| Weak Link? 09:29 - Aug 6 with 5208 views | Myke |
So once again fulfilling my role as a miserable old git and damping down expectations before KO. Who in your opinion might not live up to our hopes and expectations this season? I'm going for Seny. Never played in front of the home crowd before. Had got to 25 without ever being considered for the 1st team Prone to some errors that went under the radar last season. Already showing a moment of rashness (penalty v Leicester) and poor positional play (beaten at near post v Leicester. Probably (hopefully) completely wrong,but he is the one I would be most concerned about. Especially as (despite all our GK's) we have nobody immediately ready to step in to replace him, unlike all our other players and because Warburton seems to have a little blind spot for him (sticking him back in v Norwich when not fully fit for example ) which could prove detrimental in the long run. |  | | |  |
| Weak Link? on 15:46 - Aug 6 with 1264 views | PinnerPaul |
| Weak Link? on 10:38 - Aug 6 by Northernr |
The bits I'm worried about
- There's not a lot of blinding pace in the team, I wonder what will happen when sides just sit in against us and ask us to try and go through them (Derby H, Huddersfield H last season).
- Defensive central midfield. I love Sam Field to death, we'll miss him. Ball is game but limited. That and the wing backs being so far up has left that back three quite exposed in pre-season, albeit against some good players.
- It's QPR. The last time I felt like this about us we lost 5-0 to Swansea on the opening day and the season collapsed almost immediately. |
That Swansea game, I remember sitting in ER pre match getting all emotional about our subs bench!  | | | |
| Weak Link? on 15:48 - Aug 6 with 1258 views | PinnerPaul |
| Weak Link? on 10:59 - Aug 6 by BazzeR |
MW has recently spoken about too much space between the lines.
I’m no tactical genius but a lot of teams play with W/Backs and don’t appear so open at times.
Is it that the 3 C/Backs are not pushing up high enough through lack of pace.
Or do some of our M/Field players lose concentration on shape and are drawn to the ball too easily. [Post edited 6 Aug 2021 11:00]
|
Former I think and an excellent point. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 15:54 - Aug 6 with 1230 views | gazza1 |
| Weak Link? on 15:48 - Aug 6 by PinnerPaul |
Former I think and an excellent point. |
It means that the defenders, midfielders & forwards are not compact enough allowing the opposition time & space between them which can prove very dangerous.....that is why he wants us to 'push up'. [Post edited 6 Aug 2021 15:55]
| | | |
| Weak Link? on 15:56 - Aug 6 with 1232 views | PinnerPaul |
| Weak Link? on 15:54 - Aug 6 by gazza1 |
It means that the defenders, midfielders & forwards are not compact enough allowing the opposition time & space between them which can prove very dangerous.....that is why he wants us to 'push up'. [Post edited 6 Aug 2021 15:55]
|
Yep agree - positive, is that is 'easily' remedied on the training ground. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 15:58 - Aug 6 with 1214 views | gazza1 |
| Weak Link? on 15:56 - Aug 6 by PinnerPaul |
Yep agree - positive, is that is 'easily' remedied on the training ground. |
Yes, problem is when players get more tired near the end of game, say 70 mins, more space appears......that is why subs are introduced to work harder at the formation of the team. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 16:16 - Aug 6 with 1200 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Weak Link? on 15:46 - Aug 6 by PinnerPaul |
That Swansea game, I remember sitting in ER pre match getting all emotional about our subs bench! |
Same.
I tell you what though, what gets forgotten about that match (rightly so, given the result!) is that for long periods we pulverised them. I later saw the footage from Soccer Saturday and even at 3-0, Merson is saying he can't understand it because we're all over them. Possession was actually 50-50, and Swansea had six shots on target and scored five. By the end, of course we deserved to be well beaten, but that game has always felt like a bit of a sliding doors moment for me and I often wonder what might've happened had we scored the two or three before HT that we should've done.
