QPR 0:0 Burnley
I heard Paolo Sousa’s comments after the game where he said our first and second phase of play was good, but after that, we didn’t do anything in the final phase, which means of course that we didn’t create much going forward.
I totally agree with that, and felt very much the same while I was watching and sensed at times that there was almost a reluctance for us to choose certain options when we knew which player would end up in possession of the ball.
In the second-half I thought we opened Burnley up quite well down the right flank, but we lacked the precision and quality to make proper use of our advantage down there. When the ball falls to probably the one person you don’t really want delivering in the box in Peter Ramage, then you can’t complain too much if the quality of the delivery is not up to scratch.
Peter’s distribution is very zonal and percentage based into areas because he lacks the precision and quality to be precise and against a commanding Burnley defence we really needed more. Still, it was pleasing to generate these situations and in the second 45 minutes we did okay and throughout the match Burnley very seldom threatened, which is a plus for us given we made a lot of changes to the side again.
There was also a reluctance to shoot again by the players, but this time it was because we were so narrow at times. I’m concerned by the amount of dallying on the ball we’re doing, particularly in midfield areas where seasoned pros like Martin Rowlands are continuously feinting and turning back on themselves, either in midfield or just before a shooting opportunity.
It only serves to cut off your own angles and options and can actually be very dangerous and allow the opposition to steal and counter quickly. It seems like an elementary mistake that you see at much lower levels of football but the reason it’s happening is because at times, the likes of Rowlands cannot see any options because there’s not enough width to our play or movement by players in attacking areas to stretch the space properly.
For all our problems going forward, we did quite well at the back. Rowlands did a good job defensively and was actually very quick to keep Chris Eagles under control with many good challenges or closing of space. Damien Stewart and Kaspars Gorkss both had good games at the back again, with Stewpeas being the pick of the bunch for me.
I was a bit disappointed to see Dexter Blackstock complaining so much about this, that or the other in terms of communicating with the other players, because it looks like he’s sulking rather than just getting on with the game and neither he nor Samuel Di Carmine did anywhere near enough up top to help out the team let alone themselves on the day.
To end on a positive note, I am pleased with the way we’ve started defending corners. It started on Boxing Day away to Charlton, where both strikers pull to either wing leaving a gap down the middle. The Addicks on the day did not put anybody centrally, which I thought was weird, and whenever we won the ball we broke well and with pace, and that opens up lots of options. Here, Burnley always had three back with someone in the middle, but it still seems like a better way to defend and retain possession than how we were doing it previously.
