v QPR (h) - 26/2/22

[chaddyrovers]

3 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Coulda, shoulda.

1 goal in 6 games games suggests that we have a problem.

Or we are creating loads of chances and goal opportunities. Goals will come. 

I would be more worried if we weren't creating them but we are. 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by chaddyrovers

[Wheelton Blue]

6 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Or we are creating loads of chances and goal opportunities. Goals will come. 

I would be more worried if we weren't creating them but we are. 

 

We don't have natural goalscores to convert chances. That's the issue.

[Cherry Blue]

Games like today will build team confidence. QPR are a good team and we beat them without key players due to injuries. Should have been more than 1 0 but the team will know that and figure out how to improve their game. "Defense was solid" - not so in previous seasons.

[BankEnd Rover]

16 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

I’m delighted we broke the hoodoo and finally got a goal, however, still some big questions.

We cannot continue to be so profligate in front of goal. We missed plenty of good chances today, and while we can be pleased we created them, the fact our goal came from some horrendous goalkeeping is a worry.

I have tried to give Gallagher the benefit of the doubt, but he can’t play as a wide forward. His basics are poor, his positional sense is worse, he looks like a frustrated midfielder, doesn’t seem to want to get in scoring positions, and looked happy to be subbed off. We looked so much more threatening when he went off.

Dolan deservedly and clearly MOTM. Did the usual jobs of Buckley and Rothwell singlehandedly. Khadra is a definite threat, but perhaps unsurprisingly as a young attacking loanee isn’t arsed about defending. Should’ve had a couple today, but as iffy as the keeper was for the goal, hit it hard and on target and you never know!

Shame that it’s Fulham up next, as it’ll be tough to make this count as the start of a new winning run. Our defence will suffer without Nyambe, and I hope it’s not as serious as it looked. Zeefuik needed a lot of coaching and instruction from his teammates, which is fine and he learns the system and his responsibilities, a more promising run out today though happily - he’s got big shoes to fill.

QPR should be no threat at all, they looked very poor. Delighted with the points and it keeps the dream alive!

Yeah his positioning is terrible…any striker would be on the back of that whipped cross from Khadra in the first half…he puts 110% in but that’s as far as it goes for me…we have to do better than him

[Commondore]

45 minutes ago, Angry_Pirate said:

Deserved, deserved win. First one in a long while. If that game was end of the season we're winning that 5-1.

Positives are clearly the 3CB's, and the performance of Dolan and Khadra (mostly), the only negative is how much one game has shown us how utterly piss poor Buckley has been in 2022. Also, Bradley Johnson with a good 90.

Fingers crossed for Nyambe, lad doesn't deserve a serious injury this close to potential freedom.

Scenario: It's July 2022 (Rovers are not in the Premiership), Brighton want Diaz. If you're Rovers, how much money are you even asking for on top of van Hecke and Khadra permanent. £15m, £10m? Those two players could be something special with a ton of sell on potential. 

Starting next season without Brereton, Lenihan, Nyambe, Rothwell, Khadra, and van Hecke doesn't bear thinking about.

Those two + £10 million? Not that it'd ever happen, but I'd snap their hands off. Van Hecke will be a Dutch international one day. He's quick, reads the game well, isn't bad on the ball, and has a body consisting of nothing but sinews and muscle. 

[martonrover]

10 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Coulda, shoulda.

1 goal in 6 games games suggests that we have a problem.

Yes, the bottom line today is that we won.

However, it was via a speculative strike from a set piece.

All the evidence is that we don’t possess the fire power to win enough games.

 

[Wheelton Blue]

Just now, martonrover said:

Yes, the bottom line today is that we won.

However, it was via a speculative strike from a set piece.

All the evidence is that we don’t possess the fire power to win enough games.

 

Yep. 3 goals in the 10 league games since the start of the year.

'Goals will come' though...

[Gav]

5 minutes ago, martonrover said:

Yes, the bottom line today is that we won.

However, it was via a speculative strike from a set piece.

All the evidence is that we don’t possess the fire power to win enough games.

 

Last time I looked, only 3 sides had scored more than us in the division and one is then was QPR.

