Preston 1 V 0 QPR : Match Report
Aug 4, 2018 22:36:02 GMT
Post by northwesthoop on Aug 4, 2018 22:36:02 GMT
QPR went down 1-0 away at Preston to start the season on a disappointing note.
We always say 'you just never know what might happen' heading into the new season but after the 90 minutes at Deepdale this afternoon it is safe to say this is the same old QPR.
Match Overview
It is not an exaggeration to say we never had a kick for 20 minutes to start the match. Kakay thumbing the ball downfield nervously and headers clear were the only touches of the ball QPR had in the opening quarter. Preston were on top, putting on the pressure and having a succession of corners. Their best effort in that spell came when a fine effort from outside box hit the stanchion to the side of the post.
Preston were dominating the ball and trying the same ploy with success; a curled ball between Bidwell and Lynch, clearly aware of how poor Lynch is on the turn. It was working, but the effort above aside they never tested Ingram, largely thanks to some excellent blocks from Leistner who clearly reads the game well.
We did start to get a grip of the game from 20 minutes onwards and continued to improve towards half time.
Leistner’s strength was evident on a number of occasions; none more so than in one exchange by the corner flag where he won the ball back and was subsequently fouled himself. He looks a real player, in my view a clear class above those around him.
As we got into the game Eze showed a few moments of great skill but did counter that with one failed spin that led to a breakaway and an effort that Leistner deflected just wide. There was little consistency to our play and we didn’t keep the ball well enough at all. That said we should have gone in at half time 1-0 up. Smith missed a header from a Bidwell cross. From the other end of the ground it looked like he really should have scored. Our only real chance of the half but a positive end.
Manning came on at half time for Osayi-Samuel, clearly to try and give us more of a foothold in the centre of the pitch. Luongo moved behind Smith, Eze moved out wide. As the later subs occurred it meant that by the end of the game we had changed formation a few times with the wide men swapping wings multiple times in both halves; a sign things were not quite working as we hoped. Eze was centre, right then left then centre again before going back out to the right. Luongo was deep then advanced. Smyth wide then up front.
Anyway, the Preston goal came soon after half time as they started strongly just like the first period. It looked like Kakay was well placed to win a tackle sliding across but a free kick was given. The Preston manager pulled a player to the side and was giving orders; whether that impacted what followed we don’t know but the ball was hung to the back post and the Preston header from Browne seemed to take an age to loop over everybody and into the net.
After that Preston had a few long range efforts without really kicking on, but Preston keeper Rudd had not had a save to make – and wouldn’t until the final minutes.
Preston appeared more than happy with the 1-0 and their time wasting was incredibly professional. Frustrating for us, but we’d be proud if we were that good at it.
We did manage to fashion one great chance near the end. Freeman sent in a free kick from the touchline and Sylla struck the ball towards goal from close range and it looked a certain equaliser only for Rudd to save miraculously with his first and only real action of the game – I say miraculously because he was on the floor ‘winded’ 20 seconds beforehand delaying the taking of the free kick.
Aside from that we had a few crosses but no real end product and it ended 1-0.
Reflections
My first observations is we are simply the same old QPR. Formation aside I couldn’t see much evidence of what McClaren is trying to do differently. If you did not know the manager had changed since the end of last season you would not have come away today thinking "has the manager changed". I think some of that comes down to Matt Smith. He is just too predictable and makes the team too predictable. With him up front it is clearly just too tempting to play long. It makes us poor to watch and easy to defend against once the opposition get a grip on him as they did today.
The atmosphere in the away end was not what I was expecting either. I anticipated with a sizeable away following it would at least be loud and rousing at the start of the game but it wasn’t really and then the opening exchanges clearly made everybody a bit nervous. The R's fans were obviously wanting to hope and think something good could happen but we probably all knew what was inevitably about to occur and so largely it was a muted atmosphere in the away end aside from the injury time push when the referee and those playacting for North End became targets. There was just a sense that we’ve all been here before and we knew the script before it even played out which impacted the atmosphere.
Leaving the ground I heard comments of ‘like watching paint dry’, ‘Predictable’ and ‘Same old QPR’. In truth it was a 0-0 game. Preston were the better side, there is no denying that, but Ingram was not exactly overworked. If it had ended 0-0 Preston couldn't have complained too much.
Ok, so we lost 1-0 and defeat hurts, but it could easily have been 1-1 and had we gone in at half time 1-0 up after Smith’s header it would have been a very different game. We had the best 2 chances of the game aside from their goal. I don’t see this as the end of the world; Preston are a very decent team and we weren’t outplayed, we are just clearly set for a very similar season to the previous 2 years which isn’t exactly the most exciting prospect.
