QPR Vs Leeds

Is this time for a rethink on strategy and go for 1-0 win, or even a draw? Risky business! However, last Saturday's game against Middlesbrough showed a worrying trait - we were passing the ball constantly along the line between the CBs and Luongo because the lacked confidence in maintaining possession as they moved forward. In the end Middlesbrough were happy to close them down when it reached the wings so the long, hopeful balls forward could be scooped up. The further side effect is Hemed.Wells/Smith coming back to try and get the ball - leaving them out of position for goal attempts. So the midfield service to the attack is crucial. (For the record, I did not feel Manning, Cousins, Wszolek or Luongo played badly, but where spaces exist for a short or medium pass forwards they were not taken.)

No great changes (as we do not have many alternatives available, so here is my line-up:

Lumley.............................. (purely because it would be the wrong game to reintroduce Ingram, not because Lumley deserves it)
Furlong Leistner Hall Bidwell (even though Furlong will be targeted as he does not close down wingers)
Wszolek Luongo Cousins Freeman (despite BOS's good performances I feel Furlong needs better protection)
Wells.............................. (Hemed still looks off the pace and Wells will work his socks off)

10 players good idea
We can’t seem to win with 11

I think we just need to knuckle down and get some points on the board somehow
If we have to play dirty boring football then so be it,watched game last night and forest scored after 2 mins and just sat on it and frustrated Derby the whole game
We got to stop the rot and McClaren knows he’s on thin ice now
He’s had no resources etc but he should be capable of getting a average team to win a football match in 2019
He can’t keep living on his we did well back in December,we are not now,we are dire at times,put 8 at the back just defend and get 0-0
not do poxy stepovers like eze and Freeman do,we are simply not good enough at defending to leave big holes in our defence and on the wings,yes the team try to get back in matches but it’s too late by then

Opposition get a litte tired of scoring goals

0 - 0 at half time. Leeds looked by far the better team and it was only when Leeds went down to 10 men due to an injury that we looked threatening.

Overall we have been poor.

First 10 minutes we looked ok, just poor final balls from Wszolek and Eze let us down.
From the 10th minute it was just chaos for the next 10 minutes, Leeds somehow didn't break through, they had numerous chances and had the ball in our box time after time. It was almost panic stations as we rushed every clearance and put ourselves back under pressure. Furlong even air kicked one clearance.
From the 20th minute we finally got a foothold in the game again, Wszolek was again guilty of a woeful final ball when he broke into the box. It was then an even(ish) 10 minutes although Leeds looked more threatening and that culminated in a glorious chance on 32 minutes with Hernandez rolling the ball across goal and somehow beyond the stretching Bamford. A few minutes later Leistner and Hall both had to make timely interventions.
Luongo struck over when well placed outside the box on 40 minutes but that was the best we could manage even with Leeds playing the last 5 minutes of the half with 10 men owing to an injury.

Cousins and Luongo are over-run in midfield. Cousins in particular is battling but is second to everything, he chases then the ball is flocked away or past him.

The Leeds press is beating us, we cannot get a passing move of more than about 4 passes going in the Leeds half. Freeman has been caught in possession a few times as 3 players hunt him down and it's like that all over the pitch.
We are playing too many long balls and Wells isn't winning anything or holding it up long enough for us to sustain pressure.