Holmes_and_Watson

Clearly Martin is recklessly shoehorning in a player, needlessly disrupting an unbeaten system unable to stop himself being too clever by half. Clearly Martin is making good use of the squad and its experience in a busy schedule with injuries and suspensions, while also tactically wrongfooting the oppostion, trusting his players and the work to get the result. I'll be along later to edit... 🙂

Merry Christmas folks!* Other holiday observations/non-observations are available.

Addiction

Watching them slip way is about the only interest I have in watching the highlights later. As much for the media circus around them. That and watching MartinBall+ with Man City.

Between game 20 and 23 ... Leicester from 2.45 to 2.52 pts per game and ourselves from 1.90 to 1.96 per game have improved. Ipswich 2.4 to 2.26, Leeds 2.05 to 1.96 and WBA 1.60 to 1.57 all a little worse. Ipswich's form would still have to plummet from that 2.26 to 1.61 per game to not hit 89 points (average 2nd place promotion tally form last 10 years). It's the sort of form WBA have put together so far to be a strong playoff contender, but would be quite a drop from Ipswich's current first half of the season. Still, injuries, squad depth etc could make things a lot closer (hopefully) We're now with Leeds needing 1.91 to hit that 89 point mark, so we're both getting over that now. Lots of credit for such a long, unbeaten run and the improvements. But the above shows that, to get automatic promotion :- - This will have to be maintained and hope Ipswich drop away. - We'll have to use this run as a springboard to becoem even more ruthless. Something we definitely have the potential to do. Whether that's the players we have becoming more clinical, that part of the system clicking more, or bringing in new faces (with S's spectacular January or striker recruitment to consider, and time for new players to bed in) We' ve got our own injuries and suspensions and busy schedule. But that's the standard for this season. A standard we have to be able to keep to, if not improve. Lots of mental strength and stamina requied to keep this going. We're certainly more organised defensively, even if we sometimes ahve to race back. Great for keeping one goal leads. Getting scorelines out of sight, is where we'll really stop lots of hard work being wasted sometimes.

Chips

Thanks. Really nice of you to say.

Entertaining second half. We're making good use of the squad and subs. Towards the end there, we were without Smallbone, Charles and Downes on the park. And we had Adams centrally up front, who in other systems would be more of a target. Despite that, we dealt well with everything QPR threw at us. They tried very quick breaks, they tried shots from range and form wider positions and they tried to exploit our full back gaps. But we did well in all of those, again without the usual level of cover you'd expect when missing our midfielders. Lots of good work from Bednarek, THB and a key header from Stephens at the end. Aribo and Stu just get better each game, and Fraser is a stamp of quality every time he comes on. We're always likely to take adavantage of teams who are either tiring or are trying to get back into games. AA worked his socks off again. It's still a surprise to see him go off, although anyones elseyou'd be screaming to be given some rest over such a busy period. We had our usual dominant possession. We didn't create lots of chances, but as the game went on we did create a few good ones. Martin's going to be really pleased with that today. It's what he's been looking for, and the clear areas of improvement are the ones he's already been pointing out as being worked on. This is with us rotating the team around a bit too. To have clear areas of improvment after such a long unbeaten run is something to look forward to. I do feel for Adams a bit. He's a support striker, who's out the starting eleven and has never been that prolific anyway. We play in a system where everyone has to interchange to create the passing angles and create opportunities. For example, today there was a cut back from the left that was crying out for Adams to be on the end of it. Charles was in exactly the right spot for the chance. Martin has expressed his own frustration about us finishing our chances. A lot of that is simply that the players we have, that's kind of what you're going to get unless you find a way to really play to their strengths (replace them with a real step up in quality - something SR have failed specatcualrly in doing). Adams will miss sitters, but scores first time efforts from further out. He had a really nice finish, ruled out for offside, the other week. He, like any number of strikers, is going to need multiple chances in areas of strength for the goals to flow. Our system isn't going to set that up consistently. I saw him doing a lot of decent off the ball work today. Just getting his head down, stopping QPR getting going, filling in for team mats (which I'm sure Martin sees and appreciates), and making our opponents have to adapt for him being there. Charles' red card lies firmly at the feet of his own teammates. That decision making needs some work. Our game management is lacking in the number of times we lose possession fairly needlessly. Our solid structure means we react really well to it, but it stops us creating better chances.

Yay! Another 3 points and our super unbeaten run continues!

Oooh.. late corner....

Aribo! Key tackle there. Well done. The player we have who can stop opponents, just through size. Adams seemed to go down easily there, when faced with a chance of shooting. Replay shows, he fell over when the defender's arms went around him.

Let's see if we can keep the ball for a few minutes.

Charles first booking... Stu gives it away centrally with one of their runners already ahead waiting for a pass. Charles second booking... Manning makes a poor decision to get the ball in results in a difficlut to control ball for Stu to make anything of. QPR break, and Charles takes a card. I hope Martin firmly shows this to the players responsible for Charles taking a suspension. Meanwhile... Adams with a tap back to their keeper, having got into a very good position. And a breakaway where we get a corner.

Charles is off for that...

Aribo is looking fitter (not in that way!). On the other flank now, getting us a corner.

Stephens on for AA. Defensive.

Adams has been making good movements He's had one effort fizzed across for AA, has tracked back, and supported others and his presence has changed QPRs shape to comensate for us having a more physicla central striker on. Might not be lots of goals. But then, we have a system that doesn;t focus the play on a single player getting lots of goals from those positions (not to say that finishing couldn;t be better with the ones presented).

Uh oh. Given away again. It's been a few gmaes, where you'd think the possession game Martin has built will be just the thing. But a combination of subs, tiredness, and just some poor decisions puts us under needless pressure.

Our possession failed there. No Smallbone or Downes has an impact. We just invite pressure when it breaks down like that. Adams puts it across for AA. AA just not on the end of it. That's the power of having a couple of strikers on the park at the same time.

https://soccerinhd.com/live/queens-park-vs-southampton

Rotherham not getting anything from Leicester then...

Freser's direct run gives us a chance. But it's cut back to Charles. He gets it on target. But that's where you'd want Adams to be. Another effort, but straight to the keeper from Stu. Still, getting some chances.

Adams gets a yellow just to prove he was at the game.

Another loose pass though getting it out. We do give it away cheaply at times. Free Kick.....

Charles gets another yellow for his collection.