QPR pre match chat- press conference pg1

[Cjay]

As per usual with mid week games an early next match thread.

On paper a very favourable one against a QPR side struggling in 23rd 5 points from safety.

Our result vs Millwall does mean we won't be able to reach the 2points per game mark for the international break and anything but a win would see us below last seasons 28 points at the same stage.

However QPR at Elland Road in the current state they are in is a decent opportunity to say the least.

Last season Marti Cifuentes did a superb job turning them around but this season has been a struggle.

They are bottom of the form table for the last 10 games.

All be it should be said they have taken the majority of the points they have managed away from home.

And they do strangely have quite a few eye catching results, not wins but.

Draws against Sunderland, Sheffield United, Burnley and Millwall, 4 of the top 5 and no defeats.

They don't win many games (1) but they actually don't lose that many, 6, the same as Watford in 6th, only 1 more than Boro and Blackburn and Swansea who are all top 10.

It's an inability to turn draws into wins that is costing them (joint most draws with Bristol City) and perhaps in the desperation to do that they leave themselves open and concede (23 goals conceded).

But as the lack of defeats shows they may not be a million miles away from finding some form.

And it also has to be said they are injury ravaged and have been all season with only 4 players playing over 1000 minutes (for comparison we have 7).

And at no time has it been worse than now with 8 first team players missing vs Middlesbrough.

Included in those 8 were top scorer Michael Frey, experienced midfielder Jack Colback, defensive giant Jake Clarke-Salter and tricky winger Karemoko Dembele who with Frey has the most goals or assists this season for QPR with 4 all missed Boro.

In addition talismanic playmaker Ilias Chair whose only managed 7 appearances this season went off injured as well making him a doubt for Saturday.

So it's fair to say circumstances haven't been kind.

Nonetheless it's all to our advantage hopefully.

A damp squib of a performance vs Millwall may hopefully focus minds at the club.

Is Farke likely to make changes?

Bogle was particularly awful, Aaronson was ineffective, do we really need 2 holding midfielders against an injury ravaged QPR?

[The Subhuman]

Should be a comfortable win. Q:PR are better than their results but confidence is low.

For me

Meslier
Byram
Firpo
Tanaka
Rodon
Struijk
Gnonto
Aaronson
Joseph
Piroe
James

[Jammy 07]

Solomon who looked sharp when he came on tonight against Millwall might be one change to consider.

[mentalcase]

After that s**t show last night we better come out fighting, scoring and winning, I don't ecpect us to win eveery game, but I do expect a validated perfomance.

[The Subhuman]

Remember when teams used to snap bad runs when they played us….we’ll that may rear it’s ugly head again

[Jaydog]

Very good home record v QPR which mirrors the away record v them.
With their current form you’d expect the 3 and Farke does tend to get a good response after a poor result.

[Cjay]

Last time we played QPR we lost 4-0

[Barlow Boy]

Saturday 3pm KO

[Jaydog]

Last time we played QPR we lost 4-0

At their gaff though. And I think under the end of season pressure and we wilted.
Not going to happen at ER

[Cjay]

Farke's here - How does it work on a short turnaround like this?

Short meeting after the game. Give them my first impressions. They have time on the way back to think about things and watch some scenes. Long travel. Back in bed at 3am this morning. Sent them quickly to bed for proper sleep. Met around lunchtime today, later than normal. Time to sleep, and we had post-match analysis, speaking about things. Recovery session for those who played, proper session for those who played less.



Difficult to balance this week?

Experience is important. When you are young as a manager, you tend to overload your players too much. Sometimes it is good to take your medicine and we crack on. Sometimes, you go into details, and sometimes, you keep it shorter. Quick turnarounds and lots of games. Temptation to speak too much.

Important not to overload them too much.



Any stage you wish your players could use the dark arts better?

Sometimes. In the build-up play, we were perfect last night; pressed them high. Angry and won the ball back counter-pressing. If you allow cross after cross you will struggle. In general, we dominated and played in their half. It's football. Not always a fair result.

Our claim will always be the wish to be dominant. Our claim is not to return back without scoring a goal.



Do you ever think you need to change to cope with a situation?

You cannot be a flag in the wind. Just because you don't win does not mean you go 4-4-2 and pump for second balls. Good managers work on their games for years. One unlucky result does not mean you change your behaviour. We played in their half last night. They were in red hot form. They did not have many chances. They could not press us. These questions are always the same if you don't win.

Perhaps it was wrong to sub Rothwell on this occasion. Perhaps not much structure in our play. If you don't score, you wish you had played further on in this set-up. No questions when you win a game. You have to accept this. You take decisions in the heat of the moment. Important to be flexible. Changed after 70, then 80 minutes, the base formation.



Aaronson - what does he need to improve on?

If you look at their workload, he was the hardest-working player for us. He had a good shooting chance from 14 yards, but he did not take it. I want my number 10 to bury that chance in a corner. He can improve on this.

We spoke at half-time about his tendency to run too much on the wings and then be in the key moment, not where it counts, close to a striker. He should wait for the moment for the ball to come to him in a better position. He has sometimes played for teams that are more hectic. I love his energy, but he needs to channel it.




