Thoughts on tonight's game

[Berlin Blade]

The goal:

It didn't look like a foul to me. I haven't seen a replay yet but at first glance that's what I thought. All the 'Blackman's a liability' crew will be out in force tonight but I'd advise everyone to remember that even if he did fuck up, one mistake in 15 games is 3 a season, and i'll take that.

The formation:

I was surprised with the team selection to be honest. I was expecting Samir to come in for Fleck to provide that drive from midfield, but thought we might get away with it with Duffy carrying that responsibility, so to see Duffy omitted i did raise an eyebrow. I thought Lundstram did okay tonight. Just okay though. It's clear that he is too similar a player to Coutts to play alongside him and needs to be used like for like with him. At times it felt like we went 3 up top with Clarke and Clayton flanking Brooks which left a huge gap between attack and midfield usually occupied by Duffy and Fleck from deep. I guess the plan (amongst others) was to play it longer to two wider target men to win the battles and get in that way. It didn't really work though. Lundstram doesn't quite look ready but he's not far off at all, and when he is ready, we'll have quite a player there. The only way for him to learn is by getting game time in difficult learning curves like tonight and then applying it to future games. So while I accept he wasn't brilliant, it's a necessary evil to make us a better, stronger unit in the future.

I think another thing we've learned tonight is that we are really reliant on Mark Duffy. He absolutely makes us tick. We so clearly miss him when he's not there and when he comes on the game completely changes round him. Brooks was really good in flashes and despite not creating many golden chances he constantly looked the most likely to do so. I think Wilder also recognised this, hence him bringing off Baldock and changing the system to accommodate both him and Duffy when he came on. The challenge now is fitting both of those two on the pitch at the same time without forcing them both out wide too much.

Donaldson:

I thought Donaldson was quite poor tonight and noticed Wilder didn't seem particularly delighted with him when he came off too. I really like him though and just thought it wasn't his type of game tonight. Against Sunderland he was quality on that big pitch with so much space to run in behind but tonight the pitch was much smaller and it was a much more physical battle and tight for space up there. Didn't suit his game, nothing against him.

I can't really fault the players tonight, it's horses for courses and I think Wilder chose the wrong horses for this particular course. Very rare indeed.

No meltdown required here guys, no 'bump back down to Earth' we just had an off night and they defended well. Looked like they'd done their homework as the usual overlapping centre halves (Basham/JOC) didn't have much luck going forward.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I think we're so used to champagne football, tonight has come as a real shock to the system.

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Sometimes you just lose....

I guess the only question for me though is why go away from the Brooks/Clarke combo as that did seem to be working over recent weeks. Especially if resting Billy...

However, in Tufty I still well and truly trust!

 

[Berlin Blade]

I think we're so used to champagne football, tonight has come as a real shock to the system.

Perhaps Fleck is the key

 

[SUFC Guy]

I agree and nice to see a sensible post although Baldock went off injured by the looks of it.
Back to Fleck, Coutts and Duffy on Saturday so no worries from me.

UTMB

 

[8lade]

I agree with most of that, I think Blackman isn't as comfortable as Moore but he is huge, whether that makes a difference I don't know.
Selection was poor tonight (how often can we say that?) Donaldson is better with more space, Sharp is ok with less.
I think we'd be better off only rotating one midfielder per game and we should be able to cope with that.
The officials played too big a part in the result Brooks was fouled twice under the nose of the linesman and got nothing, in the end he backed into their player and got booked FFS, although it did bring the moment of the game when Sharp walked up to the deadman and kicked him just to make sure. Yep he'd died.
QPR well if the fans have to watch that crap every game, it was awful. Holloway has gone down in my opinion.

