Gwru, I will say it again. You only know a small fraction of what any manager knows. Now you see something in Clarke who you have been slagging off for 18 months. Absolutely unbelievable. Back to reality. We come away from one of the best sides in the division ultimately a bit unlucky not to get something. We rode our own luck once or twice to keep it at 1-0 but they were hanging on at the end. That looked a stonewall penalty for the handball. He gave the corner so he knows there was a touch, and it came off his arm which he put in the way deliberately. Its handball. Also they got away with one when the keeper dropped it on his own goal line. Overall, they were a better side than us. We just cant quite manage to carve out clear cut chances. So its another commemdable effort but nothing to show for it.
Poor decision bringing Blackman back at fault for the goal and nearly gave a 2nd away for being half asleep, All set pieces we look so vulnerable to conceding and our set pieces have been poor lots of fancy ones that don't cause them trouble. Let us hope for some luck 2nd half
Hopefully Scarlett's brother will get a run of games now.
But our issue is still lack of scoring the chances we create... I don't like us playing Ok and missing out.
Can we please play ****e a win a few.
Warne should spend ALL training time on how to hit the target....
My opinion on loan players in general is that to get in the side they have to be better than the players we own. Blackman has to do better than he did today. Hirst continues to look like a boy playing against men. He might be better for his spell with us but I am wondering whether he has time to learn and make a difference while he is here. I hope he can but I cant see it yet. It isnt so much our shooting that is poor, it's our final ball. In the last few minutes Miller and Clarke both got in really good positions inside the area but couldnt beat the first man. It's not for lack of trying, but it is a lack of either quality or composure, or maybe a bit of both. Not just saying it, but I thought Vassell did well again.
Don't want to come across as a moaner but please Paul drop both Blackman AND Hirst.
Blackman has undeniable attributes but there's a mistake in him in every game which normally results in a goal. As for Hirst he's a good runner, that's it.
Positives Harding (again) & Clarke
Midfield very dissapointing, Wiles Barlaser & Lindsay all off form
We didn't expect much there but apart from the last 10/15 minutes we were very poor.
On to Loftus Road
A decent keeper and someone up front see us maybe sneak a point.
Clarke impressed at full back. Nice to see someone actually left footed at left back, we can’t afford to play players out of position at this level and I’m shocked he hasn’t been involved sooner purely to offer us some balance.
Huffed and puffed. Should have had a penalty but without getting a good striker in January it’s going to be a huge struggle, where are the goals going to come from?
It was a clear penalty, and if it's a penalty it's also a red card. The ref must not have been able to see it from whatever his angle was. Very frustrating.
I think it was a handball from their player who was booked in the first half for holding Hirst back. If so, definite sending off.
Smiler - I think Vassell started well, but he reverts to type far too early. Worth persisting with but I'd like to see a bit more consistency. Don't worry though - you've done your bit to maintain family harmony!!
I can remember Clarkes last game against Fleetwood kept giving the ball away everyone was having a go at him. Much improved today hope it bodes well. Harding A McDonald pick of the players. Goalkeeper can't he catch the ball then he goes walkabout when they hit the post. The 2nd half more like it forwards still don't get any chances away from home. Did Crooks play?.
We didn't play badly, but we didn't play particularly well either, but a 0-0 would probably have been a fair result. I said before the game I was unconvinced by Blackman and unsurprisingly, my view hasn't changed.
While I'm not going to go as far as to write Hirst off I do suspect that we might not be the right club for him at this stage of his career, and he might not be the right striker for us at this time. I will be very happy to be proven wrong on that however.
I had my doubts about Clarke about this level but he was probably my man of the match despite only coming on as a sub. He needs to play like that for more than 45 minutes though before we get too carried away about him.
I agree with Smiler regarding Vassell, I thought we looked more of threat with him on the pitch and he at least puts himself about and tries to make things happen, even if they didn't pay off.
In a season in which penalties are given for handball when the ball is smashed at you from two yards away and you have your back turned, like the Man Utd one today, its doubly disappointing that we dont get one when a defender deliberately steers the ball away from goal with his arm. Glenn is right, it was the same defender who got a yellow in the first half as well, but he would have got a straight red anyway for a deliberate handball on the line. Gutting.
