Ellerslie Echo

Here We Go Again..

The wait is finally over as football returned to Loftus Road with a cracker of a game between two top sides. Sorry, that’s a lie. But now that I’ve got your attention, I can give an honest review of a game that lived up to what most neutrals probably thought when scrolling past it on the fixture list.

The officials reminded us very early on of their incompetence at this level when a cross was made from inside the Blue and White bar which the Lino deemed to be on, followed immediately by an offside which wasn’t given. The Championship was back. 

Other than the poor officials, there weren’t many talking points in this game from either side. Only one turned up to play football and the other, I’m not sure what they were there for. So it’s hard to discuss highlights in a game where there were so few.

One of the first things I noticed was Esquerdinha’s eagerness on the overlap, he was always an option for Dembele and the two of them linked up well from early on. Our first big chance though, came from what I think was intended to be a cross from deep by Chair, which Poku was just unable to reach at the back post. 

Chair, Poku and Dembele did what we all expected them to do and knocked it around like they’d been playing together for years – Preston couldn’t get near the ball for most of the half, the movement was a joy to watch and for most of the first 45 it felt good to be back, even if we weren’t troubling the keeper.

Zan Celar linked up well with these three, but still failed to have a presence in the box which was probably why the ball was being tossed around by the three of them so much, looking for an option.

Andrew Hughes was mostly able to deal with Poku, forcing him to cut in on his left every time he had the ball on the right wing, but he was usually able to switch the play and keep possession, whilst Chair was also able to show for him and help when needed. 

I definitely saw an improvement on the passing and movement from last season, and playing out from the back actually meant playing out from the back rather than knocking it sideways and ending up back at the keeper’s feet. 

Mbuenge and Morrison were both keen to get involved in the build up, and in the first half Madsen actually showed for the ball and had a midfield presence. With Morgan and Esquerdinha both finding good space, the ball actually escaped our defensive third and travelled up the pitch. 

It was all coming together and flowing very well, with the odd long ball chucked in the mix to shake things up. Despite this, our concerns about strikers were validated, the finishing touch was missing as the back 3 had Celar covered whenever he entered the box.

I was happy for Celar to take the number 9 shirt, and I’m glad he’s getting another chance to lead the line. But he is running out of time to prove himself. Whilst he did hold the ball up well and link up with the midfield, he just couldn’t make a real impact on the game. I’ve seen some say he wasn’t getting the service but there’s only so much service that can be given to a player who provides no option. 

He wasn’t useless, though, and one of his lay-offs allowed Chair to put a nice ball in which Dembele headed over the bar. It was looking increasingly likely that we were eventually going to break the deadlock. 

Esquerdinha received the ball from a lovely flick from Madsen over a Preston player’s head, then had an ambitious effort from range which went straight into the keepers lap – our first shot on target. Dembele also put a nice ball across the box that only needed a tap in but no one was there to do so. Usual story.

Despite a few shaky moments at the back, we were in total control of the game, so it was a relief when Dembele finally hit it forward to chase, and bolted through two defenders to knock the ball back in for the trusty OG to put it away, because how else would we have scored?

We went into the break full of confidence, thinking another 2 or 3 would come in the second half now that we’d got into a flow. This wasn’t the case. When Kieran Morgan did well to win a corner, Chair was seen having a pop at the lino as he wouldn’t get out of his way to let him quickly take it. Dembele ended up whipping it straight into Iversen’s hands who wasted no time in kicking it up the other end, where Esquerdinha was caught sleeping and allowed Osmajic to receive it, and eventually calmly lob Joe Walsh.

The exact kind of goal you’d expect Preston to score but a clever move, taking advantage of a lapse in concentration from our defence, and a nice finish. That was the only thing Preston did all game, but they shut up shop as expected and we couldn’t break them down. 

There’s very little to talk about after this point outside of the officials’ shameful showing. A triple change saw Adamson, Burrell and Kolli replace Poku, Esquerdinha and Celar, pushing Mbuenge out to right-back where he was just as good – more on him in the player ratings. Adamson was put in left-back again where he didn’t have much defending to do, and Burrell and Kolli both looked sharp though couldn’t find a way through. 

Liam Lindsay should’ve seen red when he attempted to murder Mbuenge, with a flying tackle high enough to send him 5 feet in the air, but was amazingly let off with a yellow because he pretended he’d hurt himself. Heckingbottom eventually did the ref’s job for him and hooked him.

This standard of officiating continued for the rest of the game with various decisions going against us and Preston doing everything they could to kill the game, which they succeeded in doing. We had one good chance in this half when Poku received a quick throw in and set up Dembele whose powerful effort was saved well by Iversen, but other than that, we caused barely any trouble for their defence who were just here to do everything they could to put me off watching football ever again. 

I’d never want to seem like I’m having a moan at professional athletes for getting injured but it is concerning that every week after the 60-70 minute mark, half of our key players have to have a sit down and hobble off because they’re cramping or their hamstrings are gone – A whole summer to train and physically prepare for the season and we’re seeing it again in the first game back. 

