall, he plays that lone striker role incredibly well. His movement is good. His control is good. He battles, he niggles, he puts his foot in, he's creative and he scores goals. Love him.

At 1-1 and with Lynch off, I was thinking that SMac must've been tempted to bring Wells off and stick Smith on, mainly to help out at the back on set pieces. I wouldn't, in truth, have blamed him. Steve spoke about how the gamble of removing Cameron v Hull didn't pay off as we conceded soon after, but the pleasing thing here was that he kept trusting his players and didn't make a panic substitution. He's been criticised, with some fairness, for leaving subs too late, but here his bold decision to delay bringing on Smith paid off as Wells not only scored the winner, but continued to be a thorn in Boro's side.

And it was a smart goal too. While Randolph's positioning can be questioned, Wells deserves credit for using the melee in front of him as a shield to bend the ball around the unsighted keeper. It looked odd going in so centrally, but Randolph barely saw it until it was past him. Really good performance from Wells.

3. FURLONG: I'm a big fan of Darnell - I've said before and I'll say again, I think eventually he'll be a centre back and it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't one day QPR captain. Before this game some worried about throwing him in against such a tough side, particularly against George Friend who he's had trouble with before, but I wasn't particularly worried. One of the best things about Furs II is that he continues to improve. I thought he had a great game on Saturday in tough conditions against a team of giants. but his pace and ability in the air really helped us. Even when he went to centre back, he just continued playing his game and dealt with everything that came his way.

Well, nearly everything, he must be annoyed that his error, whether it was due to indecision or a slip (he was even unlucky the ball didn't hit him on its way into the net, actually), that led to their equaliser. Still, for a first game back, it was an impressive performance and we'll need more of them over Christmas, particularly as it looks like he'll have to play centre back while Lynch, er, recovers.

4. LEISTNER: I imagine that sort of bombardment is less common in Germany, but nevertheless, he never looked bothered did he? It was like he had a magnet in his head. Constantly heading the thing away he was. Constantly. Unflustered, unhurried, using his strength and his bloody-mindedness, Toni led from the back with the sort of iron will we saw against Villa a few weeks back. And then when Lynch went off, he simply stepped it up. It was like he thought, 'well, I'll just have to win even more of the ball then', so he did. Hugill won't fancy another crack at him for a while.

5. PAV: I love Pav. But even I have to admit that since the international break he's gone off the boil and hasn't been performing to the standards he set himself earlier in the season. A decent argument was beginning to build to give BOS a bit of a run in his place, offering us a bit more explosive pace. But Saturday was Pav back to his best. A goal at his favoured School End (his willingness to get into the box, incidentally, is key to the 4-2-3-1 system working properly), some good crosses, an assist and, of course, his ludicrous, scarcely credible ability to run his arse off up and down that wing all afternoon with just a little pause for tea and oranges and/or pierogi at half time. One run in the second half, where he outstripped their entire team, and which must've seen him carry the ball for a minimum of 60 yards all the way to the byeline defied belief. And for that sort of thing, you must love him dearly, no matter who you are. And that is why the ref did not book him - not for a blatant rugby tackle, nor for a tired, naughty, 'i know I won't get the ball, but whatevs' tackle from behind towards the end. How could you book him? He's just too loveable.

6. COUSINS: I'm still Team Cousins. I think he's had a horrible time here, mainly because of injury but also because he's never had a run at central midfield. His chance came on Saturday and F me, did he fancy it. Three hard, snappy tackles in the opening 5 minutes set the tone for the whole side, to tell Boro that we weren't going to be pushed about. Thereafter, he was perpetual motion, winning tackles, blocking and using the ball well. But, of course, the poor lad ended up at right back. He cannot catch a break. Still, he did just as well there and one overlapping run past Pav was particularly impressive coming as it did so late in the game.

He leaves SMac with a decision to make in the next couple of games - most likely three - thanks to Lynch's injury. Does he recall Kakay to the defence for the first time in the league since the Albion debacle and play Cousins in midfield? Or does Cousins play full back, with Scowen, who played well himself, restored tot he side alongside Luongo? Or does Baptiste come into the equation? Or Hall? Well, not Hall. Is there anyone else?

Still, I hope Cousins continues his form - the bloke deserves a bit of luck.

Bare bones.

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 11:53 - Dec 17 with 2836 views

jonno

All great points. Credit to the way we played against Boro - we kept playing football and by keeping it on the floor their big men really struggled to cope. The kind of one dimensional football they played should not work at our level and we dealt with it very professionally I thought. They all played well and put in a shift, but special mention to Furlong who I thought was excellent especially given he has been out for a while and Cousins who looked very good in central midfield in the first half where we have missed Cameron in previous games but not in this one. Pav had a good game, if we could only get him crossing a bit more accurately! You can't have everything I suppose. Bidwell's cross for the first goal was exactly what we needed - no point in going aerial, keep it low and they struggled to deal with it. Good to see some fringe players stepping up.