Certainly there are echoes of that game this week though: the fanbase has never been this positive about a summer since then. There are many, many reasons why it may be different this time (humility not arrogance, signing players we know have done the job and want to be here, fewer mercurial talents, more reliability etc etc) but we're QPR. A 3-0 win for Millwall would break me, but wouldn't shock me! |  |
| |
| Weak Link? on 16:41 - Aug 6 with 1160 views | Myke |
I think another thing to remember if we DO lose tomorrow is the opposite happened last year and it did not herald the beginning of a bright new dawn. That (somewhat fortuitous ) first game of the season victory over Forest turned out to be one of only 4 before Christmas. I am confident we will have a good season overall (sticking with my 5th forecast) but equally sure we will have several bumps along the way. It's the nature of this league. When Leeds won it, they went through most of the winter when they couldn't buy a win and WBA who came second were just as dire over that period. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 17:51 - Aug 6 with 1082 views | terryb |
I've seen a few posts quoting our small squad.
On the assumption that our starting team tomorrow will be the same as what started the previous two saturday's, with the proviso that Johansen might start, we will be selecting our subs from the following:-
Archer or Walsh
Dunne
McCallum
Dykes
Johansen/Ball/Dozzell - whichever one doesn't start
Kakay
Masterson
Albert
Bettache
Thomas
Kelman
That is a full eleven that would consider themselves good enough to be a starter, plus Field & Amos to return. Four out of those named (five with the missing 'keeper) won't even be sat on the bench tomorrow!
This is our strongest squad I can ever recall at this level. | | | |
Login to get fewer ads
| Weak Link? on 19:29 - Aug 6 with 1008 views | QPROslo |
I think our weak link now is in the defensive midfield without Field. The pre-season games went very well, apart from all 3 of our opponents getting behind us all too easily, and often bang in front.
The other potential weakness is in the lack of cover for the back 3. If Masterson and Gubbins are going out on loan as is reported, we will only have Dunne as cover for all 3 of them, which would be a problem with 2 of the 3 out injured or suspended, and not able to recall the loanees. Will be worse if Field is still out. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 23:43 - Aug 6 with 919 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| Weak Link? on 17:51 - Aug 6 by terryb |
I've seen a few posts quoting our small squad.
On the assumption that our starting team tomorrow will be the same as what started the previous two saturday's, with the proviso that Johansen might start, we will be selecting our subs from the following:-
Archer or Walsh
Dunne
McCallum
Dykes
Johansen/Ball/Dozzell - whichever one doesn't start
Kakay
Masterson
Albert
Bettache
Thomas
Kelman
That is a full eleven that would consider themselves good enough to be a starter, plus Field & Amos to return. Four out of those named (five with the missing 'keeper) won't even be sat on the bench tomorrow!
This is our strongest squad I can ever recall at this level. |
Masterson about to go on loan I think. |  | | |
| Weak Link? on 00:07 - Aug 7 with 901 views | CliveWilsonSaid |
| Weak Link? on 19:29 - Aug 6 by QPROslo |
I think our weak link now is in the defensive midfield without Field. The pre-season games went very well, apart from all 3 of our opponents getting behind us all too easily, and often bang in front.
The other potential weakness is in the lack of cover for the back 3. If Masterson and Gubbins are going out on loan as is reported, we will only have Dunne as cover for all 3 of them, which would be a problem with 2 of the 3 out injured or suspended, and not able to recall the loanees. Will be worse if Field is still out. |
Kakay, Ball and I think Wallace can also play centre back at a push. I think we just have to accept that keeping key players fit will be crucial this season. |  |
| |
| Weak Link? on 07:23 - Aug 7 with 861 views | QPROslo |
| Weak Link? on 00:07 - Aug 7 by CliveWilsonSaid |
Kakay, Ball and I think Wallace can also play centre back at a push. I think we just have to accept that keeping key players fit will be crucial this season. |
Yes, I know, but they are better in, and maybe needed In their usual positions. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 07:37 - Aug 7 with 847 views | stevec |
Having watched the Bmouth/WBA game last night, my main concern is just as we’ve largely perfected a passing game after many years of trying, everyone else has decided, fck that, let’s play like Barnsley. |  | | |
| Weak Link? on 08:52 - Aug 7 with 821 views | Hunterhoop |
| Weak Link? on 07:37 - Aug 7 by stevec |
Having watched the Bmouth/WBA game last night, my main concern is just as we’ve largely perfected a passing game after many years of trying, everyone else has decided, fck that, let’s play like Barnsley. |
They won’t all execute it like Barnsley did. We’ll play through most of them.
