Critchley on the brink

[londonranger]

How much more of this can all concerned with Queens Park Rangers’ wellbeing accept?

A sixth home loss in a row, amid a cluster of unedifying statistics, does not bode well for the club’s head coach Neil Critchley, a man now dismally - and desperately - on the margins.

Life for a certain generation of QPR supporter has traditionally surfed on both the waves of the unpredictable and dramatic. But the current run of form rivals some of the worst states since the millennium. An Ilias Chair penalty miss. a lack of midfield orchestration, a shot-shy mentality up front and goals by Sunderland’s Luke O’Nien, and a double by Jack Clarke all contributed to another taxing, if not unexpected evening in Shepherds Bush.

Another one of those dire statistics: it is utterly incredulous that, since the departure of former boss Michael Beale to Rangers, the club has endured a dismal run of only one win in 16 outings – on 22 October against Wigan Athletic – and this, after being briefly top of the Championship, too.

Even by the standards of a division where confidence and crisis often appear oddly close together for many of its clubs, the fare on offer in W12 has bordered on high farce. Defeat at home to Millwall preceded the visit of Sunderland, and Critchley badly needed some kind of boost. In a cut-throat division he is, though, a man on borrowed time.

Struggle

QPR’s struggle to score goals was evident again throughout. For all their efforts, they rarely got behind the Black Cats’ rear guard.

It took, however, until the 25th minute for the only decent chance to emerge. For Sunderland, naturally. O’Nien fired a 20 yard shot which R’s keeper Seny Dieng did well to palm away, before denying Abullah Da.

Sunderland discovered a degree of verve and, in the 34th minute, they, unsurprisingly went ahead to fuel QPR woes, courtesy of O’Nein’s enthusiasm. With the hosts slow to pick up markers and positions, the midfielder nipped in to scramble the ball over the line when Dieng failed to hold Daniel Ballard’s powerful header from a corner by Alex Pritchard. Sunderland’s breakthrough was merited, while the R’s laboured; suffering from a passive midfield, sorely lacking in aggression.

The boos from the home fans in the 14,471 crowd to greet the half time whistle were only too audible for Critchley, as he hurried in to the dressing room to try and address yet another ominous situation. There was, of course, an encore at the end of the evening.

Slumped

QPR, now slumped in 16th place, have been so bereft of direction and confidence and, with the concession of the goal, it made their task even more difficult under a manager quickly losing the trust of fans – if it hasn’t already evaporated. That it took until the 53rd minute of yet another contest ebbing away, when Ilias Chair fired a decent shot which was well held by Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson, helped to explain the R’s lack of drive. This was officially alarming stuff.

The minutes thereafter saw a degree of improvement – negligible as it was – with Sunderland, like so many of QPR’s Championship opponents across the last three months, content to sit on their advantage and focus on a counter attack. Yet even this is to damn the west Londoners with faint praise in front of their long-suffering supporters. The Black Cats simply had more bite, particularly in midfield, where it mattered.

However, a stroke of luck in the shape of a penalty award for QPR appeared in the 65th minute. Was this to prove a turning point?

Sadly, the opportunity passed by, when Patterson turned away Chair’s blast from the spot. How indicative of when things are simply not going for a team, the onlooking Critchley failing to enjoy what should have been not just an equaliser but a moment of respite and, perhaps, renewed faith.

Joe Gelhardt clipped the crossbar as Sunderland surged again to grab what would have been a killer second. They eventually got in with ten minutes to go. QPR, increasingly jaded, allowed Clarke to forage past Rob Dickie on the left side to fire home from an angle. Clarke casually sweeping the ball into the roof of the QPR net in the last minute signalled the exits for the home fans. There was little defiance left.

From the Championship summit, to this? It cannot go on.

R's: Dieng, Paal, Dickie, Dunne, Laird, Dozzell (Johansen 80), Field, Iroegbunam (Armstrong 75), Chair, Lowe, Martin

[powerpump]

Yes, I fully expect the Loser etc., will be gone soon.
All he did was turn a potentially promotion chasing side into a relegation bound team.
Anyway, it's irrelevant whatever excuses he makes, the table does not tell lies.
Whatever mitigation he has the way of the world is the manager takes the blame.
Have the owners got the guts? Or the brains?
Remember they appointed him.
We need a safe pair of hands to avoid the drop.

Critchley out now!

[harr]

Oh dear, no more please

[evenlode]

“I didn’t see a team lacking heart,attitude and fight”
End of ….the bloke is a delusional buffoon!! If he was your pet, you’d put it down . Someone end his bloody misery.

[blatantfowl]

It’s bad. Really bad.

I only recently started following a couple of pages and groups on Facebook and some of the posters there make even the most scathing of characters on this board look as if they are blessed with the wisdom of King Solomon.

