George Friend?

[Thinwhiteduke]

Is he capable of passing a ball FOWARDS?

Discuss.

[RoversAlias]

He was atrocious today. But as it follows about 7 successive really good performances, let's not be too hard on him.

[scuzzer]

He had naff all to pass to seeing as QPR closed the midfield out completely. He defended brilliantly again today but they were very effective in snuffing out our passing from the back which meant we resorted to hoof-ball, a game we never win at, especially against a team of giants!

[grayx]

He was atrocious today. But as it follows about 7 successive really good performances, let's not be too hard on him.

I didn't think he was bad to be honest. Certainly no worse than our invisible midfielders. What is wrong with Stock? He looks as though he is either carrying an injury or struggling with his fitness.

[RoversAlias]

Friend was too hesitant too often, specially with balls bouncing over the top. But yes, Stock has disappeared, no conviction or distribution sadly. I'm not sure he's fully fit, let's see how he plays after the break.

[Viking Don]

I can see why QPR are top of the league. Not the most attractive football I've seen this season but by God do they work hard or what? Onto every loose ball in a flash, and I'm sure Sean will be using the words organised and disciplined in the post-match interview.

I thought we played really well and did most things right, they didn't really get many chances and from our side it just looked liked a goalkeeping error that won them the game. I'd have to see it from the camera side to be sure though, although it did just look like Woods was blinded by the Sun and just missed a fairly tame effort.

Thought George did very well again, as did the whole defence, limiting the top side in the league to a handful of chances isn't bad going.

[RoversAlias]

Goalkeeping error!? I'm not seeing that at all, looked like Hird stood off and nobody else came to help him, was a solid finish from Ephraim. Never even thought to blame the keeper.

[Gibbo123]

never a goalkeeping error. ephraim just took a brilliant touch inside and it was a good finish. every1 will be dissapointed but lets not forget they are top of the league by a silly amount of points!

[grayx]

Goalkeeping error!? I'm not seeing that at all, looked like Hird stood off and nobody else came to help him, was a solid finish from Ephraim. Never even thought to blame the keeper.[/quot
e]
Didn't look like a goalkeeping error to me. Looked like Hird let him cut inside far too easily & allow him to shoot.

[VikingJames]

Friend defended well.

Plus, if he'd tried to play it forward and ended up giving it away, people would've been on his back just the same. QPR made it very difficult for us to play through them today - which was unfortunate for us because plan B involves hoofing it up to midgets.

[Rover13]

I just think friend is getting better and better But Ernest playing top of league and they showed why they are top

[Viking Don]

Doesn't sound like a goalkeeping error then! Looked pretty tame from where I was but I wasn't best placed so I stand corrected.

Didn't think it was Hird's fault though, it was a great pass to the scorer and he just touched it back inside and wrong-footed Hird who was trying to catch him. I don't think any defender would have done any different.

[graingrover]

Friend needs a Central Defender of the proven ability of Billy Sharp up front . Give him a Shackell or a Mills and our backbone will stiffen summut fast !

[Wellred]

Didn't think it was Hird's fault though, it was a great pass to the scorer and he just touched it back inside and wrong-footed Hird who was trying to catch him. I don't think any defender would have done any different.

Hird was like a lamp post totally out of position when the balll was passed and the QPR player went inside him like he wasn't there.

The same thing happened in the first half when the QPR player beat him near the line.

How on earth he got MOTM I will never know. How can people criticise Friend today and Hird gets MOTM. Amazing.

[coventryrover]

To be honest I haven't seen us too much this season but thought the defence played week apart from some distribution.  The one bit of class in a four game was the goal.

For me,  I think the midfield needs to step up to the plate, regarding protecting the defence and creating something.  We created Feck all, which has been repeated in other game, which is the worrying thing.

There is no guarantee that Er can get something from the palace and pne games, like some think.  We need to battle hard for a couple of wins .

[Norfolk N Chance]

You must be having a laugh surely?

He was the MOTM by a mile!

He was atrocious today. But as it follows about 7 successive really good performances, let's not be too hard on him.

[DonnyNoel]

Didn't think it was Hird's fault though, it was a great pass to the scorer and he just touched it back inside and wrong-footed Hird who was trying to catch him. I don't think any defender would have done any different.

Hird was like a lamp post totally out of position when the balll was passed and the QPR player went inside him like he wasn't there.

The same thing happened in the first half when the QPR player beat him near the line.

How on earth he got MOTM I will never know. How can people criticise Friend today and Hird gets MOTM. Amazing.

Not often I single out a player (especially in such an average team performance as today) but got to agree on that. Hird was defensively poor today, even allowing for being slightly out of position. SOD (being SOD) was 5 seconds ahead of everyone with their goal - he put his hands on his head as soon as Hird got the wrong way round to Ephraim as from the west stand you could see exactly what was coming.

