Today enthused me again..

All opinions, of course. For me, the Forest and Sunderland performances were as good as anything I've seen in the last five years. I agree the Ipswich performance was very good too - in my opinion!

 

Aye all opinions. I thought on the balance of play Forest should have beaten us quite easily. Sunderland were on top until we scored them the confidence drained from them and we played ok. first 20 minutes against Derby we were very good but it was their reserve team albeit expensively assembled.

 

I merely hold an alternative viewpoint.

Last night was poor, mind. But I don't take snapshots of time and judge longer periods on moments of brevity.

 

We were poor for much of last night against a really poor side, yet got a point. Strange game is football.

 

We have been poor for the majority of games so far this season. Young and inexperienced side that will have to improve to stay up. At the moment we look powder puff going forward and that is the big worry. Win all and Hourihane kept us up with the goals up to Jan last season. I fear we are going to have to work a lot harder for goals this season.

 

Last night we were poor all game. The team selection didn't help matters and killed the crowd that had zero atmosphere from kick off. QPR had more shots, more of the ball, three times more corners and can consider themselves unlucky to only get a point in a game we were never in. Our best chance of a second was a softly chipped ball straight at the keeper by Hammill, that Smithies decided to make a meal of by making it look a lot harder to save than it was.

If we took off our goalscorer to change formation tactically then that beggars belief. If we took him off because he's injured then we need to look at our training methods because we are picking up way too many injuries the way we go about things now. If Barnes was injured we should have brought on McGeehan and kept the formation the same. Barnes is one of the positives from this season with 2 goals in 9 in a poor team. Much better than Ryan Kent in the same position with 3 goals in 47 in a much better Barnsley team.

Our record signing of the past decade can't get game time. We must have wasted 2 million on guys who have barely played including Mamadou, McGeehan, Pinnock and Malan. 1 clean sheet in our last 16 competitive games now. Davies with a mistake up there with his Villa one and the one that got Sammy The Snake his goal last season against us. We really go need to be more positive on saturday or we could be cut adrift.

 

Two poor teams playing each other a draw seemed fair enough to me.

 

Though gutting, I have to agree that I think a draw was a fair result.

 

A draw was the most either team deserved. Thing is we could have robbed 3 points with a bit more composure.

 

Apologies, my post was overly aggressive. Still think you're totally wrong mind

 

I might well be. It wouldn't be the first time, mate.

 

Forest perhaps should have beaten us, but we should have beaten Ipswich; it's how it goes. After the first 15 minutes we absolutely dominated Sunderland and we were fantastic. We outplayed Derby for most of the game except a 20 minute spell in the 2nd half but showed great character to come back.

My opinion of course

 

QPR are a mid-table team; not going up or down most likely. I didn't go so can't comment on the game, but if we thought QPR were a poor team - a mid-table Championship side - we can't be so bad ourselves. Whilst I don't like the position we're in at the moment, I honestly don't think we're too far away from being a mid-table team ourselves based on what I've seen. Pure mediocrity between 10th and 15th would be bliss

 

We are only 9 games into the season. Just because some players aren't playing now doesn't mean they will never play. They're all on 3 year deals - we have not wasted money on them. If you take that attitude, anyone who we spend any money on at all must play every game when fit otherwise we've wasted money on them. That's not how it works

Even if every result on Saturday went against us, we would at worst be a couple of points from safety. That's not cut adrift. That's one win and you're out of the relegation zone

 

QPR Narrowly avoided relegation last year with no significant signings. I went and they were appaling. I'd expect bottom 6 along with us Bolton, Burton, Sunderland and a couple more.

If Hecky keeps us out of the bottom 3 he will deserve manager of the year. It's a massive ask.

 

Just something I noticed when looking at the table this morning: we have played the teams so far sitting in 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th. Obviously early days; they are not necessarily the best teams in the league nor will they end up in those positions, but we've come up against numerous teams who have had good starts. Our 3 games against teams currently in the bottom half we've won 2 and drawn 1. Doesn't make us a great team, but shows it's been a tough start. Just thought it was an interesting observation

As a more general view: my opinion is this. If we can get through this season and stay up, hopefully do a bit better than that, we will be very well set for the future. We won't have to rebuild again, we'll have players who have a lot more Championship experience and will be better players themselves, and that's not to mention the take over. What I've seen of the team has given me belief we will stay up or even better, but if you have inexperienced players there will of course be tough times. Get through those, and we'll be fine

 

Well they'd won 3 drawn 3 lost 3 before playing us so can't be such a bad side. I think they'll be fine and end up mid-table

 

Between the 17th September and 2nd December 2016 we picked up 7 points. From 11 games.

That was a more "settled" squad. With Roberts, Scowen, Hourihane, Watkins, Winnall.

Things would have looked far rosier if we had snatched a point at Wolves and held on for 3 points against QPR.

There have been some promising performances already. Which would indicate when things "click" the players are more than capable of winning matches at this level.

Way some go on it's like we walked the league last year, without any blips. And the fact this new team has only got 8 points from 9 games is a disaster like we've never encountered before. We didn't, and it isn't.

Obviously everyone entitled to their opinions. Mine is that we are doing ok. Not great. But ok. With important (Yiadom, McDonald, Gardner) and potentially important (Isgrove, mcGeehan, Thiam) to challenge for first team places.

A win Saturday would be brilliant going into the international break. Not least because it's bloody Millwall!

 

Can't disagree with much there. Derby made 11 changes. I'd expect our first team to outplay their reserves.

 

Most larger teams 'reserves' have a better Championship pedigree than our 1st XI I'd wager ?