Championship – What We Learned – Huddersfield Town 0 QPR 1

Championship – What We Learned – Huddersfield Town 0 QPR 1

0
SHARE

Queens Park Rangers left it till the 83rd minute on Saturday as Tjaronn Chery sealed a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town.

His third of the season, Chery got hold of a shot-turned-cross from Massimo Luongo on the right and steered it passed Huddersfield goalkeeper Joe Murphy at the far post. The deciding goal seemed as if it may never come as both sides saw their share of opportunities go to waste at the John Smith Stadium.

QPR looked the more dangerous side from the off as Charlie Austin shot just over on four minutes. As the game progressed, however, the ball began to move rapidly from end-to-end with Ishmael Miller and Nahki Wells going close several times for the hosts. At the other end, Murphy, who produced some excellent saves throughout the match, denied Matt Phillips and Charlie Austin. In the end it was a freak ball from Luongo to find Chery that gave Rangers the opportunity to grab points.

Austin’s boots will be hard to fill if he leaves

Charlie Austin is good. Even when he is not playing well, he is still good. The Englishman has been linked with a move back to the Premier League all summer and it is not hard to see why. Each time he touched the ball he seemed calm and in control, finding feet or trying to find the net. His class is also complimented by his work-rate. Several times he almost found himself on the scoresheet. Minutes later, however, you could see him making a tackle 25 yards from his own goal. No one could criticise the striker for not putting a shift in.

Austin has also been encouraged to shoot this season, with Chris Ramsey setting shot quotas for each of the Rs players. It would appear to be working too, with four goals in four games for the 25-year-old.

QPR may finally be calming down in defence

Despite almost letting Miller in on goal inside two minutes, Rangers seemed more calm and collected at the back than in any of their previous games. Clean sheets are not usually QPR’s strength but Nedum Onuoha and Grant Hall showed gusto in their game and were not afraid to make some solid tackles. The centre-halves did receive a fair amount of help from Michael Doughty and Ale Faurlin to be fair – Doughty even managed to clear the ball off the line after a dangerous Terriers set piece. However, with only Darnell Furlong and Cole Kpekawa on the bench, Rangers are looking thin at the back. More cover is needed, especially in a season as long as the Championship’s.

The Championship demands a different kind of football

English football is known for its physicality. The best teams often have to grind out results through gritty and forceful play. It is easy to see managers get frustrated as players lose their discipline. Cheaply giving away the ball or defenders making reckless challenges can cost you three points. Huddersfield and QPR were both guilty of moments of folly, however QPR were the ones who capitalised.

Overall, the game was typical of its league. End-to-end football showed a desire to take the game to the opposition, yet a lack of discipline was clear. Older players, like James Perch, are supposed to be in control during matches but even they have their moments. This creates a competition where any team can beat another on any given day. And because of this, consistency can be hard to find. A combination of positive mentality and good physicality will be key for any team pushing for promotion this season.

Ramsey is giving everyone a chance

Rangers invested in many young prospects over the summer and it seems like Ramsey has time for all of them. Starting each week in the league, Luongo is growing with each game and his enthusiasm cannot be compared to. Doughty has had several substitute appearances but looked at ease, starting in place of Karl Henry yesterday. Hall is starting to establish his name as a starting centre-back along side Onuoha. Even some of the very young players such as Kpekawa, Furlong and Reece Grego-Cox are seeing game time in cup matches and through substitutions.

Though they may not all become stars, Ramsey has a shot at finding a diamond in the rough.

What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.

LEAVE A REPLY