Geng

[qblockoompah]

Excellent analysis Geng, quite Neville-Esque

[Geng]

Excellent analysis Geng, quite Neville-Esque

Thanks. I'm going to feel lonely on these Taarabt threads until Marshy is allowed back...

..or until Adel does his usual wonder-performance after a month or so sulking on the bench. Look out for a million posts saying 'Adel HAS to start every game if we are to stay up' some time in early April.

[vblockranger]

Thanks. I'm going to feel lonely on these Taarabt threads until Marshy is allowed back...

..or until Adel does his usual wonder-performance after a month or so sulking on the bench. Look out for a million posts saying 'Adel HAS to start every game if we are to stay up' some time in early April.

couple of amazing performances amongst a season full mediocrity is Adel's premiership pattern it seems. Amazing player to have in the Championship tho.

[Geng]

couple of amazing performances amongst a season full mediocrity is Adel's premiership pattern it seems. Amazing player to have in the Championship tho.

I know this point has been done to death, but if SWP, Mackie and Cisse had been able to stay onside, control and finish (all at once!), we would be talking about a lot more incredible Adel performances. I can think of several great passes for Mackie off the top of my head, for instance (eg the little backheel through ball against Chelsea where Cahill tackled Mackie. Far better than the layoff for SWP's goal).

[vblockranger]

I know this point has been done to death, but if SWP, Mackie and Cisse had been able to stay onside, control and finish (all at once!), we would be talking about a lot more incredible Adel performances. I can think of several great passes for Mackie off the top of my head, for instance (eg the little backheel through ball against Chelsea where Cahill tackled Mackie. Far better than the layoff for SWP's goal).

IF....it never happened. IF Adel had pace ...IF Adel could shoot...IF adel could take a decent free kick...all IF's. I am just hoping that at the end of the season we dont see us relegated by a point or two and we will be saying IF only Adel had scored that penalty against Norwich.

[Del]

I know this point has been done to death, but if SWP, Mackie and Cisse had been able to stay onside, control and finish (all at once!), we would be talking about a lot more incredible Adel performances. I can think of several great passes for Mackie off the top of my head, for instance (eg the little backheel through ball against Chelsea where Cahill tackled Mackie. Far better than the layoff for SWP's goal).

The irony being the majority of times they ended up offside is probably becasue they make the run but Adel held onto the ball too long before making the pass. It's like a relay changeover, and both parties need to play their part, the passer and the runner need to be on sync with eachother.

[stanistheman]

I think that dropping Taarabt has been the cotrrect decision, but only because he has not been as effective as he should be in an attacking sense.

He has the ability and does pick out passes (when players are making runs into areas where they can do something useful i.e. his pass to Remy aganist West Ham. Don't forget he also set up some chances for Mackie and SWP against Norwich.

I think he can do an effective job in a 4-3-1-2 formation however, I would keep the same line up formation for the next few games when hopefully the good run will continue.

I think Taarabt needs to have players who make intelligent runs and who can hold on to the ball, i.e. Remy and Zamora but he also needs to make runs towards the area and down the wings where he can best utilise his ball skills.

[Geng]

IF....it never happened. IF Adel had pace ...IF Adel could shoot...IF adel could take a decent free kick...all IF's. I am just hoping that at the end of the season we dont see us relegated by a point or two and we will be saying IF only Adel had scored that penalty against Norwich.

nonsense. The 'if' variable I mentioned is beyond Adel's control. He can't control the ball for Mackie, or take SWP's shots for him. All he can do is put the ball on a plate for them.

The penalty criticism is harsh. His record is now 8 scored out of 9 taken for QPR. He was taking it for a reason.

[Geng]

The irony being the majority of times they ended up offside is probably becasue they make the run but Adel held onto the ball too long before making the pass. It's like a relay changeover, and both parties need to play their part, the passer and the runner need to be on sync with eachother.

yep agreed, I know Adel can sometimes hold onto it too long. But I think we saw in the West Ham game how dangerous Adel and Remy looked together. I'd love to see that combo tried a bit before the season finishes

Think how well Routledge played in our Championship season, with Adel releasing him.

