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QPR flirt, but fail to score at the debutante ball — full match report
QPR flirt, but fail to score at the debutante ball — full match report
Tuesday, 13th Sep 2011 22:20 by Clive Whittingham

QPR's five high profile new signings clicked immediately to deliver a sparkling performance against Newcastle at Loftus Road on Monday night, but drew a blank in front of goal.

It was a night to savour.

It was a night when QPR looked good, when QPR passed the ball with a crispness and inventiveness not seen in these parts for many years, when QPR marched Newcastle up and down the pitch and from left to right just as they used to do when Les Ferdinand was the tormenter in chief, and when QPR attacked with a vim and vigour and verve that the most recent two generations of fans could struggle to recall.

It was a night when Loftus Road felt like home again, when the crowd buzzed and sang, when the team and supporters actually seemed to be together in the same aim for once, when I didn't hear a negative word said about any player all night. It was a night they'll talk about in these parts for years.

Under the lights and in front of an expectant television audience Loftus Road took on the feeling of the student flat the evening after the housemate from hell has moved on, or the family home where dad has finally slung the evil step mother out: "Can we have our cat back now then dad?" "Yes son you can, here he comes now with eight Oriental air stewardesses just as you remember him."

It didn't actually feel like QPR at all. There was no trace of incompetence or farce and although Jason Puncheon will need to lose his Serena Williams sized backside before he's given another outing and Matthew Connolly was back to playing like a kid who needs to sleep with a night light it was hard to fault a single player for effort or performance.

To play like that and fail to win though was pure Rangers. A disappointing and yet reassuring twist to the night.

QPR have tried this trick of slinging five new players into their team for a mid-season match before. Few who were there will ever forget Ian Holloway's last hurrah at Elland Road before a spell on gardening leave that featured such luminaries as Keith Lowe, Steve Banks, Marcin Kus, Andy Taylor, Sammy Youssouf and Leon Clarke pulling on hooped jerseys for the first and, in a couple of cases, only time. We're not in Leeds any more Toto – Joey Barton, Shaun Wright Phillips, Armand Traore, Anton Ferdinand and Luke Young are so much better than the motley crew who surrendered 2-0 in Yorkshire it's scarcely believable that they play the same sport.

They're a cut above what we have here at QPR now as well. Last season was fabulous for everybody connected with Rangers but even the players that achieved that title win against the odds would hold their hands up to being a little short at the highest level. Extra quality was needed and has belatedly been provided by a new owner who seems to have stepped straight out of a Carlsberg advert.

The effect was astonishing. On this ground in the last league game QPR were beaten 4-0 by Bolton Wanderers and although plenty who were there left, rightly, pointing out that this rather flattered the visitors few could deny that a long hard season lay ahead. Here they took Newcastle United to the cleaners in every measure except the scoreline. And for all the exciting new toys how satisfying was it to see the performance underpinned and the tempo maintained by two men who did more than most to get us here in the first place – Shaun Derry and Alejandro Faurlin?

Those two, so different in appearance age and background but such a beautiful combination, sat at the base of a midfield at the heart of a team that was completely unrecognisable from the match before. Only two other starters from Wigan a fortnight ago, centre half Danny Gabbidon and goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, began this game. Gabbidon was reunited with his former defensive partner from West Ham Anton Ferdinand with Luke Young on the right and Armand Traore left. At the very top Jay Bothroyd led the line with support provided in a whir of rotating positions by Shaun Wright Phillips, Adel Taarabt and Joey Barton captaining the side on his debut against the club that allowed him to leave for free.

Newcastle's last game as a Championship side came on this ground the season before last and they started this latest meeting with exactly the same strike force that played that afternoon – Shola Ameobi and former R's loanee Leon Best. On paper, and in practice, they scarcely look like a top flight pairing and there has been anger on Tyneside that money from the sale of Andy Carroll has not been reinvested in a replacement over the summer. Mind you, having sat through Bryan Ruiz's tortured Fulham debut on Sunday they may have had a lucky escape there.

If Newcastle’s ambition had waned somewhat by the end of the game, you couldn’t fault it to start with. Ryan Taylor, full back and free kick taker extraordinaire, stepped up and whacked a seriously ambitious shot well wide of the target from the thick end of 45 yards out in the opening minute of the game with the first set piece awarded by referee Phil Dowd.

