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Reply | Leon Balogun meeting…how did it go?
at 11:22 7 Apr 2023
Balogun denied the hand gesture and didn’t come across as that type of person. He seemed pretty gutted at how he’s being perceived - but who knows? For me it spoke volumes that Gareth was so eloquently supporting him. Our defence is shot to bits and it’s better with Leon in it and that’s why I’m sitting here next to him, I think. Totally agree on Critchley |
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Reply | Leon Balogun meeting…how did it go?
at 11:15 7 Apr 2023
Gareth was diplomatic but he’s clearly got concerns about this whole area. We were told that Balogun had gone to Germany (I think at his own expense, but others would have to confirm if I’d remembered that correctly) to try to get to the bottom of his injury, but Gareth also doesn’t favour giving too detailed updates on injuries for fear of alerting the opposition |
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Reply | Leon Balogun meeting…how did it go?
at 11:03 7 Apr 2023
It was really interesting. I was one of the 5 fans present, all of whom were at the Wigan game. I had contacted the club having read Balogun’s statement, as I wanted to know how the club was going to move beyond this new low with 7 games to go, needing 2/3 wins. The club fielded Paul Morrisey, Leon Balogun and, to my amazement, Gareth Ainsworth. Later Lee Hoos joined the group. No punches were pulled. Where have you been the last 5 months? Have you been faking injury? Are you one of ‘Beale’s Boys’? Do you want to go back to Rangers? Wasn’t it outrageous that you ‘confonted’ the fans at Wigan? Balogun was upset, apologetic and keen to put his point of view across. He had wanted to have a dialogue after the game (which I thought was naive), his anger was with Albert trying to pull him away (perhaps), it looked worse on social media (agreed). But what I found really insightful was when the discussion moved beyond this. It was obvious that Gareth and Balogun have a great deal of respect for each other and, if he remains fit, Balogun is seen as key to stabilising the defence in the next 7 games, offering leadership to the younger players and helping us get the wins we need. I really liked the way Gareth eloquently backed his player without wanting in anyway to gloss over how bad things have been over the last 20 plus games. I think the medical department is going to be completely overhauled (!) and there’s going to be a huge clear out in the summer. So why did the meeting take place? My hunch is that Gareth wanted to support a player he sees as crucial to our survival, who has ballsed up big time and needed to explain himself and who required immediate lifting. Crass club PR? I don’t think so. Nothing’s going out from the club about the meeting. Excellent man management, I would say, by Gareth. And Balogun came across as a really nice guy, who will probably leave in 7 games time but who is determined to keep us up. Which for me is our immediate priority before the post mortems on the last 2 seasons |
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Reply | Millers Tale Match Thread
at 17:58 4 Mar 2023
Was at the game and feel bereft. This is the worst team I’ve seen and I’ve been going since the 70s. Half the players don’t want to be there and half are not up to this standard. We have no one who can score and watching Dickie play right now - who I felt was responsible for all 3 goals - was really painful. He’s shot. It’s cruel really.
The fans were good today, though, our anger has dissipated to gallows humour. We all knew Hugill would score. But there was still some good singing. And it was absolutely freezing.
13 years of Tory government has not treated the town of Rotherham at all well. The area’s a wasteland. I almost didn’t begrudge them their win given our utterly gutless performance.
I just pray that Gareth, who was bouncing up and down on the touch line can steal a couple of wins from somewhere, keep us up and get shot of many of these ‘players’
It was nice seeing Drewe - who looks uncannily like Chair - start |
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Reply | Critchley out
at 19:12 28 Jan 2023
Definitely keep the manager but don't sack the board. Without the cash they pay in each month, we'd be in administration and possibly worse.
But something has to change.
I was there today and it was even worse than the performance against Coventry. I feel I've been seeing this type of rubbish for a year now - and I think serious questions have to be asked of the players.
There's something wrong about their psychology, both individually and collectively. As soon as they get a set back - like today's first woeful goal (Paal, Chair, Paal again, centre backs, even the keeper all at fault) - they either collapse or revert back to the mind numbingly 'safety first' dross of Dieng to Paal to Dunne to Dickie to Kakay, back to Dickie, on to Dieng/Dunne then aimless punt up field to concede possession. It is now driving me insane!
I'm also sick to death of Roberts slagging everybody else off, Tim conceding possession time and time again, Kakay gifting the opposition a goal (see the second), Dickie losing control of the simplest pass, Dunne being outpaced by an average forward, Dozell being brushed aside by a puff of wind, Dieng losing concentration etc etc
Only Chair and Armstrong came away with any credit today.
And I've just seen Critchley's interview - yes, things do indeed have to change quickly. I still back him to turn this around but it won't be pretty |
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Reply | The Person I most want out of our club is ... TONY FERNANDES
at 12:58 28 Dec 2020
I also think this is total rubbish, for no other reason than the pandemic has so changed the (already tottering) economics of Championship football that if Fernandes were to pull the plug financially we would go the way of Bury.
