We Are The Rangers Boys - Stand Up And Make Some Noise

MATCH REPORT

Sheffield United 3 QPR 0

Saturday 16th August 2008

Over the last couple of days we’ve covered 500 miles (not just going to Sheffield) and so I’m tired tonight so a smaller report than normal this time.

We didn’t go to Swindon and so after a bit of a shaky start against Barnsley last week, we didn’t quite know what to expect this afternoon. One thing was for sure though is that this game would be a tough test as looking at Sheffield United’s squad, I would expect to see them thereabouts in a play off place (if not higher) come the end of the new season.

I’ve always liked Bramall Lane, it’s what I call a proper ground and with the pre match pie and tea proving to be hot, off we went to find our seats. Were originally supposed to be at the back but as Emma and I don’t like being stuck at the back, nearer to kick off we moved down to the front of the stand where we got told off by a jobsworth steward for not seating in our allocated seats and so just moved a few seats more central to please him. All rather bizarre really but then Sheffield stewards came be bizarre anyway.

We were surprised to see no sign of Agyemang during the warm up and when the team was announced, no Ramage either. Lee Camp looked a bit humpy during the warm up; the back four looked good on paper (Delaney, Hall, Gorkss and Connolly); the central midfield had the look of a more defensive minded player in Leggy who we assumed would take up the role of ‘mopping up’ thus leaving the Real Madrid wonderkid free to roam this area. Cook on the wide left and Ledesma on the right looked a good balance; and after young Balanta got good reviews from Swindon on Tuesday night, along with Dex up front, the 1000 or so R’s fans there today could have been forgiven for possibly having a few positive thoughts just prior to kick off.

So what went wrong? Basically, two minutes into the game we conceded what was a poor, soft goal, and after that it went downhill during that first half. Sheffield United came out all guns blazing; the players were up for what was being hailed as a fresh new start by the PA announcer, and the home crowd certainly were noisy come kick off when they gave their usual annoying rendition of Annie’s Song. They were kicking towards where we were in the Halliwell Stand and a long throw in on the left threw us as it came into our box. There seemed to be a lack of communication going on between Cerny and his back line and I think it was Connolly (playing at right back today) who completely misjudged heading away and there waiting to head in was Billy Sharp. Sharp of course made his name whilst playing for Scunthorpe United and I tell you what it was certainly a case of Sharp by name, Sharp by nature for him this afternoon. Either that, or we were so slow with our movement and general play in defence that we made him look a real little piece of dynamite, though I’m probably being unfair on him as he was well deserving of his hat trick this afternoon.

His brace came on 13 minutes. We lost possession in the midfield and before we knew it Sharp was racing down the pitch, not a hooped shirt to be seen (well, a black and yellow one) and with Cerny deciding to stay on his line rather than come out of his area in the hope of putting him off, there wasn’t much that could be done as Sharp slotted past him and there we were, not even 15 minutes of the game gone and we were 2-0 down. It could have been a lot worse but Cerny to be fair did very well with a double save towards the end of the half, firstly he stuck a foot out to prevent I think it was that man Sharp from securing his hat trick in the first half. Then as the ball came back in, he made a more than decent save at the near post.
We could have been 3 or 4 down come half time and our one measly effort came via the hard working Leggy who shot well wide into the stand opposite us.

There had been chants of ‘Dowie sort it out’ during the first half and perhaps he heard because come the second half he made a change up front by taking off Balanta and bringing on Di Carmine. The problem was five minutes into the second period and it was 3-0 to the blades and game over. They won a corner and as the ball went into our box there looked to be a lot of flaffing about going on, a big scramble, Cerny looked like he had caught the ball at one point but it was all to no avail because from close range the ball was poked home and there was Sharp celebrating his hat trick. Kevin Blackwell replaced him shortly afterwards and went off to a well deserved standing ovation.

To be fair, we kept going, and whilst we looked good on the ball at times, we so obviously lacked that cutting edge. We needed Mahon out there, and my, how we missed Rowlands. Towards the end of the game Cook and Blackstock linked up a couple of times nicely, and Dex should have scored really after Ledesma hit the post with a free kick but he was too slow and Paddy Kenny was able to clear.
Parejo also had a half chance but that just about sums it up really.

The manner in the way we played at times, along with some of the players’ body language would have told Dowie a fair bit about some of his players this afternoon, though judging by some of the Dowie Out chants we heard (admittedly from a small minority) it remains to be seen how long Biatore and co will be prepared to give him in order to start assembling the players and getting them to gel properly. The funny thing is we were talking before the start of this season and Leon said he would give it three games before the Dowie Out chants started. Deep sigh……..

