Luton Match Thread

[Marc]

Chair starts, Willock on the bench.

[gladstoneparkranger]

I just don’t understand Thomas/Shodipo getting game time as obviously out of depth at this level!! …

[dan]

Ok. 7:45 in and I’m already yelling at the TV. Even at the lowest of levels of football, I coach the kids to hang out at the top of the box to receive the cross. All our players continue crash the goal as the ball sails behind them. What gives!?! Then on the opposite end, Morris hangs out as the top of the box, gets the cross, and boom. Am I wrong here???

[harr]

Poor 45 minutes for the new Managers first home game at the minute, need to turn this around.

[blatantfowl]

2 down.
NC has his work cut out.

[nomar]

Been to a funeral and just came back to hear an old work colleague who I was speaking to a few months ago has died of pancreatic Cancer.

Puts things, like this game (which I had completely forgotten was on) into proper perspective.

[dan]

Sigh…. That will do it. Down 3

[harr]

Critchleys first home game is atrocious, carrying on from the dire Cardiff performance.
Team don’t score, havnt got a goal in us hardly and as for starting Shodipo again, getting 79 minutes, dear oh dear, well he is league 2 at best, putting him in the shop window to get £5K in Jan.

[surreychad]

Although we were crap I thought Shopido did ok. he won the ball, got crosses into the box and did more than most.

Its time for a clear out at QPR.

[harr]

What another clear out.?
Surely not , this team was top of the table with Beale a few weeks ago, not sure I buy that.
We just need a couple of people that can actually score, that’s not Dykes, Shodipo does stuff sure but the guy has no end product.
Dykes, Thomas, Shodipo and Niko need to go.
I can’t think of a worse performance for a first home game from a new Manager, dire stuff Critchley.

[surreychad]

Dec 29, 2022 19:38:52 GMT nomar said:

Been to a funeral and just came back to hear an old work colleague who I was speaking to a few months ago has died of pancreatic Cancer.

Puts things, like this game (which I had completely forgotten was on) into proper perspective.

Sorry for your loss. 

[surreychad]

Dec 29, 2022 19:56:32 GMT harr said:

What another clear out.?
Surely not , this team was top of the table with Beale a few weeks ago, not sure I buy that.
We just need a couple of people that can actually score, that’s not Dykes, Shodipo does stuff sure but the guy has no end product.
Dykes, Thomas, Shodipo and Niko need to go.
I can’t think of a worse performance for a first home game from a new Manager, dire stuff Critchley.

Ok maybe an over reaction from me

We relied on loan players to get us to top of the league and they simply didn't perform tonight, it was poor all round. Send Taylor Roberts back he is simply not doing it and one of our highest paid, we wont get any money for fringe players but at the very least let them go to free up wages for a couple to come in. we are 2 or 3 players away from being a top 6 team. How can we have nearly 30 crosses in to the box and not one of them found a QPR head.

[harr]

Dec 29, 2022 20:05:14 GMT surreychad said:

Dec 29, 2022 19:56:32 GMT harr said:

What another clear out.?
Surely not , this team was top of the table with Beale a few weeks ago, not sure I buy that.
We just need a couple of people that can actually score, that’s not Dykes, Shodipo does stuff sure but the guy has no end product.
Dykes, Thomas, Shodipo and Niko need to go.
I can’t think of a worse performance for a first home game from a new Manager, dire stuff Critchley.

Ok maybe an over reaction from me

We relied on loan players to get us to top of the league and they simply didn't perform tonight, it was poor all round. Send Taylor Roberts back he is simply not doing it and one of our highest paid, we wont get any money for fringe players but at the very least let them go to free up wages for a couple to come in. we are 2 or 3 players away from being a top 6 team. How can we have nearly 30 crosses in to the box and not one of them found a QPR head.

No not a reaction at all Surrey, it might well be valid.
But no question that Beale had us looking like a good team until the Rangers tap up.
Scoring has been a problem with our forwards for 2-3 seasons.
Agree about Roberts and Bonne needs to go too.
Dykes is never going to be the answer.
If the midfield doesn’t tick and score then the forwards very rarely bail us out.

Only been three games with Critchley so early days but after Preston the other two showings were poor.

[stylecouncillor]

I'm so conflicted .... Don't know if I feel sorry for Dykes for lack of service..... Or think he's just useless !! . Is 30 crosses poor service ? .... When even Luton win at Loftus road and we lose 4 in a row for the first time since the 40's.... Maybe we're just crap !!

[londonranger]

Is it time to replace Cratchley Scratchley

[powerpump]

"Is it time to replace Cratchley Scratchley"

What are the odds he does not last until season end?

