| Stephan: new deal 18:44 - Jul 8 with 10960 views | TK1 |
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| Stephan: new deal on 08:35 - Jul 9 with 2413 views | Northernr |
| Stephan: new deal on 08:09 - Jul 9 by TK1 |
He dropped the club-wide "433 or 4231, mid-block, possession-based game-model" (C Nourry, August, 2024) five games into his first season for a traditional 442 that sacrificed possession for solidity...causing no doubt deep consternation throughout the club, mostly I imagine for the recently appointed Head of Methodology whose job it is to make sure all teams play the same way, and in particular the man who appointed them both and set the template, C Nourry.
He's clearly not a patsy and is his own man. He was badly let down by injuries last season, but I'd be surprised if he doesn't improve each season with Championship experience. Harmony and continuity between the first team coach and the club upper management has got to be a positive, especially after the last five seasons or so of the reverse. No more change. |
Yeh, I quite like him.
I liked him when we interviewed him, I like that he had the courage of his convictions to ditch the poxy game model after Coventry, I like that he stays quite level regardless of the results (while emphasising that we should celebrate the wins because it's meant to be fun, and getting quite grisly after Birmingham A because that's not acceptable), and I like that he's willing to play two strikers together.
I do think he's too wedded to his 4-4-2 and it leaves us exposed in midfield away from home, but perhaps he was just stress testing who could cope with that in a midtable season. |  | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 08:43 - Jul 9 with 2359 views | TK1 |
| Stephan: new deal on 08:35 - Jul 9 by Northernr |
Yeh, I quite like him.
I liked him when we interviewed him, I like that he had the courage of his convictions to ditch the poxy game model after Coventry, I like that he stays quite level regardless of the results (while emphasising that we should celebrate the wins because it's meant to be fun, and getting quite grisly after Birmingham A because that's not acceptable), and I like that he's willing to play two strikers together.
I do think he's too wedded to his 4-4-2 and it leaves us exposed in midfield away from home, but perhaps he was just stress testing who could cope with that in a midtable season. |
I definitely don't like 442, I prefer the "game model", but I like him, I like the way he conducts himself, and I like more the fact that there's apparent harmony between him, players and mostly important CEO. Because QPR desperately needs some of that to succeed. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 08:47 - Jul 9 with 2304 views | PlanetHonneywood |
| Stephan: new deal on 08:43 - Jul 9 by TK1 |
I definitely don't like 442, I prefer the "game model", but I like him, I like the way he conducts himself, and I like more the fact that there's apparent harmony between him, players and mostly important CEO. Because QPR desperately needs some of that to succeed. |
I think we've had way worse.
Hopefully, his learning curve will have gone skyward and the lessons can be reaped.
Plus, he totally owns the Nehru jacket when wearing it on the bench. |  |
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| Stephan: new deal on 08:47 - Jul 9 with 2307 views | nix |
| Stephan: new deal on 07:33 - Jul 9 by stevec |
We came 15th with a better squad than the season before, with relegation form for the second half of it. I’m not convinced anybody was going to lure him away.
Top 8 should be the aim this year. If he fails that he should be jettisoned, if he succeeds then offer him a new contract. By and large, when you’re declining you attract desperate managers, when you’re on the up you attract better managers.
I’m not sure why the need for an extended contract at this point in time. |
Fair enough if the much better squad had been available all season. But there were matches towards the end that there were so many of our better players out I thought I might even get a game. Being without Chair, Madsen, Burrell and Dembele and with a horribly out of form Saito and Kone running on fumes it wasn’t a fair fight a lot of the time. |  | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 09:08 - Jul 9 with 2201 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| Stephan: new deal on 20:37 - Jul 8 by BazzaInTheLoft |
I like him, but even if I didn't at what point does the value of stability outweigh the value of a better manager? |
I'm not usually sensitive about downvotes, but is 'stability is good actually' really that offensive? |  | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 09:17 - Jul 9 with 2179 views | EuroRanger |
I like him, and I liked how he managed last season. I had my disagreements with some selections and agree that he was a bit too wedded to the 4-4-2, but overall he seems like a good fit for where the club is right now.
