| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 20:32 - Sep 30 with 3182 views | Antti_Heinola |
Another genuinely pulsating match at Loftus Road in a game that had pretty much everything except the late equaliser QPR, in the end, probably deserved.
1. THE MIDFIELD TRIO: I won't spend too long on this because I think we're all in agreement and so far these three are undoubtedly the success story of Ollie's reign so far. Luongo has moved up a notch, and hasn't been overawed at all by the captaincy. Scowen has been a revelation, the kind of midfielder we've been crying out for for years. Freeman is our true creative spark. They all bring something different to the table, and so complement each other beautifully. And yet they have much in common too - tireless running, tremendous spirit, a never-say-die attitude, great stamina and the ability to both pass and win the ball too.
On Friday night, as usual, they worked their socks off for the whole game and while Fulham were marginally the better side, the difference between our fortunate win at their place last season, where they cut through our centre at will, and our more solid appearance last night was stark - thanks to these three.
I think Luke Freeman just edged the battle between them (and possibly Robsinon) for Man of the Match this time around, just because if we were going to find a way to come back from the dead, it looked like it would be sparked by him. I love the way he can wriggle from tight situations, his delivery from corners is excellent (even almost scoring from one in the first half, but for a genuinely great save by Button), and he always looks a danger when he has the ball on the edge of the box. A crying shame that he couldn't quite grab that equaliser just after Washington scored, when he was denied again by Button. And I'm pretty sure everyone in the SA Road stand thought his free kick was in all the way. I don't think I've ever had my head in my hands so often in the last 20 minutes of a game, having been sure we'd forced a goal only for it to go just wide, be cleared off the line, or saved.
But what we need, I think, is a shorthand name for these three. My three suggestions are:
- The Tricky Trio - in homage to the great Princes Park front three - Kevin 'Mighty' Mouse, Hot Shot Hamish and Wee Willie Campbell.
- LuScowgo.
- FreeMasSco.
But I'm open to other thoughts.
2. SUBS: I don't think it's going to be very controversial to say I think the subs, or at least the first one, were not quite right in this game. I thought in the first half we played some really nice football - some great triangles, some lovely quick passing of the sort we rarely saw at the back end of last season in particular. FreeMasSco and Pav combined really well and we had several moves that either ended with a chance, a half chance or had Fulham in some difficulty.
But after the break, Ollie reacted quickly to try and get us a goal, but ended up blunting the sharpest part of our game. Pav certainly wasn't having his best game, but in the first half in particular, they were really struggling with him, and he worked tirelessly down that right. I was actually expecting him to be brought off as to me he looked like he'd been struggling a bit, possibly with a knock. But Smith was the wrong replacement. Actually, having Smith on was not the bad call, it was just who he came on for. At that stage, I think we'd have been better off bringing on Wheeler too, and taking off Mackie, meaning the shape would remain essentially unchanged. As it was we suddenly went ridiculously narrow and the onus on Freeman in particular to create something grew much bigger. In the event, it was only when Sylla limped off that we regained some sort of width, and once again we looked far more dangerous. Smith in the middle, by Fulham's own admission causing havoc, with Washington and Wheeler either side as genuine threats. I feel we lost time and momentum where Ollie didn't quite get that one right.
3. CENTRE BACKS: It's unfair to be too harsh on Lynch as I'm sure he was not fully fit. However, if you were to look at our centre backs it was he, rather than Robinson, who looked like he was playing out of position. Sometimes I think Lynch is a little too confident. He has belief in his strength and his ability to get the ball away and so becomes ponderous and too many times on Friday was caught out when he could have cleared his lines or played an earlier ball.
Robinson, in contrast, seems as if he knows he's out of position, so he's just going to play it safe. If he's in trouble, he'll kick it out. Fulham fans cheered that a few times on Friday, but I have no problem with it. Clint Hill and Warnock were big advocates of it. Why take the risk? It's nice to play out prettily from the back when you can, but better to concede a throw than a goal. It's dull, and it's safety first, but for a team that is as porous at the back as we are and with so many injuries, it's far from the worst policy.
