Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Simba]

We started the '80/81 and '92/93 seasons with loads of draws against average teams, didn't we? It's gonna be a fab season. Relax!
(But) Hold on to your seats!

The empty ones?

[pauliewalnuts]

But is he as good as Downing was in his first five games?

That's the question.

I don't think there's much mileage in comparing players.  For everyone who came good after a shaky start (eg Downing) there are just as many, if not more who started off shit and stayed shit (eg Harewood, Sidwell)

Of course, but it seems to me that five (or is it six?) league games is very little to judge a player on, especially when the player he (nominally) is replacing, himself took half a season to come good, and then did so in very convincing fashion.

I can see plenty of things to moan about at the moment, and I'm disappointed CNZ hasn't hit the ground running, but these are early days, and it seems harsh to write him off after such a short spell

[Lowendbehold]

I think that Delph is a decent enough player.  Not the superstar that some predicted, but by no means terrible.

He's probably a lower midtable midfielder.

He's 22 and missed most of the last 2 years through injury.  Give the kid a break.  He will one day be our best player.

I was hardly having a go at Delph, as the first line of my post will show.  As I said, decent player.  I didn't say he was awful or shite or anything like that. 

That's fair enough but the only way Delph, Bannan, Gardiner and now weinman will improve is with experience and playing, like all young players.

[TheSandman]

The problem is that we are relying on Delph and N'Zogbia. There is too much pressure on both of them which definitely is not helping them.

A few months back we had a discussion about Delph and concluded that if he played 10-20 games, made something of a break through and stayed injury free it would be a good season for him. Now he's expected to be a critical part of our team for forty odd games.

It's much too early to write him off. I mean it was only six months ago that the majority of posters were convinced he was going to be world class.

[Legion]

We started the '80/81 and '92/93 seasons with loads of draws against average teams, didn't we? It's gonna be a fab season. Relax!
(But) Hold on to your seats!

You are Seattle Villain and I claim my £100 from Dave Woodhall.

[pauliewalnuts]

We started the '80/81 and '92/93 seasons with loads of draws against average teams, didn't we? It's gonna be a fab season. Relax!
(But) Hold on to your seats!

Whatever happened to Seattle Villain?

I always suspected he was General Krulak, and now the way they've both disappeared so abruptly and without trace has made me think I must have been right.

[ozzjim]

I think that Delph is a decent enough player.  Not the superstar that some predicted, but by no means terrible.

He's probably a lower midtable midfielder.

He's 22 and missed most of the last 2 years through injury.  Give the kid a break.  He will one day be our best player.

Quite.

I thought he was gash today, but fuck me, we're all about throwing players right on the dump these days aren't we?

I also wonder if the bright sparks writing N'Zogbia off are the same ones who were writing Stewart Downing off, but have learned nothing in the meantime.

I agree completely. They have both been poor, and should not be starting next week for me, certainly not Delph, but at 22 Delph has it all ahead of him still. He just needs to learn and start playing a bit.

NZogbia needs a rocket, to concentrate and some bloody ball control!

[fredm]

As someone has already said on here, he needs to sit them down and show them the first 20 minutes of the second half and brainwash them so that they believe they can do that for 90 minutes.

Brad (who I thought spoke very well about all things Villa) and Ray Wilkins both stated that there are some good passers and footballers in that team.  They just have to know they can do it all the match and not need the almighty boll*****g that AM said he gave them at half time before they start to perform. 

They have a full week now without any interuptions so let's hope that AM, Sid and Kevin etc can get into their minds and make them believe.

[El Hurricane]

I noticed Stephen Warnock didn't even look when Bannan took the penalty,didn't even react either,what does that say about him?

[Simba]

 Fredm :Fair enough. But believe what? To draw is good. A clean sheet is a victory?

[Monty]

I noticed Stephen Warnock didn't even look when Bannan took the penalty,didn't even react either,what does that say about him?

He's nervous about our penalties? Superstitious maybe? I wouldn't read too much into that.

[supertom]

It's not pretty at the moment is it? I mean today was all about two teams who are gonna struggle to score goals this season. QPR, after their opening day disaster, now look more solid defensively so it was always gonna be a case of taking something out of few chances, or a bit of luck. As it was we got a lucky pen, and they had a slice of fortune with their goal. That aside no one else really looked like they could hit a barn door. Bothroyd couldn't finish his dinner.

It's part tactics, part midfield imbalance, and partly a lack of form and/or quality with certain players. We can debate till the cows come home whether Delph, N'Zogbia and Ireland will cut it, whether Albrighton and Bannan are good enough etc. Hopefully they'll hit form, but just as easily it seems they'll continue to plod along. Certainly we miss the reliability of Milner, and last season Downing. Definitely we miss Ash Young, who even on a bad game, which he had a lot of last season, would always pose a threat.

It also says a lot that we're missing Heskey. We're in a mess. The squad's too small. The bench today was ridiculous. We need new owners now, and we need to get in a decent manager to take us forward. For a club with no money, I see no logic in selling Luke Young and then signing Hutton for 4 million, and coming from Spurs, no doubt will be on a similar, if not higher wage than Luke Young. But I'd have Luke over Hutton any day of the week. To be fair, he was ok today though.
I expect a long, hard season of ugly football and boring games. I also don't foresee McLeish getting sacked if results go awry. It'd mean the board forking out even more money on managers departed, and I think that fund is closed now. No matter what happens, Randy will see it through to the bitter end with Mcleish for a season or two. That is, unless he sells up to the first person willing to meet his price.

[gervilla]

That first half performance was just downright embarrassing. Completely inept. How hard is it to string 4-5 passes together.
Delph and N'Zogbia were shockingly bad .
I feel bad for Dunne, he did well all game but he can't be blamed for the equalizer, Collins and Hutton can.
At half time I'd have taken a draw, at 92 minutes I wouldn't.
Oh well. There will be worse performances this season, I'd like to think there will be better.
We are fcuked when we start meeting some decent opposition.

[Dave]

I noticed Stephen Warnock didn't even look when Bannan took the penalty,didn't even react either,what does that say about him?

It means absolutely nothing.

[Big Dick Edwards]

While it's gutting to concede in the 93rd minute, most of us would have taken a draw before kick off and it was a much improved performance from the ones against Newcastle and Bolton.