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I’m Looking Forward to Life Under Jim - Notes for QPR
Thursday, 24th Dec 2015 10:30 by HarryFromBath

HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of our Boxing Day fixture against Queens Park Rangers at Portman Road by delving into their forums.

“Do you know what? I don’t want promotion this year, just organisation, a game plan and some stability”, “We are not world beaters, but compared to the dross we gave been serving up for the past few seasons it’s a pleasant surprise to see us actually playing well.”

“I feel very positive for the first time in a very long time.” Although QPR’s 1-1 draw at Bristol City on Saturday was a third consecutive stalemate under new manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, fans have been impressed by the emergence of a team playing high-energy football and working to a clear plan.

“I have enjoyed these first two games under Jimmy [a 0-0 draw at home to Burnley and a 2-2 draw at home to Brighton] more than any others for a long, long time. We look like a proper team and it’s so refreshing to see us playing with such energy”, “We have got a good manager, I reckon.”

“Keep backing the manager until he gets it how he wants it”, “Now Jimmy has rocked up and he quite obviously wants a high intensity game with crisp movement of players and the ball. He has managed to get that across in a very short period of time and the difference is immense.”

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

“I’m excited about Jimmy being at the club. He needs time”, “It looks like we are going to be a good deal better to watch, more committed and more awkward to play against under the new manager than we have previously”, “I am so, so encouraged by Jimmy. We look transformed.”

The former Dutch international joined from Burton Albion at the beginning of December. “Early days but the signs are good so far. I think the board’s approach might just be right this time”, “I love the intensity he is instilling in our side”, “Three games in and you can already see what he is about.”

“He has certainly got the team competing. It has been ages since I saw a Rangers side show a never-give-up spirit when coming from two down.” Fans were given great heart by the way the team came back to win a point last Tuesday week against a Brighton side which ended up playing with 10 men.

“Jimmy seems to have sparked belief and passion in the team”, “I’m not hailing him as the messiah yet but he looks focused and professional”, “He preaches hard work, high pressing, maximum effort and collective responsibility”, “I think he’s the one, but I won’t take him home on the second date.”

Formation

“I could never see what Chris Ramsey [Hasselbaink’s predecessor] was doing as far as a playing style. Jimmy plays high-energy, high-pressing, attacking football. Given time, I think it is much more what we are about”, “When we equalised against Brighton, he waved the squad back to go for the winner.”

“I liked the depth and shape of the team against Brighton”, “Jimmy has already got the game right. He has the forwards and midfield pressing. He sees that they need to be fitter, faster stronger and close down better”, “Ramsey had us playing a plodding containment game not suited to this level.”

“Both the defence and attack held decent lines against Brighton. When you apply pressure from the top end of the pitch it really helps the midfielders out and allows them to do their job without trying to cover too much ground. If we can maintain that, we will be a lot better balanced for it.”

GreenPerchOnuoha (c)HallKoncheskySandroFaurlinPhillipsFerHoilettAustin

“The team are looking more organised and focused but there is much to work on still.” Rangers’ starting XI (above) for their pulsating 2-2 draw at home to Brighton was set out in the 4-2-3-1 shape they have used most often this season. Many fans would probably see this as their strongest XI.

The Dutch manager has placed an emphasis on high-pressing and drilling the team into a solid shape out of possession. Wingers have flourished and there has been an emphasis on going for goal when chances appear. Against Brighton they were crucially also able to start with striker Charlie Austin.

GreenOnuoha (c)AngellaHallKoncheskyHenryFaurlinPhillipsFerHoilettPolter

The starting XI for Saturday’s game against Bristol City had three changes from the Brighton game. Nedum Onuoha was “vulnerable as a centre-back playing at right-back” replacing James Perch and Sebastian Polter up front was seen as a hard-working but inferior replacement for Austin.

“The clean sheets we managed before Jimmy came about because we abandoned our attacking intent to limit opposition chances.” Rangers conceded just three goals but tellingly managed to find the net on just five occasions in the nine games before Hasselbaink arrived.

Hard Work and Poor Fitness

“Does our midfield have the legs for Jimmy’s pressing game?”, “Hasselbaink’s philosophy and style look made for a club where hard work, honesty and commitment is highly valued and sadly lacking in recent years, but this QPR team is nowhere near fit enough to put it into full practice as it stands.”

“Our fitness needs to improve.” Supporters have quickly identified that the team struggled to play three games of high-octane football in seven days under their new boss and this lack of fitness is a serious short-term issue. “I’m not surprised and I suspect Jimmy isn’t surprised by this either.”