Edited February 26, 2022 by Gav

[Hasta]

3 minutes ago, Gav said:

Last time I looked, only 3 sides had scored more than us in the division.

And in the last 10 games, which generally featured the squad we now have to play with, every other team in the division has scored more.

[Mercer]

This league is bang average.

There isn't one club I would be afraid of in the play-offs.

Get ready for Wembley and bang £100 on Rovers to get promoted at 9/2 and pay for a memorable London weekend.

With a reasonable roll of the injury dice and our remaining fixtures, does anyone really think we wont make the play-offs?

Our team is far from perfect but to me the big thing is, now at long last, we have a miserly goalkeeper and defence and since the Fulham thrashing I think we've only conceded on average something like half a goal a game.  With that foundation, you've a chance against anyone.

The return of Brereton and a 90% Dack will be more than enough to see us successfully through the play offs.

Tonight is a good night to open something a bit special, celebrate today and dream of Sunday 29 May at Wembley.

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Mercer

[chaddyrovers]

15 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

We don't have natural goalscores to convert chances. That's the issue.

True we don't but still we are scoring goals, winning games and in the playoffs places. 

6 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Yep. 3 goals in the 10 league games since the start of the year.

'Goals will come' though...

And yet we are 4th in the league with a game in hand on 3rd place Huddersfield. 

[Wheelton Blue]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

True we don't but still we are scoring goals, winning games and in the playoffs places. 

And yet we are 4th in the league with a game in hand on 3rd place Huddersfield. 

3 wins in 10.

3 goals in 10.

Aye, OK

[martonrover]

9 minutes ago, Gav said:

Last time I looked, only 3 sides had scored more than us in the division and one is then was QPR.

The bloke who has scored a good many of of them is injured, and isn’t likely to be back soon.

Look, I really hope that, “another day”, will finally arrive, and that someone will, indeed, “step up”.

Edited February 26, 2022 by martonrover

[Gav]

6 minutes ago, Hasta said:

And in the last 10 games, which generally featured the squad we now have to play with, every other team in the division has scored more.

😂

Only Fulham and Bournemouth have scored more, I’d like to say nice try, but it wasn’t even that….

Edited February 26, 2022 by Gav

[LDRover]

Fair play to Khadra, his confidence looked shot to me but he never hid from the ball and got his reward. 

For all their talent, Rothwell and Buckley do go missing when the chips are down, I wouldn't have fancied us today with those 2 on the pitch for the duration.

[AllRoverAsia]

I can't understand those critical of Johnson, today. He was solid, passed well and put his foot in.

All our players put a shift in although it is clear that Pickering is still off the pace, that will come.

Goal scoring remains the problem but as long as our defence is sound plus a bit of luck we can grind out the 1-0 wins.

I have watched QPR quite a bit this season. Today they were very poor and nowhere near the attacking threat they can be but I'm happy to give our defenders credit for that.

It wasn't until the 2nd half that I noticed Chair at all and Willock, I just rechecked to see if he played.

Anyway, thank you Barnsley. Shit town but good win today.

[Bbrovers2288]

Happy for the win today, we really needed it or playoffs we’re starting to look in the distance for us, as it is we are still up there with the pack.

in future games we really need somebody with a bit of composure up top, we really need brereton back on form and dack to come back with the standards he had before first injury. Without that, we won’t win games we should, chances we missed this one won’t come with such abundance in future. Khadra needs to score those big chances. One that I kind of like but I wouldn’t rush to sign perm or even back next year on loan. Certainly no contest with his fellow loanee hecke who I would make every effort to sign perm. 
hedges as I said before he signed , is terrible.

zeefuik looks so clumsy to me, he is a penalty waiting to happen. Fans love his strength in a tackle I imagine. Another I wouldn’t want us to sign. 
 

happy with the result, doesn’t quite make up for recent games but makes for a good Saturday evening . Thanks lads 

[glen9mullan]

We were really at it today, unbelievable effort from all 14 players.

