From what I've read, Bolton were toying with a new formation for the first time. By the sounds of it, it didn't work and the comments about us are erred on the positive, which is encouraging.
Know it sounds obvious, but a goal scorer is going to be huge for us this season. Growing increasingly confident we have the potential to be slick up to the box, but if we haven't got a natural finisher up there like a fit and in for Igor, we could be frustrated
I feel confident the goals will come, Watt will have a flyer, Big Mak will chip in with a dozen or so and Igor will smash it after Christmas! Add in JBG, the two big CH from set plays, Cousins pile drivers and Messi junior, who will waltz in double figures. Record goals scored this season!
I feel confident the goals will come, Watt will have a flyer, Big Mak will chip in with a dozen or so and Igor will smash it after Christmas! Add in JBG, the two big CH from set plays, Cousins pile drivers and Messi junior, who will waltz in double figures. Record goals scored this season!
I feel confident the goals will come, Watt will have a flyer, Big Mak will chip in with a dozen or so and Igor will smash it after Christmas! Add in JBG, the two big CH from set plays, Cousins pile drivers and Messi junior, who will waltz in double figures. Record goals scored this season!
I totally disagree. A goal scoring forward was desperately needed but was not brought in. I can see the scoring of goals to be a problem this season as it was last season. The injury situation with Vetokele is also a real concern. We have a really difficult start and I can see us losing the first four games, which will put us under early pressure.
Unlikely that a squad with so many changes will hit the ground running and our tough opening fixtures will exacerbate that. I'm expecting a slow burn season anyway. As long as we get better as the season progresses I'll be happy.
It's next and the season after I'm hopeful that the squad is mature enough and added to so that we can challenge.
Don't disagree Dick but Luzon said to Stubley Addick after the game that he is still after three more players. I'm assuming that Leggiet (sp) and Henry are two. The other might be Cyprian (sp) or a striker.
A lot depends on Igor's fitness and form Imo. Could be the difference between mid-table and top 8
Lots of new players on show last night. Unwise to make any firm judgements, but, my initial views were:
Kashi: I liked him. He made himself available, was aware of what was around him and used the ball well. He was combative, but might need to curb his liking for the sliding tackle in these non-contact days.
Makienok: Also positive about him. Not as dominant in the air as I had expected for his height, but very valuable in that respect nevertheless. More mobile than I had expected. Decent on the ground.
Ba: Worked hard, but on this showing I prefer Kashi. Am aware that he has done well in other pre-season games.
Bauer: Has something about him, but maybe needs time to adjust to the Championship.
Sarr: Only had half an hour. Could take him a while to become as reliable as we need in that position.
Cellabos: Showed us a glimpse when he beat his man and crossed low for Watt to score. Otherwise quiet and might need to do a bit more on the defensive side.
Bergdich: Again, only half an hour, but didn’t look convincing during that time.
Looking at the performance from the point of view of the team as a whole, there was a positive and a negative. In the first half we played a lot of creative football and looked to have goals in the team. Without the ball we were poor throughout. I’m hoping this is the consequence of having so many players who are so new. However, the shape and organisation that was impressive when Luzon took over last season was absent last night. We would certainly need to improve this aspect if we are to avoid having some bad days defensively. The mid-field four were ragged in their shape and consequently there was a lot of space to be exploited between the two rows of four.
Certainly not at the start, although I suspect they got a rocket at half time. They came out with a lot more urgency in the second half. I thought their subs improved them, in particular Trotter and Spearing, so perhaps Lennon was still trying a few things out. Our subs haven't played much pre-season so its always difficult to rate them. As LL mentioned, Madine was awful but Clough looks a very good player - a lot like Watt.
Either way it looks as if we have bought in a few technically gifted players who can control the ball whilst under pressure. We didn't have that before. I also quite like the idea of a target man. Last season teams figured out that if they pressure us high up the pitch then we are beaten. Now we have a big lad who can hold up the ball and in Tony Watt someone who runs the channels. We are still a few players short for the squad but that was an encouraging insight into the first 11 for QPR.
