Swansea 0 QPR 0 (11/02/20. 14,778)

Anyone else starting to look down the table and worry a bit?

I know last night wasn't a bad performance and actually was probably a point that a lot of us didn't expect to get, but Swansea were absolutely there for the taking and we couldn't put them away.

Hugill is a very frustrating player. He has nights (like last night) where he could play for 180 minutes and not score. Eze has also gone right off the boil (and I know I'm probably contradicting some of the positive stuff I was saying about him a few months back), but it worries me how this seems to happen with him 2nd half of the season. His set pieces are also woeful and getting worse.

We are only 9 points from the drop with 14 games left to play. We are most likely going to have to dig out another 3 or 4 wins. I'm honestly a little bit concerned that we may not have it in us.

Not really, Wigan, our nearest threat, will only get to 42-44 points by the end of the season with their average over the 32 games so far being less than a point a game. QPR average over the season has been 1.2 points a game which should see us hitting 56 points at the end; even knocking 6 points off that because Nahki was stolen from us leaves us fairly safe IMO.
Secondly, if that was Eze gone right off the boil last night you have some very unrealistic expectations of him. He was pulling the strings in midfield all night and Swansea could do no more than constantly foul him to cut off his threat, it was the same in the last game against Huddersfield in the first half. He will be struggling in the second half of the season because he has played in every game and I think he needs a rest, like Manning did, to recharge the batteries but I wouldn't say he has gone right off the boil. Don't forget that this is only his second full season for us with a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and his return in goals and assists this season is creditable.

I was happy with that display. It isn't very often we watch a game where we are away from home and think we should win. Bearing in mind Swansea are above us and are thinking about the play offs.

I thought Barbet showed what we were missing. Composed on the ball and pinging passes into feet with pace. Bypassing midfield with a long ball o nteh deck is a skill and he has that.

Manning played well also. I thought Ball was also good. Agreed that Hugil and Pugh coming off for a bit of pace at the end where it was a bit more stretched would have worked wonders (in my mind). Bringing on Clarke and Oteh would have given them something different to think about.

Overall, a very solid display. I dont think Kelly had to make a save? The confidence that clean sheet will hopefully give will be good for the next game.

Christ Tarbie. Your glass is so half empty its it is almost dessicated.   I AM sure that empirical evidence is a lot more to be trusted than a negative opinion, even if you knock off 5-6 points because we don't have the guy who scored 27% of our league goals we would still finish 5-6 points above Wigan, our nearest threat. "When the chips are down and clubs are fighting for survival, strange results can happen" does this mean you think that all the other clubs will suddenly outperform their seasonal averages and we will decimate ours? We are more than 2/3rds of the way into the season and have played all the teams at least once. Past performances are no indication of future results and all that but fuck me, have you NO faith at all in the club? I am sure and certain that if last night had been a kick bollock and bite performance with us clearing the ball off the line countless times and some last ditch tackles and headers there would be a lot of people saying that was more like it etc. yet we would still have only one point. The corner was a training routine gone wrong as Manning had moved from the position he was supposed to be in but if that was all you saw in Eze's performance last night then I don't have a hope in hell of convincing you that he was one of the best players on the pitch last night. I think he needs a game or two off to show people what he brings to a game, plus he has been carrying the weight of being the playmaker for two seasons now and he tired last season and I think he is tiring this season so a couple off will do him no harm at all.

It's not so much that Eze's form has dipped, more that teams are doubling up players on him now, so is having less opportunities to stand out. Was better at dealing with that last night though. Less so on his set pieces.

Re Kelly, yes he didn't have much to do but what he did was done well and confidently. So he inspires confidence in his defenders (and the fans); is more consistent and you don't feel he has a regular clanger in him like Lumley, IOW better concentration levels.

Pretty much what I was trying to say General.

As for your response Esox, I don't see the point of playing tidy football if we can't find a way to win. What I saw last night was a team that could have carried on playing for another 90 mins and still probably wouldn't have found a way to win. But as I say, that's just my opinion. And it ain't me being negative as you suggest, I've been anything but that this season.

Indeed - which is an inevitability when you lose your top scorer and best finisher. Zero goals in our last three games suggests that our other attacking players haven't yet compensated for that loss.

Tarbs your not negative just realistic

Sometimes if you dont agree with some posters
You are accused of being negative like
I was last week its all just opinions mate

Crack on mate

So being positive about our chances is NOT realistic? As pointed out by others in this thread; you've created a scenario in your head that all the teams below us will go on amazing winning streaks and we will lose enough of ours to be in trouble? I'll tell you what; if we get relegated, I'll buy you a pint in the C&S before our first home game next season and if we stay up, I'll let you buy me a pre match falafel at Mr Falafel's in the market at the same game. How's that?

No one wants to get relegated
No one loves the FFP restrictions

On that I’m sure we all agree, it’s how we cope trying to balance the two that is the issue.

About £6 each? I haven't had a beer in there since early last season and it was about a fiver IIRC.

he only asked for falafel, gen! you don't need to suck him off! 😂😂

#gothead

I didnt say that we would get relegated , i said it is still possible Esox

Which it is ,

I was actually responding to Tarbie post who was saying that it could still happen

Which it could , but was accused of being negative for a statement that was actually still possible