What is their to say about today's performance. Well, a lot.
The first ten minutes were the most torturous, agonizing and painful of watching Wolves, and the following 80 plus weren't much better either.
Why after such a good start, when we should still be filled with confidence, did we put in a performance as abject and lifeless as that?
First you have to look at our tactics. Although QPR are a team full of new players, they had a lot of good ones and were too much for us today. Our four man midfield was no match for the five QPR put out. Henry and O'Hara were left stranded, while Jarvis looks a shadow of his usual self and nothing went right for Kightly. With the injury of Steven Fletcher, surely it was obvious that we could bring in a midfielder like Nenad Milijas to help us keep possession. Not just that, but taking Stephen Ward out of the defence significantly weakened our defence in that first half.
Secondly, the players themselves. The defence was nowhere near as good as in the previous four games. Roger Johnson was quiet, Stearman was clumsy and Elokobi was hopeless. Christophe Berra was the best of a bad bunch, he was solid for most of the game. Most worryingly for me, is we look clueless going forward. Our wingers, for whatever reason fell short of the standard needed and Kevin Doyle was anonymous. After scoring against Fulham, I was sure he would kick on but he just hasn't been himself.
Maybe I am taking away too much from Neil Warnock's men though. They zipped the ball about brilliantly, pulling us apart and finding space with ease. If they play like that for more or less every game, they shouldn't have too many problems this season.
Hennessey - 7
Stearman - 5
Johnson - 5
Berra - 6
Elokobi - 4
Kightly - 6
Henry - 6
O'Hara - 5
Jarvis - 5
Doyle - 5
Ward - 7
Subs: Guedioura - 4, Vokes - 6, Hunt - 5
It doesn't get any easier next week, with a trip to Anfield looming (after the cup game v Millwall) but the last timewe went there we had come off the back of a poor performance at home.
Surely, we can only get better after this performance!
ReplyDeleteOnly positive thing I can say about this game - let's hope it's just a bad distant memory after the Newcastle game in two weeks...
Really disheartening, and you've summed it up just right.
ReplyDeleteIt all just seemed too quiet. I kept looking at RJ to see how vocal he was, and he pretty much looked dejected most of the game I thought. So did McCarthy on the touchline, when a rollicking was what was required. There were no partnerships in operation either: nothing on the flanks or in the middle.
Bleurgh.
Where do you get 6 for Kightley and Henry from? They were rubbish. I have seen some inept displays from Wolves overe the years but yesterdays was terrible. anao fight, no passion and a manager whose team selections defy belief. I could write more but cant be bothered.
ReplyDelete