The 43 games To Go Report..With Some Home Truths

[vblockranger]

good report Pete and welcome onboard the bandwagon

[qprgary]

I feel that our owners will not spend the required amounts to secure good quality strikers and that our club to them is nothing but a folly and passtime.
They will become bored after this season of mediocrity and look to offload the club,although that will not be an easy task.
Just my honest opinion.

[WeAreQPR12]

A good post Pete and it was something that you needed to do.
I still think you believe Tarrabt is a striker when it is also clear to everyone that he is a winger and he has been made a scapegoat due to lack of investment in a real striker. Saying we need 2 strikers does tell me that maybe your views are changing regarding Tarrabt but I guess owning up to making a few mistakes is a start and us fans can help you iron out a few mistakes in other areas. You are a good fan but I think many of us on here felt that you was defending the board, as I and many other felt after the Blackpool game where Ramage scored a flukey goal, that it was obvious what we needed. I just think the gamble on believing what we had was good enough has left us behind the top sides in Newcastle, Middlesborough and west brom and I can't see us playing catch up very well until we do resolve this huge striker issue.

[Filiranger]

Good report Pete, don't let the knockers get you down, at the end of the day we all make mistakes yet we're all entitled to our opinions, good or bad.

[Rangersw12]

Far more negatives than positives for me today and having played 3 games, its time to say to the board get the wallet out and get Nugent or Beckford and if you can get both. I've been more patient than many others and tend not to live for the moment and the fact Chopra has scored a hat-trick does not neccesarily mean he will be the championship top striker and even though we are in the bottom 6 so are ipswich and neither of us will be in the bottom half come the end of the season. But, we should have replaced Blackstock and we have not. We played so negatively last season underlined by Sousa's tactics and thats why the attackers needed the chance to prove themselves. Its not working and if we can spend an alledged amount of 3.5 million on a midfielder we don't know, then its about time we spent at least that on a striker we do know. Okay, I have been a big defender of Ageymang up until pre-season. He scored 8 goals in 6 games under De canio and I always hoped that he could get back to that kind of level, reality is that he is siimply not good enough (his selection baffled me, which I will go onto later) In Rowan Vine you have an excellent play-maker up front, but yet again he is not a proven goalscorer. Most fans have been harping on about a new striker, well to be honest now having watched all games pre-season and the 4 games so far, its not one we need its two. YES TWO. I did not jump on the bandwagon like many, because much of the comments were made on the basis of popularity without, watching and judging for themselves. The reality is the fans were right and I hold my hands up. No good making me a scapegoat as I have no influence on signings and neither do I pick the team, but if I run the football club, I'd be reading the comments about my club and say enough is enough certainly in regards to Ageymang and I would strongly advise chatting to Vine, assessing how much confidence he has in him, after such a terrible injury.

In regards to team selection we simply panicked after a good perfromance against Plymouth. Football to me is about confidence and if a player scores or plays a stomer than you might make the change. What did Ageymang do on Saturday that ensured he got the nod over Helguson for example? Why, when Faurlin who has not played since the Celje game do we expect him to perform miracles in the middle and throw him straight in. He looked at sixes and sevens in the midfield in the first half. He played much better for twenty minutes in the second half and his first touch is excellent, but it was the wrong decision to start him and more importantly what does it say to a player like mahon? These guys are human beings, and I wouldn't feel too great about being dropped after a good game at Plymouth. You deserve the right to replace someone, you don't replace someone because you cost 3.5 million. You wait for your opportunity, unless we get battered in a previous match, you don;t make changes for the sake of it. Gorkks, will be another one who will be feeling miffed tonight on why he was dropped. I suggest chopping and changing is not good for team morale, stick with the same 11 unless you get injuries, thats my common sense arguement.

I could argue all day about the centre back pairing, but have to say Hall has played extremely well this season, why our best centre defender Connolly is not playing amazes me, but even he has to wait and grab his opportunity.

Onto the game, we were poor in the first half. Make no bones about it, we were overun in midfield, partly due to playing Faurlin. He took a full 45 minutes to get accustomed to the game and could not keep up with the pace. He showed class with his ball distribution, but it was obvious he was not match fit. The ideal game to get 90 minutes under his belt would have been against Accrington Stanley. he may have got a rocket up his back-side at halftime as have to say for about 20 minutes into it, he was terrific. Bristol City should have been 2-0 up, with two clear chances and all we had was a shot from Buzsacky and Tarrabt. The latter was coming deeper to get the ball as the midfield were not getting it to him. I don't know if this is impatience to get the ball, but he was far less effective when coming deep. I still think he will score goals and just because he hasn't found the back of the net in 3 games, I am not unduly worried as when he scores he will go on a run. For the second game running Magilton moved him out left in the second half and he should have scored mid way through the second half. It was not a sitter by any means, as it was tight angle and on the volley. cannot understand how anyone can say it was a sitter, we did have a sitter and that fell to leighterwood in injury time. Done all the hard work, but wanted that extra touch and the keeper made the save. How he misses I will never know, if it had fell to anyone else they would have scored. In regards to Leigeterwood he had a good game, but he is never a captain. It might show our lack of leadership on the pitch, but you need someone geeing up the team and he simply does not do this. The best candidate in the absence of Martin Rowlands is actually Fitz Hall, in my opinion.