My dad reckoned he should be sacked but then my dad's response to any defeat since I've been alive has been to sack the manager so I'm not sure how relevant that is 😂 | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 09:41 - Jul 9 with 2068 views | Ned_Kennedys |
| Stephan: new deal on 07:33 - Jul 9 by stevec |
We came 15th with a better squad than the season before, with relegation form for the second half of it. I’m not convinced anybody was going to lure him away.
Top 8 should be the aim this year. If he fails that he should be jettisoned, if he succeeds then offer him a new contract. By and large, when you’re declining you attract desperate managers, when you’re on the up you attract better managers.
I’m not sure why the need for an extended contract at this point in time. |
“I’m not sure why the need for an extended contract at this point in time”
Because if we DO have a good season and we’ve let his contract run down he’ll attract attention from elsewhere and possibly leave for nothing. |  | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 09:49 - Jul 9 with 2004 views | Hunterhoop |
| Stephan: new deal on 09:41 - Jul 9 by Ned_Kennedys |
“I’m not sure why the need for an extended contract at this point in time”
Because if we DO have a good season and we’ve let his contract run down he’ll attract attention from elsewhere and possibly leave for nothing. |
Exactly. And the club would then (rightly) be criticised for incompetence. They had to extend him. I would guess they’ve done it by 12 months, which works for all parties. And I’m sure they have baked into the budget 18 months of manager severance every season as a cost, so if they do fire him the cost is budgeted for already. If that doesn’t occur, high fives all around and you release that cost into the P&L to offset losses or sign someone. |  | | |
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| Stephan: new deal on 09:55 - Jul 9 with 1984 views | loftboy |
I like him as well, the timing of some of his substitutions are baffling but if he was perfect he wouldn’t be with us. |  |
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| Stephan: new deal on 10:03 - Jul 9 with 1910 views | nick_hammersmith |
| Stephan: new deal on 23:59 - Jul 8 by Myke |
Yeah I’m lukewarm on Stephan at best. If he was sacked tomorrow I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. He needs to show a lot more balls than last season if he is really going to succeed. We need to see a lot more of the post Coventry 7-1 reaction and a lot less of the shrug of the shoulders after the Southampton walloping.
I have spoken before about the ‘couldn’t be arsed’ culture that has existed for many years and with several managers - since Warnock in fact - and until that is stamped out we won’t be serious play-off contenders. So he has to demand high standards in EVERY game.
Another thing is the concern that he is too much Nourry’s patsy and not his own man. He has to be in charge of affairs on the pitch and that includes both tactics and personnel. I strongly suspect Nourry insisted on the play out from the back nonsense, which we don’t have the players for. Scotland demonstrated better than anyone (but by no means the only one) what a disaster this when you don’t have the players with the quality to implement it. So Stephan has to say no to this and stick to his guns. There is NEVER a situation when playing out from the back is a good idea — NEVER. He also has to pick the team, HIS team every week. Again I suspect Varrane got a lot more game time last season (while Field was shipped off to Norwich) than Stephan wanted, at Nourry’s ‘request’ . He needs to be his own man.
Finally, he needs to be a lot more proactive with substitutions. If it’s not working change it. I accept that thanks to our virtual season-long injury crisis we almost never had as strong a bench as we wanted, but dithering around until the 70th or 75th minute to make changes while gazing at a fcuking monitor smacks of indecisiveness - just change it man. |
He's first team coach though, not manager.
As much as we'd all like to see it, he can't just start doing other peoples jobs...
It would be different if he was recruited to do one role and ended up doing another, but the job would have been clearly defined before he took it |  | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 10:31 - Jul 9 with 1808 views | numptydumpty |
He comes into the category of appearing ultra laid back.
