Just got back ...

[ZENITH R]

So, the record books will show we lost the game 3-1, but there's a bit more to it than that.

To put things into perspective, we had all of: Laird, Paal, Balogun, Chair, Willock, Dykes, Clarke-Salter, Roberts and Amos out injured. All of them would have been in the squad today if fit, and most in the starting 11. So, it's easy to criticise a 3-1 defeat, but the reality is injuries have bitten us hard.

So, two things to note. Aaron Drewe made his full debut having previously made substitutes appearances in both cups. I thought he had a decent game. He has a long throw on him, and this was a tactic we used a lot. Unfortunately, I think we need to spend more time working on how we will deal with the balls he delivers into the box. Secondly, Osman Kakay who I'm sure many will criticise for his game today, was playing at left back instead of his usual right back. I said last week, he is not a defender, and again today he looked poor in defence, but much better going forward. In fact he took a couple of corners, which were much better than many of those taken by Ilias Chair in recent weeks.

So, their first goal. A ball over Kakay's head on the right wing, their player (Ogbene) stabbed the ball into the penalty area (he didn't hit it cleanly). Rotherham had one striker in there (Hugill) to our four defenders. Hugill used his experience to delay his run and the ball fell to him, as our defender had run past him (not sure who it was). Hugill scuffed a shot which crept just inside the post. I think if he had hit it cleanly, he probably wouldn't have scored.

Much of the rest of the first half was pretty even, although (I think it was) Jamal Lowe who had a shot that deflected onto the bar. It deserved much better, but when your luck is out.

Into the second half, and they got a pen. It was the far end, so I couldn't really tell you what happened. However, we had a couple of close calls on penalty shouts already, so it was probably naive defending on our part.

Hugill 2-0.

About 15 minutes later we get a pen of our own. Armstrong (on as a sub) was bundled over and Lowe buried the penalty.

Game on ...

BUT, just 7 minutes later Dickie with time dithered with the ball and hit it straight at a Rotherham player who ran past him squared it, a couple of touches and into the bottom corner.

Game over!

I'm old enough to remember Terry Venables managing the club (very successfully). El Tel always said you build from the back. We have a decent goal keeper, but the back four need a lot of work. Not long ago Dickie was being mentioned as a Premier League player (WHAM apparently). He is a million miles from that. Clearly his confidence is shot, so having him mess about with the ball when he's being closed down, is never going to end well. Get rid of the damn thing! Jimmy Dunne still wants to argue with the officials instead of concentrating on his game. These two are currently the bedrock of our defence and they are clearly not working well as a defensive unit. No surprise we are leaking goals.

By contrast Rotherham cleared their lines quickly to take away the potential threat. We continue to give away cheap fouls in dangerous areas and want too much time on the ball. Teams have sussed us out, this was happening under Critchley and at the end under Beale. Time for a re-think.

I do think we would have won today with a fit Willock and Chair. That injury list is really hurting right now.

If we can finish the season 4th from bottom (or higher) it would be a tremendous result.

As for today, on balance of play, chances etc. I think a draw would have been a fair result. But lady luck is not with us, so it was another defeat.

I actually think there were signs of improvement on recent games, not the result obviously, but an improvement.

[UxbridgeR]

A fair assessment. A lot fairer than you ever allowed Critchley, but I guess he didn’t have the same charisma. Or haircut…or..whatever

[beaglebum]

Thanks Zenith. Its nice to hear there is a positive from this as tonight i feel very angry and deflated. On to the next game i guess and pray.

[ZENITH R]

A fair assessment. A lot fairer than you ever allowed Critchley, but I guess he didn’t have the same charisma. Or haircut…or..whatever

Read the last line.

[UxbridgeR]

A fair assessment. A lot fairer than you ever allowed Critchley, but I guess he didn’t have the same charisma. Or haircut…or..whatever

Read the last line.

I have. It tells me nothing about the point I was making

[222gers]

Thanks as ever Z

[deadendjob]

Watched the highlights. Aside from the last one - the 3 previous attempts came from the left hand side where Kakay was defending. He's absolute dog shit and they just exploited our weakness.

Why Gaz thinks it's time to throw a bunch of kids in during a relegation battle is beyond me

[Andy_N19]

Many thanks for the report Zenith.

[SuperHoopsa]

Watched the highlights. Aside from the last one - the 3 previous attempts came from the left hand side where Kakay was defending. He's absolute dog shit and they just exploited our weakness.