The second half we were like a different team, Buzsacky was execellent and after 3 games , he can only get better and still capable of turning a game wth a bit of magic. Have to say, the appointment of Magilton and Gorman have brought the best out of Routledge who yet again in my book was Man of the Match. Defensively in the first half we were not great, i would like to see Borrowdale get down to the by line more. he playes the easy ball perfectly well, but we need a little bit more. Once again, Pellicori impressed in the last 20 minutes and done more in that spell than Ageymang did in the whole match. I don't think he is the 20 a season scorer we are looking for, but he is doing better than I thought he would and is a good addition to the squad.

The last 3 games have been frustrating for me as a fan, not only do I get fed up and depressed after the game, I come onto the messageboard to find some who get some kind of satisfaction in sticking the knife in to make the feeling even worse. I only give opinions and felt too many were persisting with requests for a new striker without giving our current team the chance to prove you all wrong. Personally, its a shame they have not proved you wrong. its obvious that our approach play is excellent, I have enjoyed watching the team play so far this season (apart from first half tonight), I disliked the latter part of the season, that was simply my opinon.

Our team is playing with so much confidence, but Yes we are lacking the goals. Tonight, we had two incidences where we would have scored if a goal poacher was there. Too many players were watching the ball and not making space or holding back. So, when I next speak to the powers at be, I will be saying look these guys have had there chance, its time to get a striker in that will score goals and while you are at it, could you consider bringing two in.

Excellent post

We have needed a striker for the last two seasons and I can't work out why the board haven't gone out and got one

As for the defense I reckon he will see now that Gorkks and Connolly are our two best defenders and they will be the first names on the team sheet

[sirpiechucker]

Very good report Pete. It takes a lot of guts to admit to people that you've had a change of opinion. Nobody enjoys saying "I told you so" but whether it be stats, history or just an opinion based on ones view of matches you need a goal scorer to win matches.

[paulw]

Good report Pete..

[eghamR]

I feel that our owners will not spend the required amounts to secure good quality strikers and that our club to them is nothing but a folly and passtime.
They will become bored after this season of mediocrity and look to offload the club,although that will not be an easy task.
Just my honest opinion.

Maybe they've got bored already ...might explain this summer's transfer activity?

And as the fella above said Nugent and Beckford now that would be a strikeforce ...and the sort of strikeforce we should be looking at!

[pkloft]

fair play to you QBP (and about bloodyt time)

but just to clarify it isn't 1 2 or 3 games this season, it was the whole of last season as well where it was obvious to everyone we needed a quality forward, but hey I'm not going to nick pick

you see sometimes the grass is greener on the other side

all you need now, is to realise where our real problem lies

slowly slowly catchy monkey

have a great day


PS welcome to the real world :amazing:

[BennyBoyRs]

I told you so, Pete

Seriously though...even when we had Dex, we still needed an additional striker which for a short while we thought we had in Heider. That worked out well :embarrassed:

Also, I always maintained that Aggy was no good, even when he scored the frenzy of goals, so in your face

But fair play for holding your hands up mate. Let's just hope the board have seen what we need and JM realises that Hall is not that good and should never partner Stewart at CB.

For me, there are a few areas needed...in order...

A main striker
A backup/starting LB
A second striker to challenge Pellicori
A backup keeper
A backup RB

These for me are areas that we need to address if considering a serious challenge, ESPECIALLY the first on the list.

[pkloft]

I told you so, Pete

Seriously though...even when we had Dex, we still needed an additional striker which for a short while we thought we had in Heider. That worked out well :embarrassed:

Also, I always maintained that Aggy was no good, even when he scored the frenzy of goals, so in your face

But fair play for holding your hands up mate. Let's just hope the board have seen what we need and JM realises that Hall is not that good and should never partner Stewart at CB.

For me, there are a few areas needed...in order...

A main striker
A backup/starting LB
A second striker to challenge Pellicori
A backup keeper
A backup RB

These for me are areas that we need to address if considering a serious challenge, ESPECIALLY the first on the list.

spot on BB the problem is, we have 2 weeks to get all those in, gel with the players we have, ain't going to happen mate, we should have done this in the summer, so someone has FU big time

[sirpiechucker]

I told you so, Pete

Seriously though...even when we had Dex, we still needed an additional striker which for a short while we thought we had in Heider. That worked out well :embarrassed:

Also, I always maintained that Aggy was no good, even when he scored the frenzy of goals, so in your face

But fair play for holding your hands up mate. Let's just hope the board have seen what we need and JM realises that Hall is not that good and should never partner Stewart at CB.

For me, there are a few areas needed...in order...

A main striker
A backup/starting LB
A second striker to challenge Pellicori
A backup keeper
A backup RB

These for me are areas that we need to address if considering a serious challenge, ESPECIALLY the first on the list.

You can see it, I can see it, every man, woman and child can see it so why did we buy another central midfielder and only bring a keeper in on a short term loan?

[Nodge70]

Our performances and lack of goalscoring options is identical to last season.

Which renders the question "Why was Sousa really terminated?" even more relevant.

[rblockells]

Great report Pete-Have you expressed these opinions to anyone at the club?I wish you would/could.
It takes character to admit when you are wrong-fair play.
But the season is now well underway-if the board really do have any ambition then they MUST buy a proven goalscrer NOW.

[stainrodisalegend]

But that is the question - does the board have real ambition? Or is it still in that state of denial that thinks it can get promotion without spending the necessary - and when it doesn't happen, blame it on the latest manager?

Well done Pete for admitting all that about the striker, and the rest of us should not carp.