“The team looked jaded at times against Bristol”, “We were saying exactly the same as we came away. They look knackered. God help us over the next few weeks”, “The team haven’t been properly fit since Neil Warnock’s promotion year”, “Ridiculous that some cannot last a full 90 minutes.”

Bristol City 1 — 1 QPR

“Final score, two points dropped”, “A point is a point, I suppose”, “Is that five games unbeaten or three since a win?” “A solid draw”, “Not a bad result, I guess. After all, we’re not getting promoted this season”, “You just knew Bristol were going to score, didn’t you? It’s the usual QPR.”

The Robins rescued a home point when Aaron Wilbraham finished off a slick passing move with 10 minutes left after Junior Hoilett had given Rangers the lead with a low shot after cutting in from the left flank on 56 minutes. The late equaliser was met with a weary shrug and a sense of inevitability.

“In truth, Bristol City had no trouble living with us”, “City caused Rangers far more problems when they got the ball on the floor”, “Despite it being a stereotypical Championship match I enjoyed it. Both teams did try to play in a positive way and with the intent to win.”

Several fans commented on Rangers’ inability to maintain their intensity, thus allowing the Robins spells of control. “Rarely has a game had such pronounced spells of pressure alternating so regularly between the sides”, “It was an exciting match, end to end at times and a draw was a fair result.”

QPR 2 — 2 Brighton

“Not good for the blood pressure, is it?”, “Lots of positives to take from tonight, boys, a great effort against the top of the table”, “The best I have seen us play in ages”, “Great to see the fight in the team tonight. There was a great atmosphere once we pulled that first goal back.”

After an incident-free first half which many felt was shaded by the hosts, this game exploded into life when Dale Stephens volleyed home an opener for the Seagulls on 53 minutes and Rajiv Van La Parra added a second two minutes later when his long-range effort slipped under keeper Robert Green.

The fightback began Charlie Austin pulled a goal back with a superb strike on 65 minutes. Brighton defender Lewis Dunk was then shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Alejandro Faurlin on 83 minutes before Austin’s second goal levelled things two minutes from time.

Many fans saw this game as a season’s turning point. “Hard work and trying to play football, I could easily get used to this”, “A brilliant game of football. We were magnificent coming back like that. All 11 played their hearts out and that is all I will ask from my team. I’m proud to be a Ranger tonight.”


QPR 0 — 0 Burnley

“The first half was Hasselbaink, the second half was Ramsey”, “That was a great first half. We kept the ball down, pressurised and looked energetic. I think we got a glimpse of what Jimmy is trying to achieve”, “We could barely string two passes together in the second half.”

“A draw was a fair result as both teams had some good chances.” QPR had the majority of chances in Hasselbaink’s first game in charge but many Rangers felt that they were let down in the first half by the absence of Austin, who appeared as a substitute after an hour had elapsed.

“We played well in the first half and made Burnley look ordinary but had no striker to act as a focal point or get on the end of attacks”, “We just didn’t have the cutting edge up front”, “We need to go shopping for more than one striker because if Charlie Austin goes, we have nothing in the locker.”

Goalkeepers and Defenders

“We had the defence sorted out under Ramsey”, “I am not convinced that our defence has massively improved, but is just better protected which it needed to be”, “It is interesting that under Jimmy the back four has been stationed 10 yards higher up the pitch than it was in any previous games.”

Robert Green

“Robert Green is one of those rare two-footed creatures that can sleep standing up.” The 35-year-old ex-Norwich keeper “had a catastrophic episode bowling the ball short and right into a Bristol City player’s path”, “He makes some mistakes but also some world-class saves every week.”

“That’s terrible by Green”, “Green is like the lucky dip tub of football. You are not sure what you are going to get”, “He is a very good stopper 90 per cent of the time. The trouble is that the other 10 per cent can be pretty bad and have him cost us a goal. That makes this ratio a serious problem.”

“I honestly worry about Green’s eyesight”, “We could have probably got warning to him via telegram in the time Van La Parra’s shot took to reach the goal”, “He gives me no confidence. When a simple ball is passed back to him I am covering my eyes. Should it be that way?”

“Green struggles with the simple things, pass backs, balls in behind the defence, shots straight down the middle from 35 yards and kicking the ball straight and over the halfway line. These should be bread and butter for experienced keepers”, “It’s not a one or two-off. He has had a wretched 2015.”