Why Gaz thinks it's time to throw a bunch of kids in during a relegation battle is beyond me

Admittedly, 14 goals shipped in the past 5 games is very concerning! However, Nine injuries doesn't really give him much to choose from and as such playing players out of position or playing inexperienced players are his only real options.

[rightback]

Why Gaz thinks it's time to throw a bunch of kids in during a relegation battle is beyond me

Part, no choice, part doing as required - mostly the former over the latter.

Warburton wouldn't even add promising youth players to the matchday squad when there were spare places on the bench - allegedly part of the 'artistic differences' that led to his departure.

[ZENITH R]

A fair assessment. A lot fairer than you ever allowed Critchley, but I guess he didn’t have the same charisma. Or haircut…or..whatever

Read the last line.

I have. It tells me nothing about the point I was making

Of the 9 players I mentioned who were out yesterday through injury, when looking at the 12 games Critchley had in charge ...

Chair started 10 and was a sub once, Willock started 5 and was a sub twice, Laird started 8 and was a sub once, Paal started 11 and was a sub once, Roberts started 4 and was a sub once, Clarke-Salter started 2 and was a sub once, Dykes started 7, Amos was a sub once. Only Balogun didn't play at all. So yeah, I think Critchley had a lot more resources available to him than Ainsworth did yesterday.

As for my not being fair to Critchley, apparently he is one of only 16 men on the planet with the FIFA Elite coaching badge, did we see any evidence of this in his time in charge? No, we didn't. It was the same old, same old game after game. With the same outcome.

Critchley was critical of the players in public, which is never a good thing to do when you are on a dire losing run. Ainsworth has been nothing but positive when talking about the players.

Football isn't fair. The best team doesn't always win, and the most deserving team doesn't always get the prize either. It is a fact that when things don't go well it is the manager/ coach who pays the price, and gets sacked. Football is about opinions, and clearly you thought he (Critchley) should have been given more time. I and a lot of other QPR fans didn't think he should. Crucially, the Board agreed with me/ us. You may not be happy with the decision that was taken, but ultimately it wasn't yours or mine to make. Football is a results driven business. Winning one game in 12, including losing poorly in the FA Cup to lower league opposition (I know it was poor - I was there), is the sort of thing that gets you the sack, and it did.

Neil Critchley picked the team, chose the tactics, and motivated the players. He was the one watching the game and making substitutions to tactically change things, at best his substitutions and in game changes were poor. Would he have turned it round if he had been given more time? I seriously doubt he would, and the evidence (not just my opinion) suggests he wouldn't have either.

[Satch]

Watched the highlights. Aside from the last one - the 3 previous attempts came from the left hand side where Kakay was defending. He's absolute dog shit and they just exploited our weakness.

Why Gaz thinks it's time to throw a bunch of kids in during a relegation battle is beyond me

Who else could he play at RB? Maybe Uncs but that’s not really his natural position and a big ask at his age. You’re then looking at having a kid in either Armstrong or Richard start further forward

[deadendjob]

Watched the highlights. Aside from the last one - the 3 previous attempts came from the left hand side where Kakay was defending. He's absolute dog shit and they just exploited our weakness.

Why Gaz thinks it's time to throw a bunch of kids in during a relegation battle is beyond me

Who else could he play at RB? Maybe Uncs but that’s not really his natural position and a big ask at his age. You’re then looking at having a kid in either Armstrong or Richard start further forward

I think my frustration with Ozzie is that he's no where near good enough to be anywhere near the first team. That's a drum I've been beating on for years. I understand our financial position means we've got little choice, but a lot like Niko, he needs to be cut loose.

[ZENITH R]

Watched the highlights. Aside from the last one - the 3 previous attempts came from the left hand side where Kakay was defending. He's absolute dog shit and they just exploited our weakness.

Why Gaz thinks it's time to throw a bunch of kids in during a relegation battle is beyond me

Who else could he play at RB? Maybe Uncs but that’s not really his natural position and a big ask at his age. You’re then looking at having a kid in either Armstrong or Richard start further forward

I think my frustration with Ozzie is that he's no where near good enough to be anywhere near the first team. That's a drum I've been beating on for years. I understand our financial position means we've got little choice, but a lot like Niko, he needs to be cut loose.

As I said in the OP. He’s not a defender. He does though appear to have more to offer than some of our current midfielders. Once we have Paal and Laird back, I would give him a go as a wide midfielder.

[Andy_N19]

All this gruesomely put into focus as I watch our 2 near neighbours
Brentford & Fulham duke it out, teams we used to treat like the hired 'elp!