| Queens Park Rangers | Middlesbrough | ||
| Wszolek Wells |
4′ 60′ |
Saville | 51′ |
| Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
49% 17 2 7 17 |
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
51% 8 1 5 12 |
Rangers Reffing pains pointless Pulis
This afternoon we faced yet another of our Ex Managers and our only trophy winning one at that. The Hoops had a bit of disastrous start to their season in contrast to ourselves but they have been quietly climbing away from trouble and until the last few weeks almost looked like potential Play Off contenders. The fact that the Hoops have endured a bad run in November and December didn’t offer much solace to Boro fans who have seen just eight points garnered from the last fifteen as automatic hopes disappeared over the horizon faster than TP’s deck shuffling at Deepdale. Put bluntly momentum was something that neither side possessed going into this game at 3.00pm in West London.
The big positive for Boro fans packed into the School end was that our away form is still impressive having only been generous once on the Road this season when we felt sorry for Daniel Farke’s then struggling Norwich. With the “R’s” current form less than impressive having lost all their last three fixtures could Boro add to their season saving away form at Loftus Road? The R’s man to watch was former Boro target Luke Freeman who is the Hoops “prolific scorer” with five goals this season. McClaren had a doubt over Hemed but would be without Rangel, Cameron and Hall.
TP had Rudy Gestede still on the treatment table, Mo Besic suspended and Wingy struggling with a Hamstring and rated doubtful. A few others had been suffering with a head cold apparently so it may have meant that TP was forced to shuffle his pack especially with more games coming up over the festive period. Dael Fry was fit again having recovered from the blow to the head against Villa.
Team news saw Saville being rewarded for his efforts last week and perhaps stake his claim for the Besic shirt and a surprise repeat taste of that Hugill and Assombalonga pairing from last weekend. Suspected formation was 4-3-1-2 with Howson and Downing wide, Clayts in the middle and Saville providing the ammunition for the front two? Again Martin Brathwaite (head cold or just frozen out?) was nowhere to be seen with Wing deemed fit enough for the bench along with Tav, Fry, Batth, McNair and Fletcher.
Boro kicked off with a 4-5-1 and Assombalonga looking to be playing out wide which was completely against everything the Travelling Army had hoped to see with Downing on the opposite flank. A Wing Back or Winger Britt certainly isn’t. Just when we get our hopes up TP dashes them once again. Early pressure was from QPR with Luongo having an early shot deflected out by Howson.
Saville hesitating gave away possession and from the resultant throw Freeman went close as the rain was now pouring down in freezing conditions. Seconds later and it was Freeman again and then Bidwell who beat Shotton, his cross picking out Pawel Wszolek who put it past the despairing Randolph on four minutes. At this point Boro hadn’t even got started let alone offered any threat. It was all one way traffic and on eight minutes Nahki Wells had the home fans on the edge of their seats as a long range effort ricocheted dangerously fortunately for Boro favouring Randolph.
The diminutive Wells again tore the Boro defence apart as Aden Flint committed himself allowing the on loan Burnley striker in on goal which went out for a corner thanks to Ayala covering. Ten minutes gone and Boro were simply appalling. Our first corner came courtesy of a Saville effort delivered in by Downing which went out for a second corner after complaints from Boro claiming Flint was shoved in the box. That corner was a low one delivered this time by Howson but came to nothing and Rangers cleared their lines.
Boro had nominally cleared their heads a little improving marginally but still nowhere near good enough as another deep static start cost us dearly with 25 minutes now gone. Our shape had looked awkward and dysfunctional from the off and left Hugill isolated as usual. The Boro midfield started to push up now leaving a gap between themselves and Clayton and spreading out. Despite the changes our set up still looked unbalanced and anything but a credible threat. Half an hour gone and we hadn’t registered any attempts on target. Playing Assombalonga out wide instead of up top with Hugill was failing miserably as most had thought it would from the off. Meanwhile Nahki Wells again had a chance which went wide as Rangers were carving the Boro defence apart fearless from the toothless and spiritless Boro attack.
A good throw out from Randolph set George Friend away who charged forward, beating Wells and let fly a shot that was predictably well wide consistent with our shooting accuracy. Unfortunately there was to be no repeat of his effort back in January. That was the best of the first half for Boro who although by now were not as woeful as the opening stages still offered no serious threat despite enjoying more possession. A free kick awarded for a foul on Downing allowed an opportunity to deliver a set piece which was floated to the far post missing all the big lads in the box as though they had never practiced a free kick in their lives. Total strangers!
The dark miserable sodden skies and heavy depressing pitch just summed up Boro in the first half who didn’t look as though they believed in themselves or each other. A Clayton ball to Downing allowed Stewy to get a shot off that went out for a corner. The corner again was subject to a claim that Flint had been grappled and hauled back leading to Ref Oliver Langford speaking to the giant CB. As play restarted a tackle on Saville was adjudged to be worthy of Langford’s whistle as we were breaking free much to the away fans annoyance.