It’s seething with hate. Snarling and howling derision like a bunch of drugged baboons fighting over a pot noodle. Nobody is going to get what they want and everyone is going to get splattered in the process.

I don’t see much cohesive and considered thought. Assuming we can afford to waste money and offload NC just who is going to be the saviour? Any available manager with a reputation will smell the desperation and make big demands to come here, especially seeing what’s happened to Critchley. An incoming manager with no reputation will be in exactly the same situation as NC. Forget about the wholesale removal of LF, Hoos etc. They are the long term planners and have kept the club solvent and away from fines/point deductions. Relegation might lengthen the plan but otherwise has no bearing on it.

The issue is with the players who in a division where any team can beat any other team they are now the odd ones out.

If NC has to be a casualty I don’t think it’s because NCs ideas are crap, it’s the failure to motivate a squad with some big psychological issues.

I am assuming we cannot afford to pay NC off and pay compensation for any manager who is already in a job.

I can only think of Ollie as the man with the club history, reputation, motivation skills who is affordable. It’s a gamble that he’ll do something left field with the squad to just get them some mental relief so they can stop making mistakes on the pitch.

If we’re desperate enough to be sad about missing out on Warnock then we will probably be OK to accept Ollie as next best chance.

Obviously, I wish it wasn’t like this but the alternative is to accept relegation and enjoy a season where we might win a few games in L1.

[Macmoish]

Trouble is we've just given him a 3 1/2 year contract (bizarre for its length)...+ His two coaches...So if we axe him - we have no money...

And finding an instant replacement who would want us...who's available (Thanks Warnock!)

Ideally we'd appoint only to the end of the season...But who's going to want that kind of job - unless he's desperate for anything.

the names I've see Ainsworth - I doubt he'd join at this point. And now out of a job Jones!

[harr]

Is he still here 🤷‍♂️
This guy will take us down, he is out of his depth.
Wilder maybe, Bircham maybe a short term contract.
Not sure but if we stick with this guy any longer we will be League One.
Needs to be gone by Friday and take the DOF with him.

[nomar]

I genuinely don't think changing the manager now is going to make a blind bit of difference.

The players downed tools months ago and have never picked them back up. Why does anyone think a new manager is suddenly going to inspire them to do all the basic, simple things that they haven't been arsed to do since last year?

Week after week we concede soft goals. We did it under Beale, did it under Warburton, it's the same goal every time and we haven't learned to stop it. We have a chronic fear of the forward pass when we get into the opposition final third.

It was great when Willock was fit and on form, but without him there's no hiding place for a bunch of players who, most weeks, look like they've been dragged out of the pub against their will, forced to put on a QPR top and play with 10 other strangers they've never met before, none of whom know what the hell that round leather thing is that keeps rolling past them, or what on earth they're supposed to do with it on the odd occasions that it comes under their possession.

I don't know what manager is going to come here and suddenly galvanise them into looking remotely like something that could pass as a professional football player.

[harr]

What do you think a 3 PM announcement?

[rangersman]

Lol i am past caring to be honest, we love a bit of drama at the Bush. NC or Mourhino would not make a blind bit of difference to this team, they are just going through the motions on the way down to L1. Couldnt beat an egg I think the saying is.

[spanishal]

If as likely NC goes somewhat prematurely, it would be a huge humiliation for the powers to be whilst he would leave with wounded pride but with a nice severance package. The players should hang their heads in shame as it’s obvious they had no intention of adapting to anything that Critchley may have had to offer.

Never in my 60 years of supporting the club have I seen such a dysfunctional bunch of players or the club in such disarray. Mistakes and gross negligence by owners old and new have left us in a situation where FFP (F***ed For Perpertuity) has placed us in a stranglehold that’s virtually impossible to get out of. ( sorry for the language but sometimes it’s appropriate,)

[harr]

Yeah shocking performances.
I would like to say we might roll our sleeves up at Boro but you know as soon as we concede it will pretty much be game over, heads will drop again.
Not sure what the point of keeping him on is.
Maybe they think what’s the point changing as we are going to lose it anyway get a new Manager for the Blackburn game or others at the club hoping he desperately can turn it round with a win to hide and shield them from their own incompetences while they earn the big bucks for not doing such a great job themselves.
We have more coaches than Critchley at the club though, supposedly to be some of the best, so they can’t get anything from this bunch of players either, find it all pretty shambolic.
There not as good as there egos think they that’s for sure.
1st to 17th in 16 games wow, could be 19 th Saturday , oh joy but it’s all ok Rangers keep those rose tinted glasses on.
Would take a 0-0 but you know Archer is gonna come back to haunt us.

[Lonegunmen]

You raise a lot of interesting points. Not just the manager but what are his team of coaches actually doing and why are the players not responding?