We are all totally hacked off with the dire football, inane post match comments and persistent mistakes that it is understandable we want change, any change, but demanding the eviction of our financial benefactors at this time - no matter how many mistakes they have made - is not viable.
Aren't they pumping in £1m a month of their own money to keep us afloat? If that's true, I'm grateful to them |
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Reply | Phillip Schofield comes out as gay
at 08:58 8 Feb 2020
Thank god for Lunar, a beacon of sanity, some really shameful comments on here. I know nothing about Philip S but it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that someone coming of age in the 1980s (tombstones crashing down telling you not to die of AIDS) might have felt unable to live an authentic life.
And we wonder why football is about the only industry in the world where no one connected with it dares to reveal they are gay.
I’ve always hoped QPR might have that honour. A diverse, community focused and liberal club - until I read some of this bilge... |
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Reply | Calamity Lumley
at 20:21 29 Dec 2019
I’m afraid he is useless. His distribution is erratic and he has given so many goals away. Yet another game where a Lumley howler immediately dissipated the positivity of the crowd and that had a big impact on the team. A loss always seems inevitable after his horrendous mistakes leading to a needless goal conceded.
All patience lost. |
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Reply | Cardiff Match Thread
at 20:01 2 Oct 2019
Such a poor goal defensively. We’d started brightly with a great chance for BOS. Then needless foul by Ball, cross to far post, defender out jumped, and goal scored with flicked header in. But we are fighting hard (at the game) |
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Reply | Lumley
at 10:17 29 Sep 2019
If Warburton doesn’t pick Kelly for Cardiff then Lumley really is bulletproof.
Part of the reason we were on the back foot in the first 30 mins was his poor control and anxiety ridden kicking. It spread to the crowd a bit, too.
And he should certainly have saved the first goal.
Will be interesting to see what happens on Wednesday.
I’m looking forward to going. |
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Reply | This week's podcast
at 16:34 20 Sep 2019
I've also found the podcast a bit hit and miss recently - possibly because I find Paul Finney drones on about himself all the time (ducks for cover) - but this was a really good listen. Clive full of good sense, Kevin Gallen illuminating and interesting opinions about just enjoying the feel good factor at the moment! |
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Reply | Playground football..c'est magnifique!
at 10:19 18 Sep 2019
Can't blame the club for trying to capitalise on the feel good factor when we are so financially strapped and desperately need to get more fans to the stadium. Also, isn't it nice for the media team to be bale to highlight some genuinely exciting attacking football for a change? |
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Reply | Cardiff tickets
at 19:03 17 Sep 2019
I'd like to know, too. I'm working down there so want to go to see an awesome away win! |
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Reply | Lumley
at 09:33 16 Sep 2019
We have won 3 games on the trot, so now is not the time to change the keeper. That said Lumley’s flap at Stoke, general hesitation on crosses and Bristol and Luton howlers are obviously unnerving and I don’t doubt for a minute he is feeling the pressure to perform now. I also trust Warburton in this. He obviously rates Kelly but as with Lee Wallace, he’s not rushing him into the team if he feels others are performing better. When he doesn’t feel that applies to Lumley - perhaps when we have an inevitable poor run - he will make a change. That’s how it works. But I’m glad he’s not into knee jerk selections |
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Reply | View From Leppings Lane
at 19:17 1 Sep 2019
I didn't notice Luongo at all when he came on and agree that Scowen was sharp and feisty when he was introduced to tighten things up.
I can't make my mind up about Ball. He was always shouting at the other players, broke things up well but had a heavy touch now and then.
And yet, he obviously did something right in anchoring our midfield to a fine victory!
Do we play 5-3-2 against Luton at home? |
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Thread | View From Leppings Lane
at 09:44 1 Sep 2019
A really stylish and intelligent performance from the Rs. Even when we went behind from the softest of penalties, we were confident that we'd still win, such was our composure on the ball. I'm still pinching myself at the dramatic change from last season.
Players who stood out were Hugill, obviously, who is so strong at holding up the ball and is constantly making awkward runs for defenders; Wells, who was unlucky not to score and supplied that brilliant pass for Hugill's first goal; Manning, who controls the ball so well and is such an attacking threat with his crosses; Leistner, who though caught out for pace a couple of times early on was a rock at the heart of defence, took no prisoners and really tightened things up; Eze who battled really hard as well as regularly taking on defenders - and Chair, who was my Man of the Match, always probing, brilliant on the ball, great control and a real threat.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing when the team took to the pitch with a 5-3-2 formation. Two up front away? A midfield of Chair, Eze and Ball, which seemed lightweight to me? But I couldn't have been more wrong.
Full credit to Warburton for such a bold move.
I also love the way we pinged the ball around in tight situations on the touch line, rarely resorting to hoofing it away and the team is obviously growing in confidence.
This victory shows the early promise is no fluke. Not been this excited to watch our team for years. |
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Reply | The hot Wigan Match Thread
at 14:25 24 Aug 2019
Didn’t see 6 changes coming. Bold stuff from Warburton. Feel a bit sorry for Hugill but looking forward to seeing Wells back |
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Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 113 | | Comment Votes: | 5 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 118 |
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