“Paul Konchesky’s fitness is quite amazing. He was all over the place, often running at full tilt against Bristol City. His crossing was a lot better.” The 34-year-old left-back “was really bombing forward at times but again had no proper target man in the box to receive his crossed with Austin missing”.

Konchesky is at Loftus Road on a season-long loan from Leicester. “He has looked really good in defence but also going forward and linking play up and down the wing”, “When the wingers were resting their legs I sometimes felt that he was the only player willing to bring the ball forward.”

“Our terrible squad management means that we can only replace James Perch at right-back by bringing in Gabriele Angella and splitting up a successful central pairing of Nedum Onuoha and Grant Hall”, “We need a proper right-back and not an adapted centre-back, one that can attack and defend.”

“Playing Onuoha at right-back will damage his confidence.” The 29-year-old ex-Manchester City man “cannot cross. Stop giving him the ball”, “He has put his dip in form behind him and has lately played like we know he can. The jibes about his leadership have gone quiet as he really leads by example.”

“Gabriele Angella looked solid when he came on against Brighton and also started talking.” The 26-year-old ex-Watford man “looked very good at Bristol, calm on the ball and passing it out from the back instead of hoofing”, “I would prefer more of a brute of a centre-back to anchor the defence.”

Grant Hall

“It is starting to look as if we have an extremely settled centre-back pairing at last. Grant Hall has been effective all season but he’s starting to become more confident and more dominant with each game.” The 24-year-old ex-Spurs and Brighton defender “is becoming our player of the season.”

“Hall hasn’t the size of Bournemouth’s Sylvain Distin or Leicester’s Wes Morgan, but he is strong and quick and also very calm”, “He rarely looks flustered”, “He reads the game and positions himself accordingly, frequently intercepting and rarely having to lunge into a tackle”, “The lad looks class.”

“Hall could play sweeper in the future”, “What a steal this guy is looking, exactly the kind of low-risk high-reward punt QPR should be taking rather than chasing names. He is consistently excellent with an aerial ability defying his relatively small stature for a centre-half, an excellent signing so far.”

Central Midfielders

“The midfield lacks legs so I predict changes in the near future. If Jimmy can get the personnel to implement his tactics we will be a real force to be reckoned with.” While fans are happy with the quality of their midfielders, they suspect that they may not be suited to this new playing style.

“Karl Henry’s fan club won’t be pleased with his half-hearted effort on the halfway line which ends in Bristol City’s goal.” The 33-year-old ex-Wolves man “isn’t quick enough to play in this style in the centre midfield position”, “He is about as timid in front of goal as a 12-year-old at his first disco.”

“It was not Henry’s greatest challenge but he has had to fill in and cover a lot of miles over the last few weeks. He is being played in different positions [at right-back and on the rightwing] most weeks and it’s not easy. He may not be the greatest but he puts his head down and gets on with it."

“That’s a foul by Brighton, but Sandro you have got to be stronger than that.” Fans criticised the 26-year-old ex-Spurs midfielder for his defending for the Seagulls’ first goal. “He may be playing better than he has been and is able to complete 90 minutes, but he is still no ‘beast’ as his nickname suggests.”

“I hope Sandro stays fit.” The former Brazil international “is an odd player to watch and I never quite work out what he’s going to do”, “He’s more mobile, aggressive and far superior to Henry”, “It’s no surprise that having him in front of the back four is a factor in our improved defending.”

“I would like to see Tjaronn Chery playing off Polter as he is more mobile and pacy than the languid Leroy Fer.” The 27-year-old ex-Groningen player has featured off the bench lately. “You can’t start him on his own up front as he lacks a physical presence but he could feed off Faurlin’s passes.”

Alejandro Faurlin

“QPR are threatening from corners these days. That’s because Alejandro Faurlin is taking them after watching Joey Barton wasting every one we got”, “Alejandro pulls all the strings with the quality of his passing”, “There is a metronomic quality to the way he stretches teams both right and left.”

“It’s amazing he is putting in performances like this after three ACL injuries.” The 29-year-old ex-Rosario Central man “looked pretty spent against Brighton but the foul by Dunk properly reignited him. He is best when cool and calm but he properly grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.”

“Faurlin is a great cultured footballer. I love the passes where he splits the lines, crisp clean and into feet, giving the receiver the opportunity to spin and attack the opposition”, “I love the swept ones where he sends them accurately first time. They do serious damage because they happen so fast.”

