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Boro v QPR 2-3( Ikpeazu, Crooks)


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29 minutes ago, BoroBoy1989 said:

I disagree with this, but it’s all about opinions. Personally, I feel like assombalonga generally lost possession for us a hell of a lot more than Ikpeazu has so far. I don’t think defenders enjoy playing against Ikpeazu myself.
 

Either way, it’s clear we need more strikers 

I think Assombalonga possibly did as well, especially last season when he obviously wasn't that arsed about being here.  But Ikpeazu actually loses the ball quite a bit for a target man, I had a look at it over the summer, and it surprised me a bit.  I'm struggling to explain myself with him I think but you know when people talk about Gibson going from one extreme to another with managers?  I feel like this is a bit like that.  Ikpeazu is very much at the different end of the spectrum from where Assombalonga was last season (I think he put more effort in earlier in his career in fairness), and at the moment, this comparison is what people are most focused on.  However, if you're only any good at one thing then to me you have to be exceptional at that one thing, and he just isn't.  I think this could be an issue for us as the season unfolds because he hasn't got much else to offer, or at least that's what I'm thinking at the moment.  Harsh possibly, but it's where I'm at with him right now.

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Speaks volumes when a 21 year old kid with 3 senior appearances is absolutely carrying this team at the minute 

He reminds of Downing when he first broke into the team.  I mean different kinds of players of course, different preferred feet as well for that matter, but that instinct to attack his man whenever he

I have just read on another Boro forum that four QPR fans were attacked outside of the ground at full time. Two dads with their their ten year old boys were kicked and  punched to the ground by these

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1 minute ago, Changing Times said:

I think Assombalonga possibly did as well, especially last season when he obviously wasn't that arsed about being here.  But Ikpeazu actually loses the ball quite a bit for a target man, I had a look at it over the summer, and it surprised me a bit.  I'm struggling to explain myself with him I think but you know when people talk about Gibson going from one extreme to another with managers?  I feel like this is a bit like that.  Ikpeazu is very much at the different end of the spectrum from where Assombalonga was last season (I think he put more effort in earlier in his career in fairness), and at the moment, this comparison is what people are most focused on.  However, if you're only any good at one thing then to me you have to be exceptional at that one thing, and he just isn't.  I think this could be an issue for us as the season unfolds because he hasn't got much else to offer, or at least that's what I'm thinking at the moment.  Harsh possibly, but it's where I'm at with him right now.

I see your point of view, his style isn’t for everyone. It’s fair to say he’s not going to be prolific, although I do think he may score the odd stunner from outside the area. 

Hopefully after the derby game we’ll have different options coming in to compliment him and/or allow us to put him on the bench sometimes. Lord knows akpom doesn’t give us that luxury 

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A bitter pill to swallow. Warnock couldn't organise the the team to even scrape a point v 10 men, shocking. It'll be a stop start season depending if Tavernier is fit, hovering around mid-table. I'm glad I didn't renew the club streaming. They put the price up too, not sure if it was them, or the EFL made them.

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6 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

I think Assombalonga possibly did as well, especially last season when he obviously wasn't that arsed about being here.  But Ikpeazu actually loses the ball quite a bit for a target man, I had a look at it over the summer, and it surprised me a bit.  I'm struggling to explain myself with him I think but you know when people talk about Gibson going from one extreme to another with managers?  I feel like this is a bit like that.  Ikpeazu is very much at the different end of the spectrum from where Assombalonga was last season (I think he put more effort in earlier in his career in fairness), and at the moment, this comparison is what people are most focused on.  However, if you're only any good at one thing then to me you have to be exceptional at that one thing, and he just isn't.  I think this could be an issue for us as the season unfolds because he hasn't got much else to offer, or at least that's what I'm thinking at the moment.  Harsh possibly, but it's where I'm at with him right now.

I might be being blinded by what’s gone before but I think the ball has stuck to Ikpeazu really well the last two matches, he’s held it up, brought others into play and has generally done everything you’d want from a big target man. Can’t remember him losing the ball when he shouldn’t have. My main issue with him is shooting when there are better options. 

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This loss is harder to take because it was self-inflicted. QPR are a good team, we made today more difficult for ourselves but we weren’t outclassed.

Despite losing 3-2 to 10 men I saw a lot more positives than negatives.

Jones exceptional, Crooks and Uche had great games again, Bola and Djiksteel were great, Djed is carrying on his renaissance.

The game was lost in midfield and in goal every man and his dog could see that so Warnock really has to take the blame for this, the game was desperate for Morsy to come in and break up QPRs play. Daniels has to come in for Lumley.