Dowd is never shy of producing a card or four in a game and quickly whistled his yellow one out here when Shola Ameobi objected rather too vehemently to the award of a QPR free kick for a foul by Ryan Taylor on Shaun Wright Phillips. You’ll forgive the over-use of Christian names in this report I’m sure, given the presence of two Taylors and two Ameobis in the Newcastle matchday squad.

Adel Taarabt was the first QPR player to try his luck on goal. Those wondering how he would react to no longer being the big fish in the small pond, or the captain, quickly had their answer in his best performance of the season so far. In the fifth minute he tried a trademark hopeful long shot on goal that Tim Krul in the Newcastle goal saved easily. Taarabt has immediately shot to the top of the Premiership rankings in the ‘most shots without scoring’ category with 14 prior to this game but that selfish streak that undermines his talent seems to have calmed a little now he has players of equal ability to pass to. His link up play with Shaun Wright Phillips in particular was a highlight of the night.

Memories of false assurances from Michael Fish were brought about by the Sunday evening weather forecast which talked of hurricanes heading our way, and while the violent storm that battered the rest of the country last night failed to touch base with the capital it was still rather blustery around W12. A sharp wind blew down the field from the School End, carrying an early Krul clearance deep into the QPR penalty area where Paddy Kenny claimed bravely under a heavy challenge from Best. Having picked himself up QPR’s Irish goalkeeper then launched a kick of his own down the field that sailed to the halfway line, hung in the wind, and then dropped five yards inside the Rangers’ half. Sadly this advantage was denied QPR in the second period as a calm night weather-wise set in around W12.

The trick early on was to keep the ball on the ground and Rangers did that with some aplomb in the eighth minute as Alejandro Faurlin spread a fine move wide to the left where Traore tricked his man and delivered a superb cross into the six yard area that was begging to be headed home but sadly landed plum on the head of somebody not renowned for his aerial ability and Shaun Wright Phillips headed over.

Those promising signs would all have counted for nothing four minutes later though had Paddy Kenny not produced a fantastic one handed save low to his right after Leon Best had somewhat embarrassed Danny Gabbidon on the edge of the area with a smart turn. Gabbidon was probably the best of a mediocre QPR bunch in August but whether it was a decline in performance level or simply playing alongside better players he didn’t look half as good in this game.

Relieved at their narrow escape (little did we know at the time that Kenny would have little else to do all evening) Rangers quickly went back on the offensive with slick passes flowing downfield in another eye catching attack. Jay Bothroyd could hardly have asked for a better cross from Wright Phillips on the quarter hour and a goal would have been just rewards for some excellent build up but on his weaker right foot the former Cardiff man scissor kicked high over the bar from close range after being left unmarked. He should have scored.

Within a minute Wright Phillips was on the charge again. His slight frame and speedy exuberance made him look like the son of an office worker brought along to make up the numbers in his dad’s midweek five-a-side game and subsequently running rings around the other overweight bankers and another jinking run ended with a low shot that Krul had to turn the ball behind at his near post. Dowd awarded a goal kick and then screamed back in the face of any player who dared to argue.

And so it continued. Taarabt, at his outrageous best, spun away from a challenge from Coloccini and then humiliated Tiote before spreading it wide to Wright Phillips and his low cross was just out of Jay Bothroyd’s reach as it sliced agonisingly through the penalty box. There was a whiff of blood in the air, and the ground was starting to rock.

More Taarabt and Wright Phillips magic in another flowing move at the mid-point of the half ended with the latter crossing for Bothroyd again. This time the tall striker controlled the ball in the six yard box with his back to goal before teeing up Alejandro Faurlin rushing in with a shot that deflected over the bar when it seemed easier to score. From the corner, worked short, Wright Phillips crossed towards Bothroyd for a third time and this time he was denied his first QPR goal only by the width of a post as his downward header kissed the woodwork and stayed out.

You’d have been forgiven for thinking you’d seen this film before, the one that ends with a 1-0 away win, but there was no sign of it as Wright Phillips tired of providing chances for others to waste and instead took on a volley himself that flew over the bar on the half hour.

It had been 20 minutes of solid QPR pressure and dominance with the only black spot coming when Shaun Derry picked up a yellow card for a tackle on Leon Best on halfway. Referee Dowd didn’t seem like he was even going to give a free kick at first but when Best rolled over he duly obliged, and then when Best stayed down he handed out a yellow card as well. Ridiculously harsh that one, especially given Best’s sudden and miraculous recovery once the punishment had been metered out. He, unsurprisingly, played on well into the second half without a further problem.

