Southampton v QPR 26Aug23 2 - 1 FT 3pts/19th

Good save from Begovic when facin0g a one on one with Ryan Fraser. We were very slow to react to a quickly taken Southampton free kick.

6 minutes added.

2-1 it finishes

It was one of those games where it was a great performance but because our finishing wasn't clinical enough we come away with nothing.

I suspect that is why Duke-McK and Kolli came on - to provide that pace and push for the equaliser. Regarding Smyth not defending as well as you would hope, if GA knows this is an issue then he should have been directing Kakay and Dozzell (as the other RHD side players) to be wary and prepared! 
I only saw the last 20 minutes but it seemed life without Dykes was better than expected?

3 points every 4 games won’t save us from relegation
We are playing much better but results are much the same as last season

Was at the game, and thought we played very well. Bloke next to me started screaming after 40 seconds at our defensiveness. But that’s how you have to play against teams like Southampton. We looked compact and tight and kept them at arms length for the majority of the game. Only when Smyth made a mistake did they get in.
Referee was poor throughout and on a different day with a different ref, Armstrong isn’t pulled up for fouls and he goes through and scores (one on Bednarek in the first half springs to mind).
The first half, the game was determined by what happened down the camera side of the pitch. Smith’s mistake, then attacking Manning to make the equaliser. He has to be playing further up the pitch because his pace will devastate defenders. He’s a little clumsy with the ball, largely due to his footballing history in Northern Ireland, but he will cause problems for teams going forward.
Chair looked a little lost in the 5 & 4 block that we played, but I wonder whether he’ll get a more central look once Dykes is fit and Colback can play the 90.
Kolli looked sharp and panicked at the end with that chance. Cook and Fox look very comfortable and command the defence very well. And Sinclair is an absolute animal of a centre forward, echoes of Michail Antonio to him. Equally, I know it was only a warm up, by the kid Bala looks like he’s got something about him as well. Not sure where he fits in the team but there’s ability there too. Thought Duke-McKenna struggled though when he came on.

All in all, I don’t think this team is far off being quite good. Yes we’re clumsy with the ball at times, yes we don’t always have much possession in a game. But there’s fighters in this team, they’re disciplined and they look very dangerous on the counter attack. The games, the last three at least have been exciting and we’ve been in all of them. I look at the five below us and I only have Middlesbrough finishing above us. Ainsworth has something here, it’s not quite the finished article and it’s very very raw. But you can see that there is a side coming. That said we need 3 players — a right wing back, another quick, muscly forward and a better option than Dozzell — get them and we may well do alright this season.

QPR rank 23rd in the league in each of the following categories:

Average Possession : 32%
Pass Accuracy : 67.1%
Average shots per game : 8

Only Rotherham are below us in each

QPR are 1 of only 6 teams yet to score a goal from a set piece.

he was just a bit too slow on the ball, needed to release it quicker and allowed himself to be closed down. Quite like the look of him though as a back up player, he's quite busy and works hard for the team. When he did lose it he worked hard to get back and try and win it back