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Comment | A miserable return for Marti as white hot QPR incinerate Leicester – Report
at 20:42:06
Thanks for your report. At last you've got some serious goals to write about.
We were relentless in the first half. Everything went in, even Mbengue's shot from near the corner flag. Mbengue makes a lot of sense for man of the match: those crosses of his were absolutely punishing. The only negative was that we didn't score in the second half.
I think that Kone's goal really knocked the stuffing out of Leicester. After that they looked like they were on the verge of going to pieces. I can't remember the last time you took an opposition team to task like this. The only thing I would say is that the Championship is full of teams that have good days and bad days, so let's see what happens during the rest of the season.
The ref seemed to want to manage everything by talking, so a lot of fouls were not yellow-carded. Yellow cards were reserved for obvious professional fouls.
One big question in my mind is how often we should go toe to toe with the opposition like this. It worked against Leicester (who got blown away), Hull, West Brom and Birmingham, but failed against Norwich and Middlesbrough. |
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Comment | Many happy returns? Preview
at 13:26:31
Thanks for your preview.
I would hate to see hate going out of our game, but perhaps like North Sea oil, we are simply not producing as much as we used to.
That's a nice touch keeping the message board open on Christmas Day.
As for Leicester I am hoping that with poor defences this will be an open game with goals scored (although we know Martí can pack the midfield), with whoever has the best attack gaining the upper hand. This approach worked for us against Hull, West Brom and Birmingham, but failed us against Norwich and Middlesbrough. |
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Comment | Is Cifuentes belatedly making headway through Foxes’ quagmire? Oppo profile
at 12:35:19
Thanks to Ian.
Leicester are a difficult club to assess. A lot of players have been sold but the squad seems to have recovered and was good enough to beat a revived Ipswich last weekend. Given all the problems it doesn't sound like it would make any sense to get rid of Cifuentes. |
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Comment | QPR full of festive cheer, but is Boro after the Lord Mayor’s show? Preview
at 14:32:39
Thanks for your preview.
Away? At Middlesbrough? At the end of a three-game week? What could possibly go wrong? It will be interesting to see if the game against Birmingham has left us on a high or has burnt us out. Although we haven't blown anyone away, on paper we are neck-and-neck with Middlesbrough in the form table. I feel the key to our revival is our attack, so the more open the game is (like our game against Hull) the more it could benefit us by making up for our weaknesses in defence. |
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Comment | A Morgasm – Report
at 12:26:01
An earth-shaking ending deserves an earth-shaking report, and you have given us that.
Before the game I wondered if we were going to get home Birmingham or away Birmingham. Fortunately we got away Birmingham. Stansfield wasn't in the game, and Mbengue marked out Gray. However, as we were only one goal ahead there was always the chance that Birmingham could get back into the game. When Birmingham scored, the decision to bring on Morgan looked a disaster, but Morgan exonerated himself with the mother of all last minute goals. Fair play to him for spotting the gap between the crowd of players anticipating a cross and the keeper, and striking the ball in from that distance. |
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Comment | Don’t I know you from somewhere? Preview
at 18:50:56
Thanks for your preview.
That's quite a rogues' gallery of ex-QPR players that Birmingham have picked up. According to Matthew in the oppo profile even Bright is not playing that well. Yet somehow Birmingham are close to the play-offs.
I suppose the questions are: 1) are we playing home Birmingham or away Birmingham? and 2) is early season Kone back? |
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Comment | Running hot at home, Blues play-off push hamstrung by away form – Oppo Profile
at 18:15:17
Thanks to Matthew.
I didn't realise that Kyōgo had cost so much, or that he hadn't scored. Also surprised to hear Bright lacks directness - that used to be his thing.
Whatever the reason for Birmingham's poor away form, despite being a newly-promoted side they have certainly not looked out of place in the division. |
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Comment | QPR give West Brom both Burrells – Report
at 17:56:10
Thanks for your report.
It must be nice to have some goals to report on.
For the first goal, what was Varane doing so far forward? I must admit, before he scored I had been thinking how badly he was playing.
Kone is not only providing Burrell with assists, but creating the space for him and other players to play in. Burrell is developing a knack for being in the right place at the right time. We have got a threat up front, but it has been neutralised in some games. Fortunately this game wasn't one of them.
Although West Brom don't look great, Heggebø's goal was excellent. |
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Comment | QPR seek home comforts after Norwich slip – Preview
at 22:04:45
Thanks for your preview.
I am not quite sure what has brought on these reflections about the pro- and anti-Nourry groups? Was it the Furlong decision? In that discussion it was pretty obvious where most of the experienced and trusted posters stood. I don't think you have anything to be defensive about.
