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Reply | Dembele?
at 11:18 26 Oct 2025
I’m sure it’s deliberate. But it’s not working now. Perhaps teams are savvy to it. Either way, I’d like Stephan to encourage more width when we attack and play wingers on their natural side to encourage away swinging crosses from the outside closer to the byline. |
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Reply | Dembele?
at 07:49 26 Oct 2025
This is the problem.
Both wingers were inverted so had to cut back onto their favoured foot, but that meant cutting back into trouble and congestion. It also allowed their centre halves to get set properly to deal with any chipped in swinger that was delivered.
We never tried to get to the byline. We rarely stretched them wide.
Whenever Dunne got the ball, Dembélé’s starting position was narrow, inside the full back up ahead. This isn’t on the player. All of them take up that position. It’s clearly what Stephan has asked of them. But it forces our full backs to provide our width, which I don’t think is their strength. And it makes us narrow when attacking which is much easier for organised teams to defend against.
It’s annoying. At least try switching them onto their natural flank occasionally. |
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Reply | (No subject) (n/t)
at 19:40 25 Oct 2025
The answer is to stop having two inverted wingers. One, maybe. Not two. We are unnecessarily condensing the pitch, making us narrow and easy to defend against.
Start with addressing that, and then pick your wingers. [Post edited 25 Oct 20:18]
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Reply | Field at left back
at 19:35 25 Oct 2025
Varane is playing really poorly. He’s coasting.
Field or Hayden need to start in there ahead of him. |
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Reply | Chair for No.10
at 10:11 23 Oct 2025
Chair was absolutely superb last night. Looked really sharp. Made runs all over the pitch, and played some great early passes (both out wide, and crosses, one of which Kone should eventually scored from).
You obviously want to get him into the side.
All I’d caution is we need to be careful where.
I’m a big believer in systems/shape > best 11 footballers. It should be the best player for each position on the pitch. Our system, a slight variation on 442, is working. A big part of this is the Burrell/Kone partnership. Kone goes short for the ball to feet, back to goal, we hit him early with balls to feet/chest, which he lays off back to Madsen or round the corner for one of the wide players. Burrell plays on the shoulder of last man, making runs for the ball in behind or channel runs to provide an out ball for the team. His pace keeps the defence a little deeper than it would otherwise be, which creates more space for Kone to go short and for Madsen to operate in.
Burrell is playing really well and key to how we play.
Chair is not a natural replacement for either of those players or positions (given how we play).
I could see him working with Burrell and possibly separately with Kone, but it will require the rest of the team to change how we play. The out ball down the channel won’t be on as much if Burrell isn’t there. We’d need to try to work it to Chair’s feet in the hole, rather than up to Kone going short back to goal, as they’ll be no one beyond him.
It’s not impossible, and having a Plan B is great, but I wouldn’t be keen to change a system that is working (yet).
Personally, I’d start Chair wide right. I know it’s not a position he has played much, but he’s right footed, and his delivery from wide with his right foot delivering away swingers in between keeper and back 4 should be meat and drink to Kone. His dribbling and passing is better than Smyth’s so he might be better at slipping in Burrell. Whilst he’s not as good defensively as Smyth, he’s miles better than Dembele, so Dunne will still get protection. And playing him on the right allows you to get Saito into the team too.
This approach also has the added bonus or actually getting your best players into the side.
It’ll be a new role for Chair, but he came on for Smyth last night and got to the byline on the right twice and whipped one superb ball across, so the green shoots of that are there. |
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Reply | Madsen
at 09:46 23 Oct 2025
That was Chair though. He was superb and looked so sharp. He changed the game. Dembele flattered to deceive again but for one nice, slipped through pass to Chair. Varane, but for one pretty diag, was poor, way too deep and looked off the pace. Never got into the game. We lost all control of the middle of the park for the last 10. He was the fresh legs in there, so that was disappointing. After the Millwall game too, think we should run with Hayden or Field there for a few games and see. |
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Reply | Burrell and Dunne on tonight's win
at 22:48 22 Oct 2025
“We’ve got a group of lads who don’t get too excited or too down…”
Cue Mbengue jumping on his shoulders and chanting his name.