And as others have said, does not get massively hyped up when we win and not totally downcast when we lose.
Seems like a nice guy and can see as a coach, his personality type could be encouraging to a wider type of characters and his players are all inevitably going to be very different obviously, also.
Regards his tactics - sometimes we are quite inflexible to change- but perhaps that's more on those above than himself.
Glad the club are backing him but ultimately this won't make any difference if we lose six on the bounce. I hope this season the extra time Stephan has had, bodes well. Realistically for any manager / head coach to work you need to look at a second season for the true impact of their services.
However, the caveat is Cifuentes had his contract extended, only for a few months later being placed on gardening leave. [Post edited 9 Jul 10:32]
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| Stephan: new deal on 10:49 - Jul 9 with 1739 views | stevec |
| Stephan: new deal on 08:47 - Jul 9 by nix |
Fair enough if the much better squad had been available all season. But there were matches towards the end that there were so many of our better players out I thought I might even get a game. Being without Chair, Madsen, Burrell and Dembele and with a horribly out of form Saito and Kone running on fumes it wasn’t a fair fight a lot of the time. |
Well that is the proviso we’re all clinging onto. To be fair, 35 points in the first half of season was very good and for that alone he should be afforded this season.
Regards any extended contract, if he ever decides he wants to go, he’ll go, contract or no contract.
All it’ll mean is we might get a suitor to pay off the extension of his contract, a contract that we don’t need to give him in the first place. It smacks a little of Amit counting the cost of cup cakes, fair enough, but whatever the reason for an extension, it’s not really a game changer for the club. |  | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:04 - Jul 9 with 1676 views | kensalriser |
| Stephan: new deal on 10:49 - Jul 9 by stevec |
Well that is the proviso we’re all clinging onto. To be fair, 35 points in the first half of season was very good and for that alone he should be afforded this season.
Regards any extended contract, if he ever decides he wants to go, he’ll go, contract or no contract.
All it’ll mean is we might get a suitor to pay off the extension of his contract, a contract that we don’t need to give him in the first place. It smacks a little of Amit counting the cost of cup cakes, fair enough, but whatever the reason for an extension, it’s not really a game changer for the club. |
You either protect your assets or you don't. If you don't, you're guaranteed to lose them all once they become appealing to someone else.
In the case of the manager there's also the question of projecting confidence, which is hard to do when he has months left and hasn't been extended. |  |
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| Stephan: new deal on 11:04 - Jul 9 with 1677 views | Myke |
| Stephan: new deal on 01:39 - Jul 9 by 1JD |
Good post, until the “never is playing out of the back a good idea”. Lost the argument for me on that one.
You need the right players yes, but never is over the top. Plus speak to Mark Warburton on percentages and probabilities. [Post edited 9 Jul 1:40]
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‘You need the right players yes’ That is kind of my point JD, we are NEVER going to have players good enough in the Championship (I would argue there are only a handful of clubs in the Prem capable of playing out from the back successfully) so therefore it should NEVER be an option. Worst case scenario we concede a goal out of it. Best case scenario our GK sends a panicked long ball anyway. Better still to send a measured long ball from the kick out. We have Kone, who’s hold up play is improving, we have Burrell who is a speedster to get onto Kone’s knock ons, we have Kolli who can take on a shot from distance (as indeed can Kone). I think one thing we can all agree on is that our attack is our strongest asset, so let’s get the ball to them as quickly as possible. Klopp got great success by walloping the ball up to Salah and Mane and nobody complained. Let’s just play to our strengths and cut out the piss-balling around. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:13 - Jul 9 with 1607 views | Myke |
| Stephan: new deal on 05:53 - Jul 9 by nix |
Is it really couldn’t be arsed though with the current cohort or sometimes just not quite fit enough, too many intjuries not quite enough quality and not quite enough experience at the level. I think in the bad old Barton and Wright Phillips days you could have levelled that accusation but not so much with this group.