[rico]

One word Inconsistent plagued us since we were relegated 2015 no matter who the manager is was and who comes along don't know what the answer is but sacking managers again won't solve anything

[spanishal]

Was somewhat unimpressed by the post match interview,he seems to have an unfortunate air of indifference about him. Staying the obvious that we failed at both ends, but played some good football , oh really! A shocking defeat , in fact hammering,by a bang average side would have someone like Neil Warnock frothing at the mouth. Early days, time will tell etc etc, the guy has one tough job on his hands re- motivating a completely demoralised set of players that were table toppers a couple of months ago.

[kerrins]

Its been obvious since day one at the start of the season that our strikers at Championship level are woeful(I have said so all along) but we did at one stage have decent organisation plus the midfield genius of Willock and Chair.

Sadly our organisation has now gone to pot and Willock and Chair have lost their Mojo which combined with the dross up front has currently not left us with much.

I do believe that the team can improve become better drilled than of late and Willock and Chair can regain their magic. However as for those strikers/front players we have on the clubs books forget it! You cant get blood out of a Stone. They would have trouble getting into a lot of League one sides.

Football is of course about opinions but when over the hill strikers such as Austin and Gray (who we released) are STILL superior to what we have at present this is bad news indeed

[rickyqpr]

Just a few observations, the morning after a pretty bad home defeat – having taken time to digest.
The team selection was something of a surprise – but then it seems we had illness in the camp.
The formation was what Critchley liked to do at Blackpool – with Bowler the quick winger to break and cross. As we only have Shopido in the Bowler role, I guess he was the obvious choice. The dropping of Willock for Chair was understandable – until we know what is really going on with Willock. The selection of Roberts though, with no Armstrong on the bench can only be explained by the wages we must be paying for Roberts. I can live with Critchley assessing his squad for January decisions. But the decision to just have Field and Iroegbunam in the middle of defence looked lightweight.
It started ok. Luton were going to high press, and through Chair we were able to push them back. Morris is a great Championship striker who only cost £1.8m. He lost both Field and Dickie to be all alone for a great finish. We then dominated possession without any real threat. I thought Roberts was awful in the first half and I expected him to be hooked at half time.
We will never know if we had made tactical changes at half timer, because as Gavin Ward awarded a very generous foul to Luton, a flick on from Paal when trying to clear, gave Morris his second from a very tight angle. Goals change games, and we never really looked like breaking them down. The third was a worldly but we stood off him go. Game over. I wanted us to score because I predicted 3-1, but I was even denied that.
But one dilemma stays with me. Dykes is all we have got. He works hard, wins a lot in the air and has a fierce shot. When he shoots, it is all about force and never about placing. He invariably shoots straight at the keeper. He seems to be deprived of service, even though he wins a lot that is directed towards him. Last night over 30 crosses – and most times he was not far away – but far enough. Shodipo and Adomah’s crossing was pretty poor, but there was only one player in the box marked by 5 Luton players. I think Dykes is a nearly player, nearly scores, nearly makes the cross, nearly flicks on to the number ten. But fundamentally, last night it was about the set up and not having the players to play to that set-up. Dickie and Dunne are better in a three. Iroegbhuman could not support because he was playing in a centre of two. Roberts was a passenger in the first half but was better in the second and had one of our best chances. Chair was ill in the second half and drifting wide. The game was calling out for an Armstrong to run at them, wrestle, them, unsettle them and to support Dykes.
So, for me, Critchley is working out what he needs. Last night he must have seen the limitations of many of our players and perhaps will look to develop our own and bin Roberts and accept that Shopido can not do what Bowler did.

[rangersman]

Critchley says he does not think we were well beaten, good god where on earth do we get these managers from? Just keep us out of the relegation zone mate, because that's all we can hope for. Oh for an honest manager, is it too much to ask?

[surreychad]

Dec 30, 2022 11:57:02 GMT rangersman said:

Critchley says he does not think we were well beaten, good god where on earth do we get these managers from? Just keep us out of the relegation zone mate, because that's all we can hope for. Oh for an honest manager, is it too much to ask?

I agree with him, we were constantly going at them. In the second half they had 2 shots on target and scored two goals. 

It wasn't as though we were constantly outplayed or under pressure for 90 mins. 

Its wasnt great, we had our chances but in my opinion we were not well beaten no matter what the score suggests. 