It’s been a recurring theme not just with the current lot but a handful of players that came before them, so it has to be something behind the scenes with the physios or science team or whoever it is that’s responsible for preventing this.

Every team has injury issues but if we’re eventually going to drag ourselves up the table, something needs to change to enable our squad to get a decent, consistent run of games together, otherwise this cycle of hope and excitement, non-stop injuries killing our momentum, then scraping the barrel for a squad and settling for survival is something we’ll never break.

I won’t get carried away with a meltdown just yet, it’s only August after all. I do want to have one last dig at the ref though, for stopping our quick throw in the 97th minute to ensure Preston got the point they desperately wanted, Preston’s anti-football attitude was further proven here by Iversen kicking the ball out of the stadium to help ensure that no more football had to be played. 

Moving onto the player ratings and there’s a few stand outs – some had strong games (mainly in the first half) and there were a couple of impressive debuts. The subs failed to make their mark but I don’t blame them with the way Preston had set up.

Joe Walsh – 6.5/10

The new first-choice keeper didn’t have a lot to do in the traditional goalkeeping sense – he faced three shots on target, one of which was the goal that he could do little about. I was more concerned about his time with the ball at his feet than anything else. I thought he looked comfortable enough with playing out from the back for the most part but there were a couple of shaky moments where he took too long and had to get rid. Overall I don’t think there’s enough to make a full judgement on Walsh from this game.

Kieran Morgan – 7/10

I had no idea that Morgan was a right-back in his youth days and he definitely showed us why, he was very useful in bringing the midfield into play, through passing or driving forward himself. He looked confident in this position but against a decent opposition I’d like a more defensive full-back option.

Liam Morrison – 7.5/10

A solid performance from Morrison where Preston struggled to get past him and he showed again why he’s one of the first names on the team sheet. He did make a few errors where others had to save him but he returned the favour by cleaning up for his team mates on other occasions. I’m only not giving him a higher rating for the same reasons as Walsh, because he really didn’t have much to do, and because there was no clean sheet.

Amadou Mbuenge – 9/10 

The new defender couldn’t have done much more to win over the R’s fans. Some debut that was, deserving of a win and a clean sheet. The man jumped for everything, got involved in all build up play, and when switched to right-back, showed desire to go forward and contribute to the attack. Not many tackles were required of him but he gave 110% from start to finish and definitely solidified his place in the side. What a bloke. 

He does need to be careful with the way he jumps. He absolutely leaps into every header and isn’t always accurate with them, and with the way his shoulder flies into opposition players and/or the ball, I can see him either giving away fouls, handballs or injuring himself if he’s not careful. 

Esquerdinha – 7/10

Another debutant silenced all of us with our panic about the left-back position. I’m not sure why Esquerdinha wasn’t used at all in pre-season but he was pretty special today. Especially in the first half. His overlapping was refreshing to see, he linked up so well with Dembele and offered support to the attack – I think he’ll be a very good player for us. He reminded us where he was from early on in the first half when he did a naughty little flick over a player’s head on the wing, and was generally just exciting to watch. 

Defensively he could improve, and was arguably at fault for the goal, which is the only reason I’ve knocked him down to a 7, but he didn’t shy away from tackles and, despite being beaten for strength by Thierry Small a couple of times, held his own and got stuck in.

Nicolas Madsen – 6.5/10

Madsen was heavily involved in the first half, showing deep for the ball when playing out from the back, being an option for the attackers to play off of, and playing some good solid passes which led to some decent phases of play. 

This went out the window after the equaliser however, and for the rest of the game he reverted to his familiar self, and I barely saw him touch the ball. He was far from being the only player to have a poor second half, so hopefully we can see more of his first-half showing throughout the season.

Sam Field – 5/10

A couple of player rating platforms had Field down as our best player. This just goes to show that stats heads can’t be trusted when it comes to forming football opinions. What could you possibly take away from Field’s performance there that makes him the stand out player? Especially compared to someone like Mbuenge or Morrison. 

He made a few good tackles, which you can always trust him to do – but that’s not just not going to cut it with him anymore. After watching that I can no longer fight his corner. Every time he received the ball in the attacking half he’d just completely lose all composure and get it stuck in his feet or lose it. There was one chance where Poku played a lovely through ball to him in the box and he just could not get it under his control, leading to a foul being given the other way.

If he wants to be a key player this season he needs to either sort his feet out or just take a step back, and let the able players do the attacking. We can’t be having that as an option going forward, it’s just a waste of a body. He wasn’t the worst player on the pitch, as there were 11 men in green shirts all behind him, but he was definitely QPR’s worst performer for me. 

Ilias Chair – 7/10

A pretty typical Ilias performance today, doing everything he could to create something. He continues to drop deep when he doesn’t need to, and I honestly think he does this out of boredom. A very strong first half where he put a few clever balls in, and deserved an assist. Then in the second, quieted down a bit but did not stop running till the final whistle. 

He showed great skill at times, and did a lovely one-two with Celar on the counter attack but was left isolated out on the left and eventually didn’t get anywhere. He tried his best to bring something of meaning to the game but ultimately a lack of options in the box meant he failed to do so.