Let’s imagine taking Kane, Bellingham and Anderson out of this England team shoving in the less talented/experienced replacements. Would that team have beaten Mexico? Debatable. That’s what we were dealing with last season with playing our 19 year old midfielder at right back and Esquerdinha at LB against Coventry, no Burrell or RND and our woefully inexperienced goalie and massively out of form Field and Morrison. Then later in the season we had no Burrell, Dembele, Dunne or Madsen. I don’t think it was lack of heart or not caring. But this season with a year of Championship experience for players like Burrell, Kone, Mbengue and Vale under their belts I’m expecting them to hit the ground running. If they don’t this season then we can more fairly start questioning the manager and the players.
I know it’s Saint Warnock in these parts but he did have Buzsacky, Faurlin, Derry, Clint Hill, Mackie, Shittu, Routledge, Rowlands, Lee Cook, Helguson, Kenny and 19 goal Taarabt in his promotion squad. |
I don’t think ‘can’t be arsed’ is linked to ability, Nix. If the best player in the world cannot be bothered to put in a shift, he will be ineffective. That’s what makes Messi so incredible is his work rate, combined with his obvious ability. I have said it many times on here, very often you can tell in the first five minutes, which QPR will turn up; the ‘up for it’ or ‘can’t be arsed’ version. On our day we are a match for anyone, off our day we struggle with Oxford and get jockeyed by good teams. And the bit that really amazes/ infuriates me is that this attitude affects the WHOLE team. If one or two were not trying, you might get away with it, but not all eleven. It’s like they have a WhatsApp group or a pre-match meeting and say, ‘right lads which is it this Saturday, on it or can’t be arsed’? I’m exaggerating of course, but the difference in how they play from game to game is stark and that’s not just inconsistency, that’s attitudinal imo. If Stephan is to succeed he needs to stamp this out. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:29 - Jul 9 with 1527 views | QPROslo |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:04 - Jul 9 by Myke |
‘You need the right players yes’ That is kind of my point JD, we are NEVER going to have players good enough in the Championship (I would argue there are only a handful of clubs in the Prem capable of playing out from the back successfully) so therefore it should NEVER be an option. Worst case scenario we concede a goal out of it. Best case scenario our GK sends a panicked long ball anyway. Better still to send a measured long ball from the kick out. We have Kone, who’s hold up play is improving, we have Burrell who is a speedster to get onto Kone’s knock ons, we have Kolli who can take on a shot from distance (as indeed can Kone). I think one thing we can all agree on is that our attack is our strongest asset, so let’s get the ball to them as quickly as possible. Klopp got great success by walloping the ball up to Salah and Mane and nobody complained. Let’s just play to our strengths and cut out the piss-balling around. |
You have got to vary your approach. I think you have to play it out from the back sometimes, and therefore must be competent in doing that at Championship level. If you don't/can't the team will become extremely predictable and that lack of competence would likely see you relegated. Most if not all Championship teams play out from the back sometimes and those who have any hope of promotion do it well. Yes, go long sometimes of course but not every f***** time. Play it out sometimes, but not every f******* time. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:49 - Jul 9 with 1454 views | Myke |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:29 - Jul 9 by QPROslo |
You have got to vary your approach. I think you have to play it out from the back sometimes, and therefore must be competent in doing that at Championship level. If you don't/can't the team will become extremely predictable and that lack of competence would likely see you relegated. Most if not all Championship teams play out from the back sometimes and those who have any hope of promotion do it well. Yes, go long sometimes of course but not every f***** time. Play it out sometimes, but not every f******* time. |
Can’t agree with you Oslo, unless Edward’s is comfortable enough to carry it out. But you know if Varrane gets a short ball he is simply going to return it to the GK who will have to clear it, probably under pressure. Playing it long doesn’t have to be ‘hoof ball’ straight down the middle and hope for the best. We have options up front as I just t said in a previous post, but we also have quality on the wings with Vale and Chair and alsowith Madsen in an advanced midfield role. All of these players can be brought into play, but in the opponents half where they can do damage, not on the edge of our box where the damage is mostly to the fans hearts and blood pressure. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:53 - Jul 9 with 1429 views | TK1 |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:49 - Jul 9 by Myke |
Can’t agree with you Oslo, unless Edward’s is comfortable enough to carry it out. But you know if Varrane gets a short ball he is simply going to return it to the GK who will have to clear it, probably under pressure. Playing it long doesn’t have to be ‘hoof ball’ straight down the middle and hope for the best. We have options up front as I just t said in a previous post, but we also have quality on the wings with Vale and Chair and alsowith Madsen in an advanced midfield role. All of these players can be brought into play, but in the opponents half where they can do damage, not on the edge of our box where the damage is mostly to the fans hearts and blood pressure. |
First of all, we didn't just play out from the back. We knocked it plenty.