Robinson, I think, has been really impressive. Not to the extent that I think he's the answer at the back, but to come in after all his injuries in an unfamiliar position and play how he's played is worthy of praise. And I love his attitude. He doesn't shirk, he battles, he loves a tackle. The last 20 or 30 minutes on Friday saw him win pretty much everything, just when we needed him to. Towering headers, 40-60 balls. Several times our attacks broke down but he determinedly won the ball back to start another assault. He was certainly troubled by the pace of Ojo and looked much more comfortable after he went off, but Ojo will do that to most defenders in this league I think. At the same time, two or three times in the first half he got back to stop Ojo when it looked like he'd run clear of Robinson. It's a huge bonus for us how well he's doing, because if he hadn't filled in there, you wonder what on earth we'd be doing instead.
4. SYLLA: I've been begging for Idrissa to get a start. Smith can't last. Washington, after his great first game of the season is simply not potent enough despite all his endeavour and Mackie, despite his three goals, is not an out and out striker. To me, he has to have a run in the side and I'm only more convinced of that after Friday. First half I thought he was very good. It would be very hard for anyone to claim that he didn't work and chase and harry, but more than that he held the ball up well, took it on that magnificent chest, laid it off, made himself available and bundled past challenges. His best display for us I think, in that first half, up there with his great performance away at Reading last season. The only thing missing was a decent chance - he had one, but he was offside and comically blazed over anyway.
But give him a run now. Let him play up there with Mackie or Washington. Let them do the running and inspire him to do the same. If he can just get some goals and some confidence I'm convinced he's out best option up there. Even if we have to bring him off after 70 and then throw on Smith, that's not going to be a bad thing. He does have negatives - his touch can let him down, he was perhaps not quite direct enough on Friday, but I just think he could get us some valuable goals given the proper chance.
5. THE FUTURE: So, we're 11 games in and we're at a decent place to judge our level. Lower mid table feels about right. If we can stay there this season, maybe push a few places higher which, with a bit of luck, we might have been, then I honestly think we could be at the start of having a half-decent side. At least at the moment it is exciting, they work hard, they want to play for the club and we're playing some undeniably decent, if frantic, football.
The key really is to somehow get Onuoha and Hall back. Put those two in as two of the back three and suddenly we really start to look promising. The midfield looks at its healthiest for years - FreeMasSco in possession, but with genuine potential quality backing them up - Manning, Cousins and Ariel.
And then it's just the forward line. That's where we're really lacking. Stick Charlie Austin in that team and you've basically got a play-off side in my opinion. We're not going to get another gem like him for a while, though, so someone needs to step up this season or next. I'm far more positive than i was a few months ago, yet at the same time this little rut we're in, with no win in five despite some good performances, worries me. This kind of run can quickly turn toxic. We need some wins again, and quickly, because as happy as I am with this season so far, I still think we could get sucked in to a relegation battle as we did last season.
6. PENALTIES: It must be a record, surely. They've now been given four penalties against us in their last three games, and missed the lot. When that one was given on Friday, I was convinced it was a goal. Law of averages, surely. But no. And Fonte's was the worst of the lot. Ballooned it over. At Craven Cottage we might as well start the game by giving them a pen, watch them miss it, and then get on with the bloody game.
I haven't seen it again, so not sure whether Ollie was correct that it shouldn't have been awarded (certainly looked a pen from where I was sat, and caused because of some woful dallying by Lynch), but I'm a bit baffled about why he was so bothered. He can't control whether someone dives or not - he can try to control whether his defenders don't amble along the front of the area until they get caught in possession. Wrong target there, Oll.
Be nice if we could have a penalty against them next time though. Them getting a penalty was about the only predictable thing of that whole game last night. |  |
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| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 20:36 - Sep 30 with 3163 views | Dorse |
'Pulsating'
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| 'What do we want? We don't know! When do we want it? Now!' |
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| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 20:42 - Sep 30 with 3140 views | YorkRanger |
Good summary.