This result will certainly have been a wake up call to many and whilst we left Bramall Lane feeling quite philosophical (same old rangers etc) there’ll be those where if we get pulled apart too many times more others I dare say will not be quite so patient. Crikey we even saw an argument going on behind us today (QPR fans).

The Blades like I say looked a very good outfit. Strong, fast, fit, and took their chances. Plus they were without James Beattie and Lee Hendrie! A couple of home fans on talking to us afterwards said how they felt our team looked neat on the ball but looked as though they lacked leadership out there.

Player ratings:

Radek Cerny: Poor old Cerny. Had a bit of a nightmare really. Too many punches/pushing of the ball and not enough catching. The double save in the first half saved us even further embarrassment and in the second half he made a very good save, but if we don’t see Lee Camp back in goal for Donny Rovers next week I’ll be amazed. 5

Damien Delaney: In the absence of Mahon and Rowlands today he was captain. He spent a fair bit of time bollocking some of his fellow defenders but must admit he wasn’t at his best today. Well done to him though for going over to Ledesma at one stage and pulling him to his feet when telling him to get on with the game and stop the play acting late on in the second half. 5

Fitz Hall/Kasper Gorkss: Hall’s positional sense was all over the place today, though to be fair he did go to help Connolly a bit during the first half who was looking uncomfortable on the right side. Thus Gorkss was often the lone central defender, who himself didn’t seem too happy about this. To be honest, neither looked as though they could the mustard too well (particularly in the first half) and they looked shaky at set pieces. Something for Dowie and his team to work on at the training ground this week! 4

Matt Connolly: We all saw his capabilities as a centre half last season and he did not look comfortable at all on the right, esp during the first half. He looked more composed in the second half and to be honest I think I would play him as one of our centre halves next week against Donny. 5

Leggy: He was hard working out there but getting nowhere fast for all his efforts in that first half. At least he was putting his foot on the ball and trying to spray it out when he could. Probably one of the handful from today that can hold his head up. The bizarre thing is though that he was one that put a bit of effort in and some of the crowd booed him when he came over to acknowledge the fans after the game! 7

Daniel Parejo: He had a very, very, quiet game. The lad obviously needs to acclimatize to our game, and especially the championship, and dare I say could be classed as a ‘luxury’ player to maybe bring on into games at certain stages during games? He needs someone with an holder head around him at that central area and maybe Rowlands could be a good figure for him? 5

Lee Cook: In the first half he kept cutting inside rather than play out wide and it was only really in the second half that we started to see glimpses of the Cook that we know is there. He linked up nicely with Blackstock towards the end (before being replaced with Alberti) and I’m sure needs a couple more games under his belt yet to get back to full match fitness. 6

Emmanuel Ledesma: This lad has the potential to blow us away folks but whether it was poor communication throughout; lack of understanding with his team mates; the shock of a very good Blades side teaching them a lesson this afternoon; or a combination of all of this, but it’s fair to say it was a frustrating day at the office for him this afternoon. His free kick which hit the woodwork was well taken but the incident that led to the free kick was the comical part of the afternoon. He’d been going for the ball on the edge of the area and he completely miskicked/missed the ball. To save his blushes, he went down after entangling himself with the defender, whilst at the same time writhing about on the floor and the ref fell for it and awarded us the free kick!

That was not the only time he tried the play acting and at one stage Delaney had enough and hauled him to his feet before wagging his finger at him and telling him to get himself into the box. 5
Angelo Balanta: Completely anonymous in the first half and thus unfair to mark him!

Dexter Blackstock: It was only really in the last part of the game that we started to see more of Blackstock and like I say should have scored really following Ledesma’s free kick. Not too many balls were working out for him but he picked up in that last 15 minute or so spell when Cook started to whip the balls over to him. 5

Subs:

Samuel Di Carmine: Was he playing? 4

Matteo Alberti: No time to judge.

Manager rating: On paper, it looked a decent side that he picked. Trouble is, against a side such as Sheffield United, who like a bit of a physical presence, even if Billy Sharp was probably the smallest player on the park, a midfield containing a couple of young overseas loanees, it was probably a bit of a shock to them and Mahon needed to come on to give the middle area a bit of bite. There’ll be plenty of head scratching for him in the week to come and it will be interesting to see which team starts next week! 6