[DeepcutHoop]

I don't think Adel has been good enough in his last few games to warrant a place, ahead of the players that have played so well the last game or two, but we need to have him available on the bench. Way too good a player to not have him as an option in the squad.

[Geng]

I don't think Adel has been good enough in his last few games to warrant a place, ahead of the players that have played so well the last game or two, but we need to have him available on the bench. Way too good a player to not have him as an option in the squad.

Yep, we were crying out for him in that period just before Andros' goal on Saturday, when Hill and Samba were just hoofing it up to Remy. Having won the game in the end, its easy to forget amongst the feel-good vibes that we actually looked like we'd completely run out of ideas at that point. Great timing for the wondergoal, of course, but that won't happen every week!

[vblockranger]

nonsense. The 'if' variable I mentioned is beyond Adel's control. He can't control the ball for Mackie, or take SWP's shots for him. All he can do is put the ball on a plate for them.

The penalty criticism is harsh. His record is now 8 scored out of 9 taken for QPR. He was taking it for a reason.

whats nonsense? Has Adel created and scored and made enough of an impact this season in the prem???? no he hasnt. Has he got pace? no...hows his shooting? poor....Dead ball? poor....nothing nonsense there. What is nonsense is coming out with a statement that its not Adels fault its the players around him.Typical fanboy excuse. The poor little muffin must be so upset with these nasty QPR players making him look bad...lol

[QPR71]

The irony being the majority of times they ended up offside is probably becasue they make the run but Adel held onto the ball too long before making the pass. It's like a relay changeover, and both parties need to play their part, the passer and the runner need to be on sync with eachother.

that was defo the case with swp a couple of times

[rickyranger]

You know you've made it on WATRBs when you get threads calling you out. This is an important debate though, as a fanbase we need to have it.



Decent points here, especially on allowing the opposition to press us, but I still think you're wrong and that Adel would improve our current side. (I'm going to pretend everything is rosy behind the scenes here, as neither you nor I nor anyone on here really knows about potential post-Dubai bustups)

I think our improved attacking play in the past two matches, such that it exists, is far more down to a) the opposition and b) the addition of Remy, Zamora/Bothroyd and Hoilett than the removal of Taarabt.

Firstly, Southampton are a poor side who play very high up the pitch and leave lots of spaces in behind. We aren't going to play many other sides like that at this level.

Sunderland played a bog standard 442 and again were very easy to play through. The last team to turn up to Loftus Road and play in a similar way got torn apart by a certain A Taarabt.

Adel got a lot of grief for his play during our really tough run in Jan/Feb against far better sides where we would often end up camped out in our own half for long periods at a time. Shame he's not around to reap the rewards against the weaker sides we are playing over the next month.

Most games this season when Adel has played, he's been alongside SWP, Mackie and Cisse. I don't think there is a player in the world who wouldn't slow things down if they received the ball, looked up, and saw their options were a) SWP hiding behind a fullback b) Mackie marking the defender or running in a straight line somewhere unhelpful or c) Cisse stood about either offside or with his hands on his hips thinking about his aftershave range.

When Taarabt has played with Remy he has released him early, eg the goal against West Ham. Adel is still by far our best through ball player. He's not had the chance to play with two good, in form strikers ahead of him all season and I don't see why Adel couldn't fit straight into the team in the role Hoilett has played in either of the last two matches, or in Townsend's position form the last game.

The big difference between what we've had in the last two matches and the games before is the number of runners ahead of the man with the ball. Against Southampton was the first time the whole 'one guy in front of the defence, two CMs, one striker, two wingers, 433 attacking/4141 when defending' formation has really felt like a genuine 433 all season. We've tended to only use it against the good sides who just pin us right back. At St Mary's we were able to press Remy right up against the last man - eg for his goal - and Hoilett could also play higher up. Given the spaces Southampton left in the midfield, I don't think Taarabt would have had to drift around in search of the ball as much as he usually does in that position. We could pass through the gaps to find him on the left, just as we did with Hoilett. Hoilett would look up and usually see Bothroyd and Remy plus one of Park/Granero showing for him. Massive improvement on SWP/Mackie.

