It's Friday....there's a game tomorrow.....

As the weekend approaches and we all start to wind down a bit thoughts turn to 3pm on Saturday and the visit of Ipswich........

Just for a bit of light (?) reading here's Clive's thoughts on the January transfer window.....

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/41919/learning-to-love-january-–-column

Up the R's.....

 

Good stuff. We finally seem to have learned the lessons.

 

Must admit I thought it was quite positive.......the twitter picture that was included showing last seasons squad with all the faces blanked out of those no longer with the club was sobering.......only 7 left out of the lot of them......only at QPR.......

 

The direction of our transfer market to young up and comers from players at the end of their careers is positive, but there is a big danger that we are swinging from one extreme to the other. As I understand it the Club intended to sell Phillips, I for one am very happy we didn't. A comment to Clive's write was that the great 75/76 team was made up of our own products and players brought in from lower Leagues. But crucially imo it contained McClintock and Webb, and Hollins who had all won silverware, and the first 2 anyway were key to our success then. I think we could well finish this season just above the bottom 3, thankful that we retained the little proven quality and experience left available to play in the Squad. Strengthening of it will probably be needed in the summer.

 

Watching Brighton v Brentford on Bet 365 (2 - 0).

Brighton certainly seem to have re-discovered their Mojo.

Knockaert looks like a great midfield signing and a pair of Israelis combined for the 2nd goal.

OBZ playing, along with another 35 yr old.

Commentator questioned why van Gaal let Wilson go out on loan to Brighton.


Anthony Knockaert has been at the heart of everything good Brighton have done so far and he's got the first goal.

His ball frees Jamie Murphy on the left and Murphy cuts inside and gives it back to the Frenchman, who shifts the ball to the left and strikes hard and low across the goal.

David Button dives but can't keep the ball from going into the bottom right-hand corner.

Knockaert's first goal for the Seagulls.

Brighton 2-0 Brentford (Hemed)

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Brighton have their second of the evening, and Tomer Hemedhas ended his personal goal drought of 10 games.

Israel international Beram Kayal drifts past Josh McEachran with ease on the right flank and puts a cross into the box which finds his compatriot.

Hemed heads back across goal into the bottom corner from about eight yards out, with Bees keeper David Button rooted to the spot.

Brighton are very much in control.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/35422406

 

Any successful side at Championship level requires a mix of experience, youth and, most importantly, skill. Look at our team in 2010-11 and we had plenty of experience and skill but not enough youth which would have saved us from tearing the heart out of the team the following season.

We are currently heading in the opposite direction, ideally we need four or five experienced players as the basis to build a younger average-age team to challenge for the Play-Offs but our experienced players are all on their way out, too much of an about-turn can be just as bad as our short-termism previously...

 

Brighton won 3-0 tonight against Brentford (who are 4 pts above us), but surprisingly, according to BBC, with only 35% possession - 12 shots, 4 on target, 3 goals, that's how you get the job done.

 

And they did it without using their new young International Check striker who we had made a bid for, but got turned down.

 

Yet another good piece by Clive.