We knew our status early on. Whilst I fear Dickplum is right, and I understand SHG's slow burn feeling, I expect a great start, and to get points. Not because I think it will happen, but because I want it to happen, and I feel it will be a failing situation if we don't have a good start given the time we have had to prepare, the Gomez money, and the plethora of signings. Not that bothered about being realistic, I want to be aspirational.
Did we play 4-4-2 or 3-5-2? The OS says 3-5-2 but from what some have said it sounds more like 4-4-2.
Looked a 4-4-2 to me. Kashi plays very deep but more defensive midfielder than CB while Fox and RCC provided the widths down the flanks. Neither JBG or Cousins played as wingers and often drifted in more central but Cousins was predominantly on the left and JBG on the right. In FM talk, maybe more a 4-1-3-2 ?
Certainly not at the start, although I suspect they got a rocket at half time. They came out with a lot more urgency in the second half. I thought their subs improved them, in particular Trotter and Spearing, so perhaps Lennon was still trying a few things out. Our subs haven't played much pre-season so its always difficult to rate them. As LL mentioned, Madine was awful but Clough looks a very good player - a lot like Watt.
Either way it looks as if we have bought in a few technically gifted players who can control the ball whilst under pressure. We didn't have that before. I also quite like the idea of a target man. Last season teams figured out that if they pressure us high up the pitch then we are beaten. Now we have a big lad who can hold up the ball and in Tony Watt someone who runs the channels. We are still a few players short for the squad but that was an encouraging insight into the first 11 for QPR.
Cheers, agree the squad is still thin but we can add depth until the end of the transfer window but getting the first XI sorted before next Saturday is the immediate priority and it sounds like we're getting there.
Unlikely that a squad with so many changes will hit the ground running and our tough opening fixtures will exacerbate that. I'm expecting a slow burn season anyway. As long as we get better as the season progresses I'll be happy.
It's next and the season after I'm hopeful that the squad is mature enough and added to so that we can challenge.
No different to last season when we had many changes to the squad, but instead of struggling we shocked a few sides and were in the top six by the end of august. 8/1 to be in the top six by the 1st September with Sky Bet.
We struggled around October/November due to the lack of investment in a bigger squad. So far that seems to have been rectified this summer.
Unlikely that a squad with so many changes will hit the ground running and our tough opening fixtures will exacerbate that. I'm expecting a slow burn season anyway. As long as we get better as the season progresses I'll be happy.
It's next and the season after I'm hopeful that the squad is mature enough and added to so that we can challenge.
No different to last season when we had many changes to the squad, but instead of struggling we shocked a few sides and were in the top six by the end of august. 8/1 to be in the top six by the 1st September with Sky Bet.
We struggled around October/November due to the lack of investment in a bigger squad. So far that seems to have been rectified this summer.
How do the squads compare numbers wise?
Also doing a late pre season for whatever reason again, due to rebuilding squad each year at this late stage
I confess that I have not looked through all of the posts .. anyone who was there .. How did pope play/look and is he ready for next week ?
He didn't have a lot to do. Made one excellent save, caught one cross confidently, but dropped one. A long shot bounced back off his chest, which he should have gathered. Kicking better than last season. Overall, he was OK.
I confess that I have not looked through all of the posts .. anyone who was there .. How did pope play/look and is he ready for next week ?
He didn't have a lot to do. Made one excellent save, caught one cross confidently, but dropped one. A long shot bounced back off his chest, which he should have gathered. Kicking better than last season. Overall, he was OK.
thanks @KHA .. sounds like he's improved .. BUT .. not totally convincing .. let's hope (pray ?) that Henderson is back a s a p
I know preseason results don't really mean a thing at the end of the day, I'm still pleased we didnt take a hammering, even if there are a lot of players that haven't had proper preseasons with us, which could mean they pick up injuries easily as the season wears on, I still think we are better off than we were 12 months ago.
It will be interesting to see what 3 new faces arrive in the next few weeks.
Unlikely that a squad with so many changes will hit the ground running and our tough opening fixtures will exacerbate that. I'm expecting a slow burn season anyway. As long as we get better as the season progresses I'll be happy.
It's next and the season after I'm hopeful that the squad is mature enough and added to so that we can challenge.