On a night when Jude the Cat was the name on the lips of many younger supporters it’s worth mentioning that while Dowd was busy being an inconsistent idiot, an actual moggy made its way onto the pitch and off down the tunnel where one can only presume it was rather startled to find itself face to face with a six foot version of itself and a cartoon tiger.

Once play resumed the attacks continued to flow down towards the School End with unprecedented frequency. That Taarabt and Wright Phillips combination worked to perfection again three minutes before the break as the former found the latter who then rode a rough challenge from Coloccini before chipping the onrushing Krul forcing Ryan Taylor into a desperate headed clearance from underneath his own bar.

Rangers had enjoyed the best of the first half against Bolton on day one, although certainly not to this extent, only to be undone by a fine Gary Cahill goal in injury time. There was no legislating for that one, but Neil Warnock’s lads would only have had themselves to blame had Newcastle scored in three added minutes at the end of the first half as first Danny Gabbidon and then Alejandro Faurlin played loose passes deep in their own half presenting the visitors with dangerous possession. You won’t see a Premiership team give the ball away twice on the edge of their own box and get away with it very often this season so be grateful that we did here. Still, the ovation at half time was richly deserved - QPR had been magnificent.

The second half initially threatened to be much more of a showcase of the QPR team we’ve come to know and love. It began with a false kick off where Adel Taarabt subtly touched the ball and ran off into the Newcastle half expected, presumably, Derry to carry it from the centre spot forwards – a move that was somewhat contrived to start with and farcical in its execution. When Taarabt and Faurlin then tackled each other on the edge of the Newcastle penalty area I wondered if things were going to unravel but the Moroccan took charge, and possession, and sent an early effort into Krul’s midriff.

Newcastle then strung a rare move together themselves that resulted in a deep cross to the back post where Leon Best nodded it up in the air and a scramble ensured in which Gutierrez had a half chance to score and Paddy Kenny just about managed to flap the danger away.

That incident may have increased nerves, and in trying to allay those Armand Traore seemed to do himself no good at all. The former Arsenal man charged forward on what became a typical attacking run on the night (although he took one or two few too many risks in possession in his own half for my liking) but immediately pulled up afterwards and had to be replaced by Matt Connolly. Cramp, apparently, although that seems a little farfetched after only 50 minutes considering he was playing in Arsenal’s first team before he arrived. Matt Connolly, another Gunners exile, came on to replace him and looked very nervous and overawed by the occasion – Rangers certainly lost some impetus down that side after the change.

The Newcastle fans know all too well what it’s like to have your club run by a big, fat, obnoxious, clueless idiot. They also appreciate that QPR provided them with two of their best players at the height of their Keegan inspired powers and so in many ways they were ideal opponents for this big night in the Bush. No chants about “wastes of money” or “where were you when you were shit” were forthcoming, even though their own players had given them precious little to sing about. Perhaps that explains the overly vociferous appeals for a penalty from the School End five minutes into the second half when Ameobi had obviously backed into and fouled Gabbidon. Dowd rightly signalled for a QPR free kick.

One of the best goals QPR scored last season was a winner against Coventry at the Loft End where Adel Taarabt’s exquisite through ball and Wayne Routledge’s immaculate first touch turned one point into three. The R’s almost crafted a fine replica before the hour when Faurlin dollied an equally well crafted ball in behind the Newcastle defence but Wright Phillips ignored the Routledge precedent and went for a first time volley that he failed to connect with.

Whether Wright Phillips tired in the second half, failed to receive the service he had in the first or was the subject of some specific Newcastle defensive tactics I couldn’t be sure but he wasn’t quite as effective after the break despite going close later on with a long range shot after he’d happily skipped past two defenders.

Newcastle won a rare corner after the hour but Rangers quickly accelerated away on the counter attack with Joey Barton who was unceremoniously hacked to the ground by Tiote. Dowd booked Tiote for that one, but the former Twente man had already committed four previous infringements without punishment and yet Shaun Derry was carded for one of his first.

I think there is a debate to be had about how the rules are applied here because I saw something similar in the Arsenal v Liverpool game where Emmanuel Frimpong was sent off, but not before he’d spent the best part of an hour systematically fouling any Liverpool player who dared to cross the halfway line. These midfield destroyers are proving to be very popular at the moment, and Tiote himself was allegedly in demand over the summer, but why are they allowed to get away with five, six or seven fouls before getting a card when players in other positions are booked for first and second offences? And yes I am aware it’s about the severity of the foul rather than the amount of them committed but can anybody honestly tell me that the three fouls Tiote committed in the first half weren’t worthy of a yellow card cumulatively but Shaun Derry’s tackle on Leon Best deserved one by itself?