Kaminski - Didnt have lots to do, but was calm and a key ingredient to another clean sheet. 7

Nyambe - feel for the lad getting the injury, hopefully wont be out too long and we see him in the blue and white halves once more. Was doing okay from a defensive point of view, although didnt offer as much as usual going forwards. - 7

Lenihan - Grew into the game after some uncharacteristic mistakes first half, was solid enough -7

Van Ecke - I'm running out of words for this lad "a young Vincent Kompany". Outstanding again, did play the odd stray ball, but more than made up for it with some outstanding tackling, interceptions and general play - 9

Wharton - Another comfortable game for Scott, with his central partners totally shut out a QPR side, and prevented them playing 8

Pickering - We've really missed this lad, solid game, kept his winger quiet and was a willing runner covering for 2 at times when Khadra didnt track back -7

Travis - another dynamo performance in Midfield. He is never going to be hitting 35 yard killer passes, hitting 25 yard worldies or dribbling past 4 players. However the way he breaks play down and throws himself about, winds the opposition up, and never stops running has him as one of our most important players. Was fantastic today 9

Johnson - He has'nt seen much football this season, but offers some more physical grit in centre midfield from a defensive point of view. Was solid today, and with Travis won the midfield battle. Will be a key player for the run in - 8

Gallagher - I'm one of his biggest critics, but today for the hour or so he played, he played well. Better ball retention, won some key headers, played the right passes and hurried the oppositions defence into mistakes. - 8

Dolan - scarey to think that was the Boy wonders first start since November, how we will never know. Was head and shoulders the quality on show at Ewood today from either side. They just had no answers to his trickery, speed or tecnique. Had Giles lifted his head and squared the ball second half, Dolan would of had a goal to top off an excellent display -10

Khadra - he has the tools, but just not worked out how to best use them. At times his skill is breathtaking but decision making lets him down, when he dont pass or runs down blind alleys. Missed a couple of great chances before scoring a free-kick that only a few around the country would of attempted. Its a big goal in our season, and in him and Dolan, we need them both on the pitch as at times the two were just unstoppable. -8

Zeefuik - took a few minutes to settle but then made some big challenges and won key duels. Full of heart and dont mess about. 8

Hedges - important he got minutes on pitch and timing was about right to replace Gallagher. Saw enough to see he has some potential, and was solid change - 7

Giles - Was unlucky to lose his place in side, another good shift, although should of squared for Dolan 7

TM - We hear QPR were poor today, but thats an injustice to how well we played and made them poor. He made the big calls in leaving certain players out, he got his changes right, at the right time, and ultimately we've got three points against a side who were in form and prior to kickoff sat above us. Without doubt this is our biggest result of the season so far, because the wheels have been falling off in terms of results. 

[Paul Mellelieu]

we should have sighed a loan striker in the window.  Biggest mistake TM has made.

[chaddyrovers]

23 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

3 wins in 10.

3 goals in 10.

Aye, OK

Yep and still in the playoffs places. 

Teams go on a bad run like Fulham and Bournemouth have. Fulham went 5 games without winning and Bournemouth 6 this season

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

30 minutes ago, Mercer said:

This league is bang average.

There isn't one club I would be afraid of in the play-offs.

Get ready for Wembley and bang £100 on Rovers to get promoted at 9/2 and pay for a memorable London weekend.

With a reasonable roll of the injury dice and our remaining fixtures, does anyone really think we wont make the play-offs?

Our team is far from perfect but to me the big thing is, now at long last, we have a miserly goalkeeper and defence and since the Fulham thrashing I think we've only conceded on average something like half a goal a game.  With that foundation, you've a chance against anyone.

The return of Brereton and a 90% Dack will be more than enough to see us successfully through the play offs.

Tonight is a good night to open something a bit special, celebrate today and dream of Sunday 29 May at Wembley.

 

I thought in the periods when QPR got their passing game going they looked pretty slick in midfield.

[DeeCee]

BBD and BD back for the last few games, no problem! It's doable 👍

[Gav]

18 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

we should have sighed a loan striker in the window.  Biggest mistake TM has made.

We brought the lad in from Spurs and got priced out of the Maja deal.

Mowbray saw the problem and tried to address it in my opinion, but budgets and bad luck thwarted that. 

[chaddyrovers]

It's was fantastic 

 

[AllRoverAsia]

Mackaday was not bought as a cure for our goal scoring woes for this season.

Repeatedly saying he was will not make it so.