And with Big Jordi at the back I don’t think many teams will get much change from going high and long at him. The bloke is a mountain. Him and Dickie are two very good defenders at the aerial game and I think they’ve improved Barbet.
If we get too high and teams get it over the top and turn the back 3, I agree with others, there becomes a risk, but a) Jordi is quicker than people think (he’s quicker than Barbet and much quicker than Dickie, b) Odubajo’s signing is critical defensively. As we saw against Utd, at times he’ll tuck in and sweep, especially from set pieces, but also in open play if a centre half carries forward and we’re playing down the left, c) Seny will be asked and will play as a sweeper keeper. This may lead to the odd mistake but it’ll be critical in shrinking the gap between our back 3 and keeper so teams have less space to play it into.
If we can close that option off, sit relatively high so we play the game in their half, with Johansen, Chair and Willock, we have the weapons to play through teams…All teams, at this level.
Clive is right to raise the spectre of how Derby, Huddersfield and Forest (a) played against us last season. In those games they stood off the back 3 entirely, waited forever for us to pass to feet into the wing backs or midfield, and then pressed hard and fast. We ended up losing it or going backwards. There isn’t an easy answer to that. If we can play through the press, we’ll win. If we can’t the players need to be able to adapt to draw the press but then go over the top into the space in behind in the channel. It’s these types of situations where I think 3412 wil be better served than 3421, (i.e. Dykes instead of one of Chair, Willock or even JoJo). However, they should still try to play though the press. If we execute our pass and move as well as we can, we could play through any team’s press in this league.
The biggest “weakness”, imo, is Sam Field not there at defensive midfield. Love Dom Ball’s character, work-rate, and passion. He does the donkey work, as Gazza says, but (!) his first touch and passing is not top half Championship standard and against small, quick central midfielders, he’s often found a bit flat footed and beaten easily. Field is better in the air, better positionally and a much better passer. Nevertheless, I always enjoy Dom Ball playing and will be cheering for him. His howitzer against Cardiff last year was still my favourite moment from the season. If he scored another like that with the crowd there, it would be something special!! [Post edited 7 Aug 2021 9:14]
|  | | |
| Weak Link? on 09:04 - Aug 7 with 801 views | nix |
| Weak Link? on 08:52 - Aug 7 by Hunterhoop |
They won’t all execute it like Barnsley did. We’ll play through most of them.
And with Big Jordi at the back I don’t think many teams will get much change from going high and long at him. The bloke is a mountain. Him and Dickie are two very good defenders at the aerial game and I think they’ve improved Barbet.
If we get too high and teams get it over the top and turn the back 3, I agree with others, there becomes a risk, but a) Jordi is quicker than people think (he’s quicker than Barbet and much quicker than Dickie, b) Odubajo’s signing is critical defensively. As we saw against Utd, at times he’ll tuck in and sweep, especially from set pieces, but also in open play if a centre half carries forward and we’re playing down the left, c) Seny will be asked and will play as a sweeper keeper. This may lead to the odd mistake but it’ll be critical in shrinking the gap between our back 3 and keeper so teams have less space to play it into.
If we can close that option off, sit relatively high so we play the game in their half, with Johansen, Chair and Willock, we have the weapons to play through teams…All teams, at this level.
Clive is right to raise the spectre of how Derby, Huddersfield and Forest (a) played against us last season. In those games they stood off the back 3 entirely, waited forever for us to pass to feet into the wing backs or midfield, and then pressed hard and fast. We ended up losing it or going backwards. There isn’t an easy answer to that. If we can play through the press, we’ll win. If we can’t the players need to be able to adapt to draw the press but then go over the top into the space in behind in the channel. It’s these types of situations where I think 3412 wil be better served than 3421, (i.e. Dykes instead of one of Chair, Willock or even JoJo). However, they should still try to play though the press. If we execute our pass and move as well as we can, we could play through any team’s press in this league.