Just before the half time whistle went another ball from the right flew in as Wells glanced his header wide. The contrast between Rangers firing in balls for their Striker to attack versus the angled balls that Boro were putting in aimlessly for Hugill was stark to put it mildly. Thankfully the first half came to a close and allowed Pulis the opportunity to reorganise the mess that had unfolded before him. The ten men last week scrapped and battled with Hugill and Assombalonga working as a pair looking effective but putting Britt out wide was reminiscent of Karanka nullifying Stuani as a wide player. A complete, total and utter waste of something that looked to be working last week sacrificed for the sake of another cunning plan that blew up in the Managers face before his side even crossed the half way line in anger.
No changes to either personnel or shape saw Boro desperately defending from the off as a Shotton error allowed the Hoop’s to take advantage of our generosity. What went on in the away dressing room didn’t seem to alter or change anything as we started how we finished the first half with Freeman and Bidwell torturing our right side and Boro on the back foot. Howson done well to set up our first attack of the half but again the final delivered ball seemed at odds with our isolated Striker and the distant Assombalonga. A throw in while Rangers were down to ten men with CB Lynch receiving treatment saw a Shotton cross poorly cleared out to Saville who took his chance and hit a great ball straight back towards the Ranger’s goal to pull the sides back level.
QPR almost replied immediately with a quick break which was cleared by Randolph’s feet. McClaren made an enforced sub for Lynch as the game suddenly hit new levels of tempo as Boro looked to be willing to take risks and push forward. A Free Kick saw a lot of discussion and pre planning by Boro with the eventual end product by Howson disappointing. At this stage Rangers looked to be rocking, their enforced shuffle at the back not helping things as Boro for the first time had the upper hand in the game.
A Downing free kick into the box saw Lumley in the Rangers goal all at sea as Flint failed to connect but then a break by Luonga saw Saville take him out to prevent Boro being caught out and collecting a yellow for his troubles. Boro charged forward in numbers looking to exploit the superiority but Howson was bizarrely given offside and the game see sawed back again with Rangers going down the other finding Wells totally free in the box and Rangers were back in front 2-1. It was Boro rocking now as QPR took a short corner shortly after regaining the lead which went out for a goal kick for Randolph to take. Cousins then skinned Friend and Ayala had to intercept to clear it out for another Hoops corner, chaos in the Boro box saw Saville blocking and another Rangers corner led to a shot which went over Randolph’s bar.
TP then brought off Howson and Downing for Wing and Tavernier. A Friend ball into Lumley’s box saw Ayala using his favoured arm to control it which ended going wide after Saville ended the move with a half attempt. A free kick conceded by Tavernier on Luongo saw a Freeman ball fired in that was cleared by Friend who was sent flying for his troubles. Since the Hoops regained the lead Boro had lost their mojo and struggled to get back into the game. A weak Boro corner saw Rangers break away with Shotton just managing to get back to take the sting out of the threat.
A poor free kick was easily dealt with as Boro now looked out of ideas apart from hitting pointless balls up to Hugill with all shape and intensity gone. Twenty minutes remaining and if it wasn’t hard enough battling the opposition and the conditions, Referee Oliver Langford seemed to be a twelfth man for the West Londoners as everything was adjudged to be in their favour. A late tactical reshuffle saw Britt moved up front with Hugill as we went to three at the back and Shotton and Tavernier now operating as Wing Backs. A Massimo Luongo lunge at Shotton saw Saville get involved in a scuffle with the Aussie and having already been booked he was immediately withdrawn by Pulis for Ashley Fletcher to enter the fray.
Less than ten minutes remaining and Shotton nearly gifted Rangers their third of the afternoon as he played a ridiculous ball across the middle of the pitch. With Five minutes now remaining I wasn’t sure if Boro had any semblance of tactics (4-4-2?) then Luonga had another effort that went over Randolph’s bar. A long clearance then from Randolph saw a Hugill knock down to Tav who fed in Fletcher but his attempt went out for a corner. Things were now getting messy with frustrations building and Britt managed to get himself booked adjudged to have fouled Furlong.
Four minutes of stoppage time saw Pawel Wszolek with another effort as Boro had shoved Flint up field. An Assombalonga effort was blocked as desperation stakes were raised and a Fletcher effort from a Friend cross gave faint hope of Boro nicking a point. Tempers then flared as Boro retained possession after Rangers had put the ball out for treatment or a substitution depending on your perspective. A last second lofted Boro Free Kick into a packed Rangers box saw Langford blow his whistle to end a miserable pointless afternoon in more ways than one.
More puzzling tactics and again nothing to show for it as Boro succumbed to their second away defeat of the season. I can’t award a MOM award in what was really poor and unconvincing fayre. Things were very reminiscent of this time last year when the Manager just didn’t seem to know what he had or how he wanted them to perform. Apart from Saville’s goal I can’t recall Lumley being tested at all. How we hope to get promoted by sitting deep defending from the off and no longer with a resolute defence to rely on but with no attacking threat whatsoever can only end one way. It seems that Boro fans are once more having to watch an intransigent, defiant Manager sticking to failing tactics have that all too familiar Groundhog day feeling.