But for a few instances of letting it bounce I thought Friend was solid today and in a scramble in the first half it may have gone un-noticed that he made a brave header that saved the ball going to an unmarked attacker.

Going forward I'd say only Moussa gets much credit. QPR were far too organised to be threatened by our sporadic bursts. That said the BBC stats do paint a different picture - says we had much more shots on and off targets than them.

[Norfolk N Chance]

Hit the bar in first half and Paddy pulled off great save .....what did QPR do exactly?

Yes apart from the goal.....???

Draw far better reflection but you were right they were so well organised but sometimes you have to have the ability to see beyond the scoreline!

Didn't think it was Hird's fault though, it was a great pass to the scorer and he just touched it back inside and wrong-footed Hird who was trying to catch him. I don't think any defender would have done any different.

Hird was like a lamp post totally out of position when the balll was passed and the QPR player went inside him like he wasn't there.

The same thing happened in the first half when the QPR player beat him near the line.

How on earth he got MOTM I will never know. How can people criticise Friend today and Hird gets MOTM. Amazing.

Not often I single out a player (especially in such an average team performance as today) but got to agree on that. Hird was defensively poor today, even allowing for being slightly out of position. SOD (being SOD) was 5 seconds ahead of everyone with their goal - he put his hands on his head as soon as Hird got the wrong way round to Ephraim as from the west stand you could see exactly what was coming.

But for a few instances of letting it bounce I thought Friend was solid today and in a scramble in the first half it may have gone un-noticed that he made a brave header that saved the ball going to an unmarked attacker.

Going forward I'd say only Moussa gets much credit. QPR were far too organised to be threatened by our sporadic bursts. That said the BBC stats do paint a different picture - says we had much more shots on and off targets than them.

[jmt]

I thought we shaded the first half, and we did create a few chances! The second half was a masterclass in closing a game out though, and we never looked like scoring, I also thought stock had a decent game and really got stuck in, they were very quick in closing him down though, I just hope we are safe,9 points?

[The Red Baron]

Still think we need two more wins- 50 points should be enough but I just worry about the lack of creativity. QPR are not an easy side to play against, especially once they get in front. But there was too much hoofing today. The irony is that the few times we built attacks on the ground we looked dangerous.

Gillett did well until he ran out of steam in the second half, but Oster looked well off the pace. Stock was OK defensively, but I thought his passing was disappointing.

For once the results didn't go our way today. I certainly didn't see that Blunts win over Leeds coming.

[Norfolk N Chance]

Well only marginally........ Preston won granted but we are one point worse off and the other teams in the main below us only marginally improved their position?

Still think we need two more wins- 50 points should be enough but I just worry about the lack of creativity. QPR are not an easy side to play against, especially once they get in front. But there was too much hoofing today. The irony is that the few times we built attacks on the ground we looked dangerous.

Gillett did well until he ran out of steam in the second half, but Oster looked well off the pace. Stock was OK defensively, but I thought his passing was disappointing.

For once the results didn't go our way today. I certainly didn't see that Blunts win over Leeds coming.

[benaldo]

There was a moment of sheer brilliance at the start of the first half when friend lost the ball to a QPR player, then stumbled, got the ball back, flicked it over himself...then out for a corner to them. It was like something at the circus.
If Sam Hird was MOM today then I've completely lost faith in the staff at the Doncaster opticians society. He had been doing a half decent job at right back, but today he was slow, out of position a lot, and their left sided player ran rings around him. His slow defending led to their only goal. How on earth can you give him MOM???!! It's bizarre! I know I've not been Sam Hirds greatest fan, but today he was terrible. He wasn't the only bad player today, they were all hoof-ball merchants at some point. I hope today was just an off day for him.

On the plus side, at least we only lost by a goal. Compared to the QPR players I thought we looked slow, out of ideas, mismatched almost totally throughout the team. The players who stood out for me were Moussa, and Euell when he came on. Those two are class, and god knows we need more players like them playing regularly. Woods made a couple of decent saves, but his kicking is atrocious. Friend looked genuinely scared today. He can't stand in the hotspots of Doncasters nightlife tonight with his half a shandy and think he did a great job. But he's learning the position I suppose and at least he had a go (more work needed on heading the ball, running quickly, passing).
We were always going to lose today, so I don't feel too bad considering the team we put out. Oh well, at least the next match is an easy one.................

[Jonathan]

Amazed at this thread, I thought Friend was our best player, with only a minority of others performing at anything like their capability (Martis, Gillett and Moussa can be happy enough with their performances).

There was indeed a moment in the first half when Friend gave away a corner that could was a bit of a **** up, and one or two moments of hesitation, but his development has been astounding and for most of the game he was in control. I think he deserves huge credit for the way he has come through an indifferent start to his Rovers career and now looks to be consistently one of our top performers. I'm happy with him at the back, and the defence is improving as a unit, but there's still a way to go. Thomas being nowhere near it helps.