I think it's dawning on everybody after the early season optimism that we are in exactly the same place we usually are (and behind where we were when we got rid of Warburton). One thing I am sceptical about is people saying in grave tones that Stéphan was brought in to deal with three-game weeks. What does that mean exactly? Does it mean that if we say in grave tones that he was brought in to win the Champions League then we will win the Champions League?
Anyway, West Brom seem to be in a very similar situation to us (not scoring many and a shaky defence) so this has the potential to be an even game, with the spoils going to whichever attack can rise to the occasion and deliver. |
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Comment | A tricky start to life in the hot seat for West Brom’s rookie boss – Oppo Profile
at 19:35:36
Thanks to Matt.
West Brom's up and down season sounds remarkably like ours. Perhaps that's why they are just above us in the table.
'Unfortunately, we have been unable to outscore opponents in most games either, with only 20 goals scored'. Again similar to QPR, with 22 goals scored. In fact there aren't many high-scoring teams in the division with the notable exception of Coventry. Millwall are sitting 3rd in the table with just 22 goals and a negative goal difference. |
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Comment | That Swindon Town match report again – Report
at 22:35:47
Thanks for your report.
We looked sluggish. You have described all our shortcomings, and the reasons behind them. We looked incapable of stepping up a gear, even when Burrell brought the game back to 1-1. At that point I noticed that Norwich were playing well (better than us anyway), and the tide turned against us.
Madsen's miss. With his technique you would have hoped for something better, and it might have turned the game in our favour (although Norwich had more missed chances than us).
We looked weak in midfield and defence and unconvincing in attack. I keep on saying it, but despite our problems elsewhere I feel the key to our reviving our season is reviving our attack. What's happened to Kone? |
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Comment | Not that Swindon Town match preview again - Preview
at 14:38:28
Thanks for your preview.
Ainsworth aged by the day. The great gift of Warnock was managing (perhaps even relishing) the madness. It remains to be seen how Stéphan rides the tiger.
As for Norwich, the 'oppo in crisis' omens (striker not scoring etc.) are so good they are bad, if you know what I mean. |
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Comment | Six adrift, no home win, fan revolt, Norwich bin fire well ablaze – Oppo Focus
at 13:47:32
Thanks to Phil and Connor.
Interesting that both fans think the rot started prior to Ben Knapper.
On the pitch it sounds like too many similar players have been brought in in one go, not allowing for a slower integration with experienced Championship players, and too many star players have been sold.
Off the pitch, it sounds like the club have seriously blundered and alienated the fans at exactly the wrong time.
Whether any of this helps us remains to be seen. |
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Comment | Giving with one hand, taking away with another – Preview
at 19:29:59
Thanks for your preview.
Furlong. One wonders if this is the move of a French monarch to get rid of anyone suspected of loyalty to the ancien régime, or a Trumpian move to get rid of anyone vaguely competent, or both.
I was relieved that we have started scoring again after a mini-drought that had been going on for a few weeks. If Kone could get a goal that would end the doubts about Kone that seem to have started. I know Blackburn have injuries, but their form has been good. |
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Comment | Blackburn’s magical mystery ride under Venky’s continues apace – Oppo Profile
at 22:45:15
Thanks to Ian.
The fact that Eustace left to join a team much lower down the table showed something was very wrong at Blackburn.
'Venky’s apologists'...I never imagined there could be such a thing.
Despite everything Blackburn are one of the form teams in the division, with four wins in the last six games. |
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Comment | Burning bright – Preview
at 22:08:38
Thanks for your preview.
My main concern at the moment is that the goals have dried up. That's why we are sinking down the table. Earlier in the season it looked like that wasn't going to be a problem with Burrell and Kone to rely on.
The Second Tier Podcast lads reckon Hull are the most entertaining team in the division as they both score and concede a lot of goals. An open game might suit us if it can get scoring again. |
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Comment | Clash of the titans – Preview
at 13:41:04
Thanks for your preview.
Yes, we are very forgettable at the moment (except for our lapses in defence). For a while it looked like we had at least solved our scoring problem, and now that has come back to haunt us. This means when the opposition scores it feels like the game is over (and it probably is).
This is third 'oppo in crisis' team we have encountered this week, and we haven't done well so far. In fact we seem to be developing a little crisis of our own. Are we back to never winning the ones we're supposed to win? |
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Comment | QPR continue to slide as Saints set off on new march – Report
at 12:32:05
Thanks for your report.
As others have said, there is something so frustrating, unconvincing and ponderous about our play, especially when you get the feeling that none of our attacks is going to lead to a goal. It means when the opposition scores first the game is pretty much over (an early opposition goal is a complete hammer blow).
Watching Southampton's first goal I don't think it was quite as bad as it looked first time, the ball came at Mbengue unexpectedly, even if he did make a mess of controlling it.
Burrell chance in the first half was a good one. A more experienced striker would have hit it first time. His goal in the second half was excellent: something out of nothing and at least it gives us a positive to cling to. |
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