Player Ratings
Ingram = 5 = He only had one real save to make but he get’s a low mark as his distribution is concerning. Whether kicking to the right or left his kicks seem to drift out of play.
Kakay = 6 = He didn't do much wrong, you could tell he was aware he needed to impress and that made him come across as nervous early on and he did give away the free kick for the goal but he looked OK.
Bidwell = 6 = Bidwell got forward well and defended consistently but he just cannot beat a man and seems to struggle to find the space to put in a cross when closed down
Leistner = 7 = My man of the match. One wild hack at the ball aside he is extremely solid, reads the game brilliantly and his strength will be second to none. There is more to come clearly, an important signing.
Lynch = 6 = He struggled at the start with Preston getting the ball in behind him but he was decent enough as the game went on. I just do not rate him or have trust in him.
Scowen = 5 = He was hardly in the face of the opposition and looked off the pace. When I saw Manning was coming on I thought it was for Scowen as he’d been so outplayed.
Seemed to chase shadows rather than affecting the game today but you cannot fault his effort.
Luongo = 5 = A poor match, he was almost anonymous and in 2 different positions I felt the game was going on around him and he was rightly subbed
Freeman = 6 = glimpses of his quality were on show but he just could not impact the game. As usual he sometimes tries too hard and I am not sure he is suited to the wide role.
Eze = 6 = He would probably get 6.5 if it was allowed. He was the bright spark in the first half and will get fans up off their seats but he faded out of the game, no doubt due to being moved here there and everywhere. He is clearly a real talent but did lose the ball in some dangerous areas.
Osayi-Samuel = 5 = He didn't do anything wrong as such but struggled to impact the game. Subbed at half time.
Smith = 5 = He didn’t hold the ball up well, his flicks were to nobody and he didn't take his big chance. He was dominated by his marker who was MOTM in the ground.
Subs:
Manning = 5 = Perhaps gave us a better foothold in midfield but I didn't come away thinking ‘he did this well’ or ‘he did that’
Smyth = 5 = I am not sure what his best position is, much like Osayi-Samuel he struggled to consistently impact the game
Sylla = 6 = He had a ‘50p foot’ moment when his attempt to control the ball ended up with the ball in the stand. He even laughed at himself! Ignoring that did look more dangerous than Smith. He won headers, looked a threat, had the odd half chance and was very unlucky not to score the equaliser at the death.
We always say 'you just never know what might happen' heading into the new season but after the 90 minutes at Deepdale this afternoon it is safe to say this is the same old QPR.
Match Overview
It is not an exaggeration to say we never had a kick for 20 minutes to start the match. Kakay thumbing the ball downfield nervously and headers clear were the only touches of the ball QPR had in the opening quarter. Preston were on top, putting on the pressure and having a succession of corners. Their best effort in that spell came when a fine effort from outside box hit the stanchion to the side of the post.
Preston were dominating the ball and trying the same ploy with success; a curled ball between Bidwell and Lynch, clearly aware of how poor Lynch is on the turn. It was working, but the effort above aside they never tested Ingram, largely thanks to some excellent blocks from Leistner who clearly reads the game well.
We did start to get a grip of the game from 20 minutes onwards and continued to improve towards half time.
Leistner’s strength was evident on a number of occasions; none more so than in one exchange by the corner flag where he won the ball back and was subsequently fouled himself. He looks a real player, in my view a clear class above those around him.
As we got into the game Eze showed a few moments of great skill but did counter that with one failed spin that led to a breakaway and an effort that Leistner deflected just wide. There was little consistency to our play and we didn’t keep the ball well enough at all. That said we should have gone in at half time 1-0 up. Smith missed a header from a Bidwell cross. From the other end of the ground it looked like he really should have scored. Our only real chance of the half but a positive end.
Manning came on at half time for Osayi-Samuel, clearly to try and give us more of a foothold in the centre of the pitch. Luongo moved behind Smith, Eze moved out wide. As the later subs occurred it meant that by the end of the game we had changed formation a few times with the wide men swapping wings multiple times in both halves; a sign things were not quite working as we hoped. Eze was centre, right then left then centre again before going back out to the right. Luongo was deep then advanced. Smyth wide then up front.
Anyway, the Preston goal came soon after half time as they started strongly just like the first period. It looked like Kakay was well placed to win a tackle sliding across but a free kick was given. The Preston manager pulled a player to the side and was giving orders; whether that impacted what followed we don’t know but the ball was hung to the back post and the Preston header from Browne seemed to take an age to loop over everybody and into the net.