When you concede two errors and some of your more reliable players underperform it takes a lot more to win rather than lose.

Anyways we go again on Saturday and if we play like we did in the first half we’ll spank them… if we play like we did in the second half well it doesn’t bear thinking about.

One little note on Payero, he was well up for it when he came on I’d give him a start against Derby he’ll adapt to this league no problem.

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54 minutes ago, Skinemrippers said:

Is this true though? When he first came in, Warnock didn’t play Tav regularly but he’s played well and become a key player, Warnock is desperate to have him back. He’s developed Dijksteel and Bola, thinks highly of Spence (don’t forget Woodgate also dropped him towards the end of his tenure) and has thrown Jones in. The only young player he doesn’t seem that keen on is Coulson.

I’ll be gutted if Jones is bombed out straight away when new signings come in but he’s pretty much undroppable right now. 
 

While this is mostly true (Jones is playing because we have no one else), at the end of last season he was playing Johnson at right back even though he was on his way, a few loan players as wingers, wouldn't give malley a start, wouldn't give coburn a start, wouldn't play one of the young keepers, all despite not having a thing to play for. Dijksteel and Bola played last season because we had no one else and luckily they both turned out pretty good. Spence was dropped from the team complete in the last few games of last season. 

If his favourites and most experienced players are available they will play. 

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Bits of stuff from tonight.  I really like Jones.  I have no idea if he will ultimately make it at this level or even go higher, but I like what I see now.  That finish from Crooks was very good.  I still can't quite get a feel for how we get him into the game more but I think my negativity towards him in the summer was misplaced.  He's got something about him, I reckon maybe as a straight up central midfielder in the end rather than behind a striker/one of the attacking positions.  Spence did pretty well again but he isn't a natural attacker and it shows.  Look at Jones as a comparison, it's all natural to him.

I can see there's been some criticism of the defence, and Fry in particular.  When you concede three goals you're obviously going to be looking at that area of the field but I'm going to show you all a couple of things that I think are worth looking at:

Second goal we concede.  Dykes spins in behind Fry, fair enough you can say Fry needs to stop him doing that but this is how the goal is built up.  Where is our left back?  The QPR player circled has the ball and he is being chased by our right back and left back at the same time!  How can that be the defensive set up you are looking for?  Bola should be the other side of Dykes, being an actual left back, and between them Fry and Bola can then defend the situation.  It's madness to have people just running after specific players wherever they go.

InkedScreenshot_2_LI.jpg.a502acfe791358478ad42a19dbbceecd.jpg

 

Third goal:  Fry again at fault apparently but this is how the goal develops:

InkedScreenshot_6_LI.thumb.jpg.9fcf8e5129d3a7e12ef006f4922d841e.jpg

Light blue arrow is the goalscorer.  Red arrow is Fry.  Dark blue arrow is the spare QPR player that takes Fry's attention.  As you can see there are two Boro players right next to Willock, and both are actually goal side of him at this point.  Now, the QPR player with the ball has nobody to confront him so one of those two has to do it.  However the problem is...

InkedScreenshot_4_LI.jpg.1ff3075453ce85a349627eabc7e72249.jpg

...they both kinda go to the ball, and leave Willock who then who moves back a few yards into space.  The other QPR player is still unmarked as well, so Fry still needs to worry about both.  Personally I think Fry takes some blame for this one because Willock is in the more dangerous position of the two, and Fry needs to cheat a bit more to his left side to deal with that bigger threat.  But if one of the two Boro players next to him just follow him in the first place then he isn't unmarked, Fry can continue to try and cover both players, and we probably don't concede.

If Warnock has a problem with those two goals then he can start by looking at himself.  Just out of interest, one of the two Boro players that left Willock was of course Howson.

 

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19 minutes ago, Neverbefore said:

While this is mostly true (Jones is playing because we have no one else), at the end of last season he was playing Johnson at right back even though he was on his way, a few loan players as wingers, wouldn't give malley a start, wouldn't give coburn a start, wouldn't play one of the young keepers, all despite not having a thing to play for. Dijksteel and Bola played last season because we had no one else and luckily they both turned out pretty good. Spence was dropped from the team complete in the last few games of last season. 

If his favourites and most experienced players are available they will play. 

I think Jones has shown more in the 2 games this week than any of the other youngsters you mentioned. So I’d like to think if he continues like this, he’ll become a key player. Much like Tav has managed.  I don’t disagree that Warnock has his favourites, but I think if you play well (and consistently) you’ll be rewarded. Johnson was a favourite and had the LB spot nailed down early season but Bola worked his way into the team and hasn’t looked back. 
 