 

[YouFUMS]

It's the 1st time in ages that a team has outworked us. QPR were really up for it, and chased every ball down. They didn't allow us any time on the ball, and a few of our players looked a bit leggy, which is probably why CW wanted to rest key players such as Sharp and Duffy. Their goal was fortunate, and we missed a couple of sitters in the first half. 2nd half was a bit of a shambles, and we never looked like equalising.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I agree with most of that, I think Blackman isn't as comfortable as Moore but he is huge, whether that makes a difference I don't know.
Selection was poor tonight (how often can we say that?) Donaldson is better with more space, Sharp is ok with less.
I think we'd be better off only rotating one midfielder per game and we should be able to cope with that.
The officials played too big a part in the result Brooks was fouled twice under the nose of the linesman and got nothing, in the end he backed into their player and got booked FFS, although it did bring the moment of the game when Sharp walked up to the deadman and kicked him just to make sure. Yep he'd died.
QPR well if the fans have to watch that crap every game, it was awful. Holloway has gone down in my opinion.

I thought Sharp was off...

He was chatting to the ref, trying to convince him clearly he was play acting.

Next min he's sticking the boot in him lol

 

[Wapping Blade]

It's the 1st time in ages that a team has outworked us. QPR were really up for it, and chased every ball down. They didn't allow us any time on the ball, and a few of our players looked a bit leggy, which is probably why CW wanted to rest key players such as Sharp and Duffy. Their goal was fortunate, and we missed a couple of sitters in the first half. 2nd half was a bit of a shambles, and we never looked like equalising.

They kept up their energy levels all match and kept trying to get in behind. I heard a few of their fans on the walk back saying how well we defended.

 

['Doc' Pace my hero]

It was a very messy game tonight,QPR were far more industrial than many teams we played last year in league one,we struggled to deal with their physical long ball approach and it was really hard work for no reward.

 

[Harrisblade]

The goal:

It didn't look like a foul to me. I haven't seen a replay yet but at first glance that's what I thought. All the 'Blackman's a liability' crew will be out in force tonight but I'd advise everyone to remember that even if he did fuck up, one mistake in 15 games is 3 a season, and i'll take that.

The formation:

I was surprised with the team selection to be honest. I was expecting Samir to come in for Fleck to provide that drive from midfield, but thought we might get away with it with Duffy carrying that responsibility, so to see Duffy omitted i did raise an eyebrow. I thought Lundstram did okay tonight. Just okay though. It's clear that he is too similar a player to Coutts to play alongside him and needs to be used like for like with him. At times it felt like we went 3 up top with Clarke and Clayton flanking Brooks which left a huge gap between attack and midfield usually occupied by Duffy and Fleck from deep. I guess the plan (amongst others) was to play it longer to two wider target men to win the battles and get in that way. It didn't really work though. Lundstram doesn't quite look ready but he's not far off at all, and when he is ready, we'll have quite a player there. The only way for him to learn is by getting game time in difficult learning curves like tonight and then applying it to future games. So while I accept he wasn't brilliant, it's a necessary evil to make us a better, stronger unit in the future.

I think another thing we've learned tonight is that we are really reliant on Mark Duffy. He absolutely makes us tick. We so clearly miss him when he's not there and when he comes on the game completely changes round him. Brooks was really good in flashes and despite not creating many golden chances he constantly looked the most likely to do so. I think Wilder also recognised this, hence him bringing off Baldock and changing the system to accommodate both him and Duffy when he came on. The challenge now is fitting both of those two on the pitch at the same time without forcing them both out wide too much.

Donaldson:

I thought Donaldson was quite poor tonight and noticed Wilder didn't seem particularly delighted with him when he came off too. I really like him though and just thought it wasn't his type of game tonight. Against Sunderland he was quality on that big pitch with so much space to run in behind but tonight the pitch was much smaller and it was a much more physical battle and tight for space up there. Didn't suit his game, nothing against him.

I can't really fault the players tonight, it's horses for courses and I think Wilder chose the wrong horses for this particular course. Very rare indeed.

No meltdown required here guys, no 'bump back down to Earth' we just had an off night and they defended well. Looked like they'd done their homework as the usual overlapping centre halves (Basham/JOC) didn't have much luck going forward.

Hardly a 'mistake' he took the ball cleanly but high.
As he came down CCV was right under him and the collision caused him to land very badly.
He hit the ground and lay prostrate. and that's when the ball dribbled out of his hands goalside as all our players were the opposite side of him from the ball. The QPR was by his head and had a couple of yards to get to the ball and the easiest possible tap-in.
If Jamal was concious at the time I'd be surprised

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

He was conscious as he tried to react for a split second after the spillage.