Leroy Fer

“So the general gist is that Leroy Fer is still too slow, lazy or complacent. Are any of us even slightly surprised?”, “He’s a lazy sod, no two ways about it and he lacks passion on the pitch”, “I have to say I feel duped by Fer. I genuinely thought he could be a real asset but is turning out to be a dud.”

The 25-year-old ex-Canary “is struggling to find his feet in the team. He remains inactive for long periods, often finding himself on the periphery of the game. This has been a recurring theme lately”, “He seems to be the slowest player we have”, “He has a thunderous shot but when do we see it?”

“He seems to take too long to get the ball under control and when he does, he is knocked straight off it”, “Fer flatters to deceive, constantly waiting for the ball instead of going for it“, “We would do better having a morbidly obese 48-year-old from the stands. At least they would put some effort in.”

Wide Midfielders

“Matt Phillips was just class in the second half against Brighton”, “He is so much more at home on the right wing than centrally. He was all night against them with his best performance for weeks”, “We need a better contingency striker than Phillips, who looks so happy out wide it’s untrue.”

“Phillips looks revitalised after a mediocre start to the season.” The 24-year-old ex-Blackpool winger has been pressed into service up front when Charlie Austin has been injured. “He has looked totally out of his depth as a striker”, “He looks far more confident on the right than he ever does up front.”

Junior Hoilett

“I am keen to know who this impostor is wearing Hoilett’s shirt. It can’t be that loser who has worn it for the last two years”, “If Jimmy can get this new level of performance out of him, it bodes well”, “It is great to see Junior find the form many had hoped he might produce after his Blackburn move.”

“The revived Hoilett”, “He is a man reborn since Ramsey has gone.” The 25-year-old left winger has been rejuvenated under the new manager. “Man of the match at Bristol City and he was unlucky not to get a second with a thunderous shot that cannoned off the bar. His shooting is suddenly better.”

“The Bristol City game was a big turning point for Hoilett. Are we finally seeing the player we thought we had bought?”, “The goal lifted his confidence and we was whizzing around the pitch afterwards and tracking back quickly with intent”, “He has showed how good he can be fuelled by confidence.”

Strikers

“The lack of a striker without Austin is the most pressing concern with our team. We have a newly confident and miserly defence. We have steel and guile in the centre of the park and a threat on both flanks, but the lack of a striker is a real issue and could increase exponentially if Austin leaves.”

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

“What does JET have to do to get a game?”, “Work harder in training. If he doesn’t, he won’t get in the team.” With four appearances from the bench in the last eight games, 24-year-old former Blue and Bristol City man Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been a peripheral figure lately.

“JET seemed to be doing pretty well earlier in the season yet seems to have been leap-frogged by Polter in Hasselbaink’s plans”, “He never really got involved at Bristol”, “The one negative for me against Burnley was just how bad and lazy JET was. He should be embarrassed with that.”

“I feel sorry for JET who led the line well and scored goals early in the season”, “He is bonkers as far as a manager can tell. One week he will be England call-up quality, the next week he’ll be League One”, “He put in an absolutely appalling performance against Burnley after coming on as substitute.”

Sebastian Polter

“I don’t understand all the hate for Polter. We haven’t seen all that much of him.” The 24-year-old German summer arrival from 1.FSV Mainz “did okay at Bristol but was no threat although his flick led to Junior scoring our goal”, “He doesn’t quite read the game yet, arriving a fraction late for crosses.”

“Tamas Priskin he is not”, “Polter’s positional play and ball control aren’t great. People have said he runs and causes mayhem. Well, throw a tiger on the pitch and he will run and most certainly cause mayhem”, “There is something worth cultivating and he certainly does cause havoc in defences.”

“Polter does look clumsy but I’m looking forward to seeing more of him”, “He does have an annoying habit of being five yards short of where he needs to be when a cross or a long ball is played, but he is a natural striker occupying centre-halves and thus he enables us to play higher up the pitch.”

Charlie Austin

“I just wish Chaz was fit.” The 26-year-old ex-Burnley striker has played a limited role in Rangers’ most recent games with a hamstring tweak. “It is always a shot on target from him. He is always making the goalkeeper work. He drags the team along by its bootstraps sometimes.”

“What can I say? I have a huge man-crush on Charlie. I love the fact he’s such a basic striker. He’s so single-minded it’s ridiculous. In a non-selfish way he gets the ball and has one aim, to get it on target and he succeeds so regularly”, “Without him it feels like we’re going to draw every game forever.”

