QPR v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[MoetVillan]

The love in for Sanchez?  Our Sanchez?  the one that set up their second goal and continued to pass to someone in a blue and white shirt?  That Sanchez? 

[Ads]

Yes that Sanchez. He dropped a massive rick, but he looked very good, far more impressive than Westwood.

[ChicagoLion]

The love in for Sanchez?  Our Sanchez?  the one that set up their second goal and continued to pass to someone in a blue and white shirt?  That Sanchez?

He had been playing well until he gave the ball away 3 times in a row and they scored from the 3rd time.
Inexplicable.

[pbavfckuwait]

No Zamora does not score, but he is allowed to lay a ball back to a team mate who does score. But the point of my moan on Cardboard Ron, was the fact he was at least 20 to 30 yards to deep, Zamora is not blessed with pace, so Cardboard should have ensured as the World Cup Leg end that he is, to direct Clark and the other members of the defence to hold a higher line, if our back 4 have a problem with the pace of Zamora and Austin, God help us.

Lowton in the first 15 minutes had at least 3 chances to put a ball into the box and he could not beat the first defender, he is at best a championship defender, so we should be allright with him  in the side next season then.

[Clampy]

The love in for Sanchez?  Our Sanchez?  the one that set up their second goal and continued to pass to someone in a blue and white shirt?  That Sanchez? 

He had a spell of about five minutes where he couldn't do anything right but that apart he was our best midfielder and possibly our best player.

[Ron Manager]

Yes that Sanchez. He dropped a massive rick, but he looked very good, far more impressive than Westwood.

Far more impressive than anybody on either side I felt.

[Ads]

The love in for Sanchez?  Our Sanchez?  the one that set up their second goal and continued to pass to someone in a blue and white shirt?  That Sanchez? 

He had a spell of about five minutes where he couldn't do anything right but that apart he was our best midfielder and possibly our best player.

Agreed. He won more headers against Zamora than Vlaar did as well.

Vlaar needs Senderos to hold his hand physically.

[pbavfckuwait]

Yes Sanchez, who if we had a Manager who had half a football brain, would have seen from about 60 mins, he was blowing out of his arse and replaced him, who up to that point probably had more forward passes than any other Villa player, who also I would not mind betting won more headers than our whole back line put together in his area of concern the middle of the park, that Sanchez who made himself available more than any other player, to me last night before he was knackered the only thing I thought he needed to improve quickly was his tackling, for the rest he offered more from midfield than Cleverly and Westwood together, but dont worry Lamberk will train that out of him.

[SamTheMouse]

Gary Neville pointed out at half-time that Westwood and Sanchez had clearly been told to help the defenders handle Zamora, and they managed it from set pieces, but that the goal came from open play and Westwood was caught out of position too far up the pitch. And he was right, you could even see Westwood look round slightly panicked at one stage.

Obviously Vlaar shouldn't have let Zamora win the ball, but Westwood - and Clark, who spends the whole time ball-watching and never seems to have any idea of where the opposition players are - were equally at fault.

[bobdylan]

Agreed, I thought Sanchez, mistake apart, looked head and shoulders above Westwood. He moves the ball quicker and is physically a lot more capable of covering the back four. It gives us a platform, but then there is so little in front of him, that we struggle.

Why shunt Cleverely out wide? Why not play Gabby or Bacuna, or Grealish or N'Zogbia? Players with pace and who can do something in that position? Especially when it means you sacrifice a player who can move the ball on quickly in midfield for Westwood who cannot.

Agreed, Westwood is ok, but Sanchez, Cleverley and Delph are a class above imo, and the natural replacement for Delph's energy is Richardson, not Westwood.  Jack would complete my midfield diamond and as soon as Kozak is back I'd have him up top with Benteke.

[supertom]

Sanchez is just not ready for a full 90 minutes. For 5-10 minutes before his cock up he was looking dead on his feet. He was playing a few tired passes as he'd clearly run out of steam. For 60 minutes though he looked a class player. However it's also yet another indication of a clear problem that Lambert fails to identify. Countless times he doesn't act if someone clearly needs to come off, or a certain opposition player is murdering us down one side (Arfa at VP last season for example).
When he finally did make some changes, they were inevitably wrong.

I've no worries about Sanchez. In a month or two he'll be up to the rigors of this league I think. I bet he's never expended so much energy in an hour of football as he did in the first hour of last night.

Westwood and Cleverley are the ones that should be frustrating us. Neither is doing enough.

[Clampy]

I had no problem overall with the starting line up (other than Clark, he's not a centre half and i'm not that much of a Westwood fan) but as the game went on, QPR were that poor we could have afforded to take off a midfielder and play someone just behind or alongside Benteke to give their defence a few more problems. Instead he waited until the second goal went in to change it. That's why I don't think he'll ever hack it. He's tactically unaware.

[Ads]

Cleverley isn't going to do anything when he is shunted wide.

[PeterWithesShin]

I had no problem overall with the starting line up (other than Clark, he's not a centre half and i'm not that much of a Westwood fan) but as the game went on, QPR were that poor we could have afforded to take off a midfielder and play someone just behind or alongside Benteke to give their defence a few more problems. Instead he waited until the second goal went in to change it. That's why I don't think he'll ever hack it. He's tactically unaware.

The subs were ready to come on before they scored the second so he didn't wait until the 2nd. He should have changed it 10 mins earlier though.

[DaveD]

Obviously Vlaar shouldn't have let Zamora win the ball, but Westwood - and Clark, who spends the whole time ball-watching and never seems to have any idea of where the opposition players are - were equally at fault.

Absolutely. Clark was a day late and a dollar short for the first goal, and if you watch the second again - what is he doing ? He doesn't go to help Sanchez, he doesn't move to block the cross, he's not marking anyone - he's just stood in no man's land.

Also, Vlaar looks a much better player when he's got Senderos or Baker to challenge for the first ball and he can pick the second man - he doesn't look so clever when he's the one doing the heavy lifting.