Matchday Thread: Rams v QPR

[Andy_Faber]

So we've done over 2nd place and held our own against the leaders. That bodes well for a home game against a team who are 'only' fourth

But this is football, not logic

Any opinions?

I'm going 2-0 Derby

[swaledale]

On the basis that whenever I say lose , they win I'm saying 1-0 QPR!

[ramAnag]

On the basis that whenever I say lose , they win I'm saying 1-0 QPR!

Lol...same here. I honestly expected, and predicted, us to be on the wrong end of six goals between Bournemouth and Fulham, so, have to say...another defeat beckons, but hope to be wrong...again!

[macstheman]

Having watched QPR on the telly a few times they are a typical Warburton side, both more direct and more physical than Bournemouth and Fulham! I see them as a real threat and will take a 1-1!

[Geoff Parkstone]

I concur with Mac here - Bournemouth and Fulham are very much "footballing sides" and we tend to do better against that sort of side. We have only lost 5 times this season - to Barnsley, Peterbrough, Birmingham, Sheffield United and Blackburn, none of whom would you say play pretty or necessarily successful football. We are unbeaten against 5 of the top 6 - QPR being the sixth one of these and yet to be played. But QPR play more like a bottom 6 team, which to be fair they have been in and around for the last 5 years.

So it will be ugly I suspect and frustrating: 0-0 or a one goal defeat I fear, but then I'm always pessimistic

[Ramshank72]

Very much agree with Geoff and Mac, though I expect a calamity moment to cost us: 2 nil loss.

[ramAnag]

There’s a guy amongst the Sky commentary team tonight who’s still 35 years old and had a goal scoring record of 1 goal in every three games when he played for us. Apparently he wasn’t good enough. I never agreed with that...but what we’d give for him now.

[MadAmster]

I thought we were worth the lead at HT. Another decent team performance.

2nd half was a totally different kettle of fish. To start with they changed their tactics. They pressed us higher and earlier. We did nothing to counteract it which helped them. Their equaliser. We had 2 players, Davies and Shinnie, both well placed to mark Willock yet neither did. Woeful. He did hit the volley well though giving Roos absolutely no chance.

As the game progressed they exposed the weakness of our tactics making good use of the huge holes where the full backs should be. Not blaming the FBs though, they were where they had been told to be. Shinnie was less visible apart from some poor passes, Ravel (more on him later) was totally invisible and neither being substituted was a surprise. Rooney decided to take a more attacking approach, looking for all 3 points. That only served to allow them more attacking possibilities and led to their equaliser IMO. Not for the first time in recent seasons we failed to deal with a cross properly, Chair's header hit the post and Gray performed wonders playing keepy uppy and then volleying home on the turn.

Not disappointed at the loss as they deserved the win. We scored with our one and only shot on target. They scored 2 good goals and we played a large part in both.

The ref. Have refs appeared to change since the EFL agreement and the extra 9 points? The Bournemouth penalty. Would we have got that 3 weeks ago? I'm not sure we would. Thommo and one other player, can't remember which one of ours it was, got away with yellow cards that, I'm pretty sure, they would have got 3 weeks ago. If the trend continues, I for one, won't complain.

Ravel. Not bad 1st half, involved in play without really creating anything, again. 2nd half he just wasn't there. His old Man U mates say he's the best player they've seen in training. That just doesn't translate to a game situation IMO. He's hard to get the ball off and he does look graceful in full flow passing defenders almost at will. Unfortunately, it seems that's where it ends and there is no end product. His time at Derby is probably up at the end of his current contract and then I'm not sure he'll get another elsewhere. A great shame IMO as he has so much talent on the ball that just doesn't seem to lead anywhere in a game situation.

[swaledale]

I thought we were worth the lead at HT. Another decent team performance.

2nd half was a totally different kettle of fish. To start with they changed their tactics. They pressed us higher and earlier. We did nothing to counteract it which helped them. Their equaliser. We had 2 players, Davies and Shinnie, both well placed to mark Willock yet neither did. Woeful. He did hit the volley well though giving Roos absolutely no chance.

As the game progressed they exposed the weakness of our tactics making good use of the huge holes where the full backs should be. Not blaming the FBs though, they were where they had been told to be. Shinnie was less visible apart from some poor passes, Ravel (more on him later) was totally invisible and neither being substituted was a surprise. Rooney decided to take a more attacking approach, looking for all 3 points. That only served to allow them more attacking possibilities and led to their equaliser IMO. Not for the first time in recent seasons we failed to deal with a cross properly, Chair's header hit the post and Gray performed wonders playing keepy uppy and then volleying home on the turn.

Not disappointed at the loss as they deserved the win. We scored with our one and only shot on target. They scored 2 good goals and we played a large part in both.

The ref. Have refs appeared to change since the EFL agreement and the extra 9 points? The Bournemouth penalty. Would we have got that 3 weeks ago? I'm not sure we would. Thommo and one other player, can't remember which one of ours it was, got away with yellow cards that, I'm pretty sure, they would have got 3 weeks ago. If the trend continues, I for one, won't complain.

Ravel. Not bad 1st half, involved in play without really creating anything, again. 2nd half he just wasn't there. His old Man U mates say he's the best player they've seen in training. That just doesn't translate to a game situation IMO. He's hard to get the ball off and he does look graceful in full flow passing defenders almost at will. Unfortunately, it seems that's where it ends and there is no end product. His time at Derby is probably up at the end of his current contract and then I'm not sure he'll get another elsewhere. A great shame IMO as he has so much talent on the ball that just doesn't seem to lead anywhere in a game situation.

Can't disagree with most of that MA, I do think our marking was very poor for both goals and we got played off the park in the 2nd half, we could and should have lost by at least two more goals.

Poor I'm afraid and I think the physical effort required in playing 3 games a week is beginning to tell. I fear that we will slowly sink without trace if not able to boost the squad in January.

[MadAmster]

Yesterday's non-performance was a tad disappointing following 2 very good results and ditto games against the top 2, especially taking into account the goal we scored.

I mentioned poor passing by Shinnie in my post, he was far from the only one who, especially 2nd half, had great difficulty finding a teammate with a pass.