“If Austin had still been injured for the Brighton game, QPR would have lost”, “He scored two goals and was a constant menace to Brighton’s defence. He’s a hell of a player”, “His second was pure class. He was manhandled all night and was still being manhandled when he put it in the net.”

Rangers’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“I can’t see us getting anything at Ipswich. Hope I am wrong”, “I am going to Ipswich and hoping for a repeat of two years ago.”

There has been little specific discussion about Saturday’s game so far, so I will update our forum on Saturday morning with their post-Christmas match day thoughts.

“A real coach and gave us a real team, RIP Don Howe”, “I thought he laid the foundations of our great early 90s side.” Many Rangers’ fans have been greatly saddened by the news of the death of their former coach and expressed the hope that his life will be commemorated at Saturday’s game.

Websites

The busiest and most informative QPR website is TWTD’s sister site Loft For Words. As well as having a knowledgeable forum, the match reports from Clive Whittingham make for insightful, entertaining and required reading.

Happy Christmas

One final note is just to wish everyone the happiest of Christmases and all good wishes for the coming year. Thank you for chipping in with your insightful comments which really are greatly valued and here’s hoping we have some bigger forums to plunder in the second half of 2016!



Photo: Action Images



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londontractor85 added 10:45 - Dec 24
Cracking read as ever Harry, good work.

I'm a little bit dubious with this game. Whilst we've been great away lately, our home form has been a bit of a concern and with QPR resurgent under Jimmy, I think this game will be a lot harder than we all think. I'm hoping that they won't be able to do anything with their high energy game, and on around 70 mins when they're exhausted, we'll go for the throat and get a much needed home win to lift PR.

Merry Christmas to all fellow Tractorboys & girls around the world, have a wonderful day and lets hope we all get the same present.... 3 POINTS ON BOXING DAY!!! COYB!!!
1

bluelodgeblue added 10:47 - Dec 24
Thanks Harry Merry Christmas to you and thanks for all your hard work!
2

LankHenners added 11:17 - Dec 24
Thanks Harry and Merry Christmas! Certainly another team packed with quality individuals, and it says something about our run of games that this is the most winnable. Concerns for me are Phillips and Hoilett with their pace and Faurlin - fearing he could produce a similar performance to Kayal of Brighton when he dominated the midfield and completely took Skuse out of the game, which will always end badly for us. Austin of course is excellent so Berra and Smith will have to be on their toes.

Hopefully we'll bring the game to them by running at their defence and having lots of shots on goal, because as they say, Green does certainly have a mistake in him. Experienced though he is, I'd back Sears/Fraser/AMN against Konchesky on that wing, and hopefully we can take advantage of a centre-back out of position at right back as well. Getting the ball down, playing it out wide, and getting quality service into Pitman and Murphy could well be key.
1

Bluebell added 11:35 - Dec 24
Brilliant as always Harry. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for all your hard work each week.

As for QPR...I had forgotton JET is there. It will be good to see him even if he is on the bench. I am sure he will get a good applause from our fans.

The comments about Leroy Fer made me laugh. Didn't he leave Norwich when there were relegated last time because he didn't want to be in the Championship? Look where he is now. Haha!

And the score..... I would love us to beat them so I am guessing 2.1 to us. We really do need to start winning at home.
1

Jimmy86 added 11:36 - Dec 24
Merry Xmas Harry, thanks for all the work you've done this season. Here's hoping for a successful 2016
1

ericclacton added 11:43 - Dec 24
Well done Harry, Derby were exactly what I thought they would be last week.
QPR bags of talent, new manager, its going to be another tough one, here's hoping we can get a home win, the last one I saw was Bolton.
Seasons greetings.
1

rfretwell added 12:26 - Dec 24
Another great read Harry, thanks alot as ever and have a great Christmas. QPR def hava a goal in them so I'll go for 2-1 Town. Fraser to score in front of his dad! COYB
1

tractorgrl added 13:04 - Dec 24
Excellent info again Harry, thankyou for your hard work this season so far! A very Merry Christmas to you and yours!
1

BlueKush added 14:06 - Dec 24
"Tamas Priskin he is not"?

What does this mean?

5 goals in 7 starts for JET - with Austin out maybe he'll start?
1

TR11BLU added 18:13 - Dec 24
Matchday build up would not be the same without your contributions on this site.
Merry Christmas Harry,

We can win this one ....come on....
3

KiwiTractor added 20:49 - Dec 25
Merry Christmas all.

Unfortunately I can't see us winning this one, a draw at best, but can see JFH getting his first win. I hope I'm wrong though......
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