Team news

Seems like most of the players came through without major injuries., Some knocks and tired legs as with every game. Quick turnaround. I spoke about being back in the early hours. Wait a little to see how they will recover over the 48 hours to be ready again. Some late decisions on mixing it up or not




QPR

Every game, we want to win. We are respectful. It is fair to say QPR are normally possession-based. Struggling at the moment because of injuries. Not where they expected to be after finishing well last season. They are fine margins. Disappointed with their results, but will show a reaction. More points away than at home. Clean sheets against Burnley and Sunderland. Two more nights than us to rest.

No excuses, but an explanation why it will be difficult. You cannot underestimate any situation in this league. We know how good they were against Burnley and Sunderland.

[Cjay]

Interesting Farke mentioned Aaronson drifted into the wrong positions which leaves Piroe isolated . . . . .

If your striker is making more passes into the attacking 3rd than your 3 attacking midfielders and one of your cms I think the striker deserves some slack . . . .

[mentalcase]

Last night Piroe didn't hold the ball up once, made a few fancy flicks and thats about it.
Compare that with their CF who held the ball and shielded well, mistake putting Piroe on as a starter for me.

[Cjay]

One thing that is evident with DF is he doesn't see the flaws.

He still thinks the Millwall game was a dominant performance.

He can't see the flaws in his tactics, he says as much about not wanting to change.

But this Millwall game has happened many many times but because he is possession obsessed he doesn't see deeper than "we had most of the ball".

It's a real blindspot.

[Cjay]

Last night Piroe didn't hold the ball up once, made a few fancy flicks and thats about it.
Compare that with their CF who held the ball and shielded well, mistake putting Piroe on as a starter for me.

He held the ball up quite a few times and set up 2 scoring chances for others doing so.

But the point was he was isolated.

Gnonto, Aaronson and James made fewer forward passes into attacking areas than Piroe did.

So he had to drop deep to help us get forward.

It's catch22 for him.

He stays forward the pass never comes so people say he didn't do anything.

He drops deep to get involved and people complain he isn't forward playing against the cb.

[mentalcase]

He held the ball up quite a few times and set up 2 scoring chances for others doing so.

But the point was he was isolated.

Gnonto, Aaronson and James made fewer forward passes into attacking areas than Piroe did.

So he had to drop deep to help us get forward.

It's catch22 for him.

He stays forward the pass never comes so people say he didn't do anything.

He drops deep to get involved and people complain he isn't forward playing against the cb.

I agree it's catch 22, but thats down to the manager to solve it, I rate Piroe, but it's true to say, he struggles in our set up, he isn't as quick as Jodeph nor god forbid he gets too much game time, bamford.
Giving Joseph a run is surely the future and standing by him, otherwise get him out on loan as well.

[1964white]

Aaronson was ineffective

Aaronson was voted in seven of our members top six.

Three voted Brenden our second-best player & two others had him in third place.

He was more effective than the majority of our players.

Not his best game by far, however a steady 6/10 imo!

[Cjay]

Aaronson was voted in seven of our members top six.

Three voted Brenden our second-best player & two others had him in third place.

He was more effective than the majority of our players.

Not his best game by far, however a steady 6/10 imo!

He wasn't effective, Farke just told you he wasn't effective and wasn't doing his job.

He was missing chances and drifting into areas of the pitch he shouldn't have been which impacts our whole attacking structure and ability to build attacks and support the striker (who has obviously been deemed awful) despite Farke telling us Aaronson in Particular was doing the wrong thing.

As for his ratings he runs around a lot and looks busy which in games where quality is lacking it attracts votes.

DF has said Aaronson wasn't effective.

[mentalcase]

He wasn't effective, Farke just told you he wasn't effective and wasn't doing his job.

He was missing chances and drifting into areas of the pitch he shouldn't have been which impacts our whole attacking structure and ability to build attacks and support the striker (who has obviously been deemed awful) despite Farke telling us Aaronson in Particular was doing the wrong thing.

As for his ratings he runs around a lot and looks busy which in games where quality is lacking it attracts votes.

DF has said Aaronson wasn't effective.

Aaronson could quite easily flip that answer.

[Irish Ian]

I had a look at Aaronsons heatmap at HT.

Basically his activity was on the wing with Gnonto, which backs up what Farke was saying.
In the second half you can see a slight improvement in the central areas but he was hardly prolific.

I think too many fans are influenced by touches on the ball and his looking " busy" but he has a job to do and he hasnt been doing it.
I had hoped that he would have been able to fulfil the 10 role in the abscence of the summer signing that DF wanted but alas he hasn't been able to influence games.

In his favour is the fact that he has two months to respond but surely if not then we have to go shopping in January.

He can still play a role as sub or backup winger

[Jammy 07]

He wasn't effective, Farke just told you he wasn't effective and wasn't doing his job.

He was missing chances and drifting into areas of the pitch he shouldn't have been which impacts our whole attacking structure and ability to build attacks and support the striker (who has obviously been deemed awful) despite Farke telling us Aaronson in Particular was doing the wrong thing.

As for his ratings he runs around a lot and looks busy which in games where quality is lacking it attracts votes.

DF has said Aaronson wasn't effective.

Maybe let's see who starts on Saturday before we take Farke's words as gospel.

Or to put it another way let's hope Farke has come to his senses and puts Joseph back in the starting eleven.