QPR v Stoke 15DEC20 0 - 0 FT 19pts/19th

In nearly 140 years I wonder if we have ever kicked off at 5.30 on a Tuesday in December?

This is ludicrous from Sky. Behind closed doors fair enough but when fans could be attending this game it is crazy.

Very weird and dont quite get it, if you have sky you can record it and turn off the phone for a few hours.

One look on social media and this is a huge game for Warburton. I sense it is verging towards 'must not lose' territory otherwise he will be on thin ice indeed. Not that I agree with that (I don't see what another manager could do with this squad built to play this way) but there is a lot of ill feeling towards him right now out there.

As for this match we really, really need to freshen things up. Whether that is a change in formation to get Dykes some support or dropping Cameron who has played on one season too long.

It looks like BOS will be out, so in my view this is the perfect chance to abandon wingers and play wing backs instead, thus enabling us to play Bonne up front with Dykes. BOS doesn't fit into 3-5-2, so with him out injured the chance is there to try something different after 5 games without a win and a lack of goals in the team.

I'd go:

Dieng
Kane Masteron Dickie Barbet Hamalainen
Ball Carroll
Chair
Dykes Bonne

Warburton will no doubt just go like for like - with Ball replacing Cameron, Adomah replacing BOS and perhaps Bonne replacing Dykes.

Warburton definitely needs to change from his favoured 4-2-3-1 because we have become too predictable and IMO we have been too easily out muscled. On Saturday against Reading we played some nice stuff but without any end product and had just 2 shots on target.

Dykes and Bonne are not prolific goal scorers and just 3 goals between them from open play backs this up. I had hoped that they would create chances but between them they only have one assist. Dykes does take a mean penalty though. Where Warburton is really frustrating is his stubbornness to change things even when they don't work. Playing either Dykes or Bonne as the lone striker hasn't worked all season. They are both very static players who defenders find it easy to mark. Even playing both won't work because they are too similer. If he continues to play Dykes he needs to play alongside a more mobile partner who can pull the defenders out of position. Chair could fulfill that role but he is better in a free role behind the front 2 and I would try Kelman who would add the movement to give Dykes more space.

Whilst we have some decent attacking players in BOS, Chair and Willock their crossing and final ball is poor. Their assists for goals reads,

BOS 2 - Assists
Willock 1 - Assist
Chair 0 - Assists

I didn't include Adomah but he has provided 1 Assist.

Willock is yet to score but Chair has now contributed 5 goals which is respectable and he has benefited from playing in the no. 10 role.

My ideal team and system would be,

Dieng
Masterson, Dickie, Barbet,
Kakay, BOS, Carroll, Chair,Hamillienin
Dykes, Kelman

However,because he is stubborn and set in his ways Warburton will stick with 4-2-3-1 which has so far won him and us just 15 games from the 44 games it's been used. (11 wins from 28 games in 19/20 and a paltry 4 from 16 this season).

Against Stoke I think he will go,

Dieng
Kane, Dickie, Barbet, Hamillienen
Cameron, Carroll
Adomah, Chair, Willock
Dykes

Stubbornness to try something different could ultimately lead to his downfall.

I can well understand the lethargy. In some ways it is worse that we play so well and then fail at either end of the pitch! Anyway, I do agree with you northwesthoop that a change is required and would be happy with that side against Stoke. Having attacking WBs with Ball covering gives us 90 minutes of support (Cameron, although better, realistically offers 60 mins or so only). I would say though that I am tempted, like stoatey, to try Kelman instead of Bonne....