Lunatic. [Post edited 23 Oct 8:47]
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Reply | What should QPR do with Sam Field moving forward?
at 22:42 22 Oct 2025
Wtf? Really? Did they have a single decent attack down his flank? All their attacks and balls in came from their left, our right. Did his job.
He was fine. Ludicrous to say he was “absolutely shite”. Just comes across like you have a predetermined opinion that you’ll stick to regardless of what actually happens. |
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Reply | Madsen
at 22:36 22 Oct 2025
Fair is Fair. He was very good tonight, and has been very good so far this season. He’s a completely different player this season though. He’s working so much harder and he’s now breaking up play and competing, as well as progressing us up the pitch with some good passing. And it’s showing in the stats. Compare the stats here to last year when he went 4 games without a tackle.
Fair play to him for bucking his ideas up. He’s now putting the yards and hard work in most people were (rightly) caning him for last season for not doing.
Long may his form continue.
As an aside, I thought he and Hayden were a better partnership than him and Varane today. Thought Varane was poor again today when he came on. Would run with Hayden for a bit now. |
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Reply | After Many A Summer Dies The Swan, Swansea Match Thread
at 21:41 22 Oct 2025
This has been a terrible last 5-10 mins. We could have lost it, let alone drawn.
3 close shaves in the last 5 mins.
Great to get the result. But the mentality there was poor.
Big positive was Chair. |
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Reply | After Many A Summer Dies The Swan, Swansea Match Thread
at 21:37 22 Oct 2025
Honestly, Rangers. Wake the f*ck up. They really should have scored then.
Varane has come on and he’s playing 20 yards deeper than Hayden…but Madsen isn’t playing any higher, so it’s dragged the midfield so much deeper. Inviting them on.
We have the extra man. Get hold of it! |
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Reply | After Many A Summer Dies The Swan, Swansea Match Thread
at 21:32 22 Oct 2025
Chair has looked very sharp. Should score that very simple 1-1 though. But he’s been excellent. Been everywhere and he’s playing the pass early which has been great and we’ve looked so much more dangerous as a result.
But Kone has been poor, Dembele wasteful, and we’ve looked haven’t killed the game off. |
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Reply | After Many A Summer Dies The Swan, Swansea Match Thread
at 21:11 22 Oct 2025
Yeah, agree.
We definitely look scared to concede to 10 men rather than confident to go and stick 2 or 3 past them.
Mbengue is worrying me a tad. He’s all over the place, someone dropping off and letting their man bring it down and play, other times getting very tight and risking being turned. He gave it away before Madsen’s good work to start our attack for our goal. Was slow to get out to the near post for their header that went over. He just seems a little bit scatty tonight. |
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Reply | Lesson Learned?
at 16:47 22 Oct 2025
Squad game.
Long season.
Experienced pros.
Good characters.
Balance. Repeat that. Balance. |
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Reply | What should QPR do with Sam Field moving forward?
at 16:45 22 Oct 2025
Indeed.
I come back to it:
22/23; Players’ & Fans Player of the Year - won both (won “young” player of the year too)
23/24: Fans’ Player of the Year - Runner up
24/25: Players’ Player of the Year - Runner up
Short memories for some.
If we think Sam Field is the problem, we’re asking the wrong question.
And looking to next year’s squad (as the leadership should), Cook will be gone. Varane hopefully sold for >£5m. Dunne, who knows? Who are your reliable, proven Champ experienced pros? We’ll need Field. The grass is rarely greener. And horses for courses will always be relevant. |
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Reply | Millwall deliver QPR’s latest reality check – Report
at 11:12 21 Oct 2025
Disagree on this one.
Think he is significantly better than Bidwell, a huge improvement on Paal, and better than Wallace too. I really like him. Strong, deceptively quick, gets very tight to the winger, good in the tackle, good on the air. He’s better than 6/10. Would be delighted if we could sign him permanently. |
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