Secondly, we look to be signing at least one keeper whose ball-playing and distribution is excellent.
So please do dismantle this straw man until next season's evidence can be gathered.
Hope this helps soothe your long ball appetite...
[Post edited 9 Jul 11:55]
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| Stephan: new deal on 13:12 - Jul 9 with 1326 views | TheChef |
Happy with this.
Although, as per, it's not clear how long his extension is?
Maybe he could get his dad in as assistant? Surely he must be bored now of hanging around with Mbappe and co.? New challenge of getting Kieran Morgan to pass the ball five yards accurately should be much more exciting. |  |
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| Stephan: new deal on 13:52 - Jul 9 with 1233 views | nix |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:13 - Jul 9 by Myke |
I don’t think ‘can’t be arsed’ is linked to ability, Nix. If the best player in the world cannot be bothered to put in a shift, he will be ineffective. That’s what makes Messi so incredible is his work rate, combined with his obvious ability. I have said it many times on here, very often you can tell in the first five minutes, which QPR will turn up; the ‘up for it’ or ‘can’t be arsed’ version. On our day we are a match for anyone, off our day we struggle with Oxford and get jockeyed by good teams. And the bit that really amazes/ infuriates me is that this attitude affects the WHOLE team. If one or two were not trying, you might get away with it, but not all eleven. It’s like they have a WhatsApp group or a pre-match meeting and say, ‘right lads which is it this Saturday, on it or can’t be arsed’? I’m exaggerating of course, but the difference in how they play from game to game is stark and that’s not just inconsistency, that’s attitudinal imo. If Stephan is to succeed he needs to stamp this out. |
Neither do I. My point is that the reason we haven’t done as well is we wanted is the players weren’t available, good enough or experienced enough. All three things we suffered from at various times last season and sometimes all three at once. So it wasn’t that they didn’t care enough.
I don’t think you’re going to win all your matches, you’re going to have rough periods but having players with experience and guile can get you through some of those rough patches. You’re right there was inconsistency but I don’t think it’s that they didn’t care. It’s younger players like Vale, Kolli, Dembele, Saito and Walsh that seemed the most inconsistent and they’re all learning.
Also I think lack of fitness is relevant here. Players like Mbengue and Dembele looked like they couldn’t last matches and especially back to back ones and generally our worse performances from memory tended to be at the end of a three day week.
Anyway those are just my thoughts for now. It will be an interesting ongoing discussion as next season begins. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 14:04 - Jul 9 with 1202 views | Myke |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:53 - Jul 9 by TK1 |
First of all, we didn't just play out from the back. We knocked it plenty.
Secondly, we look to be signing at least one keeper whose ball-playing and distribution is excellent.
So please do dismantle this straw man until next season's evidence can be gathered.
Hope this helps soothe your long ball appetite...
