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First time poster, long time reader here.
Just back from the game- rarely have I been so confused by one match. To use a proper cliche - A game of 2 halves.
1st half was absolute cack. One of the worst performances I've ever seen by a Rangers team: no pressure on the ball, long ball after long ball being sliced into the stands, no movement, absolutely no one closing down the ball. Their players had hours to pick out crosses to players who were more often that not unmarked in the area. Disgusting attitude.
Major talking points:
Quashie: This guy was brought into the team, apparently to be the leader we were missing???? He couldn't lead the lads to a chippe, about as inspirational as Jeremy Kyle. It was genuinely a disgraceful effort from the lad. Anonymous and clearly a bad influence on the team. I watched Faurlin trying to get the boys playing, shouting, trying to remind them that they're not bad players. Then I look over to Quashie literally doing the opposite. He's lambasting them, swearing at his own players. I saw him call Connolly (I think it was) a C U Next... Get rid of him now. If he's not even a decent influence on the team, what's the point having that journeyman anywhere near the squad. Don't think he touched the ball. His best moment: pushing Counago back to the floor.
Cookie: Kept us in the game first half. Wouldn't want to guess what the score would have been if he hadn't been playing. A captain's performance - inspiring by example- full of trickery, pace and desire. (The only player who didn't get all kinds of grief from the fans in the first half). Looks like we've got the old player back.
Bent: Hope he's sent back. Didn't last long but there's absolutely no point in having him around. I remember reading about him- disappointed by us signing a striker who doesn't score- but all the articles seemed to praise his work ethic and desire - that's like praising Christian Bale for his temperament. Wandered around the pitch until he pulled his hammy. Send him back.
Hogan: Tried in the first half, had one good run, but he's just not a big enough influence on games. A good sub but that's probably about it. We were better once he was taken off.
Faurlin: At least tried to get the team playing. A good influence. One magnificent pass.
The fans: I completely understand the frustration, the aggression BUT ... THE ABUSE ISN'T HELPING. A qpr player could hardly touch the ball without getting booed or sworn at in the first half. The players' confidence is gone. YES - some of 'em haven't been putting in the effort we'd expect. YES- the defending and energy levels were truly shocking first half. BUT that doesn't mean that none of them give a.... Most of them are simply low on confidence (they do have the talent as we saw in the second half). It's pretty basic psychology - fans abusing you isn't going to help you regain your form, it isn't going to make you want to play for the fans - let alone the team. I'm as frustrated as the next fan, but I implore all of you to get behind the team. They're good enough to get us out this mess - we just need them to get their confidence back. Unfortunately, I can't see that happening until the fans SUPPORT THEM. I had my housemate (an Ipswich fan) sat with me in R Block- he couldn't believe the abuse the lads were getting. Counter productive.
Second Half
We were a different team. With Akos and Adel on, a bit of flair came back to the Rangers, a little movement, some cohesion. If we'd started like that, we would have roasted them.
Talking points:
Mick- A lot of people will be getting on his back - the loans are awful but at least he had the guts to give the lads a rollocking and make changes early.
Buzz - Completely changed my opinion on him. Being dropped obviously did the trick. He was back and trying. Full of effort- won header after header, tracked back, seemed determined, a few slide tackles (or lunges anyway) - so much more than we've seen of him of late. He really seemed to be a leader again, marshaling the players around him. He was playing a little more centrally and it made a huge difference. He's not a gasman, not a winger. He touched the ball more times in his first few minutes than Quashie had in the entire first half. Instrumental in getting the team to play again. Him and Faurlin always looked for each other for the short ball rather than Faurlin having to resort to tapping it back to the centre backs to launch a long one like they did in the first half. SHOULD PLAY IN THE CENTRE. WELCOME BACK. A good influence today.
Adel - show pony... yes. But he made things happen. We need him. And even if he doesnt always pass at the right times, you can't say he wasn't trying. Please stop booing him. He's class.
Vine - he did try, but he's never gonna be the player he was. Poor overall. I'd say send him out on loan, but I'd rather have him on the bench than most of the loans.
Simpson - good game, always dangerous. He tried, ran his socks off and eventually made things happen. Should never have been dropped.
Hill - send him home. One of the worst players I've seen wear the hoops. The only positive I can fathom - is that he did a pretty good job in marking their players' shadows. GENUINELY AWFUL. Would throw himself forward for each header, over run it and then find that he was out of position. With the ball - he was more than capable of finding the linesman, ball boys and the boys in red. He refused to close down any space between himself and their players. Seemed to prefer staring at their pretty boots. BORROWDALE NEEDS TO COME BACK IN. A waste of space.
Kasp, Stewart and Connolly - all had pretty poor games. We hardly won a header in our own box. Couldnt clear anything in the first half. But much improved in the second. All outplayed by Delaney. Positive- they all had a go at Counago.
It really wasn't a bad second half performance. If we can play like that from the start, we shouldn't be in any danger. But if we don't get the players wanting to play for us- we'll keep playing like we did in the first half and the free fall will continue. The loans can all jog off - they're journeymen and they don't care. We'll try our young lads thanks. They're genuinely as good.
