Boro v QPR 1-3

[Brunners 7,982]

I seriously think I must have watched a different game to half of you.

 

I thought Dimi had a good game, unfortunate time for that to happen to him, but these things happen.

 

Varga was solid at RB. Occasionally can get beaten for pace, and did make two mistakes leading to the first goal. Those saying about his poor passing are judging him harshly IMO. He played the simple ball 99% of the time. The times he was hoofing it, so was everyone else in our team so it's not fair to single him out.

 

Whitehead and Chalobah looked solid together tbh, Chalobah I thought looked really good.

 

No way was Kamara the worst player on the pitch. He had a pretty anonymous second half, true, but first half I thought he was the best I've seen him in a long time.

 

Agree with Prowler on Adomah though, definitely an off day (bar one or two crosses).

 

Also, I'm not convinced it's a coincidence that the game Leadbitter misses is the first time we've looked truly dangerous in a while.

[L3 UTB 7]

Dont understand how so many of you can slag Graham off. He's a striker that is never going to beat a defender with his pace, the balls and chances hes getting are all running onto the ball. He's the type of striker that needs the ball at his feet in and around the box, it is not his fault that he isnt getting the right service, exactly the same problem we had with Juke and look how he's doing now.

 

Unless Karanka changes his plan Graham will have to just put up with running around and putting defenders under pressure, its the players behind him that disappointed me today, the 5 in midfield are okay strong defensively but they need to help with moves going forward to

[p_mards 1,365]

It's the most gutting end to a game in a very long time but looking at the bigger picture there's no lasting damage. Our season was long over before today and we were without several key first team players so the harsh defeat today has changed nothing. We clearly lacked quality players and balance in the side due to injuries/lack of strength in depth so the sooner the season ends the better so that Karanka can build for next season.

 

I don't believe Karanka thinks Kamara is a good LW but with the strength in depth (and injuries) at his disposal he hasn't got many other options.

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Pmards - You gave Kamara a 4 and Adomah a 6 when Adomah was equally as useless if not worse?

 

Also, our midfield was solid and seemed a lot better without Leadbitter. Half truth, half Humpty bait.

 

I thought Adomah wasn't as bad as Kamara. Actually yeah 6 is a bit generous, 5 would have been fairer.

[Prowler 197]

Kamara has the experience playing there. Ledesma doesn't, Williams doesn't, Adomah has shown he's not effective there and Tomlin is just getting phased in but can play there although not his most effective position.

[2plus2 290]

We function well as a unit in my opinion. But we're missing some of the most important ingredients that all good sides have. Namely a goalscorer and consistent cutting edge. Until that's amended, we will continue to drop lots and lots of points, regardless of whether we play well or poorly.

 

We've looked like a reasonably good team in a fair number (but obviously not all) of our games recently (like a team that wouldn't look out of place a***st or at least nearer the top 6). But we don't create enough clear cut chances, and when we get then we don't score anywhere near enough.

 

Today, for instance, we played an out of form but top 3 QPR team who, though looked good at times, were generally very average. They had a hell of a lot of luck, granted, but one of the biggest differences is that they have players who regularly thump it home when the opportunity arises, or who can do something special.

 

We don't. Certainly not consistently.

 

I'm fully behind AK and think he is the right man for the job. I just hope that he has some tricks up his sleeve in the Summer transfer window.

[Humpty 3,261]

Can we please see Luke Williams in the team soon too!!

[LukeR 44]

I can't see how some people don't blame Dimi for their 2nd. He totally missed the ball in the 93rd minute, and lost us the game. So what if it took a bobble? He had plenty of time to take a touch first. On the plus side, Steele should be back in the team on Tuesday

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Also, what was Ravel Morrison still doing on the pitch? I'm sure he got sent off in the Chelsea vs ***nal game :P

[boroinbishop 65]

Has anyone else not mentioned that they should have had 9 men on the pitch, both Kranjcar and Morrison should have been sent off

[Prowler 197]

8 men. Carroll was booked and his dive in the box was so obvious it was embarrassing.

[p_mards 1,365]

What was the argument between Kamara and Barton/Morrison over? I was expecting to see Kamara drop like a sack of spuds when he started squaring up to Barton.

[HoyteForLeftBack 194]

Just got in, I'm scared to read the skysports review as the completely unbiased article will only read "INTELLECTUALLY SUPERIOR LONDON TEAM DESTROY INBRED NORTHERNERS - FACT, article by southern based d*ckhead"

[Prowler 197]

I thought Kamara was going to kill someone.

[HoyteForLeftBack 194]

Has anyone else not mentioned that they should have had 9 men on the pitch, both Kranjcar and Morrison should have been sent off

 

I'm sure claridge will mention it tonight, he's always got our backs ;)

[boroinbishop 65]

Let down by poor officials yet again, do we need to say this every week

[Guest Changing Times]

We weren't let down by poor officials and the reason it gets said every week is because of the ridiculously one eyed view that most fans have on games. If Kranjcar and Morrison had been sent off for those things then we might as well give up on the game as it is getting ridiculous. I'd certainly rather a ref like today who's prepared to let things go than one that waves a yellow card for just about any offence that's committed. As long as they apply it to both sides (as he did today) then it's the way refereeing should be in my opinion.

 

On the game itself, we got into the game reasonably well in the first half but too often the final pass/cross let us down. When I watch us I really don't know how Karanka is wanting us to attack and score goals. I just don't get it at all and everything about us at the moment seems to be about being solid and hoping something happens as opposed to having ways of making things happen. The second half we were second best and we again seem to find it impossible to make meaningful changes to effect the game.

 

Having read through the match thread I've seen a few comments that surprised me. Whilst Varga wasn't great he certainly wasn't poor. Did most of his job defensively and offered a little going forward. Blaming him for knocking it down the line is ridiculous and displays a total lack of knowledge about the game. The only times he did it was when there was literally no other option and any full back would do the same. I'm surprised that people are raving about Butterfield. Even in the first half when he was apparently 'running the show' he was making the wrong decision with regularity. Holding on to the ball for too long when it needed to be moved quickly and trying to do too much himself being my two main criticisms. I also don't think he was far enough forward either but then he wouldn't be because he isn't now nor will he ever be a genuine number 10 type. Graham getting stick is understandable but to be honest he had absolutely nothing to do for most of the game other than link play a little and that was usually 40/50 yards from goal.

 

Adomah as others have mentioned wasn't at this best today but this was as much to do with the fact that he was up against someone with pace so his main weapon was lost to him. I'd have liked to seem him drive some of his runs inside rather than constantly trying to get around the outside just to put some doubt in the fullbacks mind as I think he had Adomah figured out quite quickly. Kamara offered absolutely nothing. He did little wrong but he did little at all because he isn't suited to playing out there. I could understand it if he was effectively a second striker looking to get into the area all the time but that doesn't seem to be what he's doing either.

 

The rest of the players were all mostly solid as was the performance but I never really felt we'd win the game even when we were winning. There's just too much missing from our game at the moment. What is starting to bother me though as I mentioned above is our inability to change games in our favour. We seem to have a plan A but nothing else. I don't have the highest opinion of our squad it's safe to say that but I'm starting to have some misgivings about Karanka now as well if I'm honest. I think we have a massive and I mean a massive summer ahead, even more so than the last one.