A couple of thoughts . I thought Robinson was very decent and I've no problem him playing there. He is uncomplicated and committed. As has been commented if he can play it he will but if it needs to go in row Z it will. If he can stay injury free then I think he may well fulfill the potential we all hoped he would have.
Secondly spot on in terms of we are what we are which is a lower mid table side that is in the rebuilding stage. Lots to be very positive about but feet on the ground as there will be ups and downs. We need to ignore the idiots and trolls and press on. Expectation needs to be re-set and managed - this is a journey and I think the building blocks in place are encouraging |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 20:47 - Sep 30 with 3121 views | WadR |
Good jerks as always.
Wholeheartedly agree on Sylla. He showed a willingness to do the out of possession work in a way seldom seen from him before and he was very effective in the first half as a central pivot. Hope he's done enough to show Ollie that he deserves a run as our starting striker.
He's not perfect, but he offers the most concrete goal threat, and is both mobile and a competent target man. I don't think all 3 can be said for any of Mackie, Smith or Conor. |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 20:58 - Sep 30 with 3080 views | bosh67 |
Good read. Yes, said the same to my dad. Stick Austin in that team and it could be top 6.
But to be honest I think we are looking at this game through rose tinted glasses. We weren't as good as we have been. We let Fulham pass around us after initially shutting them down. We were hugely wasteful in possession and with our finishing, particularly first half. We were second to most balls, mainly outpaced and tactically out thought..... until the 9 minutes of injury time , when we suddenly started playing on the front foot and almost pulled off an unlikely comeback.
The truth is that for all the games Washington shouldn't start against a team that plays from the back, and not as well as Barcelona, he would have caused more problems than Mackie, who I love but who has lost a lot of pace and basically runs around not achieving that much if used too often. For me Washington and Sylla or Sylla and Smith need to start games.
But we are unbalanced. Our right side has a huge gap that Pav seems to have to fill and he can't. Our left attacking side is non existent, unless Bidwell ventures forward. We have an army of wingers and yet our biggest problem is lack of width and lack of service to the strikers, who are forever facing their own goal trying to pull down a ball. I am also not sure that Ollie picks the right team to match opponents. It's not always great to have to make changes to chase a game down when we are behind, but we have now seen it twice in three home games. That is about matching up team selection.
That lack of width means that I thought we went backwards a bit on Friday because Ollie doesn't seem to get that if you stretch the pitch left and right you pull opponent defenders out of position and create gaps for forward to run onto. When Samuel came on against Burton we started to pull their back line out of position because we had wide left and right players.
If we had more width we would win some of these games. But I don't believe Ollie can see the problem. And it will become one as the matches go by if we don't use width as a weapon.
So were we that pulsating on Friday? No I don't think so. Last 9 minutes perhaps but we need to take the game to opponents much earlier on in games and for once I don't think our excellent middle three got a hold of the game, with the exception of Luongo, who I thought carried our only real direct threat.
We are better than our league position but we were tactically outdone on Friday and my fear is that Ollie, who I also love, takes a bit too long to work it out. I am not saying get rid or anything, just we need to be more physical and more up and at opponents from the start than we are now. |  |
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| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 20:59 - Sep 30 with 3077 views | Roller |
While it is true what you say about Robinson and how he is not afraid to belt the ball into touch it required, on quite a number of occasions his tackling not only won the ball but laid it off perfectly for a team mate in the same action. I thought he had a great match yesterday, especially when he was virtually defending on his own, and would far prefer to see him along side Hall and Onuoha whenever that day may come rather than Lynch who, even allowing for rustiness, was painful to watch.
