Qpr v Stoke | Match Thread

[LoftusRoadLad]

BILLY Barnes, Alf Ridyard and Arthur Longbottom will posthumously be inducted into the Forever R’s Club when QPR host Stoke City at MATRADE Loftus Road this weekend.


The trio all made in excess of 200 appearances for us and are worthy inductions to our former players’ association.

Barnes, a tricky winger, was named captain as soon as he arrived at the club in 1907. He spent six years with us and made 234 appearances, scoring 37 goals.

Ridyard was signed for £625 in 1938. The centre-back spent a decade at QPR and made 231 appearances, scoring nine times during his period with us.

Nearly 200 of his matches for the club came during wartime.

After retiring, Ridyard became assistant manager and later had a spell as chief coach before going on to become head scout.

Striker Longbottom made 212 outings and scored 67 goals for Rangers between 1954 and 1961.

He was the club’s top scorer three years in a row between 1956/57 and 1958/59.

Coincidentally, Longbottom’s posthumous induction will come 67 years to the day he scored four in a 5-1 win at Northampton Town, which is also the last time a Rangers player scored four times in an away game.

We look forward to welcoming the families of Billy, Alf and Arthur to W12 on Saturday.

https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/2024/november/21/barnes--ridyard-and-longbottom-to-be-inducted/

[LoftusRoadLad]

Predicted XI
(4-2-3-1)

Nardi;
Dunne, Cook, Fox, Paal;
Varane, Field;
Smyth, Andersen, Saito;
Celar

[222lepo]

Fox Paal and Walsh fit again

chair Frey and Clarke salter out til December

Dembele out til February

Wow that sounds depressing!

[Abseits]

Yes, we need a win, a must win if you will. But it needs to come courtesy of our endeavour.

If Stoke have 2 men sent-off, still batter us for 90 mins, hit the woodwork 8 times and we have zero shots but win 1-0 due to their goalie dropping a cross into his net I'll still be disgusted with Marti's approach.

Nobody is expecting a feast of mesmerising football from us but effing hell, if we still play timid sideways walking football all game AT HOME I'll be absolutely fuming.

And to clarify, I'm not after brainless gung-ho football either - it's just an ambition and willingness to really pounce when situations and opportunities arise.

[WestcountryRanger]

Tomorrow is a win at all costs game. If we can get 3pts straight after this international break it will do the squad and the fans a world of good. It has to be backs against the wall, do or die mentally. Even if it’s horrendous to watch. Given the forecast also of heavy rain we cannot afford to play all passive and #### around with the ball. Stoke will muller us if we do. Marti has to get the shape and line up bang on the money.

[DJ Hooper W12]

He obviously has a choice , he is just negative , not just this season but last as well , even against the poorer sides in the division. We are losing against the poorer sides at home ,playing negative tippy tappy sideways football , so yes he does need to go gung ho and try and score some goals to win matches because if we keep on as we are , we are getting relegated. 0-0 draws are not good enough , get the ball forward quicker a bit of energy in the side, pass and move , get balls into the box and maybe even Celar will score ,rather than all this walking football and getting nowhere.

Exactly the time for caution is not now. Try and be a team that is not an easy three points. Even if it isn’t pretty

[Harrow QPR]

What choice does he have though? He doesn't have the squad to go gung ho and all out attack. Our only hope at the moment is to keep it tight and nick a result.

He obviously has a choice , he is just negative , not just this season but last as well , even against the poorer sides in the division. We are losing against the poorer sides at home ,playing negative tippy tappy sideways football , so yes he does need to go gung ho and try and score some goals to win matches because if we keep on as we are , we are getting relegated. 0-0 draws are not good enough , get the ball forward quicker a bit of energy in the side, pass and move , get balls into the box and maybe even Celar will score ,rather than all this walking football and getting nowhere.

[Sleeping Giants]

He is probably a half decent manager but nowhere near the best in the division. Admittedly we have a poor squad and a lot of injuries but he is a very negative manager and tries to nick games by the odd goal .

What choice does he have though? He doesn't have the squad to go gung ho and all out attack. Our only hope at the moment is to keep it tight and nick a result.

[daveshads]

Stoke are not a great side but occasionally knock a few goals in. Don't like to say it but this is one game where keeping things tight, might be our best chance. I wish I could be more positive.

[Harrow QPR]

F uck me hooper is that's the level we're at?! Things aren't that bad yet we have 1 of the best managers in the division regardless of a poor squad

He is probably a half decent manager but nowhere near the best in the division. Admittedly we have a poor squad and a lot of injuries but he is a very negative manager and tries to nick games by the odd goal .

[Harrow QPR]

I reckon the "first teamers" have had plenty of opportunity and they're not delivering. For this next phase of games I'd love to see a lot more of the developmental lads on the pitch - can't be any worse results-wise can it? Bennie, Morgan, EDB, Lloyd, Kohli.... be great to see them all on the pitch together for 40ish mins. Give us some flipping energy and exuberance!

If we play that lot we will lose by at least 5 goals , that is part of our trouble , a few injuries to starters and we are pony.

[Abseits]

Hard to disagree. Personally I'd love the club to sack Andy Belk for an absolute sh11t show of how to run and recruitment dept. How this guy is still employed is a mystery. MC will be the fall guy. He clearly doesn't even rate these new players. I'd say Varane is prob the only one he was kinda in the know about. The rest he had no input at all.

Not a chance he knew anything about saito or Santos. Dembele was a gamble and now hes crocked. How anyone thought madsen and celar could handle the Championship is laughable!!

I thought he managed Madsen previously but maybe I'm confused...
Anyway, it doesn't matter. All EFL teams experience a constant churn of players, it's the way it is. Every team in this division has a radically different team to this time last year.
The manager has to work with what he's got, play the hand he's dealt. A good manager will find a way to get a tune out of whatever players he has at his disposal.
Instead of contorting to make excuses for Marti, I choose to keep it simple and look at the evidence I'm seeing week-after-week on the pitch. He's badly floundering and showing zero signs of having a solution.

[DJ Hooper W12]

F uck me hooper is that's the level we're at?! Things aren't that bad yet we have 1 of the best managers in the division regardless of a poor squad

Would love to have a different opinion but the rose tinted glasses are a bit misty at the moment. Just need to see the tiniest bit of hope. Fingers crossed it could be Saturday

[Dono77]

I was fan of Marti last season. Looked excellent choice, great improvements.

This season we've gone backwards. Lose to Stoke, doubt he'll be manager at 6pm.

Hard to disagree. Personally I'd love the club to sack Andy Belk for an absolute sh11t show of how to run and recruitment dept. How this guy is still employed is a mystery. MC will be the fall guy. He clearly doesn't even rate these new players. I'd say Varane is prob the only one he was kinda in the know about. The rest he had no input at all.

Not a chance he knew anything about saito or Santos. Dembele was a gamble and now hes crocked. How anyone thought madsen and celar could handle the Championship is laughable!!

[Sneezey]

Hope Fox don’t start last time he played after injury he had shocker looked totally unfit to play and cost us the game.