Woods is inexperienced and still developing and, as a goalkeeper, that creates uncertainty at times. He's one to persist with but right now we need more experience there.

Friend, for me, looks like he could be part of our back four for some time.

[Viking Don]

Was Hird out of position? Really? I wasn't aware that he was supposed to be doing a man marking job on Ehpraim (whatever his name is). It just looked like one brilliant pass that effectively cut out the midfield and defence in one fell swoop. After that any defender would have struggled with what the scorer did next. I'll have another look later tonight, but at the moment I'm not blaming Sam, said straight away 'that's a great ball'.

[Norfolk N Chance]

That the point we are looking for someone to blame accept that we were beaten by a better team?

Whats the problem?

Their wage bill would I suggest sailing over 15m and our circa 7?

Was Hird out of position? Really? I wasn't aware that he was supposed to be doing a man marking job on Ehpraim (whatever his name is). It just looked like one brilliant pass that effectively cut out the midfield and defence in one fell swoop. After that any defender would have struggled with what the scorer did next. I'll have another look later tonight, but at the moment I'm not blaming Sam, said straight away 'that's a great ball'.

[DonnyNoel]

Was Hird out of position? Really? I wasn't aware that he was supposed to be doing a man marking job on Ehpraim (whatever his name is). It just looked like one brilliant pass that effectively cut out the midfield and defence in one fell swoop. After that any defender would have struggled with what the scorer did next. I'll have another look later tonight, but at the moment I'm not blaming Sam, said straight away 'that's a great ball'.

He got pulled inside, probably his CB instincts taking over so wouldnt say hw as out of position as such but then he got completely the wrong way round and over commited to the challenge making it easy for the player to come inside. SODs reaction spoke volumes.

[DonnyNoel]

That the point we are looking for someone to blame accept that we were beaten by a better team?

Whats the problem?

Their wage bill would I suggest sailing over 15m and our circa 7?

Was Hird out of position? Really? I wasn't aware that he was supposed to be doing a man marking job on Ehpraim (whatever his name is). It just looked like one brilliant pass that effectively cut out the midfield and defence in one fell swoop. After that any defender would have struggled with what the scorer did next. I'll have another look later tonight, but at the moment I'm not blaming Sam, said straight away 'that's a great ball'.

I'd say so yes. Maybe more! Hulse is probably on more than our entire bench today!

[Viking Don]

That the point we are looking for someone to blame accept that we were beaten by a better team?

Whats the problem?

Their wage bill would I suggest sailing over 15m and our circa 7?

Was Hird out of position? Really? I wasn't aware that he was supposed to be doing a man marking job on Ehpraim (whatever his name is). It just looked like one brilliant pass that effectively cut out the midfield and defence in one fell swoop. After that any defender would have struggled with what the scorer did next. I'll have another look later tonight, but at the moment I'm not blaming Sam, said straight away 'that's a great ball'.

Is there a problem? Fact is, if Sam was to blame, then it's no good just saying we were beaten by a better team, he needs to learn, as we could have got another valuable point today. The fact that anyone on here may blame him won't give him any sleepless nights I don't think, but if Sean blames him then he'll do it for a reason. RoK does say that one mistake cost us the game, so it sounds like they're going to blame someone, which is what you do to try and improve them.

[Norfolk N Chance]

Oh please Sam is a very good lad and plays well above himself every game .......No case to discuss....

That the point we are looking for someone to blame accept that we were beaten by a better team?

Whats the problem?

Their wage bill would I suggest sailing over 15m and our circa 7?

Was Hird out of position? Really? I wasn't aware that he was supposed to be doing a man marking job on Ehpraim (whatever his name is). It just looked like one brilliant pass that effectively cut out the midfield and defence in one fell swoop. After that any defender would have struggled with what the scorer did next. I'll have another look later tonight, but at the moment I'm not blaming Sam, said straight away 'that's a great ball'.

Is there a problem? Fact is, if Sam was to blame, then it's no good just saying we were beaten by a better team, he needs to learn, as we could have got another valuable point today. The fact that anyone on here may blame him won't give him any sleepless nights I don't think, but if Sean blames him then he'll do it for a reason. RoK does say that one mistake cost us the game, so it sounds like they're going to blame someone, which is what you do to try and improve them.

[Viking Don]

I'm not doubting that Norfolk, and I wasn't blaming him to start with, but if he's at fault then it needs addressing (not by us granted).

Noel, as you're one of the few on here who actually seems to have a good understanding of the game I'll defer to your judgment. After the pass everyone raced back so there was a few bodies in the way (I was pitch-side almost, having arrived late!) so I probably missed it. It'll be on in a few minutes but I'm sure you'll be proved right! You're not a footballer by any chance are you?