Totally agree, and as has been quoted many times, judge them after 10 games
Interesting to see the new players on show last night and the overall impression was very positive - I think we may well have picked up some gems this summer.
Echo the thoughts of the other Addicks that have already posted. Kashi really stood out for me in the first half, I really liked the look of him - quick, energetic, good awareness and an eye for a pass. Played at the bottom end of a diamond and bossed it - an excellent display. There were also impressive displays from his fellow midfielders (Ba has a touch of class about him, as did Cellabos, who set up the second brilliantly) and deciding who gets the starting berths could well be a headscratcher for GL, but in a good way.
Difficult to assess the defence - I thought the full backs did well (especially CRC who coped very well and did not look out of place at all). The CBs looked fairly solid, but it was disappointing to concede from a set piece again. I think that Bauer is a certain start, but have no idea who will partner him (although I doubt we will start the season with a newly converted CB in the shape of Diarra, so the odds must favour Sarr)
Still think that we may need another striker, though - especially given the Vetokele situation. If Watt isn't playing, then we could struggle for goals. Don't think Makienok will be a goal machine, but was impressed with his link up play and he displayed not a little skill and technique too.
I was really impressed in the first half and the move for the equaliser was excellent. Given how long some of the players have been with us, it was good to see us dominate the first half with passing and movement - no wonder the BWFC fans thought that we were outclassing them. However, the changes at half time saw that evaporate and the game became a little bit 'meh' in the second half! That said, I can see why GL did not want to give the game away on team selection for next week and he will have learnt a lot from seeing the various players on display. A few more additions to the squad and we could well have a pretty solid team on our hands and a lot of optimism for the season. Bring it on!
I really don't like the view that the first games don't mean much as we have a hard start and we shouldn't expect to be near the top.
Agree it could be easier but you can't have any games that are acceptable defeats in this league. Take QPR and Hull at home.... you can guarantee that one of them come the end of the season won't be as high up as you think. The danger is that if you are pointless come the end of August you knock your confidence too much and leave yourself too much to do.
So yes its a hard start, but tough luck, we have to deal with it. Being pointless at the end of August would not be acceptable and could be bad news in the long run.
I really don't like the view that the first games don't mean much as we have a hard start and we shouldn't expect to be near the top.
Agree it could be easier but you can't have any games that are acceptable defeats in this league. Take QPR and Hull at home.... you can guarantee that one of them come the end of the season won't be as high up as you think. The danger is that if you are pointless come the end of August you knock your confidence too much and leave yourself too much to do.
So yes its a hard start, but tough luck, we have to deal with it. Being pointless at the end of August would not be acceptable and could be bad news in the long run.
Agree with this. Last year we thought Wigan would be world beaters as they had just been relegated and were preseason favourites. We beat them with a number of new unknown players In our side. The fact that they turned out to be relegation fodder should not detract from our own achievement then and our expectation now. I don't see much in the QPR squad to terrify us. They were relegated for a reason and have lost a lot of their better players. Bring it on I say.
People expected Wigan and Derby would be difficult home games last August and we won both.
I think a summer away from the football has made everyone forget that on their day, any team in the Championship can beat any other.
Of course our opponents will be favourites but these aren't Chelsea, Arsenal and United. It's QPR, Derby County and Nottingham Forest. We've beaten all three in the last two years.
Cheers for posting the highlights, like the look of Makienok even more, much more mobile then i was expecting him to be, defenders trying to play it out won't get much time on the ball with him and Watt battling away.
Great save from Pope near the end too, hopefully gives his confidence a boost.
Comments
Know it sounds obvious, but a goal scorer is going to be huge for us this season. Growing increasingly confident we have the potential to be slick up to the box, but if we haven't got a natural finisher up there like a fit and in for Igor, we could be frustrated
Record goals scored this season!
The injury situation with Vetokele is also a real concern.
We have a really difficult start and I can see us losing the first four games, which will put us under early pressure.
It's next and the season after I'm hopeful that the squad is mature enough and added to so that we can challenge.
A lot depends on Igor's fitness and form Imo. Could be the difference between mid-table and top 8
Kashi: I liked him. He made himself available, was aware of what was around him and used the ball well. He was combative, but might need to curb his liking for the sliding tackle in these non-contact days.
