May as well do a full verdict for yesterday. I know a lot of fans can't believe we didn't win but i don;t think we ever looked like doing enough, we passed it around well but without any penetration a lot of the time and it was only when we got it Costa and Cav that we looked really dangerous.
Ikeme - Distribution is woeful, it's either out of play or straight to one of their players and it's painfully slow. Couple of times he could have started quick attacks for us but just had no interest. Very poor for the winning goal, the club don't think so but we need an upgrade.
Coady - I thought he did ok again but he didn't really have to defend that much as QPR didn't really attack. Got forward but his crosses were poor and he didn't really connect with Costa as was said earlier.
Batth - I've said it for ages but i'm not sure how he's still in the team. Aimless hoofs, simple free headers that could be headed to a teammate headed to QPR, awful marking of Sylla for the first goal and then an even worse attempt to shield the ball back to Ikeme for the second. Should be nowhere near the team.
Stearman - Better than Batth but i think his positioning for the first goal was poor and obviously he got his feet all in a muddle for the second. If only we had a good reliable centre back.
Doherty - Getting a lot of criticism for being out of position for the first goal and rightly so. Was too deep and didn't support the attack, didn't press early enough with Cav and when he did it was too late and it left an easy flick around the corner for QPR to get away. He got forward well again but he can't defend and he wasn't asked to do a lot of that.
Price - Can't give him MOTM because despite his passing in the second half which was sublime he did so much wrong off the ball. First half he was poor and had a couple of aimless punts forward and then got himself needlessly booked. Tracked the runner for the first goal but had he not been booked i think he would have fouled him, even so he should have stopped the cross. He was also far too easily out muscled for the second goal. So yes his passing was top notch in the second half but has to be better without the ball as the deepest midfielder.
Edwards - Anonymous for 96 mins and 59 seconds but scored again. If he was a striker he could get away with contributing nothing and scoring but he's one of a midfield 2 and the game bypasses him 99% of the time. Doesn't pass forward and if he does it's too slow and his work rate just wasn't needed against this QPR side. I know he's scoring but imagine a full 90 minutes of another midfielder contributing, surely we would benefit and so would the more attacking players. No idea why he was more worried about appealing for the free kick when he thought Price was fouled for the winner than defending but it sums him up.
Costa - Had Bidwell on toast in the second half and beat him pretty much every time he got the ball. His final ball whether it was a pass, cross or shot let him down today apart from once when Edwards got on the end of one. Still our biggest threat and will be a big miss next season.
Bright - No doubt the kids got ability but he isn't quite ready for the Championship yet. Should have scored in the first half and his attempted shot that ended up as a pass back for the second game running in the 2nd half was laughable. I don't mind him playing as the only way he will be ready is playing games so i'm prepared to be patient with him but he does need to be as confident as he is for the under 23's. Would have loved Teixeira to have been given a chance playing in this position with the confidence of his manager behind him.
Cav - Doesn't always cross it early and that frustrates a lot of fans but even when he does no one gets near it and that's why he just doesn't do it all the time. We don;t have any one that can head the ball or meet a cross if Dave isn't in the box and that was proved when he whipped a ball right across goal at 1-1 and no one got near it because they were all too deep. Along with Costa our biggest threat.
Dicko - Just not good enough at the minute. He's reactive rather than proactive and that leaves him a yard behind most of the time, he's not good enough in the air and his finishing on the deck lacks any confidence what so ever. I know it's still early days but not sure he's going to be the striker he was. Not sure how he lasted 82 minutes.
SUBS
Mason - Came on when Bright was probably just beginning to settle and didn't have the same impact. Control was poor and didn't really link up with anyone. Should have scored though imo but took to long too hit it and when he did it was blocked.
Bod - Only got 8 minutes but it was a pretty poor 8 minutes. Failed to control the ball several times and although it would have been tough should have chested the ball down rather than attempt a back header when clipped in over the top. No idea what happened after that Brentford game but he isn't the same player, the intensity and the control of the football isn't the same.
QPR are the worst team i have seen this season, they didn't come to win the game yet still scored twice. We had a lot of the ball because they were so bad but didn't ever really look that threatening despite having several chances. Can't be having anyone say we played well because we really didn't, any other side would have beaten them today and convincingly. We're still at the stage of giving it to Costa and Cav and hoping although Bright did have a few moments where he showed what he may be capable of.