Anyway back on the pitch Alan Pardew removed the lumbering Ameobi in favour of summer signing Demba Ba – an athletic figure that everybody in the game knows is one mistimed lunge away from his knee exploding into a million pieces.

One of the many improvements in evidence on Monday night was in the quality of QPR’s set pieces. Sadly it seems we’ve spent so long smacking every corner straight to the defender on the near post that the lads in the box have forgotten exactly what to do when we miss him out. Shaun Derry twice in quick succession found himself unmarked and striding onto Joey Barton corners but his first effort bounced into the ground and wide and his second, a gilt edged chance, skewed off his head horribly and sailed to safety. Anton Ferdinand would be a better bet than Derry in the penalty area, but his quicker pace means he’s also a safer man to leave at the back than the veteran midfielder.

The second missed chance came after Barton’s world class through ball sent Wright Phillips skipping into the area and although he again beat Krul with a chip it was a cross rather than a shot this time and Bothroyd was muscled out of the situation by Coloccini.

Bothroyd was then replaced by DJ Campbell a short time later – right player coming on, but I’d have played him with Bothroyd rather than instead of him. That script I was talking about earlier where Newcastle snatch a winner against the run of play threatened to become reality around the time of the change as first Gutierrez volleyed a presentable chance wide of the target when a ball fell loose on the edge of the area and then Connolly (twice) and Derry contrived to create another nervous moment with poor clearances from their own area that sliced straight up in the air but their team mates regrouped and escaped when Obertan headed wide of the target.

Much of the debate in the North East before the game had been about whether Italian full back Davide Santon would start the game instead of Ryan Taylor. Santon is potentially a fantastic signing, a talented youngster who burst onto the scene at Inter Milan before losing his way, but Taylor, who was seemingly only bought by Newcastle in the first place because he kept scoring against them, has made a decent start to the season in his position. A goal against Sunderland is always likely to win you friends on Tyneside and he had an ideal chance to repeat that feat here with five minutes left on the watch.

Again I have to criticise the referee for rank inconsistency. At the Loft End DJ Campbell did magnificently wide on the QPR right to skin his man and accelerate into the penalty area with the Newcastle player yanking him back by the shirt the whole way. Campbell escaped and an advantage was rightly played but when the move broke down a split second later Dowd ignored pleas to bring it back for a Rangers free kick. Fair enough, we had an advantage and lost it. But then, within seconds, an identical situation emerged at the other end when Faurlin fouled Obertan on the edge of the box but the ball rolled to Gutierrez and advantage was waved on. When the Argentinean then lost possession Dowd happily pulled the play back and awarded a free kick. I cannot recall such a stark piece of one-rule-for-one-one-for-another officiating since Trevor Kettle disallowed a QPR goal for a challenge on Southampton keeper Kelvin Davis and then two minutes later allowed the Saints to bundle home a winner in identical circumstances.

Taylor stepped up but could only find the top of the wall with his shot and Kenny was able to claim. Dowd then had to get involved again as Stephen Taylor cynically prevented Kenny from releasing the ball downfield by shoving him to the ground – the most obvious yellow card we’ll see all season.

Pardew sent on Shola Ameobi’s seemingly more talented younger brother Sammy and had already introduced Sylvain Marveaux for Leon Best before this point but any ambition they had of pushing for a winning goal had dried up long before. Goalkeeper Tim Krul spent the final half hour of the game flagrantly timewasting, including two separate occasions when he wasn’t happy with the pressure of the ball and so hoofed it off into the main stand. New players or no new players we’ve only been in this league for a month and Pardew should be embarrassed to be clinging on for a point at Loftus Road as the Newcastle United manager. Still, a lot of this nonsense could be stopped by a small change in the rule that says you have to take goalkicks from the side they go out on.

Warnock sent on Jason Puncheon for an unhappy cameo and Rangers again had cause to feel aggrieved with the referee when Adel Taarabt stuck the ball in the net only to find the play had long since been pulled back to the halfway line for an unseen offence that nobody in F Block could even hazard a guess at.

