Despite the lack of academy status QPR successfully battled through to a fifth round FA Youth Cup tie at Newcastle by claiming the considerable scalp of Everton in round four. Daniel Lister went to see the boys in action for LFW.
Queens Park Rangers hate cups. Particularly those cup competitions preceded by the letters, F and A. Until this season, QPR’s first team had not won an FA Cup match since a third round replay 11 years previously.
To put that statistic into a personal perspective, in the time between FA Cup victories, I have had six different jobs, six different houses, one marriage, two children, one divorce and got engaged to the woman of my dreams. The children that weren’t even a twinkling in my onion bag as I listened to that Luton replay on the radio were closing in on their eighth and sixth birthdays when we finally put the cup hoodoo to rest against MK Dons earlier this year. QPR hate cups.
It seems that this malaise also applies to the Under 18’s team which hasn't progressed into the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup in a similar timeframe to that of their first team colleagues. Because a Rangers side had reached such dizzying heights, I decided, as the self-proclaimed Loft for Words resident North East correspondent (not a salaried position), to steal a notebook from the stationary cupboard and make the 0.2 mile walk from my cosy office to the Sports Direct Arena (formerly known as St. James’ Park) and see the boys in action and report back.
The first thing to report back is that it was cold, very cold. Colder even than the away fixture at The Sports Direct Arena (I just can’t help it) last month. Luckily, I didn’t have to establish base camp on the way to the summit of the great edifice that is the away end at The Sports Direct Arena, as all the fans, of which I was the only ‘away’ one to my knowledge, were housed in the East Stand. That’s the one that used to proudly sport the name of the ground, but now has an advert for a rather tatty sports and chav clothing retail outlet. You know the one…
I had the opportunity to watch the lads warm up and Steve Gallen was certainly putting them through their paces, a game of four on four being played at great pace and competitiveness that left me wondering if the boys would actually have the energy to come out for the first half. A drill involving goalkeeper Gareth Deane and every single shot hitting the back of the net, didn’t exactly inspire confidence in our young stopper, but overall the boys looked sharp and up for it.
Gallen had spoken pre-match about the team’s nervousness at playing at Loftus Road in the previous rounds, so I was interested to see how they started at the far larger Sports Direct Arena. As it turned out, not very well. From the kick off, Newcastle winger Maddison was played in on goal following a sloppy pass by Rangers left back Walker and cut in on his left foot to send a low shot that was well parried for a corner by Deane. This was a really smart save and effectively neutered my pre match pessimism concerning Deane, who went on to have a terrific match. The resulting corner was hit straight out, but Newcastle continued to dominate the early proceedings, looking to get Maddison on the ball in the wide right area as much as possible. I couldn’t decide whether he was being utilised in that footballing anomaly as a left-footer in a wide right role or was genuinely two footed, but his constant tactic of cutting in on his left foot from wide areas was posing Walker a few problems to the extent that we started doubling up on him.
It took until the fifth minute for QPR, resplendent in their red and white away kit, to register a foray into the Newcastle half, earning a corner in the process. This came to nothing. My notes at this point simply state; ‘Just as bad as the first team’ which is disappointing considering the quality of the set pieces delivered in the previous round against Everton.
Following this it was concerted Newcastle pressure with Bruno Andrade clearing a corner off the line and Deane making a series of impressive claims and central defender and captain Sendles-White a number of last ditch blocks in the area. Indeed the only respite QPR could gain was by breaking through the pacey Andrade and buying free kicks just inside the Newcastle half.
It was therefore somewhat against the run of play when Rangers actually scored and took the lead. Andrade finally got the ball in an attacking area and following a smart turn on the right hand line, was hacked down. Simmonds’ resultant free kick should have been an easy claim for the Newcastle ‘keeper but he mistimed his jump and the ball dropped over him to Ben Brown who bundled the ball into the net. Even at a youth match, it would have been suicidal to celebrate at this point, surrounded as I was by a number of chavs and some girls who were caked in so much slap they resembled Oompa-Loompas - the type of girls who get Newcastle lasses a bad name and allow away fans to spend an extra night in the city knowing full well they will get some action. I therefore had to content myself with writing, ‘You R’s’ in big letters in my notebook.
Rangers followed the example set by their first team counterparts and sat back, allowing Newcastle further opportunities to attack, again mainly through Maddison who proved his right footedness by slicing a left foot effort into the empty stand behind the goal. A fantastic free kick from Newcastle’s Knight from a central position 23 yards out finally beat Deane but the ball struck the inside of the post and was cleared for a corner. This allowed Newcastle to finally get the ball in the net but the high pitched celebrations of the Oompa-Loompas were cut short but the linesman correctly ruling that a foul on Deane had occurred in the melee. Maddison swapped wings to the left hand side and had another effort which went narrowly wide before the referee mercifully blew for half time, giving me a chance to try and restore some feeling to my frost bitten toes.