The biggest “weakness”, imo, is Sam Field not there at defensive midfield. Love Dom Ball’s character, work-rate, and passion. He does the donkey work, as Gazza says, but (!) his first touch and passing is not top half Championship standard and against small, quick central midfielders, he’s often found a bit flat footed and beaten easily. Field is better in the air, better positionally and a much better passer. Nevertheless, I always enjoy Dom Ball playing and will be cheering for him. His howitzer against Cardiff last year was still my favourite moment from the season. If he scored another like that with the crowd there, it would be something special!! [Post edited 7 Aug 2021 9:14]
|
Excellent analysis. I do think we should occasionally put that ball over the top just to keep other teams guessing and neutralise the high press a bit. I know it's not a Warburton tactic but we have to have variety to make us hard to beat. |  | | |
| Weak Link? on 09:10 - Aug 7 with 798 views | BazzeR |
Watching the managers interviews after the Bournemouth game it’s not difficult to see why some Fulham players didn’t want to play for Scott Parker. His veiled comments regarding what his current players did right/wrong portrayed a man very difficult to please.
Of both managers interviewed I know which one I would choose to play for. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 09:24 - Aug 7 with 790 views | BazzeR |
| Weak Link? on 08:52 - Aug 7 by Hunterhoop |
They won’t all execute it like Barnsley did. We’ll play through most of them.
And with Big Jordi at the back I don’t think many teams will get much change from going high and long at him. The bloke is a mountain. Him and Dickie are two very good defenders at the aerial game and I think they’ve improved Barbet.
If we get too high and teams get it over the top and turn the back 3, I agree with others, there becomes a risk, but a) Jordi is quicker than people think (he’s quicker than Barbet and much quicker than Dickie, b) Odubajo’s signing is critical defensively. As we saw against Utd, at times he’ll tuck in and sweep, especially from set pieces, but also in open play if a centre half carries forward and we’re playing down the left, c) Seny will be asked and will play as a sweeper keeper. This may lead to the odd mistake but it’ll be critical in shrinking the gap between our back 3 and keeper so teams have less space to play it into.
If we can close that option off, sit relatively high so we play the game in their half, with Johansen, Chair and Willock, we have the weapons to play through teams…All teams, at this level.
Clive is right to raise the spectre of how Derby, Huddersfield and Forest (a) played against us last season. In those games they stood off the back 3 entirely, waited forever for us to pass to feet into the wing backs or midfield, and then pressed hard and fast. We ended up losing it or going backwards. There isn’t an easy answer to that. If we can play through the press, we’ll win. If we can’t the players need to be able to adapt to draw the press but then go over the top into the space in behind in the channel. It’s these types of situations where I think 3412 wil be better served than 3421, (i.e. Dykes instead of one of Chair, Willock or even JoJo). However, they should still try to play though the press. If we execute our pass and move as well as we can, we could play through any team’s press in this league.
The biggest “weakness”, imo, is Sam Field not there at defensive midfield. Love Dom Ball’s character, work-rate, and passion. He does the donkey work, as Gazza says, but (!) his first touch and passing is not top half Championship standard and against small, quick central midfielders, he’s often found a bit flat footed and beaten easily. Field is better in the air, better positionally and a much better passer. Nevertheless, I always enjoy Dom Ball playing and will be cheering for him. His howitzer against Cardiff last year was still my favourite moment from the season. If he scored another like that with the crowd there, it would be something special!! [Post edited 7 Aug 2021 9:14]
|
It’s quite evident towards the end of last season not only Barbet but Dickie are carrying the ball out and beyond M/Field.
I know it’s risk and reward but maybe sometimes without adequate cover provided by other players? | | | |
| Weak Link? on 10:38 - Aug 7 with 747 views | dmm |
With Field out until November, we'll soon find out what Dozzell can do. Does he play as a 6, an 8 or even a 10? In the friendlies he seemed to play quite high at times but we don't really need another 10. Can he play alongside Johansen and share defensive duties when the Norwegian forages forward as he must be allowed to do?