 

[Bladey McBladeface]

My thoughts are that when Baldock went off injured we should have put Basham to right back and stuck to 3-5-2. We ended up with Clarke, Sharp, Duffy and Brooks on the pitch and we lost our shape - there was also nobody to supply them.

Sometimes it’s braver to chase a game by bringing a defender on... but I can’t really complain, Wilder is doing a fantastic job.

Shame about tonight, hopefully we can go on a winning run again.

 

[Toronto Blade]

He was chatting to the ref, trying to convince him clearly he was play acting.

Next min he's sticking the boot in him lol

Sharp was doing the proper thing checking the player's pulse Poor guy was obviously sniped from somewhere on the roof.

 

[NotFallowfieldBlade]

Think wilder picked the wrong team tonight , Duffy has to start he's our best player. As good as brooks is I don't think we should be changing a winning formula just to accommodate brooks

 

[Damski]

We were poor. Squad selection was off and we lacked any form of creativity or clinical finishing, both with our passing and goal attempts. All those misplaced passes, lost aerial battles and 50-50s we didn't win culminated in a lot of huffing and puffing with little to show for it.

QPR worked their socks off to get the result. They were also poor, but they wanted it more, grabbed an early fluke goal and shut us out for the whole game. Neither side deserved to win, 0-0 would've been more than fair. The referee was terrible, he was giving everything to them and clearly guessed some decisions. Linesman wasn't much better! Wilder didn't need to tinker so much with the first XI, I know Fleck was suspended but Donaldson and Clarke up front together didn't work tonight. Brooks was also way out of position, and got smothered by their midfielders.

We lost our shape tonight, forwards got no service and we didn't have enough presence in midfield to do that wonderful attacking style we've all taken for granted with Wilder. One of the few games I can honestly say he got it wrong. Not much to worry about tonight, (maybe apart from Blackman, poor lad got really hurt) just a bad day at the office. We're still a shoe in for top 6.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Think wilder picked the wrong team tonight , Duffy has to start he's our best player. As good as brooks is I don't think we should be changing a winning formula just to accommodate brooks

It’s not always that simple.
Wilder might be aware that Duffy energy levels were low, so he’s not going to flog him by playing him in every match.
Probably thought, give him a rest then we can have him back performing at his best on Saturday against Hull.

 

[bornablade]

Sometimes it's necessary to have a little bit of joined up thinking.

It's been mentioned on other threads the necessity to 'kill teams off' and 'take our chances'.

There's a consequence to not doing this other than just failing to improve our goal difference. On Friday we relied on Duffy providing that early cross for Billy to open the scoring and then Duffy once again in the 81st minute to put Brooks through for that winner.

If the team and the biggest responsibility lies with our strikers had 'put Leeds to bed' in that first half then Wilder may have had the opportunity to take Duffy off and 'rest' him ready to go again against QPR.

There are those who will argue about 'upsetting the team spirit' but in the JTW we need to address this inability to capitalise on the number of chances we create.

At present it really is putting pressure on other areas of the pitch.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

There were a lot of things wrong with us last night (in my opinion):

1. Too many changes to the team - upsets the momentum. OK players should be able to come into the team and play the system, but this proves too many changes don't work!
2. Very sloppy passing!
3. Too much passing - QPR put there crosses in much quicker than us!
The Sharp offside goal was an example of this!
4. Sloppy passing!
5. The early goal and keeper injury, together with their pressing game clearly rattled us! They played us at our game and beat us at it!
6. Sloppy passes!
7. We missed a boat load of chances; Clarke, O'Connell to name two!
8. Coutts obviously missed his mate Fleck!
9. Did I mention the sloppy passes!?

It was only 1-0 but could have been 1-3, 1-1 or 2-0, but should probably have been 0-0!!!

 

[B.Lade]

The game highlighted for me how key Duffy is. As good as Brooks and Samir are they aren't the same type of player. More likely to score and run at the opposition yes, but Duffy will move himself around the top half of the pitch constantly making himself available and keeping possession. Without him we lose that. I think a key January signing would be a backup for him.