Who'd have though that he and Baptiste would be our best defenders when the season started? |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 21:05 - Sep 30 with 3059 views | dannyblue |
Scowongoman |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 21:11 - Sep 30 with 3031 views | VancouverHoop |
I'm not sure Olly is totally to blame for our lack of width. We lost a lot of it with Perch and Robinson out. The former was playing his best football for us on the right since being signed, and the latter has been forced to play CB since his return. I think when Robinson returns to LB or LWB it'll make huge difference, and hope Perch is the same player when he finally recovers. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 21:27 - Sep 30 with 2987 views | JAPRANGERS |
Antti, totally excellent. Thank you so much!
As I can't attend games in the flesh, being able to read your articles and those of Clive of course, is just totally fantastic! |  | | |
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| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 22:17 - Sep 30 with 2849 views | GroveR |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 21:05 - Sep 30 by dannyblue |
Scowongoman |
Sounds like something a Scottish alcoholic would roar at you. I like it.
I'll give credit to Ollie for getting the midfield looking as effective as it does but he shares one of Redknapp's most annoying failings at times (no, not being a lying thieving shìtcùnt) - getting the starting line-up wrong for the game in hand and having to perform surgery halfway through a game we're invariably behind in.
I think we've used all 3 subs in nearly every game so far and had double subs at half time against Burton, Milwall and Boro.We do scout these teams before we play them right? |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 22:29 - Sep 30 with 2809 views | ozexile |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 20:58 - Sep 30 by bosh67 |
Good read. Yes, said the same to my dad. Stick Austin in that team and it could be top 6.
But to be honest I think we are looking at this game through rose tinted glasses. We weren't as good as we have been. We let Fulham pass around us after initially shutting them down. We were hugely wasteful in possession and with our finishing, particularly first half. We were second to most balls, mainly outpaced and tactically out thought..... until the 9 minutes of injury time , when we suddenly started playing on the front foot and almost pulled off an unlikely comeback.
The truth is that for all the games Washington shouldn't start against a team that plays from the back, and not as well as Barcelona, he would have caused more problems than Mackie, who I love but who has lost a lot of pace and basically runs around not achieving that much if used too often. For me Washington and Sylla or Sylla and Smith need to start games.
But we are unbalanced. Our right side has a huge gap that Pav seems to have to fill and he can't. Our left attacking side is non existent, unless Bidwell ventures forward. We have an army of wingers and yet our biggest problem is lack of width and lack of service to the strikers, who are forever facing their own goal trying to pull down a ball. I am also not sure that Ollie picks the right team to match opponents. It's not always great to have to make changes to chase a game down when we are behind, but we have now seen it twice in three home games. That is about matching up team selection.
That lack of width means that I thought we went backwards a bit on Friday because Ollie doesn't seem to get that if you stretch the pitch left and right you pull opponent defenders out of position and create gaps for forward to run onto. When Samuel came on against Burton we started to pull their back line out of position because we had wide left and right players.
If we had more width we would win some of these games. But I don't believe Ollie can see the problem. And it will become one as the matches go by if we don't use width as a weapon.
So were we that pulsating on Friday? No I don't think so. Last 9 minutes perhaps but we need to take the game to opponents much earlier on in games and for once I don't think our excellent middle three got a hold of the game, with the exception of Luongo, who I thought carried our only real direct threat.
We are better than our league position but we were tactically outdone on Friday and my fear is that Ollie, who I also love, takes a bit too long to work it out. I am not saying get rid or anything, just we need to be more physical and more up and at opponents from the start than we are now. |
Very good summary. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 22:58 - Sep 30 with 2757 views | essextaxiboy |
The best knee jerk ever IMO .. especially the future section .Should be compulsory reading especially for the numpties that sit near me |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 23:13 - Sep 30 with 2732 views | vegasranger |
NJust got to watch whole game on ESP3. Robinson just got better as the game went on. Really good to see him playing 90 minutes fully committed. Lynch surely not match fit ( has even had a run out for the under 23's ? ) was his normal clumsy self. Freeman as you say Annti is the key to our attack. Syla and Smith together wouldn't look out of place in Div 2 !! We played well but Fulham are just that much better. Get Hall and The Chief back and find at leaf one new pacy striker and we will have decent team. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 23:21 - Sep 30 with 2722 views | Hadders |
Just to say that, like the divvy berk I am, I meant to click the up button on that typically extraordinary report and pressed the down one by mistake. Sorry. I really hope Olly reads your and Clive's reports. If I were him, I'd take notes and just do what you two say - easy! It'd be weird for you to realise that's what was happening though. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 00:04 - Oct 1 with 2657 views | nix |
Thanks Antii. Another really interesting and balanced report. I couldn't make it on Friday but went to Burton game and sat next to this bloke who slagged off practically every member of our team.