He looks like a nice player with sweet passing left peg. He now needs to find his place in our system. |  | | |
| Weak Link? on 11:33 - Aug 7 with 721 views | davman |
| Weak Link? on 12:14 - Aug 6 by saxbend |
I'd say our weak link will be the depth of the squad. First choice eleven are wonderful throughout without exception and we have another four/five who'll come off the bench and slot in nicely, and to be honest I'm not even sure which of those players should start or be on the bench. But beyond that, we'll see weaknesses showing once the injuries and suspensions occur. If we're lucky they'll happen one or two at a time and during kinder parts of the fixture list without midweek games or over international breaks, but otherwise that will be where we go on bad runs. However, I trust the board and the fans not to hit the panic button when that happens. We'll get the other side and be fine. |
I think that the pre-season games showed this to be the case - we looked fantastic until the changes.
Still waiting for Thomas to show us something. He has just been kind of "Meh" so far; nothing wrong, but not a lot shining out either.
The Back Three in particular may survive one of them being out (Dunne looks OK to step in), but when two of Dickie / Barbet / De Wijs are out, not so great in my view.
Sam Field missing is a huge miss, but Dom can do a job there (to a lesser level, but a job nonetheless). Wing back cover looking OK. but cover for Willock / Chair may be limited.
Betache has impressed, but no idea where Warbs wants to play him... |  |
| |
| Weak Link? on 11:36 - Aug 7 with 718 views | davman |
| Weak Link? on 15:18 - Aug 6 by Myke |
Well you called my views 'silly' twice (three times now actually) so if that's personal?? If you said I consider your view on Seny inaccurate or lacking in concrete proof and offered evidence to the contrary, like his ability to command his area etc, then that's a completely different. I like everyone else, hope he has a blinder of a season, but he (like a few others Dickie, Dykes,Willock, etc), have not played in front of a crowd before for QPR, so that is a unique experience many of them have to face. While this may be a factor for the outfield players, the reality is, that goalkeeper is an unforgiving position as an error very often leads to the concession of a goal. So I just flagged up a concern I have, in the overall context of potential areas of weakness that may be exploited by the oppo. |
It's not a "silly" view; as you can see by the replies there are a number (me included) who agree that, in the context of the post, it is a perfectly valid viewpoint.
We have all seen how the fanbase reacts to a goalkeeping error, so let's just hope that doesn't happen or we might see another Lumley situation develop when one error suddenly makes him the "worst ever" QPR goalkeeper as I have seen posted recently. Now that IS a "silly" view... | |
| |
| Weak Link? on 11:41 - Aug 7 with 716 views | dmm |
| Weak Link? on 11:33 - Aug 7 by davman |
I think that the pre-season games showed this to be the case - we looked fantastic until the changes.
Still waiting for Thomas to show us something. He has just been kind of "Meh" so far; nothing wrong, but not a lot shining out either.
The Back Three in particular may survive one of them being out (Dunne looks OK to step in), but when two of Dickie / Barbet / De Wijs are out, not so great in my view.
Sam Field missing is a huge miss, but Dom can do a job there (to a lesser level, but a job nonetheless). Wing back cover looking OK. but cover for Willock / Chair may be limited.
Betache has impressed, but no idea where Warbs wants to play him... |
I know Adomah has played RWB when he's come off the bench but I think he'd be a fine replacement for Chair or Willock, and probably a better pick than Thomas at the moment. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 11:58 - Aug 7 with 700 views | Myke |
| Weak Link? on 11:41 - Aug 7 by dmm |
I know Adomah has played RWB when he's come off the bench but I think he'd be a fine replacement for Chair or Willock, and probably a better pick than Thomas at the moment. |
Adomah is possibly our most accurate crosser of the ball (along with Wallace), so no problem having him higher up the pitch . But he is not too defensively suited. However, as MW is a pains to point out we have a number of versatile players who can fill a variety of positions. I think we will be okay if we lost a couple of players as long as it didn't reach Stoke/Blackburn proportions from last year. And if we are thereabouts by November, we will only get stronger with the return of Field and Amos. | | | |
| Weak Link? on 13:46 - Aug 7 with 666 views | derbyhoop |
Squad size. A couple of injuries to key players and the replacements are nowhere near as good. Austin and/or Dykes injured. Do we want to play 6-10 games with Kelman or kids? Masterson goes on loan and Dunne has to cover 3 positions or we rely on fill ins.
Let's hope the medical team are as good as last year. |  |
| "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 and now on Bluesky |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
