QPR 2-1 Bolton

Wow! A starting 11 without one recognised wide player. Very brave Dougie!

thats why we we have 2 attacking fullbacks playing 

aaron_bwfc wrote:

BWFC: Lonergan, Baptiste, Knight, Mills, Ream, Spearing, Medo, Danns, Pratley, M Davies, C Davies

I am utterly gob-smacked the new guy doesn't start.

What a team! Has there ever been a more negative Bolton team?

it has park the bus written all over it

How can you not play a fucking winger when you have no bloody full backs?!!

It's either going to work wonders or we will be 2-0 down within 30minutes.

This team excites me. I'm making a late dash for the game.

aaron_bwfc wrote:How can you not play a fucking winger when you have no bloody full backs?!!

It's either going to work wonders or we will be 2-0 down within 30minutes.

 i'm going for the latter!

I thought Dougie said Moritz was going to set the Championship alight and he'd be a "real treat for the fans".....?

Why's he on the fuckin' bench then, whilst Pratley starts....?

Breadman wrote:I thought Dougie said Moritz was going to set the Championship alight and he'd be a "real treat for the fans".....?

Why's he on the fuckin' bench then, whilst Pratley starts....?

He meant he was dangerous with a pack of matches.

I still don't know where Dougie gets the idea of Pratley being a defensive midfielder, he tried it against Leicester when Dyer was ripping Baptiste a new one.

It didn't work that day so what makes him think it will work today?

no need for any more attacking players when we play an 811 formation

aaron_bwfc wrote:Teams for tonights game:

QPR: Green, Assou-Ekotto, Dunne, Hill, Traore, Kranjcar, Henry, Carroll, Phillips, Johnson, Austin

Subs: Murphy, Hoilett, Diakite, Zamora, Wright-Phillips, Ehmer, O'Neil

BWFC: Lonergan, Baptiste, Knight, Mills, Ream, Spearing, Medo, Danns, Pratley, M Davies, C Davies

Subs: Bogdan, White, Vela, Eagles, Lee, Moritz, Jutkiewicz

Look at the money in that QPR team! That bench could start for us.

Notice Sanmi has lost his place on the bench, but Hayden White is still there. No Bolger either.

We're set up very narrow - looks like Dougie is trying to match QPR in midfield.

aaron_bwfc wrote:I still don't know where Dougie gets the idea of Pratley being a defensive midfielder, he tried it against Leicester when Dyer was ripping Baptiste a new one.

It didn't work that day so what makes him think it will work today?

Have you had a haircut Aaron?

Pratley didn't play DM against Leicester he came on on the right to give Baptiste some cover but get forward as well. Same as he was playing against Birmingham and Forest and tonight as far as I could see. He had a decent game.

aaron_bwfc wrote:I still don't know where Dougie gets the idea of Pratley being a defensive midfielder, he tried it against Leicester when Dyer was ripping Baptiste a new one.

It didn't work that day so what makes him think it will work today?

Dougie's the sort of manager that doesn't see past "if there's a gap, close it", even if it means a decent attacking player misses out to a useless cart horse of a midfielder.

We need a manager that's prepared to take some risks. To be fair to him, he's progressed since the reverse fixture in which we had Medo, Spearing AND Ream playing defensive midfield.

Report: QPR 2-1 Bolton

IN BRIEF

Despite a spirited performance, goals either side of the interval ultimately proved Wanderers’ undoing at high-flying QPR.

Charlie Austin and Karl Henry were both on target for the hosts, who for large parts had been frustrated on their own patch.

And it could have been a different story altogether had Craig Davies’ first half pile driver from distance crashed into the net rather than against the woodwork.

Jay Spearing’s late strike ensured a nervy ending for the hosts, but what would have been a deserved equalised was not forthcoming.

TEAM NEWS

Dougie Freedman made two changes to the side that slipped to a narrow defeat against Premier League opposition in Cardiff City in the FA Cup three days earlier.

A seemingly more steely line-up saw Mark Davies, fresh after missing out on the weekend’s game entirely, and Darren Pratley in from the off. Chung-Yong Lee and Chris Eagles dropped to the bench.

FIRST HALF

There wasn’t even ten seconds on the clock when Charlie Austin clattered Tim Ream in an aerial dual. The results weren’t pretty. After almost five minutes of treatment from both clubs’ physios Wanderers’ American defender was carried from the field of play and straight down the tunnel with a nasty-looking facial injury.

Hayden White was thrown on for his senior debut, Austin escaped seemingly unscathed.

Bolton more than matched the hosts in the early throes.

A twinkle-toed Mark Davies crafted the contest’s first opening of significance.

The midfielder chased down a loose ball before dispossessing Armand Traore and beating a Clint Hill on the byline. His pull-back found Darren Pratley, who saw a certain goal-bound shot ricochet off a defender into Rob Green’s grasp.