[harr]

Dec 30, 2022 11:48:26 GMT rickyqpr said:

Just a few observations, the morning after a pretty bad home defeat – having taken time to digest.
The team selection was something of a surprise – but then it seems we had illness in the camp.
The formation was what Critchley liked to do at Blackpool – with Bowler the quick winger to break and cross. As we only have Shopido in the Bowler role, I guess he was the obvious choice. The dropping of Willock for Chair was understandable – until we know what is really going on with Willock. The selection of Roberts though, with no Armstrong on the bench can only be explained by the wages we must be paying for Roberts. I can live with Critchley assessing his squad for January decisions. But the decision to just have Field and Iroegbunam in the middle of defence looked lightweight.
It started ok. Luton were going to high press, and through Chair we were able to push them back. Morris is a great Championship striker who only cost £1.8m. He lost both Field and Dickie to be all alone for a great finish. We then dominated possession without any real threat. I thought Roberts was awful in the first half and I expected him to be hooked at half time.
We will never know if we had made tactical changes at half timer, because as Gavin Ward awarded a very generous foul to Luton, a flick on from Paal when trying to clear, gave Morris his second from a very tight angle. Goals change games, and we never really looked like breaking them down. The third was a worldly but we stood off him go. Game over. I wanted us to score because I predicted 3-1, but I was even denied that.
But one dilemma stays with me. Dykes is all we have got. He works hard, wins a lot in the air and has a fierce shot. When he shoots, it is all about force and never about placing. He invariably shoots straight at the keeper. He seems to be deprived of service, even though he wins a lot that is directed towards him. Last night over 30 crosses – and most times he was not far away – but far enough. Shodipo and Adomah’s crossing was pretty poor, but there was only one player in the box marked by 5 Luton players. I think Dykes is a nearly player, nearly scores, nearly makes the cross, nearly flicks on to the number ten. But fundamentally, last night it was about the set up and not having the players to play to that set-up. Dickie and Dunne are better in a three. Iroegbhuman could not support because he was playing in a centre of two. Roberts was a passenger in the first half but was better in the second and had one of our best chances. Chair was ill in the second half and drifting wide. The game was calling out for an Armstrong to run at them, wrestle, them, unsettle them and to support Dykes.
So, for me, Critchley is working out what he needs. Last night he must have seen the limitations of many of our players and perhaps will look to develop our own and bin Roberts and accept that Shopido can not do what Bowler did.

Heaven help us then if we are trying Shidipo in the Bowler role, there 2 leagues apart maybe more.
I don’t think it was a game for trialling out what you need in your first game at Loftus Road but maybe that’s just me.
In three early games from Critchley although we have 4 points, have to say not impressed one bit yet.

[harr]

Dec 30, 2022 13:57:07 GMT surreychad said:

Dec 30, 2022 11:57:02 GMT rangersman said:

Critchley says he does not think we were well beaten, good god where on earth do we get these managers from? Just keep us out of the relegation zone mate, because that's all we can hope for. Oh for an honest manager, is it too much to ask?

I agree with him, we were constantly going at them. In the second half they had 2 shots on target and scored two goals. 

It wasn't as though we were constantly outplayed or under pressure for 90 mins. 

Its wasnt great, we had our chances but in my opinion we were not well beaten no matter what the score suggests. 

But that’s just it, constantly going with no real end product.
How many games in the last two seasons have we had endless shots and possession and can never find the target , the other team has four attacks and wins two nil.
It happens all the time with us as we rarely keep clean sheets and up the other end, unless Chair and Willock save us all the other chances we create generally get wasted.
A few more performances like this we will be in 16th looking at the gap from 21st which is crazy really but look at our slide last year was even worse.

[surreychad]

Cant disagree with the no end product.

I was talking to a mate last night and neither of us can agree why that is, we are constantly attacking around the box but turn so little in to scoring opportunities. Is chair just taking up too much time and not much in return? Are we constantly going wide when what we really need is an attaching midfielder to drive in to the box?

We have so many great players, some could play in the Prem and probably will in the next season or two but we are simply not scoring enough goals.

[rickyqpr]

Dec 30, 2022 11:57:02 GMT rangersman said:

Critchley says he does not think we were well beaten, good god where on earth do we get these managers from? Just keep us out of the relegation zone mate, because that's all we can hope for. Oh for an honest manager, is it too much to ask?

Read a few comments today about Critchley.
His post-match comments have irritated a few as well it seems.
I really hope he is a success, because at the moment he is in danger of making Beale look a miracle worker.
Following him at Villa and failing - he cannot afford to blow it at QPR for his own good.
But as it stands, Beale got an average group of players to top of the league  - his poor subsequent spell of defeats will be quickly forgotten by the media - we need to turn it around.