Swansea v QPR

K

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
Swansea v QPR Mon 1 April 15:00

It’s Easter Monday, a Bank Holiday and April Fools Day.

We have a home match with a big crowd expected and hopefully we can replicate the atmosphere of the derby match in the last home game and the players respond accordingly.

After the abysmal showing against Sheffield Wednesday maybe the players will wake up for this one. Although the draw and shared points was a reasonable outcome, we didn’t deserve anything from that game.

It was the recent Bristol City away match all over again with walking football and a laid back approach, misplaced passes, weak defending and blunt up front. If it wasn’t for the man of the match, goalkeeper Rushworth, we would have lost this one by a few goals.

Most concerning was that Luke Williams was happy with the performance.

Moving on to Monday’s game and we meet a rejuvenated QPR side who have only lost twice in the last 10 games. On Friday they beat Birmingham 2-1 in a relegation clash with the winner coming in added time.

Spaniard Marti Cifuentes was appointed head coach of QPR last October, replacing Gareth Ainsworth after six straight defeats culminating with a 1-2 home defeat to Leicester and a bottom three position.

Since then QPR have 9 wins and 8 draws from his 26 games in charge.

They have a strong away record over the last 6 games, losing only once and conceding just 3 goals:

W3 D2 L1 F5 A3
 
Swans: Carl Rushworth, Josh Key, Harry Darling, Joe Allen, Matt Grimes (c), Jerry Yates, Jamal Lowe, Josh Tymon, Nathan Wood, Ollie Cooper, Ronald

Subs: Andy Fisher, Jay Fulton, Ben Cabango, Jamie Paterson, Charlie Patino, Liam Cullen, Liam Walsh, Aimar Govea, Azeem Abdulai



QPR: Asmir Begovic (c), Morgan Fox, Jimmy Dunne, Lyndon Dykes, Jack Colback, Ilias Chair, Jake Clarke-Salter, Sam Field, Joe Hodge, Paul Smyth, Steve Cook

Subs: Joe Walsh, Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Chris Willock, Michael Frey, Isaac Hayden, Reggie Cannon, Ziyad Larkeche, Lucas Andersen, Sinclair Armstrong
 
Swansea - QPR 1 (Cook 71’)

QPR got stuck in from the start, helped by a weak and inept ref, they were up for it, we were not. They roughed us up and got away with it.

Second half we were better but could not break down a resolute defence and a good goalkeeper.

Once Allen went off injured and they scored you just knew we were going to lose. I don’t think we’d have scored if we’d played another 90 minutes.

Weak up front with a diminutive headless chicken leading the line cross after cross was put into the box with no one capable of reaching the ball, QPR defenders gobbled them up. Lowe and Ronald marked out of the game and subbed. After that we had no idea how to break them down.

We’ve just played two teams below us in the table and gained one point. In doing so we’ve conceded a goal in each match to the lowest scorers in the Championship, scoring just once.

Swans Williams repeated today after the match that we are not going to be relegated, we are too good.

QPR’s Cifuentes said - when I see the table we need more points, we need to be aware that there are six games left and we need more points.

QPR are one point behind us. Who is right?

Given our penchant for gifting goals to teams below us in the table, it is worrying that four of the last six games are - to teams below us in the table. Also Williams has won just two of his seven home games in charge, we have three home games left.

Sat 6/4 Middlesbrough away

Wed 10/4 Stoke home

Sat 13/4 Rotherham home

Sat 20/4 Huddersfield away

Sat 27/4 Norwich away

Sat 4/5 Millwall home
 
Last edited:
I did not understand Williams’ game plan yesterday?

We kept on pumping endless crosses into the box to our 7 goals in 39 matches lone striker Yates who is only 5’ 9” (later replaced like for like with 5 goals in 30 matches Cullen 5’10”) even though the tactics were clearly not working.

Balls were easily hoovered up by their 6’ 6” goalkeeper Begovic and their back four, all over 6’.

QPR were the much better organised side, they blocked our wingers and controlled midfield, relying on the counter attack, which worked perfectly. We had no idea how to break them down and once they scored there was no way back.
 
Too much disruption at one time?

67' Jamie Paterson replaced Jamal Lowe

68' Liam Cullen replaced Jerry Yates

69' Liam Walsh replaced Oliver Cooper

71' Steve Cook scores

Within four minutes of the three subs coming on QPR scored.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.