Kwame Poku – 7/10

A similar performance to Chair with some nice link up play and some very impressive switches to Dembele which were reciprocated. I did think the left back/left centre-back had Poku locked up, stopping him from creating any real chances for Celar from the right hand side, but he was able to adapt and did well in bringing others into play, and looks a useful player. 

Karamoko Dembele – 8.5/10

Kaddie was our biggest outlet in this game, creating the majority of our chances and causing problems all game for Preston. He deserved a goal but will get all the credit for the OG. It’s a shame he had to come off, I’m hoping we don’t see the same issues with him that we have with JCS, where he makes sporadic appearances because he can’t stay fit. Nonetheless this would’ve been a man of the match performance if not for Mbuenge’s blinder of a debut.

Zan Celar – 6/10

I’ve said mostly everything I can say about Celar in this game – he wasn’t useless and had some very good moments linking up with the trio behind him, but just didn’t offer enough going forward. Whether it was poor service, good defending, or just a bad day at the office, he had little to no presence in the opposition’s box.

Subs:

• Kealey Adamson – 5.5/10 – Didnt have any defending to do but was pretty poor on the ball, and leathered a shot into the upper Loft. 
• Rayan Kolli – 6/10 – Brought some threat and energy but didn’t have a chance to make a real impact – played some good passes.
• Rumarn Burrell – 6.5/10 – Also brought some energy and pace, caused problems for defenders but was caught offside a couple of times. 
• Harvey Vale – N/A – Barely had a chance to touch the ball, not much to rate him for.
• Steve Cook – 6/10 – Good player to bring on at the end to see the game through, also barely had anything to do. 

Man of the Match – Amadou Mbuenge

I really wanted to give Dembele man of the match from this game, I thought he really deserved it, and honestly don’t think we would’ve got a point without him, we only ever looked like scoring from the chances that he was involved in. 

Mbuenge however, leapt for every ball, jumping higher than anyone who challenged him, winning headers, tackles and looking confident on the ball. His effort levels were unreal and I can’t go against the grain with this one, a deserved MOTM debut for the Ghanaian.

Donkey of the Day – Joe Walsh

Donkey of the day is a weekly bit where I’ll pick one player who had the biggest blunder, not in terms of overall performance – they could be man of the match and still get donkey of the day. This isn’t the worst player of the game, that’s evident in the ratings. It’s just one moment of madness.

This for me was Joe Walsh’s free kick, from the left hand side of our penalty area, which somehow managed to end up in the Stanley Bowles stand, quite an impressive one, and winner of the first donkey of the season.

Preston star player – Thierry Small

I picked Osmajic as my one to watch going into this game, and whilst he did score the equaliser, he actually didn’t have a great game. The only Preston player that turned up to play football yesterday was the right-winger, who caused a few problems for Esquerdinha down the right hand side, but ultimately couldn’t have a lasting impact on the game. He was their ‘star’ player but only because the rest of their team was so negative. 

Up next: 

Matchday 2: Watford (A)

Score Prediction: Watford 1-0 Rangers

One to watch: Imran Louza

After a Tuesday night in Plymouth, league games return – I’m on holiday for the cup game so unable to look too deeply into it or do a preview, so I’m going to focus on league games for now. Unless we get far enough in the cup of course. For what it’s worth I think we will probably lose that anyway, I’ll go with a 2-0 win for Plymouth against a weakened QPR side.

Watford away this early on in the season probably doesn’t excite many R’s fans after August 2023, but Watford fans may be just as uninspired, off the back of a performance very similar to ours, where they dominated possession but failed to cause any real goal threat, ending in a last minute winner from Charlton. 

Their opponents were much better though, and actually played to win and despite having lower possession, with 5 shots on target to Watford’s 1. Watching the highlights, they were mostly Charlton chances so Watford probably can’t complain about this one.

I’m not expecting much from either side, but Watford may have some hunger after a disappointing start, and if we haven’t signed a striker to compete with Celar by then, I can see us struggling to score again. Therefore I’m calling a 1-0 loss here. 

Sofascore had Moussa Sissoko and James Abankwah as Watford’s strongest performers, and I’d be tempted to put the centre-half down as their one to watch, but after our own centre-halves’ performances I can’t see him challenging them, even if he does shut our striker out of the game.

I’ve gone with Imran Louza, who didn’t trouble us in either fixture last season, but he’s a dangerous player who is capable of creating chances out of nothing, so it’ll be interesting to see how our midfield copes with a player of his standard after not having much quality to deal with against Preston.

Here are my predictions for the rest of the weekend’s fixtures:

• Derby County 0-1 Coventry City 
• Portsmouth 0-1 Norwich City
• Wrexham 1-3 West Bromwich Albion
• Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Birmingham City
• Bristol City 2-1 Charlton Athletic
• Millwall 1-0 Middlesbrough 
• Preston North End 0-2 Leicester City
• Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Stoke City
• Swansea City 2-1 Sheffield United
• Ipswich Town 2-2 Southampton
• Hull City 1-0 Oxford United

Thanks for reading, check in next week for a Watford review, and potentially a brief Plymouth one. Then we can look ahead at Coventry.

You R’s