I know it's 'If's, buts and maybes' but I would've loved it if we had started this season with this squad. Only Norwich and Watford ( that might have changed today ) have taken more points than us in this division this year.
Right at the end, Dom Ball losses the ball in front of our penalty area, and Cameron hacks down the Cove.ntry player...but Ball gets the yellow card. Was that card just for being an idiot...or did I miss something
Dickie, Wallace, Willock in the 1st half too, were all excellent as well today, and all who started were at the least good. I just thought Johansen was a cut above everyone else on the pitch, the way he controlled the game and opened their defence up many times with inch perfect often disguised passing was exceptional. Slight minus for him for not taking a couple of shots early on, but otherwise a nigh on perfect performance. Chair works hard, got in good positions, made a few clever passes his corners were better, but he frustrates me with his continual insistence on shooting at the near post often from impossible angles or distances. Still he got lucky today when the Keeper spilt that one weak shot for our 3rd goal.
I was going to make a similar comment about Chair and then he went and scored. His decision-making is poor sometimes, though.
I hink Chair has improved alot this season. Taking the number 10 shirt iand all that we associate with it could be a burden. It took Eze a while to look comofrtabkle in it. I think next season we will see the benefits fo giving him that shirt, and if we can hang onto the loannes as well he will have some experienced players around him to help. I do wonder whether if we do sign the loanees permanently, will Caroll get offered a new contract as we would have Amos returning aswell. Great result yesterday
I think the way we played the 1st 30 minutes with quick 1 or 2 touch quick passing from the back, and high press is Warburton's favoured way of playing. What we tried to do most of last season and this until about the end of December. He's gone 3 at the back which has helped reduce the goals against, and we have been playing more directly since January as we weren't scoring enough either this season until Austin and Johanesen came in. Yesterday against a weak side we played more from the back again and the 1st 30 minutes was I reckon how Warburton really likes us to play most. Helped on a lot by the early goal, and then them scoring a couple for us!
Johansen is the one I'd want most but can we realistically afford his wages? They discussed it on the QPR Pod this week - he's surely on upwards of 30k p/w which is about two or three times our wage cap as I understand it. I think our best hope with him is that he and the club both push hard for another loan - assuming Fulham stay up...(which I think they will)
Certainly Johansen is the template for the younger version we need to bring in and mold into the set-up. Another loan would be a good option if it’s the least we can achieve. Give us the space to find our next man. I really hope Ilias is able to step up to the next level after this season. He could have easily had a hat-trick yesterday vs a solitary keeper fumble from his shot.