The QPR Tactics Discussion Thread

I've been feeling the need for a thread to discuss QPR tactics in more depth. Some people don't like to talk in much detail, preferring 1 sentance posts, and that's fine. This is probably not for you. I just wondered if others were interested in having a thread where we break down the tactics being employed by Warburton over the season and/or discuss what changes we would make, especially considering Warburton seems to be a bit all over the place at the moment.

I'll get it started:

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Firstly, I wouldn't even dream of sacking Warburton at the moment. I believe he is the right man for some long term stability and would only start to think about replacing him if we are promoted (I'm not sure I could see him being smart or wily enough to keep a team in the EPL, could you?).

For me, he is getting a few blindingly obvious things wrong lately.

The main issue is his use of two strikers, whilst not having any natural wingers or crossers of the ball. We can all see this is not working. Unlike some others on this forum, I think Austin and Gray are more than good at this level. We actually have a set of 3 strikers that most teams in the league would love to have. The issue for us is two of them really don't fit with our tactics and the types of 'creative' players we have.

I've noticed so many times recently that whichever striker is/strikers are on, they call for the ball a lot and nothing is provided them. I'm not talking about these massive long balls from the back line or keeper. Those do happen occasionally, but are usually poorly executed. I'm talking about smaller, looped through balls or through balls on the ground from the midfield.

It feels like Warburton has specifically told the team to only make a forward passes when they're 100% sure it will get to the player. But this is not how football works. You have to take chances, at least in the opposition half. We can't be scared too much of giving the ball away. I would like to see us make the opposition defences work more in this respect. We just need to put pressure on teams, make them sweat.

We also change our striker/s too often. In fact, Warburton is generally tinkering with the whole 11 way too much. I appreciate that we have a few injuries at the moment (self inflicted, from buying injury prone players). But we need some consistency, and up front is where we should start. We need to allow 1 striker to get into a rhythm, and that has to be Dykes. He is the best suited for the way we play.

So, for me, I would be playing one striker, with Willock as 2nd Striker, and Chair playing his usual roaming attackin midfield role. Ball should be the holding/defensive midfielder until Field comes back (who will still be injury prone even when fit again). And I would be asking Johansen/Amos and Chair to be looking out for any time Dykes or Willock raises their arm calling for a pass (in other words, trust the forwards!)

I'd be willing to stick with the whole wing back system for now, as long as one of the wing backs has been given the order to cross as regularly as possible, including making some early crosses. Could possibly switch to 4 at the back and have an extra midfielder to keep a hold on the middle of the park.

I could write more but let's get the ball rolling!

 

Warburtons been using tactics ? Ffs when did I miss that ?

 

Great post, great idea for a thread.

I don't disagree with anything you've written, although I don't like the idea of an Amos/Ball CM pairing. I'd be interested to see what a Johansen / Amos partnership looks like.

Absolutely agree that two up top isn't working as we just get overrun in midfield. It's too much to ask from the midfield two, whichever pair you go with.

I also think our formation is very dependent on the wing backs having a good game / season. No coincidence our form at the back end of last season came when Wallace decided to do a Maldini impersonation. We could do with Odubajo living up to some of his pre-season promise.

I think Dykes can make one up top work really well so no idea why we won't utilise that at the moment.

 

Blimey, you're brave putting a thread like this on a football forum like ours!!
Standby for some snidey remarks.

I've said for a while that Warbs is tinkering too much. He bangs on about the fixtures more than any other coach anywhere. I fear he may have become a little obsessed with all the fitness technical data available these days.
Having said that, I realise that 2 games a week means that some players can't keep playing.
But that doesn't mean he has to fiddle with a system that was working well offensively earlier on.
In my opinion we should return to one up top with Chair and Willock in behind.
I think 3 at the back probably suits us best, so I'd like us to keep that system.
Our centre backs must be just about the slowest anywhere, so we'll always be in trouble when they're forced to turn and our very open formation means they get run at a lot.
However, I think we'd outscore many teams in this division so I'd stick with 3-4-3, as much as I dislike only having 2 in central midfield.
I don't particularly rate Moses and we've missed Wallace unbelievably.
I'd try to play Albert at right wing back as often as he can manage.
With everyone fit, I'd go for:

Dieng
Dickie - De wijs - Barbet
Albert and Wallace
Field - Johansen
Chair - Willock
Dykes.

This gives some options on the bench to both shore up midfield or go for goals as and when.

 

Why would you play the formation that has worked so well for us in the early games of this year when you could start tweaking it instead?! Next you'll be telling me we should start our best players too

 

For clarity, I was not suggesting an Amos and Ball partnership. I was saying Amos could play when Johansen can not.

