QPR slipped to their eighth away league defeat of the season on a thoroughly miserable day on the south coast. Lewis Jones was there for LFW.
When the random fixture list generator at the FA threw up Bournemouth v QPR for the start of April, Rs fans around the country would have been getting all giddy and excited about an away day in the spring sunshine. The big red thing in the sky would be roaring and the boys in Super Hoops would be charging towards a title, we all thought. The reality of Saturday’s frustrating trip to the south-coast could not have been more different.
Replacement bus services plagued the line from London to Bournemouth, it rained to an extent that on leaving the ground I spoke to chap called Noah who building an Arc and good old QPR put up another lacklustre and tactically predictable performance.
It was a miserable day to be following the Hoops, especially when news of Burnley’s 1-1 draw at Watford filtered through. The gap could have been just five points now if Rangers had beaten both Blackpool and Bournemouth. It is now 10 and any hope of catching the Clarets firmly evaporated on Saturday.
The only real positive on the day was seeing Charlie Austin get 25 minutes under his belt.
Modibo Maiga started here and pranced around the pitch like a drunk jellyfish. He spent half his time saying sorry to Ravel Morrison for an uncanny ability to miss-control the football. He even held his hand up in apology to the away end at one point when he gave away a foul on the half-way line after losing possession which triggered the QPR fans to start singing Austin’s name. I almost felt sorry for him at that point, almost. Austin’s goals and all round play is absolutely critical to the way this QPR shape up.
The 1,400 away fans that travelled, soaked and miserable in the away end, looked a disgruntled bunch from my position in the press box.
They had every right to as well. For the remaining 23 minutes Bournemouth played with ten-men when Harry Arter was sent-off for a disgusting tackle on Junior Hoilett. However, QPR lacked the intelligence and an incisive final ball to create any meaningful chances in the closing stages.
Richard Dunne had a header cleared off the line in the final minute and substitute Bobby Zamora blotted his copybook further with an air-shot of finest quality from ten yards out but an equaliser would have been harsh on the hosts, who created chances of their own in the final stages.
It all could have been so different if QPR had taken an early lead their sassy attacking play merited. For the opening 20 minutes Rangers dominated with Junior Hoilett and Armand Traore in electric mood on both wings and a central midfield of Tom Carroll and Jermaine Jenas controlling the game.
It was an opening period that showed just what this QPR team can do when in the mood, unfortunately, after 20 minutes most of the team slipped back into their comfort zone and the hosts took over.
Early QPR chances were created, and missed. Former R's hero Lee Camp between the sticks denied Jenas, Hoilett and Ravel Morrison from long range with full-stretch saves.
From there Bournemouth grew into the game and with Dunne seemingly feeling the effects of some heavy nights as Pub Landord after a signing a new one year deal, the hosts had the firepower to take advantage of QPR’s sloppiness through centre-half Tommy Elphick and lively but limited frontman Lewis Grabban. A fantastic goal from Traore gave something for the hardy souls in the away end to cheer but it was all vein as the Cherries were good value for the win.
Danny Simpson’s place amongst the starting eleven was a welcome boost and although he faltered towards the end of the game with his crossing continuing to be of the quality of a Sunday footballer, his defensive work in the first-half was outstanding, keeping the dangerous Marc Pugh quiet and making some crucial last ditch blocks when needed. He couldn’t do anything about the opening goal though, which came in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.
Bournemouth had started to up the ante before they rippled Rob Green’s net.
Yann Kermorgant and Grabban wasted good opportunities minutes before Cherries skipper Elphick rose highest to head home a typically sublime Ian Harte corner. To put it bluntly, he wanted it more than his marker Dunne, who is a shadow of his brilliant early season self at the moment. His all-round performance was sloppy, error-strewn and at times shambolic.
The cries of "you fat bastard” from the home terraces as the Irishman cynically chopped down substitute Eunan O'Kane in the last few minutes and picked up a deserved booking were hard to argue with. The nippy front man made it look like Dunne was trying to run through treacle and the chronic lack of pace on show at the heart of the Rs defence when Clint Hill and Dunne are paired together is now an area opposition teams are targeting.
QPR needed a quick start after the break and they answered the call, taking just 24 seconds to level things up. It was a goal of pure beauty too from Traore. Tom Carroll chipped a nine-iron-like pearler into the path of the onrushing Traore, who had skipped in behind Cherries full-back Simon Francis. Collecting the ball at an awkward angle and running at full speed, the winger somehow controlled the ball into his path, juggled the ball for a couple of strides using his knee and then volleyed into the corner from a tight angle.