[Post edited 9 Jul 11:55]
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First of all TK don't be so rude and childish. If you cant have a grown up debate with differing viewpoints without resorting to insults then perhaps refrain from commenting at all? Secondly, my views on playing out from the back clearly pre-dated the signing of Charles so were perfectly legit concerns. If he is comfortable with the ball then brilliant, but who does he pass to? You would assume Edwards is comfortable on the ball, so that might be one option. Maybe our new LB can receive a pass without panicking. Dunne can't and our mad RB can't and we know what will happen if Vaarane gets the ball in his own half. I am aware we often played it long last year, my point is that our attacking players are our best asset, so lets get them involvef as early and often as possible. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 14:32 - Jul 9 with 1119 views | Superhoop83 |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:53 - Jul 9 by TK1 |
First of all, we didn't just play out from the back. We knocked it plenty.
Secondly, we look to be signing at least one keeper whose ball-playing and distribution is excellent.
So please do dismantle this straw man until next season's evidence can be gathered.
Hope this helps soothe your long ball appetite...
[Post edited 9 Jul 11:55]
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"QPR went down 1-0 at Fratton Park after debut goalkeeper Charles got dispossessed playing out from the back, leading to an easy tap in for Andre Dozzell."
It's great that he can play a pass, but "baller" keepers make me nervous. |  |
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| Stephan: new deal on 14:49 - Jul 9 with 1074 views | TK1 |
| Stephan: new deal on 14:04 - Jul 9 by Myke |
First of all TK don't be so rude and childish. If you cant have a grown up debate with differing viewpoints without resorting to insults then perhaps refrain from commenting at all? Secondly, my views on playing out from the back clearly pre-dated the signing of Charles so were perfectly legit concerns. If he is comfortable with the ball then brilliant, but who does he pass to? You would assume Edwards is comfortable on the ball, so that might be one option. Maybe our new LB can receive a pass without panicking. Dunne can't and our mad RB can't and we know what will happen if Vaarane gets the ball in his own half. I am aware we often played it long last year, my point is that our attacking players are our best asset, so lets get them involvef as early and often as possible. |
Genuinely, what/where is the insult?! Not my intention at all. Entirely good natured disagreement (about goalkeepers playing out, for goodness sake) on my behalf.
If you watch that video, he regularly by-passes defenders and hits wide attackers far up the field, or attacking midfielders.
Hope that this is not too rude or childish a response for you. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 18:58 - Jul 9 with 875 views | QPROslo |
| Stephan: new deal on 11:49 - Jul 9 by Myke |
Can’t agree with you Oslo, unless Edward’s is comfortable enough to carry it out. But you know if Varrane gets a short ball he is simply going to return it to the GK who will have to clear it, probably under pressure. Playing it long doesn’t have to be ‘hoof ball’ straight down the middle and hope for the best. We have options up front as I just t said in a previous post, but we also have quality on the wings with Vale and Chair and alsowith Madsen in an advanced midfield role. All of these players can be brought into play, but in the opponents half where they can do damage, not on the edge of our box where the damage is mostly to the fans hearts and blood pressure. |
Sometimes Myke I think we'll want to draw the opposition into our half to create more space in theirs. As you say Edwards is good at moving the ball forward. JCS can too, as can Dunne in fact. Madsen is excellent at getting us out of trouble at the back with quick forward and accurate passing. Varane has an error or two in him but he thinks he can do it do, so he's half way there. Morgan, I wouldn't give the ball to him in our own half now, Warnock type fines should apply. Then obviously we need a Keeper who can do it as well which hopefully our new signing (s) will. | | | |
| Stephan: new deal on 19:05 - Jul 9 with 853 views | Superhoops2808 |
| Stephan: new deal on 09:17 - Jul 9 by EuroRanger |
I like him, and I liked how he managed last season. I had my disagreements with some selections and agree that he was a bit too wedded to the 4-4-2, but overall he seems like a good fit for where the club is right now.
My dad reckoned he should be sacked but then my dad's response to any defeat since I've been alive has been to sack the manager so I'm not sure how relevant that is 😂 |
Was your Dad Stainrods Elbow
I am of course kidding  |  | | |
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