Norwich City boss Daniel Farke said his side failed to deal with QPR’s long-ball tactics in their 4-1 defeat at Loftus Road.
After Ryan Manning’s freak own goal, target man Smith laid on the equaliser for Massimo Luongo and later headed Rangers in front.
Smith then set Ebere Eze up to make it 3-1 before Manning scored at the right end when he netted with a late header.
Farke was frustrated, having made his team well aware of Smith’s aerial presence.
“Our whole preparation was nearly all about him,” Farke said.
“That’s their style – long ball – and then he wins the headers and you have to win the second ball.
Norwich started well but switched off straight after going ahead, enabling Luongo to level shortly before half-time.
Farke added: “The first half was almost too easy. We deserved to be in the lead and then we forgot our basics.
“The first thing is always to be there and to win the determining duels and today we didn’t.
“It’s the first time in several months that I have seen this face of my team. I’m totally annoyed that we lost.
“It was possible, especially after we went into the lead, for us to drive home with the points. We must show a reaction, especially in terms of how we meet duels.
“When you go into the lead you have to be even more greedy and offensive to defend this lead.”
This post was last modified on 02/04/2018
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1st goal - QPR ran with the ball along the deck, exchanged a couple of passes and slotted in at the far post.
2nd goal - ball ran out of the penalty ara along the ground and got pelted back in along the ground, hit a players leg and spun up into the air and Smith out jumped the keeper to nod home. Any keeper should not get beaten like that.
3rd goal - ball played in from right flank (tne closest to ‘long ball’ that I can think of), Smith nodded down and Eze slotted in along the ground on the angle.
4th goal - ball crossed in from left flank close-ish to the goal line and headed home.
Nope, cant see much long ball in that and from the game itself.
These sorts of comments as seen in tne article from managers, players, fans etc are done purely to deflect from their own failure and shift attention elsewhere.
Agreed JB - their manager's a lying Farke if he's trying to say we have nothing but a long ball game.
And he says nearly all of their preparation was focussed on Smith... that being the case, either his preparation tactics were cr*p or his team were in implementing them.
SO he's not only a lying Farke, but a useless Farke too.
He was at a different game to me then. Only one of our goals came from a “long ball”. Didnt see many people complaining when Beckham was piniging in long crosses into the box for his Man U team mates to score from.