I like Amos. He makes things happen. But asking him to protect the loose defense is a big ask. Only Ball seems to have the balls for it.

I would actually drop Dickie. Some may bite my head off for that but I actually think it would be the best thing for him. He needs to sort his head out and be made to rethink things. He'll come back better. Id have Dunne in his place and De Wijs in the middle.

A quick note on resting players: it's not working. I'd play my best 11 each game, get in front by a goal or two, and then make subs a bit after half time.

Most players should be able to play 2 games every other week. Just make good use of the subs. Albert starts each game!!

 

Are you insane ? Drop Dickie ffs, he's our 1 decent centre half, who's having to play alongside imposters. He may have dipped a bit since the first month of the season but last couple of games he's been class again. Add to this the fact that he can carry the ball forward and supply the front men and score a worldy every now and then he should be the undroppable one out of all of them. De Wijs is a sick note and can't be relied upon, Dunne too early to call but doesn't instill me with loads of confidence yet. Barbet is the one that fills me with dread the most, I know he's played something like 900 games on the trot but I just see an error in him every game. If you add to this the fact he's slower than a one legged hunting tortoise then he's the one I'd want to replace. Not gonna happen though as he's Warburton's boy, so we're back to square one !

 

So in summary we have ;-
A load of good players with a history of injury,many of whom are now injured regularly
Some youngsters who need time and may come good
Average players who seem to stay fit but are not our key players

That is exactly what we knew we were getting when we started shopping where we do.

When we got the injury prone ones they had not been playing so were fresh but lacked game time.
They then got fit and played well and we got good
They are now all carrying injuries again

The team is being tinkered with to keep the injury prone ones on the pitch as fresh as possible

As with every team it’s about the middle of the pitch both creating and protecting.
None of us quite know our best 2 or 3 there apart from we all want the injured good one back.

l’ve watched as I go to every home game but cannot remember him.
But he sounds good!

 

Dickie is undoubtedly our best centre back, but there's not an awful lot of competition.
I like him, but I do feel he's a little over rated.
Barbet gives the ball away time after time, but Dickie does at times too.
Having said previously that I'd like us to stay with 3-4-3, I'm now starting to wonder whether we need to be less open, as outscoring our opponents has spectacularly stopped!
Maybe 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
In a 4-2-3-1, the three behind Dykes could be Adomah, Chair and Willock.
This means Johansen playing deeper, but as with England, you can't just pick the team for attacking.
This formation would give more defensive cover with Albert and Willock helping out the fullbacks.

Something probably needs to change, however Warbs will almost certainly be too stubborn and continue to blame everything else rather than looking at himself.

 

Generally speaking the formation didn't need messing with though.
Playing 2 up top didn't work.

 

We need to be able to see out a game. Having Unc sprint down the wing on his own to use up time doesn't cut it.

 

We did seem to change to 4-5-1 towards the end with Moses at right back and looked reasonably secure.
Unlucky to concede like that, but we absolutely concede far too many.

 

I generally like 4-2-3-1. Think it would suit Dykes really well. I wonder if Dickie might actually work really well as the defensive midfielder in the '2' but appreciate that's a little out there. Obviously watched too much of Holloway

 

Brilliant thread… I’ve learnt a lot.
Dickie is the best … he also should be dropped.
Field is the saviour… but he’s one of the injury prone crew.
Wallace is the saviour … but he’s one of the injury prone crew.
Barbet is crap. De Wijs is crap. Dickie is crap. … we should play three at the back.
Albert is our best winger - so we should play him at the back - for every game until he joins the injury prone crew.
We definitely need to make changes and we need to stop tinkering.
All formations add to 10 - brilliant - who knew!

Funny ‘ol game!

 

Sometimes you have to keep it simple, we're not as good as we thought we were...

 

We’ve got what we knew we had bought
We are making a good fist of it
Last night’s game was a cracker
Just enjoy it
We like the players and they try
We are not going down.
Most of my mates don’t want us to get promoted

 

Dozzell did very well at DCM yesterday, and that freed up Stefan to get forward and dictate our attacking play where he is best. If he continues like that we wont have to suffer Ball or Amos so clearly out of of position at DCM and he'll give Field good competition at DCM when he's back. Amos is best pressing further forward and will make a good alternative to Chair and Willock when they aren't 100% as Willock doesnt seem to be now.

 

No one forced you to read it mate.

 

Easy tiger, it was a light-hearted post.

 

Ooh! Tetchy Col
Can’t you see how much effort I put in to read it
Chill out man and have a laugh sometimes
It just highlights the different views on the topic from the broad spectrum of fans