Cheers,
Just back from the game- rarely have I been so confused by one match. To use a proper cliche - A game of 2 halves.
1st half was absolute cack. One of the worst performances I've ever seen by a Rangers team: no pressure on the ball, long ball after long ball being sliced into the stands, no movement, absolutely no one closing down the ball. Their players had hours to pick out crosses to players who were more often that not unmarked in the area. Disgusting attitude.
Major talking points:
Quashie: This guy was brought into the team, apparently to be the leader we were missing???? He couldn't lead the lads to a chippe, about as inspirational as Jeremy Kyle. It was genuinely a disgraceful effort from the lad. Anonymous and clearly a bad influence on the team. I watched Faurlin trying to get the boys playing, shouting, trying to remind them that they're not bad players. Then I look over to Quashie literally doing the opposite. He's lambasting them, swearing at his own players. I saw him call Connolly (I think it was) a C U Next... Get rid of him now. If he's not even a decent influence on the team, what's the point having that journeyman anywhere near the squad. Don't think he touched the ball. His best moment: pushing Counago back to the floor.
Cookie: Kept us in the game first half. Wouldn't want to guess what the score would have been if he hadn't been playing. A captain's performance - inspiring by example- full of trickery, pace and desire. (The only player who didn't get all kinds of grief from the fans in the first half). Looks like we've got the old player back.
Bent: Hope he's sent back. Didn't last long but there's absolutely no point in having him around. I remember reading about him- disappointed by us signing a striker who doesn't score- but all the articles seemed to praise his work ethic and desire - that's like praising Christian Bale for his temperament. Wandered around the pitch until he pulled his hammy. Send him back.
Hogan: Tried in the first half, had one good run, but he's just not a big enough influence on games. A good sub but that's probably about it. We were better once he was taken off.
Faurlin: At least tried to get the team playing. A good influence. One magnificent pass.
The fans: I completely understand the frustration, the aggression BUT ... THE ABUSE ISN'T HELPING. A qpr player could hardly touch the ball without getting booed or sworn at in the first half. The players' confidence is gone. YES - some of 'em haven't been putting in the effort we'd expect. YES- the defending and energy levels were truly shocking first half. BUT that doesn't mean that none of them give a.... Most of them are simply low on confidence (they do have the talent as we saw in the second half). It's pretty basic psychology - fans abusing you isn't going to help you regain your form, it isn't going to make you want to play for the fans - let alone the team. I'm as frustrated as the next fan, but I implore all of you to get behind the team. They're good enough to get us out this mess - we just need them to get their confidence back. Unfortunately, I can't see that happening until the fans SUPPORT THEM. I had my housemate (an Ipswich fan) sat with me in R Block- he couldn't believe the abuse the lads were getting. Counter productive.
Second Half
We were a different team. With Akos and Adel on, a bit of flair came back to the Rangers, a little movement, some cohesion. If we'd started like that, we would have roasted them.
Talking points:
Mick- A lot of people will be getting on his back - the loans are awful but at least he had the guts to give the lads a rollocking and make changes early.
Buzz - Completely changed my opinion on him. Being dropped obviously did the trick. He was back and trying. Full of effort- won header after header, tracked back, seemed determined, a few slide tackles (or lunges anyway) - so much more than we've seen of him of late. He really seemed to be a leader again, marshaling the players around him. He was playing a little more centrally and it made a huge difference. He's not a gasman, not a winger. He touched the ball more times in his first few minutes than Quashie had in the entire first half. Instrumental in getting the team to play again. Him and Faurlin always looked for each other for the short ball rather than Faurlin having to resort to tapping it back to the centre backs to launch a long one like they did in the first half. SHOULD PLAY IN THE CENTRE. WELCOME BACK. A good influence today.
Adel - show pony... yes. But he made things happen. We need him. And even if he doesnt always pass at the right times, you can't say he wasn't trying. Please stop booing him. He's class.
Vine - he did try, but he's never gonna be the player he was. Poor overall. I'd say send him out on loan, but I'd rather have him on the bench than most of the loans.
Simpson - good game, always dangerous. He tried, ran his socks off and eventually made things happen. Should never have been dropped.
Hill - send him home. One of the worst players I've seen wear the hoops. The only positive I can fathom - is that he did a pretty good job in marking their players' shadows. GENUINELY AWFUL. Would throw himself forward for each header, over run it and then find that he was out of position. With the ball - he was more than capable of finding the linesman, ball boys and the boys in red. He refused to close down any space between himself and their players. Seemed to prefer staring at their pretty boots. BORROWDALE NEEDS TO COME BACK IN. A waste of space.
Kasp, Stewart and Connolly - all had pretty poor games. We hardly won a header in our own box. Couldnt clear anything in the first half. But much improved in the second. All outplayed by Delaney. Positive- they all had a go at Counago.
It really wasn't a bad second half performance. If we can play like that from the start, we shouldn't be in any danger. But if we don't get the players wanting to play for us- we'll keep playing like we did in the first half and the free fall will continue. The loans can all jog off - they're journeymen and they don't care. We'll try our young lads thanks. They're genuinely as good.
Cheers,
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