My view on performances and tactics……….

[HammersmithR]

It's plainly obvious that Redknapp is set in his ways in terms of playing one up top. This I don't mind. Many teams play it and work a system to get people forward. Arsenal, the Scum, Everton, Swansea etc. all play one up top. This is where we are so different. If you watch their players closely. Their midfielders pass the ball and move forward getting beyond the lone striker. They are not set in one position. They are always interchanging at all times. Then when they lose the ball they work dam hard to get back into shape again to try and win the ball back. Yesterday and the Forest game were perfect examples of how Redknapp has screwed this system up. We play a very rigid 4-5-1 and yesterday it was a 4-6-0. We have untold possession, but the ball goes from right to left, left to right, right to left and so on. Opposing teams don't mind this as they can get into shape and the ball is in front of them. Then after 30 passes going no where we lose the ball and inevitably the opposition get the ball and can launch an attack. Our biggest problem is the midfield. They just do not go forward. The pass the ball within 10 yards to a fellow player and stand still. They do not pass and move. I can accept one midfielder being told to sit, but the other 2 need to go and support the striker. I think also one of our biggest problems is Kranjcar. He's clearly a lovely footballer. He likes to play the right way, get the ball down etc. However, when the ball comes to him he slows the play down and makes no effort to get forward with any urgency or pace. He is effectively playing for us in the 'Number 10' role. The role that Tarabat played for us in the year we went up. If Tarbat wasn't scoring he was creating chances or drawing players out of position to get near him which opened up space for other players. With Kranjcar he has ultimately scored 1 goal and created virtually hardly any goals. This is not a return for me. He has played the best part of 20 games now and that is a poor return. if we continue with him in that position and our midfield being slow and not trying to get forward then sadly we will have cocked up this great chance of going straight back up and Redknapp will be the reason why. We have no plan B when we can't break a side down. Teams have worked out that we aren't that special. We will make the play offs at best, but can't for the life of me think we will go up this way. Only Rangers can make such a hash of this!

[West Acton]

Were carrying both Niko and Carroll both needs to come out the starting 11

Niko is a loan I am hoping and not perm??

[Greg1882]

Were carrying both Niko and Carroll both needs to come out the starting 11

Niko is a loan I am hoping and not perm??

Yes niko is a loan . Must admit I thought he be a lot better than he is . The midfield just seem so slow

[WeAreQPR12]

Not sure I will be so quick to judge a midfield player, playing the lone role upfront.

I'd rather see a manager pick players in their rightful positions.

[Timmy the Doc]

I still have faith in Niko in the number 10 role. At the moment he is the only midfielder who even tries to take a shot on goal. Think he'll get more goals soon. Agree with Hammersmith, one of our midfielders should have a more attacking role. This would help Niko too.

[Connell10]

lets face facts niko is over weight for a pro footballer, every one was slating adel for being podgy and rightly so, but niko is defo carrying to much timber which is slowing him and our game down! maybe we could put tom thumb on the niko diet and put a bit a weight on him!

[3London]

yossi in for carrol and barton to play the carrol role in front of the back 4.

we need players like kranjar in the team

[Connell10]

by the way good post by op!

[West Acton]

lets face facts niko is over weight for a pro footballer, every one was slating adel for being podgy and rightly so, but niko is defo carrying to much timber which is slowing him and our game down! maybe we could put tom thumb on the niko diet and put a bit a weight on him!

A very fair point made there

[Norths]

Good post Hammersmith.

[qprvoyager10]

My problem with Niko is he shoots too much. Always wide as well. I don't mind players trying to hit the target because we pass too much and not enough in final section but a lot of times he shoots when Austin or Phillips is in space. Decision making is bad. Don't think Benni has anything to offer us as well regarding giving our strikers more options

[stainrodisalegend]

good op

[themodfather]

the 4-5-1 works only IF the midfield and wide men contribute by getting in the box and finding the gaps and score..they don't!!
yesterday our only hope was a pen or set piece and we didn't look like getting either.
usually a pt at watford is celebrated, with so much at stake..it's a disaster!

[Jimmy Floyd Rabbit]

Agree with 95% of that. Only thing I will say is I think it's slightly unfair to single out Niko K. He is actually the only player who takes shots. Literally the only one! If I have any criticism of him it's that he rarely hits the target. A lot are well placed shots that zip past the post so I'd prefer if he just concentrated on hitting the target & at least make the keepers work (check our shots on target stats, shocking) other than that I think he's doing a lot better than the others with regards to distribution & possession.

My main gripes are;

Hoilett ~ cannot beat a man for toffee & doesn't even try to any more. Just doubles back or runs into trouble

Carroll ~ I like him. Good feet, always wants & energetic BUT over hits so many passes & is to lightweight for that holding role.

Simpson ~ Been the most dependable this season for me but needs to push on & cross with some sort of decency. Rarely beats the first man.

O'Neill ~ offers no more than an engine for me.

[Olly]

As people may have noticed from MOTD, long shots are the in thing given that the ball travels faster now. Every week now there's a long shot goal from a player that wouldn't have gone in before. We're still finding the range