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 12:12 - Dec 17 with 2802 views

paulparker

I agree with a lot of this , in the Pav thread In my just back I thought Boro were one off the worst teams I’ve seen at HQ in a long time , all that money spent and that’s the best you can do ?
They are the Man Utd of the championship ie spent the money but still look like a mid table team
For me this was Pavs best game for us , the lad has talent and an eye for goal I just wish he scored more then we would have a player
Cousins was also very good hopefully he can put a run together but not at full back
Furlong and Toni could be a surprise centre back pairing ( there I’ve doomed it) sad that Hall looks finished as he could have been a 5 million pound player for us
I all in all a good afternoon and well worth getting wet for even though I have a man cold coming on

And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles Brian Moore

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 13:25 - Dec 17 with 2621 views

essextaxiboy

Great point about Freeman and Pulisball . Surely he wouldnt uproot to the North East to play like that ...

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 13:30 - Dec 17 with 2614 views

Esox_Lucius

All good valid points Antti. I had Wzsolek as my MOTM on Saturday. Looking back at the game the next day and seeing a lot of negativity regarding Eze's performance I felt that the reason that Pawel, Massimo, Jordan and Luke all played so well on Saturday was in no small part due to the amount of 2-3 man marking that Ebere was receiving which left the rest of our midfield with plenty of time and space to operate in.

The grass is always greener.

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 14:11 - Dec 17 with 2491 views

stevec

Agree with all of that, great performances all round but special mention to Furlong, Leinster, Pav, Wells and my old mate Luongo, that was a team with a spine.

I haven't seen Boro this season but I wonder if the criticism to the extent of their long ball game doesn't take into account the way we forced them to play.

Looked like a tactical masterclass out there from us, when their midfielders did get the ball down, the slightest wrong touch and we were doubling up at speed which nullified any passing game. Don't think I've ever seen Bidwell close down as fast either, think it was Downing in his sights, but he took him completely out the game. Their midfield shutting down was basically down to us, hence the incessant long balls during the second half.

Also thought it thoroughly decent of Pulis to play Asomberlonger left wing, if Furlong was lacking in any confidence after so long out what better introduction could he have asked for.

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 16:14 - Dec 17 with 2278 views

whittocksRs

Agree with almost all of the Knee Jerks.

I would like to add that Steve McClaren's in-game management continues to concern me. The fact he didn't have Scowen ready to come on when Lynch had gone down injured is one of a number of instances where his non-reactive management has cost us. We conceded that goal because it's hard enough defending high balls against a team of giants with 11 men, let alone when one of your best defenders has hobbled off and you choose to chance it with 10. It's not the first time this sort of thing has happened this season, and it's something Steve Mc has been guilty of his entire managerial career.

That said, he is a bloody good coach and well suited to QPR. The team looks lively and, crucially like they are well versed in Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. That is all credit to the manager and probably the reason why he has had success in his career.

To me, having a Bircham or a Holloway as QPR's in-game manager, with Steve next to him would yield seriously decent results. But he likes to have complete control, which is his prerogative. I'm worried we'll continue to have silly issues like not making substitutions when needed but overall I'm more than happy with our performance this season; it's actually been fun down at Loftus Road and we are reasonable away from home for the first time since we were last promoted.

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 21:39 - Dec 17 with 1946 views

Jigsore

how tall exactly is Nahki Wells? not really short and not really tall is what I always considered myself at 5'10 or 1.78m but all the data I can find lists him at 1.7m which i'd say is probably a bit short. makes no difference on the pitch however, clearly!

nothing else to say because I agree with your points Antti. Good read thank you.

â€œThe thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.â€

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 22:26 - Dec 17 with 1875 views

westberksr

Great stuff again Antti.

Really pleased for Furlong that we won as it would have been a massive shame if that slip cost us given his overall performance.

One aspect of his game that amazes me is the way he attacks headers; he's a machine. A couple of the Boro players looked like they been hit by a truck, he is so strong, aggressive and accurate. Thought he looked like CB material last year and nothing on Saturday makes me think otherwise.

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 07:56 - Dec 18 with 1651 views

daveB

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 16:14 - Dec 17 by whittocksRs

I think the problem was they changed their mind on the sub, it looked like Bright Samuel was getting changed at first then they told him to sit down and got Scowen ready.

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 09:32 - Dec 18 with 1532 views

Antti_Heinola

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 07:56 - Dec 18 by daveB
I think the problem was they changed their mind on the sub, it looked like Bright Samuel was getting changed at first then they told him to sit down and got Scowen ready.

yeah i'd forgotten that dave, think you're right. Think they thought they'd push pav to RB, then decided against it.

Bare bones.

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 09:45 - Dec 18 with 1520 views

daveB

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 09:32 - Dec 18 by Antti_Heinola
yeah i'd forgotten that dave, think you're right. Think they thought they'd push pav to RB, then decided against it.

yeah they made the right call in the end as they are dangerous on the left and not sure Bright is the best at defending, I think having Paw in front of Furlong first half made a massive difference to what happened in January when they just over loaded on the left and Furlong struggled

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 10:54 - Dec 19 with 1262 views

robith

Everyone has mentioned Randolph's positioning - and it was poor - but look of the state of Boro's defending when Pav passes the ball back to Wells. WTF are they doing???

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 12:26 - Dec 19 with 1190 views

nix

Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 2 Boro 1 on 10:54 - Dec 19 by robith
Everyone has mentioned Randolph's positioning - and it was poor - but look of the state of Boro's defending when Pav passes the ball back to Wells. WTF are they doing???

Good point, they're miles away from him. Very rare you get that much space in the Championship, let alone in the box.

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