The away end erupted. It was a sublime piece of play from the former Arsenal man, whose attitude has improved this season according to Redknapp. If he could add consistency to his game, he’s a Premier League player. The goal should have acted as a springboard for QPR to push on.
However, Redknapp’s men failed to use the momentum a goal brings and it was Bournemouth - roared on by a sell-out crowd - that grabbed the initiative.
Andrew Surman waltzed through a non-existent QPR midfield on 55 minutes courtesy of two one-twos before firing a shot that was tipped over the bar by Green. After Karl Henry’s performances against Wigan and Blackpool, it was a strange move by Redknapp to go with such a lightweight midfield pairing of Jenas and Carroll. That piece of play by Surman highlighted their shortcomings as a partnership. With the rain and wind driving down it was a type of game that Henry excels in and Dunne and Hill certainly missed the security Henry provides in front of the back four.
Minutes later Rangers were behind. A routine ball over the top of Dunne, who turned like a HGV, had Kermorgant in on the left. He got his head up and sent a ball across the goal looking for his strike partner Grabban. Hill read the danger but messed up his clearance and the ball trickled through to the hot-shot striker.
A man that has now scored 20 goals in the league simply doesn’t miss from four yards. Green got a hand to it the ball ended up in the net.
Redknapp reacted to the goal by replacing the absolutely non-existent Maiga with Austin to great cheers from the away end. The R's talisman never really got into the game though and only had one half-chance to feast on, which he headed wide, but the 25 minutes of game-time should prove vital in his bid for fitness and form.
Austin had been on the pitch for no longer than three minutes when QPR were handed a way back into the game by Arter who, needlessly for a player of his ability, lunged into a wild tackle on Hoilett. The studs were showing and in this day and age any tackle where the player is deemed out of control is going to be taken very seriously by the officals. Referee Jon Moss was quick on the scene and brandished the red card.
With 25 minutes remaining you’d have fancied QPR to at least draw level with Morrison in the side to really pen back the Cherries. In fairness to the Super Hoops they did keep the ball quite comfortably for the final quarter but rarely did they press with any real conviction or look to switch the ball from wing-to-wing with real swiftness in order to open up the hosts. Camp didn’t really have a save to make in the time they had ten-men, which was pretty ludicrous.
Bournemouth were organised and hard-working. That on many occasions this season is all that is needed to beat this QPR side.
Countless times the visitors pressed down the right flank only for one of Hoilett and Simpson to sling a woeful cross into the box which was cleared. As Redknapp pointed out post-game, the lack of imagination from the more creative players in the team like Morison, Carroll and Hoilett was the most disappointing aspect of a very frustrating final period of the game.
Saying that, QPR could have left with a point if Dunne’s final minute header had not been hacked clear off the line by Pugh following a corner at which Green came up to join the attack. However, for Dunne and QPR it was a day of missed opportunities.
This next month will define Redknapp’s tenure as QPR boss. He simply has to get Austin back to near his best form otherwise you’d be hard pushed to fancy QPR over two legs in the playoffs against any team with a similar tenacious and well organised game-plan to Bournemouth’s.
No pressure, Harry.
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QPR: Green 7, Simpson 7, Dunne 4, Hill 6, Assou-Ekotto 6, Jenas 6 (Benayoun 72, 6), Carroll 7, Hoilett 6, Traore 7 (Zamora 80, 5), Morrison 6, Maiga 4 (Austin 65, 6).
Subs not used: Suk-Young, Murphy, Henry, Young
Goals: Traore 46 (assisted by Carroll)
Bookings: Morrison 83, Dunne 90
Bournemouth: Camp 7, Francis 6, Cook 6, Elphick 7, Harte 6, Ritchie 6 (Fraser 74, 6), Arter 7, Surman 8, Pugh 7, Kermorgant 7 (O’Kane 70, 6), Grabban 7 (Pitman 96, 6)
Subs not used: Allsop, Smith, Ward, Rantie.
Goals: Elphick 45 (assisted by Harte), Grabban 60
Bookings: Harte 77
Sent Off: Arter 67
QPR Star Man: Armand Traore 7 Showed some nice touches and looked to take on his full-back at every opportunity. His goal was a sublime piece of skills worthy of a bigger stage than the Championship.
Referee: Jon Moss 7 Refereed the game sensibly considering the wet conditions and had no real alternative to show the red to Arter, who blotted his copybook with the reckless challenge.
Attendance: 11,317 (1,400 QPR fans)
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Pictures — Action Images