Bolton were absorbing QPR’s pressure well, looking to spring the counter when the opportunity presented itself. Pratley burst onto another calculated long ball before rasping a left-footed shot across the face of Green’s goal.
The Trotters’ confidence continued to grow.

Mark Davies was once again at the hub of another sweeping move, intercepting a pass before setting his namesake Craig in the clear. From the right channel, his first time shot flashed into Green’s side-netting.

Andrew Lonergan was first called into action on the half-hour mark, rushing off his line to claim Niko Kranjcar’s angled cross with Austin ready to pounce.

There was no rest bite for the QPR rear-guard, with Wanderers’ hard-working front four endeavouring to close down the hosts when in possession.

On 35 minutes, following another lapse QPR pass, Craig Davies saw a pile driver of an effort from the angle of the area thunder against the crossbar, with Green a mere spectator.

But Bolton’s hard work was cruelly undone on 41 minutes.

Against the run of play, Matt Phillips’ pinpoint cross from the right was nodded home at back stick by Austin.

Bolton somehow headed into the interval a goal down.

SECOND HALF

The second half started in the worst possible manner. Harry Redknapp’s side flew out of the traps and were soon two goals to the good.

After initially miss-controlling a clearance from a corner on the edge of the area, Henry arrowed a low volley through a forest of legs and beyond an unsighted Lonergan.

QPR were very much in the ascendancy, though Pratley did loop an instinctive effort wide of the far post from all of 35 yards.

Bolton didn’t throw in the towel. Subs Chung-Yong Lee and Lukas Jutkiewicz added extra impetus to the side’s attacking play.

Lee forced Green into a smart save with a curling effort before Medo whistled a 30-yard within a whisker of the far post.

And on 85 minutes Bolton’s endeavours were eventually rewarded, as Jay Spearing halved the deficit. His low shot after some good work from Lee zipped beyond Green.

It was an admirable effort from Wanderers, but QPR were to hang on and eventually wrap up the points.

FULL TIME

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Manager's QPR reaction

Despite seeing his side defeated by Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Tuesday evening, Dougie Freedman was pleased with the effort shown by his players, with the manager confident that the tide will turn sooner rather than later.

Goals from Charlie Austin and Karl Henry either side of the break had seen Wanderers fall two behind – a scoreline which arguably flattered the hosts – with Jay Spearing’s late goal proving to be a scant consolation on the night.

A final result which the Scot admitted was difficult to take given the Whites’ display against Harry Redknapp’s side, Freedman explained that the players can certainly take solace from their performance against the R’s.

“I was very proud of the effort and commitment that they showed – it was a close game,” he said following the final whistle. “At times, QPR were ruthless and their defending was the difference but we kept on going and I’m very proud of their efforts.

“We hit the crossbar and their keeper has pulled off two wonderful saves, so the key to it is to stick together and keep on putting in these performances because it will change.

“I thought our game plan worked really well and the lads stuck to it perfectly tonight. QPR are very ruthless though when it comes to snuffing out certain situations.

“I think we could have been stronger on one or two occasions when we broke on them, but saying that their keeper has pulled off a couple of excellent saves.

“We were also dealt a bit of back luck in the opening seconds of the game with the incident surrounding Tim Ream – he has come off with what looks like a broken nose and we feel their player was lucky to still be on the pitch.

“Young Hayden White came into the fold however and acquitted himself very well indeed.”

He added: “Our lads will never give up – that’s the key to it. We’ve had a difficult couple of weeks, but this team are fully committed and are a great bunch of lads to work with. Things will change if we keep on believing it.

“Those who were there tonight will have seen a very good performance with not a lot in it, but credit to QPR.”

With Wanderers back on the road again this weekend with a trip to Portman Road on the agenda, Freedman explained that he has every confidence that his side will start to reap the rewards of their hard work if they continue in a similar manner.

“There are some big games coming up and we’re looking forward to them, starting with Ipswich away and then a couple of derby games at home,” he said.

“I firmly believe that if we produce similar performances to what we’ve seen tonight, I’m certain we’ll get the result we deserve.”

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Dougie Freedman wrote:I was very proud of the effort and commitment that they showed

If there's one phrase that makes me angry it's that one.

Brave? Commitment?

What the fuck is brave about running around a football pitch for 90 minutes? And now he's applauding commitment? Fuck me, there was a day when commitment was guaranteed from any footballer pulling on the white shirt.

Fuck off Dougie, you'd see a positive in death.

Another bad day at the office with the same old excuses week in week out, His 'I firmly believe's' are bullshit!! No better than Sammy Lee, Worse than Megson, same as Coyle not an effing clue about tactics, a good manager could grind out a result even with our poor excuse of a team, needs to go now along with Gartside and whilst we are having a clearout the owner.

karlypants wrote:



He added: “Our lads will never give up – that’s the key to it. We’ve had a difficult couple of weeks, but this team are fully committed and are a great bunch of lads to work with.

Hmmm...

Wasn't he saying at the AGM last week that most of the squad couldn't be arsed and he wanted rid?

Make your mind up Dougie.