Makienok: Also positive about him. Not as dominant in the air as I had expected for his height, but very valuable in that respect nevertheless. More mobile than I had expected. Decent on the ground.
Ba: Worked hard, but on this showing I prefer Kashi. Am aware that he has done well in other pre-season games.
Bauer: Has something about him, but maybe needs time to adjust to the Championship.
Sarr: Only had half an hour. Could take him a while to become as reliable as we need in that position.
Cellabos: Showed us a glimpse when he beat his man and crossed low for Watt to score. Otherwise quiet and might need to do a bit more on the defensive side.
Bergdich: Again, only half an hour, but didn’t look convincing during that time.
Looking at the performance from the point of view of the team as a whole, there was a positive and a negative. In the first half we played a lot of creative football and looked to have goals in the team. Without the ball we were poor throughout. I’m hoping this is the consequence of having so many players who are so new. However, the shape and organisation that was impressive when Luzon took over last season was absent last night. We would certainly need to improve this aspect if we are to avoid having some bad days defensively. The mid-field four were ragged in their shape and consequently there was a lot of space to be exploited between the two rows of four.
Either way it looks as if we have bought in a few technically gifted players who can control the ball whilst under pressure. We didn't have that before. I also quite like the idea of a target man. Last season teams figured out that if they pressure us high up the pitch then we are beaten. Now we have a big lad who can hold up the ball and in Tony Watt someone who runs the channels. We are still a few players short for the squad but that was an encouraging insight into the first 11 for QPR.
Not that bothered about being realistic, I want to be aspirational.
We struggled around October/November due to the lack of investment in a bigger squad. So far that seems to have been rectified this summer.
How do the squads compare numbers wise?
Also doing a late pre season for whatever reason again, due to rebuilding squad each year at this late stage
It will be interesting to see what 3 new faces arrive in the next few weeks.
Weirdest moment was Heskey getting the biggest cheer of the night for coming on, from both sets of fans. Made me very nostalgic for Leaburn....
Echo the thoughts of the other Addicks that have already posted. Kashi really stood out for me in the first half, I really liked the look of him - quick, energetic, good awareness and an eye for a pass. Played at the bottom end of a diamond and bossed it - an excellent display. There were also impressive displays from his fellow midfielders (Ba has a touch of class about him, as did Cellabos, who set up the second brilliantly) and deciding who gets the starting berths could well be a headscratcher for GL, but in a good way.
Difficult to assess the defence - I thought the full backs did well (especially CRC who coped very well and did not look out of place at all). The CBs looked fairly solid, but it was disappointing to concede from a set piece again. I think that Bauer is a certain start, but have no idea who will partner him (although I doubt we will start the season with a newly converted CB in the shape of Diarra, so the odds must favour Sarr)
Still think that we may need another striker, though - especially given the Vetokele situation. If Watt isn't playing, then we could struggle for goals. Don't think Makienok will be a goal machine, but was impressed with his link up play and he displayed not a little skill and technique too.
I was really impressed in the first half and the move for the equaliser was excellent. Given how long some of the players have been with us, it was good to see us dominate the first half with passing and movement - no wonder the BWFC fans thought that we were outclassing them. However, the changes at half time saw that evaporate and the game became a little bit 'meh' in the second half! That said, I can see why GL did not want to give the game away on team selection for next week and he will have learnt a lot from seeing the various players on display. A few more additions to the squad and we could well have a pretty solid team on our hands and a lot of optimism for the season. Bring it on!
Agree it could be easier but you can't have any games that are acceptable defeats in this league. Take QPR and Hull at home.... you can guarantee that one of them come the end of the season won't be as high up as you think. The danger is that if you are pointless come the end of August you knock your confidence too much and leave yourself too much to do.
So yes its a hard start, but tough luck, we have to deal with it. Being pointless at the end of August would not be acceptable and could be bad news in the long run.
I think a summer away from the football has made everyone forget that on their day, any team in the Championship can beat any other.
Of course our opponents will be favourites but these aren't Chelsea, Arsenal and United. It's QPR, Derby County and Nottingham Forest. We've beaten all three in the last two years.
Great save from Pope near the end too, hopefully gives his confidence a boost.