Who cares what a bunch of disinterested hacks have to say when you can get the skinny direct from those to whom it matters most? Well, good news: Football Burp‘s very own Jonny Forumer, lurker extraordinaire, is here to collate choice message board analysis so you that can get the lowdown from the people who really know what they’re on about! Here’s what Queens Park Rangers and Wigan Athletic fans had to say in response to Mark Hughes’ side’s 3-1 win over the Latics at Loftus Road on Saturday…
QUEENS PARK RANGERS
From qprdot.org…
LewiHoop: “Was anyone else abit bemused by hughes decision to take dj off and change shape at half time? I think it was very negative! okay we we’re 2 up but it was a bit early to do that it invited them into the game and we we’re really negative IMO! at 2-1 i was bricking it and thought i was gona be at one point!
First half performance was really encouraging but second half we we’re so deep at times and they really got into the game! I was hoping we we’re going to come out get a quick third with DJ on the pitch theN see the game out! Barring a wonder strike from TS we looked nervous until that went in! As always it was a bloody nightmare watching QPR once again but some positives for sure. DELIGHTED WITH THE 3 POINTS!!!”
arthurshines: “Cautiously optimistic but Wigan were absolutely terrible, and im more convinced than ever that the R’s don’t need Joey Barton, in fact there might have been another R’s goal or two if not for those terrible plonker side-of-a-woodpile passes to Young and Hill and Mackie, and that whiff near the end was embarassing. I don’t might being hard on the man now, after what he’s said about NW. Time to put up or shut up Joey, you were not good enough today and your side won in spite of you, not because of you”
Keith: “Two points I noticed today where our play seemed different: First I noticed a habit for our forward holding players, collecting the ball with their backs to goal, to stay firm, try nothing fancy and await the illegal tackle from behind. Second, and more importantly, there was much more effort at shooting on sight. There were a couple of incidents which, two weeks ago, would have seen players looking up for that next pass. Instead today there were attempted shots. New coaching? Who knows, but we scored three times……which is nice.”
From QPR Report…
londonranger: “I do not see this as the harbinger of Prem life. but a super three points against the teams we should do well against to stay up. I am so happy that Smith replaced DJ and that the other bloke (its am here, and ive been drinking and my memory is shot). Cos neither would have come anywhere near the goal with that pass, but Smith can and does know how to score. A magnificent, strike, without which we could very well have to split the points. buszasky found form that we havent seen since he first came over from Ply A. The first penalty take by Ice was a superb strike, the second wasnt a penalty so who cares.
But as Sabas said, we looked like a team,aggressive, helping each other, moving the ball beautifully.
Havent seen that very much. Sparky had that frown which I had until the penalty and he calmed.
then very serious, observant, but not overwhelmed or exaltant, and when the players came off congrats, or a pat, but a win is good but not fantastic. Bothroyd was the bloke I forgot.
I knew it was a free kick that Kenny froze on but I was so happy about this win, I mistyped.
Oh again using Halls height to obscure and moving him with Busz Hungarian arrow bound for the twine, was brilliant. Goodnight, and good luck Rs. We might get smashed like the It cruise ship by scummers, but, I doubt that anymore, and Spuds are next and cant wait.”
steveb66: “After some sloppy defending in the first five minutes we settled in to what has to rate as our most satisfying and composed home performance this season. Sure, the result against Chelsea meant more but we huffed and puffed against 9 in that game.
Hughes has certainly got the whole squad stepping up to the mark and this new found belief can only improve under his team. We now look sharper, punchier, less afraid to go forward and shoot at goal, our shape is better and we have more composure. With a couple of new signings this week and players due back from international duties in less than three weeks, this will surely continue to act as motivation to the existing squad?
Well done to Mark Hughes and his team, he IS making a big difference IMO. Also loved the NW chants yesterday as he also played a massive part in all this.”
kempton ranger: “In the first half we were great going forward and solid at the back. In the second half we sat back for a while and probably defended to deep which in turn invited Wigan on to us, but what do I know. One thing is for sure Hughes does know and the team look far better and the formations suited our players. Come the next league fixture away too Villa the boys will be fitter more organised , more galvanised and have more belief. Well done TF this could be your best move yet.”
What did you think of the match, QPR fans? Have your say in the comments section below…
WIGAN ATHLETIC
From Cockney Latic…
runcornfan1978: “As a person who considers himself to be a lightsider i’m becoming deeply frustrated now & whereas in the past i would defend martinez, the players, coaches etc etc, there is only so much a person can take. bobby will always be a legend in my eyes as a player, but sadly, as a manager, it has not worked. even a side 3rd from bottom has played us off the park. even when we pulled it back from the free kick, i just knew we didn’t have it in us to go get an equaliser & god forbid, try & get a winner. this season is the end of wigan athletic as a premier league club.”
EccyCol: “All those years of clawing our way up the divisions and the first year in the Prem were great. Unfortunately reality has now clicked in. I thought Roberto had the right philosophy of playing attractive passing football.
Swansea showed us how to do it properly last weekend. Unfortunately, we’ve not got the players to do it. Swansea showed that you don’t have to spend big to get the right players to play this style.
