Queens Park Rangers 3 - West Bromwich Albion 2

Mark Koppel:

I said last week we would lose the next 2/3 games if we didn't play better than we did against 10 men Villa.

Unfortunately I was right.

Unless Irvine is sacked we may not get another point until mid January.

The most disappointing thing is not just losing today, but losing predictably.

Today proved:

1. Irvine still does not know his best Team and is completely out of his depth.
2. Terry Burton is also a really bad judge and has wasted £10million on one of the worst strikers I have ever seen at West Brom in over 40 years, and there have been some bad ones.
3. Berahino is one of the best young strikers in the PL and have him on the bench until the last c.15 mins. Criminal miss-management of your best player.
4. Peace is gradually screwing the Club into the ground by bloody mindedly sticking to this stupid Head Coach/Head of Recruitment Structure that clearly only worked when Dan Ashworth. was here.
5. Unless Irvine is replaced soon by a strong MANAGER, with his own staff ,and a January Transfer Budget, we will get relegated.

Brendan Clegg:

What a painful way to lose 3 points - and although I've been one of Irvine's critics I don't think he can be blamed today.

I'll be honest, that's arguably the best we've played all season - certainly we created chances and dominated the game and we haven't done that too often.

It reminded me a lot of Reading away under Clarke a couple of years ago where we again were the best team all over the pitch, were 2 nil up and threw it away through individual errors. They didn't even hurt us to much in open play.

The line up he went for is pretty near to our best in my opinion - personally I'd have Mulumbu over Gardner or Dorrans and Saido over Ideye but we'd still probably have conceded 3 goals yesterday - at least 3 individual players made individual errors from set plays and we were punished. We might have taken more chances with Saido in the team from the start perhaps.

I dont think you can play Sess and Varela and have Gamboa at right back - maybe in homes games against 10 men but I can understand why Wisdom gets the nod.

But Ideye at least looked like a Championship footballer which is a significant improvement on before and is showing promise. I just don't think we can afford to have him learn on the job for 10 games when there is a better player on the bench - even if that better player does have baggage.

It's daft - but 10 million last Summer was the equivalent of about 4 million 2 or 3 years ago when you see Shane Long going for 12 million, Fulham blowing 12 million on strikers in the championship and unproven players who have had enough chances like Borini being quoted at 15 million.

I don't blame Peace or the recruitment team for having a go and spending the money - he's scored goals everywhere else and it still might come off, even if it looks unlikely. At least he was in a team creating chances yesterday.

This game was a sharp reminder of how tough the league is - even when you are easily the better side you can get beat.

And the pressure is on Irvine still because even though we played much better and deserved to win our points tally isn't good enough due to previous matches, decisions and picking the wrong players.

We can't afford to lose another game against the teams below us - even a draw wouldn't have been awful against QPR because it stops them getting points.

I just hope he doesn't revert to type now, bring Brunt & Anichibe back in and undo the positives from the last 2 games. We only need to win 5 and draw 5 to be safe. I think we have the players to do that irrespective of who's in charge.

Stuart Russell:

I must congratulate Brendan on the best match report I have read for some time. I didn't go to the match so have to rely on reports, but unlike many posters on football blogs, Brendan's remarks were not knee-jerk stuff but were considered, well thought through and with a degree of optimism. Yes we lost the game through a stupid penalty, two other defensive mistakes and a striker in top form. But we should have won it - and that's not what many recent opposition teams at Loftus Road can claim. QPR's record is now five wins and a draw in the last six home games, and the draw was against City. I too think Irwin is close to discovering his best team - it's taken him long enough! - but places have to be found for Berahino (definitely) and Mulumbu (probably).

Just one final hope. Let's go out and attack City. They are closing in on Chelsea, have a lot to lose and might well be nervous. If we sit back and let them pass their way to confidence we might get slaughtered. Recent history has shown that the only against the top money boys is to hit them quickly and hard.

One final point, it's good to see Stephene Sessignon finally making his mark. Let's not make the mistake that has been made with other gifted players past and present (Sneekes, Koumas and Ben Arfa at Hull come to mind)and expect them to do what they're plainly terrible at, namely defending, at the expense of what they are exceptional at, i.e. creating and scoring goals.

AstleBrownCunningham:

Irvine - very nice guy, popular with the players, ex players view him as an excellent coach.

However poor record as manager at PNE and Sheff Wed, hence not a popular choice with most Albion fans.

Unfortunately, so far the fans seem to be correct.

Has until after the West Ham game on Jan 1. If we do not have at least as many points as games played he will be gone.

Problem is, who will do any better.

Baggyjon:

I have been reluctant to express a so called knee jerk reaction to the appointment of Irvine until he had had the opportunity to get his feet under the table.

He accepted the job as head coach presumably in the knowledge that he would be working with a squad of players not entirely of his own choice a situation dictated by the philosophy which has been in place for the last 5 years at least.

I genuinely believe that the apparent personal vendettas aimed at Irvine by certain sections of our fan base are unfair and in some cases downright offensive.

I do think, however, that Irvine is the fall guy in a situation that is not entirely of his making although he does not seem to advance his case by an apparent negativity in team play and the failure, in my opinion to pick round pegs for round holes and a failure to make substitutions early enough to influence games. This is due in part to his inexperience of managing(sorry coaching) a club of the size of WBA.

I have therefore come to conclusion that the blame for our present status is due entirely to whoever in the backroom staff from Peace downwards decided that it was;

1. A good idea to appoint the youth team coach at Everton as head coach.
2. To continue to maintain a championship mid-field of Dorrans, Brunt, Morrison and reward Dorrans and Brunt with extended contracts.
3. To sign Nicholas Anelka.
4. To keep Reid and Gera (great servants) for a year past their sell by date.
5. To sign Samaras, Blanco, Baird and yet unproven Ide (for £10 million?) Added to that is the fact that trouble with strikers like Lee Hughes, Odemwingie, Anelka and now Berahino seems endemic in the club.

It is a miracle we remain 15th in the Premiership under these circumstances. For me the only long term solution is return to basics and appoint a fully fledged manager with total control but I know that Peace will never allow that to happen so we will continue to struggle playing a semi negative game always afraid of losing but never quite good enough to win .This in my opinion will lead to the inevitable conclusion.

The most financially sound team in the Championship.

baggie43:

We had the chance to replace Roy Hodgson with another good manager with a great track record in the top clubs, that would be Harry Rednapp.

What a missed opportunity that was, its time for this chairman to go he along with Alan Irvine is a waste of space.

We need someone who can bring money into the club and is passionate about football plus a manager who can inspire and lead a team.

I am 71, have been a baggies fan all my life, my uncle played right wing for them just after the war and my mom was their cook for over twenty years, as a kid my dad took me to every match, in those days I was a proud Baggies fan.

It's time the fans left these guys in no doubt that we do not want them.