The main purpose of my report was to see if any of the current crop of youth team players looked anywhere close to first team standards and my stand out man of the half was goalkeeper Deane. He made some very smart saves, his handling was exemplary in slippery conditions and he even possessed a decent kick. The defence was willing to put in last ditch blocks and tackles, but Deane was the outstanding man of the half and so much pressure had been put on the defence that the sole tactic seemed to be to launch it clear at every opportunity, which gave the forwards very little chance to show their worth.
We kicked off the second half in the tried and tested method of hitting the ball into the right channel for a throw in by the corner flag, this is a technique that really pisses me off in first team football and it’s pretty sad to see youngsters being developed in this outdated tactic, where there is greater room for freedom and less pressure on making mistakes. Newcastle started much the way they had in the first half, lots of pressure being eased by the odd break away by Gibbons for QPR who earned a few fouls for his efforts and needed treatment as a result. In the fifty fifth minute Deane made his best save(s) of the night, firstly smothering a low shot one-on-one and then showing great agility to bounce up and block the follow up with his legs for a corner. He later punched a long range effort from Maddison over the bar and was again the stand out QPR performer of the second half.
Gallen made a substitution in sixty fifth minute, taking off Hubble and bringing on the imposing figure of Emmanuel Monthe to add some much needed presence up front. Shortly after, we registered our second shot on target when Bruno Andrade hit a long-range effort that was palmed down by the Newcastle keeper.
Deane continued to be the busier of the two stoppers though, making a series of good saves and again showing his excellent handling when any spills would have resulted in a goal, but he was finally beaten with seven minutes to go following the move of the match. A tremendous through ball sent Maddison one on one with Deane but a fine covering tackle from Walker won the ball and sent it out for a corner. Except that the referee had pointed to the spot for a penalty.
Shortly before this incident I had been thinking of pithy headlines for this piece and the one that came to mind was that Steve Gallen should lend his lucky rabbit’s foot, four leaf clover and other mystical charms to Mark Hughes and the first team for Saturday’s game at Blackburn. We really had been battered but were looking as if we would go through thanks to a flukey goal and some inspired goalkeeping. I guess shit luck just runs through our entire club at the moment. Surely it’s time for Tony Fernandes to have a piss in the four corners of Loftus Road a la Barry Fry to exorcise whatever curse has befallen us this season?
The much maligned Match of the Day and Sky Sports pundits talk about the direction the ball goes in penalty incidents like this one, when the ball goes out away from the attacking player for a corner, it’s usually indicative of the defender winning the ball and then clearing out the attacking player. So it was here, and Campbell added insult to injury by finally beating Deane, sending him the wrong way in the process.
For all the Newcastle pressure, it was QPR who had the chances to win the match before full time with both Monthe and especially Andrade missing decent opportunities. Andrade’s was especially disappointing, sliding to meet a flick on in the box, he simply didn’t connect enough and Baird gratefully smothered the ball. Any connection of note would have resulted in a goal and showed just how far our one player with any expectations on his shoulders, is from playing in the first team.
The worst case scenario for my now dead toes, extra time for 30 minutes. Actually, the worst case scenario was for Newcastle to score in extra time, something that happened in the ninth minute and involved three of the substitutes. QPR’s Fitzpatrick (a hybrid lookalike of Adel and Hogan) was roasted down the right flank by Turton who crossed for Hooper to glance a header past Deane, who had no chance of making a save. Again, QPR came back strongly and the powerful Monthe went clear of his man and rather than crossing for Andrade to tap in, executed a heavy touch that took him and the ball into a collision with the keeper. The ball spilled free and Monthe stuck it away but the effort was ruled out for a foul on the keeper. There were a few bodies around and I didn’t get a great view but there didn’t seem to be a great deal wrong with this as it was a genuine coming together of two people watching the ball, one of those where the keeper gets the benefit of the doubt nowadays.
It was all QPR in the second half of extra time without really mustering a proper effort. Newcastle ’s keeper was definitely the weak link, looking nervous under high balls and we really should have put more into the box, especially with Monthe, Sendles-White and substitute Adekunle being the type of lads who weren’t frightened to get showered after games lessons when they were 11 years old. It was from such ball that we got our best chance of the added time when a corner was gain dropped by Baird but the headed goal bound effort was cleared off the line.
Shortly after, the referee blew for full time and the 1196 fans in attendance warmed some feeling back into their bodies by applauding the efforts of both teams.
My opinion is that this was a missed opportunity, we only really attacked following both Newcastle goals and actually looked quite promising in doing so. Their keeper was there for the taking as he was a nervous wreck whenever the ball went in the air, but for most of the time we sat back and let them come onto us. For those present for the recent first team games against Villa and Wolves this will seem worryingly familiar.
This tactic did allow, however, me to see man of the match Deane in action. He looks a very promising keeper, nowhere near the standards of the first team just yet but very promising. Of the rest, Andrade was the most disappointing as he is the one that is nearest the first team thoughts, although recent signings have probably put paid to any further involvement, Simmonds was combative in the middle and Sendles-White was a decent centre-back albeit against smaller opposition. One of those ones where as other kids grow and develop he’ll get left behind.
All in all, a good effort but not quite good enough although it has to be put in the context of the academy status and catchment area of the opposition. Oh, and I never got round to thinking of that pithy headline.