 

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22 hours ago, Downsouth said:

This forum sucks at times!😄

Any way back to the game and I am of the opinion that we need to win this game so that perhaps we can make The Riverside a place where opposition will not enjoy the thought of playing here.

Already all eyes are on Fulham but it would be good to raise a few eyebrows or two about our club.

Always difficult playing QPR, fast and organised but we too have shown we can be fast and organised as well

Home win please any score to nil will be 

Firstly, QPR were an excellent counter attacking team, kept possession well and were very fluid with their movement across the pitch. However, we as a team were guilty of shooting ourselves in the foot. Howson created and finished off the move for their equaliser. I thought he was off the pace all game.

Their second was as a result of woeful and frankly disgraceful refereeing. The ref clearly signalled Jones won the ball in ‘that tackle’. It was right in front of me. The theatrics from their player was worthy of an oscar. As the ref signalled play on he then bizarrely changed his mind and gave a free kick booking Jones to boot. The poleaxed QPR player then makes a surprise and full recovery and they go on and score. 
 

The third goal was an utter joke from our defenders. Fry for me had another poor game and I wondered if his head was elsewhere. Hall was blatantly head-butted and Austin should have walked. As the ref saw it, he was clearly incorrect and it probably means Austin wont get punished in retrospect (I hope i am wrong on that). The midfield missed Morsy breaking play up tonight. Jones was MOTM and Crookes well taken goal were the highlights in a game where our standards were at a level not good enough. McNair and Howson were poor Fry was caught out a few times. The keeper looks dodgy and I expect to see Daniels in goal following his next ‘meh’ display.

We are desperately short of creativity in CM and the other wing and in need of a left footed CB as tonight showed yet again 2 right footed CB’s get wrong footed too often.

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7 hours ago, Skinemrippers said:

Warnock is right about one thing - McNair is a excellent CB but a pretty average midfielder. Can’t understand Morsy not get a game - I don’t think he even warmed up once tonight. 

Probably the only thing Warnock is right about. I'm about done with the McNair midfielder experiment. I'm also bloody furious with the Fry at Lcb experiment. I've never seen a defender go from a colossus at Rcb to looking extremely vulnerable at the other side. If there is a choice between one of your centre backs not playing in the prime position it has to be Hall that goes over there. Hes not great in 1v1 situations either way with his lack of pace seems daft to also screw Fry. Another option would be to put McNair at Lcb, which may be harsh on Hall as he has definitely looked better than the first few times I seen him but (I've harped on about this before) the Djik/Fry/Mcnair/Bola defence had the best record in the league till injuries hit last season.

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3 minutes ago, Borodane said:

I still can’t fathom how we managed to bottle the game so badly yesterday. Disgusting defensive performance. 

We lost it in Central midfield

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1 minute ago, Mr_Maz said:

We lost it in Central midfield

Together with some rank bad defending and a lot seem to have forgotten that but for a better finish they would have had a fourth

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8 hours ago, Changing Times said:

Cos he did next to nothing while he was bullying them all night long.  I get that he puts more into a game than Assombalonga, but he's not a good footballer.  He loses the ball an awful lot for a target man.  He lost it plenty tonight again and it's like people ignore it.  If that's the only thing that he can do then he needs to be bloody amazing at it, and frankly he isn't in my opinion.  He should be no more than a back up striker for us, a bit of bulk for chasing a game perhaps, but not a striker to try and push a team towards promotion.  I know how harsh that sounds for a bloke who has scored twice, and absolutely gives it a go every time he's played for us, but other than the tap in and the penalty, can you remember him looking like scoring a goal in any of the games?  That's not just down to him in fairness but he is part of it.  If all you want is a big bloke to try and hold the ball up then fine, but we're playing at a decent level here, and I would guess most defenders would prefer the big bloke, to the skilful one, or the quick one, or the lethal finisher one, cos you at least know how to defend against that one.  It's just a battle ultimately.

I understand what you’re saying but I think he brings a lot more to the team than what you’re giving him credit for. We’re playing a lot more football in the final 3rd because we can play the ball into him and 8/10 times it’s sticking. He’s not the most complete striker granted but he can carry the ball and he can mix it. We’ll see further benefit when Tav and Watmore are playing off him.

We’ve had plenty of strikers that don’t fit the mould of our team and we’ve complained over and over again about it. We’ve now got a lad that fits in with the way Warnock wants to play and we’ve scored 5 goals in 3 games. That’s a marked difference. 

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