After that Preston had a few long range efforts without really kicking on, but Preston keeper Rudd had not had a save to make – and wouldn’t until the final minutes.
Preston appeared more than happy with the 1-0 and their time wasting was incredibly professional. Frustrating for us, but we’d be proud if we were that good at it.
We did manage to fashion one great chance near the end. Freeman sent in a free kick from the touchline and Sylla struck the ball towards goal from close range and it looked a certain equaliser only for Rudd to save miraculously with his first and only real action of the game – I say miraculously because he was on the floor ‘winded’ 20 seconds beforehand delaying the taking of the free kick.
Aside from that we had a few crosses but no real end product and it ended 1-0.
Reflections
My first observations is we are simply the same old QPR. Formation aside I couldn’t see much evidence of what McClaren is trying to do differently. If you did not know the manager had changed since the end of last season you would not have come away today thinking "has the manager changed". I think some of that comes down to Matt Smith. He is just too predictable and makes the team too predictable. With him up front it is clearly just too tempting to play long. It makes us poor to watch and easy to defend against once the opposition get a grip on him as they did today.
The atmosphere in the away end was not what I was expecting either. I anticipated with a sizeable away following it would at least be loud and rousing at the start of the game but it wasn’t really and then the opening exchanges clearly made everybody a bit nervous. The R's fans were obviously wanting to hope and think something good could happen but we probably all knew what was inevitably about to occur and so largely it was a muted atmosphere in the away end aside from the injury time push when the referee and those playacting for North End became targets. There was just a sense that we’ve all been here before and we knew the script before it even played out which impacted the atmosphere.
Leaving the ground I heard comments of ‘like watching paint dry’, ‘Predictable’ and ‘Same old QPR’. In truth it was a 0-0 game. Preston were the better side, there is no denying that, but Ingram was not exactly overworked. If it had ended 0-0 Preston couldn't have complained too much.
Ok, so we lost 1-0 and defeat hurts, but it could easily have been 1-1 and had we gone in at half time 1-0 up after Smith’s header it would have been a very different game. We had the best 2 chances of the game aside from their goal. I don’t see this as the end of the world; Preston are a very decent team and we weren’t outplayed, we are just clearly set for a very similar season to the previous 2 years which isn’t exactly the most exciting prospect.
Player Ratings
Ingram = 5 = He only had one real save to make but he get’s a low mark as his distribution is concerning. Whether kicking to the right or left his kicks seem to drift out of play.
Kakay = 6 = He didn't do much wrong, you could tell he was aware he needed to impress and that made him come across as nervous early on and he did give away the free kick for the goal but he looked OK.
Bidwell = 6 = Bidwell got forward well and defended consistently but he just cannot beat a man and seems to struggle to find the space to put in a cross when closed down
Leistner = 7 = My man of the match. One wild hack at the ball aside he is extremely solid, reads the game brilliantly and his strength will be second to none. There is more to come clearly, an important signing.
Lynch = 6 = He struggled at the start with Preston getting the ball in behind him but he was decent enough as the game went on. I just do not rate him or have trust in him.
Scowen = 5 = He was hardly in the face of the opposition and looked off the pace. When I saw Manning was coming on I thought it was for Scowen as he’d been so outplayed.
Seemed to chase shadows rather than affecting the game today but you cannot fault his effort.
Luongo = 5 = A poor match, he was almost anonymous and in 2 different positions I felt the game was going on around him and he was rightly subbed
Freeman = 6 = glimpses of his quality were on show but he just could not impact the game. As usual he sometimes tries too hard and I am not sure he is suited to the wide role.
Eze = 6 = He would probably get 6.5 if it was allowed. He was the bright spark in the first half and will get fans up off their seats but he faded out of the game, no doubt due to being moved here there and everywhere. He is clearly a real talent but did lose the ball in some dangerous areas.
Osayi-Samuel = 5 = He didn't do anything wrong as such but struggled to impact the game. Subbed at half time.
Smith = 5 = He didn’t hold the ball up well, his flicks were to nobody and he didn't take his big chance. He was dominated by his marker who was MOTM in the ground.
Subs:
Manning = 5 = Perhaps gave us a better foothold in midfield but I didn't come away thinking ‘he did this well’ or ‘he did that’
Smyth = 5 = I am not sure what his best position is, much like Osayi-Samuel he struggled to consistently impact the game
Sylla = 6 = He had a ‘50p foot’ moment when his attempt to control the ball ended up with the ball in the stand. He even laughed at himself! Ignoring that did look more dangerous than Smith. He won headers, looked a threat, had the odd half chance and was very unlucky not to score the equaliser at the death.