Against Sunderland we had two strikers and a winger on the opposite side, all looking to make runs for the winger on the ball. Again, loads more options than Adel has had most of the season. Mind you how many clear cut chances did we actually create? Not all that many. Our first goal was lucky, the other two were wonder strikes. It's not like Hoilett and Townsend provided many chances for Zamora and Remy.

I think we'll get completely murdered by Villa if we go 442 against them or any other side that attacks through the centre though, so I would be surprised to see all of our front four start again anyway.

Don't really have the time to argue all the points you make but will pick out a couple.

The one basic issue you fail to address is that Tarrabt continually goes short to get the ball and never makes a run to create space for others, consequently it is easy for the opposition to close play down. The constant basic in football is if you have the ball you need to make the pitch as big as possible to create space to play in. Conversely if you don't have it you try to make the pitch small by pressing the ball. Tarrabt makes it easy for the opposition to do this.

You mention Tarrabt releasing the ball early for Remy against West Ham but the fact is there were at least two other occasions, one in each half when he could have done so but didn't and the play broke down.

There is no way Tarrabt can play as a wide player in a 4-4-2 as he is simply not disciplined enough to maintain shape or defend properly.

Against Southampton Remy did not play up against the last man as you state but wide with Bothyrod pushed high, the only reason he scored was because he has good movement (Tarrabt doesn't) and Holliet released the ball early where as Tarrabt would have tried a step over and gone sideways.

You say against Sunderland we had two strikers and two wingers looking to make runs and you are right. However if Tarrabt had played he would not have made those runs and one of those options would not have exsisted making it easier for the opposition. Furthermore he would have moved towards the player in possession to try to get on the ball attracting a defender and closing down the play.

I am not going to get in a long debate other than to repeat what I have said many times he is not that highly rated within the game and that along with his petulant attitude will never see him reach his potential, sad but there have been many others. If we stay up and it's still a big ask doubt you will see much more of him in a hooped shirt, the French second division awaits.

[Robsondinho]

Don't really have the time to argue all the points you make but will pick out a couple.

The one basic issue you fail to address is that Tarrabt continually goes short to get the ball and never makes a run to create space for others, consequently it is easy for the opposition to close play down. The constant basic in football is if you have the ball you need to make the pitch as big as possible to create space to play in. Conversely if you don't have it you try to make the pitch small by pressing the ball. Tarrabt makes it easy for the opposition to do this.

You mention Tarrabt releasing the ball early for Remy against West Ham but the fact is there were at least two other occasions, one in each half when he could have done so but didn't and the play broke down.

There is no way Tarrabt can play as a wide player in a 4-4-2 as he is simply not disciplined enough to maintain shape or defend properly.

Against Southampton Remy did not play up against the last man as you state but wide with Bothyrod pushed high, the only reason he scored was because he has good movement (Tarrabt doesn't) and Holliet released the ball early where as Tarrabt would have tried a step over and gone sideways.

You say against Sunderland we had two strikers and two wingers looking to make runs and you are right. However if Tarrabt had played he would not have made those runs and one of those options would not have exsisted making it easier for the opposition. Furthermore he would have moved towards the player in possession to try to get on the ball attracting a defender and closing down the play.

I am not going to get in a long debate other than to repeat what I have said many times he is not that highly rated within the game and that along with his petulant attitude will never see him reach his potential, sad but there have been many others. If we stay up and it's still a big ask doubt you will see much more of him in a hooped shirt, the French second division awaits.

Notice you keep saying this, and I am not saying your right or wrong, but just curious how you know? knock about with prem managers/coaches/pro footballers?