QPR 3:1 WBA
The body language of the players in this match was far more positive than it’s been in recent months and they produced a spirited and committed performance to seal the points.
West Brom were really poor though and actually three of the four goals in this game were quite soft, but take nothing away from our boys, we put in a good shift and deserved to win.
We’ve played well in the past but haven’t made it count. That changed here and we raced into a two-goal lead that our dominance and play just about deserved.
The second goal was a real peach and proves that Neil Warnock’s teams can mix it up when necessary. Had we played with that patience and control of the ball for longer periods, we’d have also created more opportunities to extend our lead.
I was concerned when we allowed West Brom back into the match and let them get into their rhythm a little bit in the first-half, but credit to the players for battling away and ensuring they got nothing in the second.
A few weeks ago we would have collapsed and let the opposition takeover, but there was a new resolve and determination out there today and that was very refreshing to see.
The match was still a bit scrappy at times and I thought both teams struggled to judge the bounce of the ball properly or the type of first-touch required to get the ball under control.
We were also guilty of rushing our play a little bit and trying to force forward when we needed just a touch more patience and care. It’s sometimes better to dominate with consistent possession too rather than always take that pass that has a 50-50 success chance.
I’d also like to see a little less of the blind clearances and passes. We seemed to do this an awful lot today, with lots of players just hoofing the ball forward without even looking. Surprisingly Alejandro Faurlin was probably the main culprit and created some dangerous moments against us as a result of conceding possession.
Tamas Priskin seemed a strange character too. At times I really liked his touch and control and his ability to win certain types of flick-ons. But on other occasions he looked timid and unsure of what he was supposed to do next. Still, I thought the formation and tactics, with him moving out wide to the right and occasionally even the left worked well.
It was also nice to see Warnock orchestrating from the side and telling his players where he wanted them at certain points. This has been lacking for a long time and is the kind of direction we need.
I liked the timing of his substitutions too, even if I didn’t necessarily agree with the choices. Having said that, we did have quite a few players on show who looked tired or who do not have a lot of game time under their belts.
Overall this was an excellent start to life under Neil Warnock and if he can stop the goals going in, then we’ve got a great chance of climbing back up the table and pulling away from the relegation zone and one hopes it can only get better as time passes.
It was also really pleasing to see the whole squad and coaching staff acknowledging the supporters at the end. It’s that type of togetherness that will unite us as one and that’s why Warnock is a very good appointment for QPR.
Some big steps forward were taken today. Well done lads.
