City supporters were waiting for the police to clear South Africa Rd in front of the Loftus Rd ground, so we were still there when the QPR players came out to warm down. There was a little bit of banter with the Rangers players then a big cheer for Gareth Ainsworth. "Wild thing" was discarded by Lennie Lawrence but I would have had him in my side today. Ainsworth did the Ayatollah and clapped the City supporters. The the mood changed as the City players came out. No cheers, some boos and many hard stares between the players and fans. Then Sams appearance and disappearance as the supporters aimed the comments in his direction.
Sam needs to come out to the fans and attempt to settle what will become a sinking ship. No more of the "I don't do relegation" and "Up to a few days ago it would not have been in my wildest dreams to let Earnshaw go. But we need four or five players in, and I can spread the money raised for Earnie across the team."
Where are the players? And we are 1 point off the relegation zone with the season aproaching halfway. If we are told the truth as to what our position is and what we are trying to acheive we can get behind the team and try to work as one. At the moment a nasty rift threatening to create civil war.
As to matters on the pitch why is Lennie still in a job here? My guess is we can't afford to sack him and he's not going to walk and lose out on compensation. Our season is spiralling into an abyss that soon we will be powerless to do anything about.
I'm not one for rash calls to sack managers but we are being led into oblivion. Lennie is like Teflon, nothing sticks. After the following quote -
"I try not to think about the pressure. I've been through these situations before. I try not to take it personally. I don't think it's right to be judged after seven games. But after 12 games there's no hiding place - and the table won't lie."
- Lennie is still here, after 21 league games. We were in the relegation zone after 12 and he ignored his previous comments and we are hardly any better off now.
Sam, act now. An investement to secure of Championship status is vital. The progress made in recent times is massive. We can't afford to lose the momentum, relegation will set us back years and years.
On the pitch today we did not have 11 bad players. We had a bad team, badly organised and lacking in coinfidence. They had little direction and little leadership.
QPR were the opposite, they played for each other and played a far better game of football that we did. They played for their manager and he wasn't even there. Best wishes to the recovering Ian Holloway after a stomach illness. 1 - 0 flattered Cardiff, we had four efforts on goal, Joe Ledley scuffed an attempt in the second half that might just qualify as an effort. Then Peter Thorne had our first meaningful effort on 70 mins. His shot from distance just over. Another shot trickeld by the post before a James Collins header looped over the bar and into the numbed City fans.
Four efforts, none on target in 90 mins. Disgraceful.
Rangers probably had about 10 efforts but they were all far more menacing and several shaved the woodwork.
Make no bones about it, it was a 1 - 0 hammering.
The goal from Danny Shittu came midway through the first half. Tony Warner's throw put Chris Barker under pressure from two Rangers players. As they pressed the ball bounced up towards the covering Willie Boland, his effort to clear was shanked and the ball went behind for a corner. One fan at the front of the lower section told Boland what he thought of his effort, Boland gave it back, and more. The two were still swapping obscenities when the ball came over and City, despite virtually the whole team in the box, allowed Shittu to challange, fall over, get up and then smack the ball past warner. Appalling defending again. What are these boys taught in training?
City's lack of efforts in front of goal made it a bleak day for the supporters. Warner can be called for his poor ball to Barker that ultimately led to the goal. The full backs were OK, but just OK, they had nowhere to go when they had possession so ended up launching long balls (is it me or is Barker not looking as sharp as he was - what's going on, he was lean as a butchers dog when he came back from Stoke.) Collins and Gabbidon always seemed to be under pressure. Any balls Rangers played forward looked dangerous. Both boys worked hard. Gabbidon, fed up of seeing his midfield disintergrate made a 60 yard run before kicking for touch, the ball to the attacking corner his only option as no City player made a run for him.
Ledley and McAnuff had frustrating days. They were not effective as any possession came to them from poor cross passes from the midfield. We had no movement and no decisiveness with our passing. Whereas Ainswoth and Cureton were pulling our defence left and right the City attack were so predictable. From the stand I could read the game like a snooker player contructs his break. I could see the next three or four passes ahead as we had no creative imagination. Boland Bullock made some nice tackles but that was it.
Up front Parry was here, there and nowhere in particular. He appeared to be a centre half as the game wore on.
Alan Lee has been critiscised by me for the past two games and the fella is going to get it again tonight. His first three challenges were all led with his elbows and he got himself booked. Fairly in my opinion and then after that he lost all presence as he was unable to make a challenge for dear of getting sent off. Again he ended up on his arse from the most innocuous of challanges and it was a reflief to see Peter Thorne back on the pitch.
Thorne is all round a much better footballer.
Despite the best efforts of Fridays Echo to cause mutiny by completely overlooking Camerone Jerome and adding Andy Campbell to the squad it was a relieved crowd that saw Jerome on the bench. Along with Thorne he tried to give us a spark up front and our best period was the last 20 mins with two new attackers on the pitch.
No equaliser came though and it's now three defeats in a row.
I dread to think what will happen if we do not beat Gillingham next weekend. As it stands we are sinking fast with Rotherham and Forest our likely relegation partners. After the Gills we face high flying Sunderland and then Sheff Utd. points will not be easy to comeby.
We have the players, we do not have a team. Sort it out Sam. Make some big decisions to win back the faith of the supporters and to secure a future. Lets have the facts and we can get behind the team and work as one.
Sorry to be so down but I'm trying to tell it the way I see it.