West Bromwich Albion 1 - Queens Park Rangers 1

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Ratings submitted so far: 19

Brendan Clegg:

It’s a good point that. I thought today would be tough. The changes were necessary and I thought this was going to be a game too far for us.

No qualms from me for the lineup - personally I’d have played Rabby at right back with Whitwell ahead of him to give us balance but Styles is so adaptable it wasn’t terrible.

I thought we were really good again, against a decent side, and we just lacked that final bit of quality.

First half we dominated the ball, QPR scored a flukey goal with their only foray into our half but we showed tremendous character to level it up with a great move and a wonderful Styles goal. It was the least we deserved.

We also had a couple of nearly moments in the half, Heggebø putting a great chance wide and high on the slide and not getting on the end of another that flashed across the box.

After the break we struggled to get the legs going. We started better than QPR but they had more of it and is the minutes ticked on we ran out of gas to the point where we were holding on a bit.

QPR had more cutting edge than us despite fewer attacks and O’Leary did the business to keep us in it.

The changes naturally came and with it more energy as we pushed for a winner but less cohesion.

Still loads of positives - a good performance on tired legs, not quite having enough but that’ll be the case with our squad being a quality striker short and now problems at right back. We were still good to watch and gave everything. It’s been a brilliant return this week and hopefully we can avoid defeat at the custard bowl with the players and coaches getting physical and mental rest.

• O’Leary - 8 Really good
• Townsend - 6 have seen some grumbles. Last year this would’ve been Charlie Taylor. Was solid, got forward. Final ball wasn’t great but a big effort
• Phillips - 8 great again
• Mepham - 7 really good on the ball, unlucky for the goal
• Styles - 8 Bags of effort and energy. Great goal
• Price - 7 Was dead on his feet at 70 mins yet still found a way to get at them in the last 10
• Molumby - 7 Experience needed. Very steady
• Collyer - 7 A bit game rusty but also showed a lot of quality on the ball and his reading of it and running
• Rabby - 6 Did fine, one or two lightning moments
• Heggebø - 6 ran hard but didn’t do enough for me
• Myhre - 6 ran a lot but didn’t influence it enough

• Diakite - 6 Didn’t get into it
• Tunde - 5 Needs more work but it’ll come with games. Not as oven ready as the other signings
• Morgan - 6 Gave us zip and energy for the last 15
• Stewart - 5 Also struggled to impact

Kev Buckley:

Albion win the highlights: but not the points

Managed to catch the highlights with the early showings seeing Albion appearing to have the better of things: firstly with Nzingoula having a dribble and a shot that rebounded away off Horn Myhre, and then after Townsend played Collyer in down the left, but his cross found Heggebø trying to make something of it, in between two defenders, and although he made contact, he could only steer it wide.

Collyer's pass, into the feet of someone with a marker really tight, was picked off and QPR broke onto an exposed backline, and although O'Leary saved the shot, the rebound hit Mepham in the face and went in.

No clocks on the highlights reel, although the commentary suggested that Albion had hit straight back, after another ball down the left wing channel was pulled back, and Nzingoula and Horn Myhre worked it across the edge of the box, into the path of Styles, still deputising at right back, and he was able to cut back inside onto his left foot and curl one into the far side netting.

Albion got a corner from nothing, but Molumby's free-header at the back post was way off target, before O'Leary pulled off another super save.

Morgan would have more time than he realised, and in rushing to get a shot off, could only lift it over.

Hard to get a real read on the game, even if Albion did just edge the highlights, although I'm liking Nzingoula more and more, as, although he seems more of a centre-mid than a wide player, he's good enough with the ball at his feet to be more than capable of getting up alongside "the Horn" to give us options when we are attacking centrally.

Still feels as though we're a centre-back light, what with only Phillips, Campbell, and Mepham worthy of a start.