How QPR completely stifled Birmingham.
Some interesting tactical concepts used by Mark Warburton, particularly off the ball.
QPR won 1-2 at Birmingham City at the weekend, with Mark Warburton’s side putting in an excellent tactical performance to limit the hosts to just one shot on target. Here is a look at some tactical nuances that were key to the R’s impressive away win.
Preventing build up/ forcing long through an aggressive press
Isolating Deeney
Stopping the right
Gaining territory
Defending the box
Firstly, Covid-stricken Birmingham used their usual 3-5-2 shape, but usually have an emphasis on playing a direct, physical game under Lee Bowyer. On Sunday, Birmingham had 59% possession and attempted over 500 passes, which is a complete departure from what Birmingham are used to doing under Bowyer.
QPR on the other hand only had 41% possession, their joint lowest all season so it was a much differed performance and identity to the possession based, controlling philosophy built by Warburton.
Warburton allowed Birmingham to have safe possession only in deep areas with George Friend heavily the focal point of possession and driving into central spaces. QPR went for a three man press on Birmingham’s back three and No.6, often forcing the ball back to the keeper or otherwise long, where Dunne in particular had a height advantage over Troy Deeney.
QPR’s shape resembled a 3-4-1-2, but this was extremely fluid as Lee Wallace would press high on Colin, with Adomah tucking across to create a lob sided back five and leave Juan Castillo isolated in the wide left areas.
Andre Gray showed brilliant work ethic when leading the line with Dykes on Sunday. He ran his socks off to press Birmingham’s backline and pressed well to force them long.
With Birmingham playing a two striker formation, Deeney led the line with debutant George Hall so Deeney was likely to pose the bigger threat as an experienced PL striker.
However, with Dunne playing as an aggressive CB man to man on Deeney, whilst on a good run of form, Dunne was able to stifle Deeney by allowing him only one shot all game.
Birmingham posed the majority of their threat down the right hand side, with 45% of their attacks through the right. As Colin took up some advanced positions in possession it relied upon the flexibility of the wing backs to position themselves correctly.
With QPR stifling three of Birmingham’s key threats in game/ possession (Friend, Sunjic and Deeney), another key element of QPR’s performance was their ability to gain territory through going direct both with longer balls and runners to stretch Birmingham beyond.
Due to the effectiveness and the intelligent directness of QPR’s front three, only 24% of the game has to be played in Birmingham’s half (44% in the middle third, 32 in QPR’s third). Here’s how they did it.
So QPR gained territory through very basic tactics, made effective by very good performances from the front three. Their running power, intelligence and physical strength allowed them to cause problems for Birmingham’s defence all game and due to their excellence was able to pin back the majority of the Birmingham side when QPR had possession, meaning with Birmingham leaving Deeney and Hall 2v3 vs the QPR backline, they never were at threat of causing QPR problems in transition.
On the occasions that Birmingham did attack into promising areas, QPR defended the box with numbers effectively bar the Aneke goal (a mishap). QPR defended with the back 8 (all bar the two strikers) being asked to sink into the box during dangerous crosses or shots. This way, Birmingham had very few chances, and only one on target.
So QPR’s 3-4-1-2 completely stifled Birmingham, limiting them to only one shot on target. Whilst there was some last ditch defending, and a nervy final 10 minutes, that’s what you have to expect at Championship level.
Warburton’s improved use of the pressing structure, off the ball discipline and aggression when defending was important, as well as showing scope for further defensive improvement.
Despite what the score line suggests, and the few chances QPR had all game, it was an extremely good disciplined away performance, maintaining the unbeaten away form all the way since October. If Warburton continues to show his flexibility like this performance, QPR might not just qualify for the playoffs, but be able to compete in them too.