Its been a humiliating day to be a Wiganer. Lose badly at QPR, Trotters beat Liverpool, a thick Wigan bird on Take Me Out. Might just slash my wrists before MOTD comes on! Still, the chubsters will soon be back showing us how to win. Doh!!!”
garswood_latic: “Now I know Bobby isn’t the only one who uses them, Bruce was quite a believer. But stats should be used as indicators, not the be-all and end-all.
Bobby constantly talks of squad players (ie those not getting a game) by quoting that their performance is not yet at the right levels, their fitness isn’t ready etc. As they aren’t playing he is clearly only getting this information from figures from training. Which is OK to a point. But stats don’t show someone in training who may not be performing at the highest levels (because he just can’t) but is so eager to prove himself, who wants more than anything to wear the shirt, who would die to be on the pitch. I’m not saying that there are people like that, but maybe to some extent: PVA was so p***ed off because he wasn’t getting a game. He wanted to play and may well have done far better than those who did.
Then on matchday we have figures upon figures and analysis upon analysis. And I think he is placing a lot of decisions on that information. One is clearly “passes completed”, and that instils in the players a fear of making a misplaced pass, so they take the easy option and pass sideways and back. It doesn’t matter on the stats that there may have been more risky but potentially more probing options available. If you pass to a blue shirt then that’s a tick in the box for you.
You don’t hear Ferguson talking about pass completion rate, or fitness levels. And United play the unexpected long ball, cross field, or run at the defender.
The analogy is a call centre. They have masses and masses and masses of individual performance figures. One is call handling time. Get as many calls as you can, what is the average call handling time, and if you are quicker than the target time you get a tick in the performance box. It doesn’t matter how briefly you cut the caller off, it doesn’t matter if you didn’t actually resolve their query – the stats are all important.
The big mistake, in my humble opinion, is not that the tactics (as in 4-4-2/4-5-1 or whatever) are wrong, or that the players are second rate (individually and with other clubs they have been fine), it’s that the stats regime limits them in what they can do without having a big cross put in the box instead of a tick.
Stats should be used as an information tool, but then the manager (of a football team or of a call centre) has to use his skill and experience to identify what is really going on and make managerial decisions accordingly. Unfortunately (and I hate to say this) this is where Bobby’s inexperience has shown through – he’s read the manual, done the course or whatever – but what is needed is a sensible head with experience of occesionally throwing the book out, and going with a gut instinct.”
From This Northern Soul…
The_Pon: “I want Martinez to go. Now. He remains a legend on the pitch, and a damn nice bloke. He’ll never lose my respect for those things, but as manager, he’s absolutely clueless. His tactics (no, tactic. Singular. No plan B here, officer) are the reason we can’t score. His team selection is awful. It seems as though he does a tombola for starting places before the game, with no consideration for form, the opposition, consistency, who plays well together, and who’s downright crap even doesn’t seem to figure. We don’t look motivated; not up for a fight.
So there we are. No passion, no team spirit, no tactical guile; all adds up to no hope. I will never forget Bob’s time as a player, nor the loyalty he showed, or the fact that he’s an awesome fella. I hope that in time, I will forget his tenure as manager.”
OPM: “A fresh start in the Championship with Bob in charge is what we need.
We’re skint which means the only way a 15/16th placed finish is possible is to spend beyond our means and risk going bust or have that momentum from coming up like Norwich and Swansea have done. Neither is really possible.
I just want to get back to winning a few games and to look forward to Saturday afternoons again.
A clearout is needed. I’m not just talking players either. I’m talking the twats that have infested our stadium since 2005 and managed to alter the expectations of our club through their obsession with ‘The Prem’ and the carnival that follows it wherever it goes.
I want to enjoy following Wigan Athletic again and if that means getting out of this league and the shite that it comes with then I’m all for it.
Imagine all the people and organisations we won’t have to put up with if we went down. In the way of Ives, I’ll start us off…
Soccer Saturday pundits
Placky Scousers in The Poacher
Talkshite
The Sun’s SuperGoals pullout
Fuzzy screens buffering in the pub”
Old_Wolf: “There’s no one clear area of fault here. There are questions over the Martinez tactics and team selections, there are worries over the finance being made available to the manager and there are question marks over the performances of the players. Add to that the rumours of discontent behind the scenes, whether true or not, and it’s clear things aren’t right at the club.
It seems pretty clear that with Whelan in charge, there won’t be large sums available for name signings and wages, so we’re going to rely on having a top notch scouting network to find the odd gem and a youth system to supply homegrown talent. We seem to be a fair way off the youth setup providing regular players and I’m unsure whether our scouting network is as good as it could be, though I don’t know any details of that.
Results continually back up the belief that the current players aren’t suited to the style of play demanded by Martinez – three years in, lack of goals, leaky defence. Relegation would see the big wage earners almost certainly leave and need to be replaced. Is Martinez the man to do that and would Whelan, for all his protestations, be willing to back him? I’m not even sure that the manager would remain if his three year plan failed.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen us rise from the bottom of the fourth division to the top of the first division and, though the enjoyment was more in the journey than the arrival, it’s something that we can be proud of, even if no-one else seems willing to give us the credit we deserve. I just feel that now is the time to re-adjust our thinking and accept that maybe the second division is our true level, with maybe the odd flirtation with division one.”
What did you think of the match, Wigan fans? Have your say in the comments section below…