Fan Letters: ‘Our defence stood firm, kept them out, and helped build for a comfortable win!’

Dear Roker Report,

Pessimism: we were rubbish for the first 30 min against Blackburn. We should have been 3/4 down. Optimism: Blackburn started really well – fast, accurate passing and high press, but our defence stood firm and kept them out and helped build for a comfortable win.

Alan Coates

Ed’s Note [Martin]: We didn’t start the game well at all, and yes Blackburn could have pretty much won the game in the first 20 minutes. However, the fact they didn’t was more due to the quality of our defending than anything else. Fortunately, we were able to grow into the game and for 70+ minutes if you include stoppage time I thought we were the better side. We’re not going to steamroller teams every week, and the fact we withstood that early bombardment and were then able to win comfortably in the end is very promising.

Photo by Dave Howarth - CameraSport via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I lived in Shepherds Bush in the early 70s, so QPR was my London team. They had some great players who played great football. Marsh, Bowles, Venables, Francis and my favourite David Thomas who came from Bishop Auckland I think. The point being they played football not the rough house bullying game that Ainsworth has got them playing now. It was sad to watch. Incidentally, the worst foul I can remember from my visits to Loftus Road was when Man City were playing and a certain Mickey Horswill came on at the start of the second half to mark Stan Bowles who had been brilliant in the first. First chance he got he kicked him so hard Bowles limped through the rest of the game. Sad!

Gerald Kearney

Ed’s Note [Martin]: Gareth Ainsworth spent so long at Wycombe that he seems to have one way of playing football – and it’s not a way I’d want to see Sunderland play. QPR should be better than they are, as you say they’ve long had a reputation for playing good football, and it’ll be interesting to see how long Ainsworth lasts there. Because he’s a former player he might get a bit more time than he otherwise would, but I can’t see QPR fans standing for it for too long if their results keep going the way they currently are.