It's great to hear thoughtful and even handed reporting and I really value both your and Clive's reports for this reason. |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 00:34 - Oct 1 with 2613 views | distortR |
freemassan | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 02:03 - Oct 1 with 2524 views | NW5Hoop |
Glad to see what you had to say about Sylla. I also thought the first half was his best performance for us. He caused them lots of problems.
That said, I also didn't think we looked that penetrating. We never really put concerted pressure on until after we had scored. While I like watching this midfield three, I never really hold out a lot of hope they're actually going to create anything. Which is a bit of a problem for them, I think. | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 08:14 - Oct 1 with 2344 views | Rs_Holy |
Yep excellent as usual Antti! |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 09:13 - Oct 1 with 2247 views | daveB |
The penalty was never a penalty, outrageous dive and he should face a ban but that whole punishing diving thing seems to have been forgotten already |  | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 12:35 - Oct 1 with 2053 views | enfieldargh |
You sum things up in words that go through my mind in glimpses which I can never recall.
You and Clive must have been good at school whilst I was staring out of the window dreaming of Rodney Marsh
The 3 Amigos? |  |
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| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 09:41 - Oct 2 with 1683 views | simmo |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 09:13 - Oct 1 by daveB |
The penalty was never a penalty, outrageous dive and he should face a ban but that whole punishing diving thing seems to have been forgotten already |
I'd have given it anyway for pure stupidity and ineptitude on Lynch's part. I have no idea how someone hasn't collared him and told him to stop stepping out of the line. He's not good enough to do it and CONSTANTLY get's himself turned. Just be a fckin meathead CB head and kick merchant and leave the high level defending to Hall and others. Costing us goals with your Libero wannabe routine.
Agree with the kneejerks Antman, also think Scowongoman is the choice. |  |
| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 10:15 - Oct 2 with 1640 views | daveB |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 09:41 - Oct 2 by simmo |
I'd have given it anyway for pure stupidity and ineptitude on Lynch's part. I have no idea how someone hasn't collared him and told him to stop stepping out of the line. He's not good enough to do it and CONSTANTLY get's himself turned. Just be a fckin meathead CB head and kick merchant and leave the high level defending to Hall and others. Costing us goals with your Libero wannabe routine.
Agree with the kneejerks Antman, also think Scowongoman is the choice. |
Lynch was stupid and made a mistake but that shouldn't mean we ignore the fact the Fulham player wasn't fouled and dived to win the penalty. He should face a ban.
Huddersfields defending on Dele Alli was crap on Saturday as well but he still dived when clean through and deserved his booking, you can;t just give a penalty for being a bit crap | | | |
| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 14:24 - Oct 3 with 1447 views | TacticalR |
Thanks for your knee jerks.
As for Fulham I've never seen a team play out from the back but starting from so deep.
It was thing that caused Luongo and Mackie to get booked so early, because it enticed them into making tackles. Either Fulham always play like that, or there was an element of the bullfighter's cape about it, which they used quite deliberately against us. |  |
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| Antti's Six Knee Jerks: QPR 1 Fulham 2 on 18:48 - Oct 4 with 1218 views | PinnerPaul |
Agree about Charlie Austin or similar - been saying it all season.
We ARE creating chances as the stats Clive quoted in match report show. That is a good thing.
Fine margins - Ned instead of the very poor Lynch and we would have won IMHO. | | | |
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