No matter what flood, fire, plague or pestilence befalls a game these days you can pretty much guarantee that four minutes will be added onto the end of the second half and referee Dowd, despite much exaggerated posturing and watch gesturing during Krul's increasingly blatant clock running, duly obliged with the standard offering. For one reason or another the ball was barely in play for a quarter of that time and both teams were forced to settle for a point – Rangers left to curse their finishing, Newcastle grateful to get back on the bus and go home.

There was so much to admire about this performance it's difficult to know where to start summing up. Firstly, as I've often prattled on before, it makes a huge difference to a team having two full backs who are reasonably quick and comfortable on the ball going forwards. I thought Luke Young was terrific and Armand Traore also impressed while he was on, although he did take a number of risks in possession in his own half that he may well not get away with in future.

Derry and Faurlin, as previously mentioned, were excellent at the heart of the midfield – Faurlin in particular bossed the match against more experienced, and notoriously physical, opposition in the heart of the Magpies' midfield. They were, however, helped in their quest by a numerical advantage in QPR's favour in that part of the pitch brought about by the contrast in formations. Times will get tougher for both.

Shaun Wright Phillips was the star attraction at the other end, tormenting Newcastle throughout a first half performance that will have really made a few people who may have written him off sit up and take note. Jay Bothroyd played two of the three parts of the lone striker role faultlessly – he won the vast majority of ball in the air and his hold up and lay game was exceptional but his finishing badly let him, and the team, down.

Which just leaves Adel Taarabt and Joey Barton – the former tipped to sulk now he's no longer the big fish in the small pond, the latter widely expected to tear one of his former team mate's throat out at the first possibly opportunity. Barton was visibly restrained and reserved and I think that maybe affected his game a little bit, Taarabt on the other hand showed glimpses of his sensational best and also a welcome willingness to work hard and pick out passes rather than slob around and take too many people on.

The only downside was the scoreline which brought to mind the LFW theme of the season so far – QPR's fixture list is not structured in a way that will be particularly forgiving if we continue to spurn point winning opportunities against the likes of Wigan and Newcastle at this end of the season.

Links >>> Have Your Say >>> Interactive Player Ratings >>> Message Board Match Thread

QPR: Kenny 7, Young 8, Ferdinand 7, Gabbidon 6, Traore 7 (Connolly 51, 6), Derry 7, Faurlin 8, Wright-Phillips 8 (Puncheon 88, -) Barton 7, Taarabt 8, Bothroyd 7 (Campbell 80, -)

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Hall, Buzsaky, Smith

Booked: Derry (foul)

Newcastle: Krul 6, Simpson 7, Steven Taylor 6, Coloccini 7, Ryan Taylor 6, Cabaye 6,Tiote 7, Obertan 6 (Sammy Ameobi 88, -), Gutierrez 6, Best 6 (Marveaux 82, -),Shola Ameobi 5 (Ba 64, 6)

Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Guthrie, Lovenkrands

Booked: Shola Ameobi (dissent),Tiote (repetitive fouling),Steven Taylor (foul)

QPR Star Man – Shaun Wright Phillips 8 Seemed to dire and drift out of the game as the second half wore on but for an hour here he was unplayable, tormenting Newcastle to the beat of his own song as it boomed out of the P,Q and R blocks. On this evidence we’ve bought ourselves a real quality player.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) 6 The predicted card fest, that looked even more likely than it had done before kick off when Ameobi was booked after four minutes, failed to materialise and overall Mr Dowd was not too bad. However, as already discussed, the Derry booking was a result of player reaction rather than anything the referee had seen, the failure to clamp down on Krul’s time wasting or punish him with some proper stoppage time was poor, and the late chance for Taylor from a free kick came from a terribly inconsistent application of the advantage rule.

Attendance: 16,211 (1,500 Newcastle approx) The best atmosphere inside Loftus Road for a long, long time but empty seats remain. Where are these people who were so desperate for Leeds tickets in May? Those that were there contributed to a really upbeat, positive feel around the place with the new Shaun Wright Phillips song catching on very quickly indeed.

Photo: Action Images



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QPRCambs added 23:00 - Sep 13
Excellent report, Clive. It was a great night - all that was missing was a QPR goal or two.

Regarding the following text...

"At the Loft End DJ Campbell did magnificently wide on the QPR right to skin his man and accelerate into the penalty area with the Newcastle player yanking him back by the shirt the whole way. Campbell escaped and an advantage was rightly played but when the move broke down a split second later Dowd ignored pleas to bring it back for a Rangers free kick. Fair enough, we had an advantage and lost it. But then, within seconds, an identical situation emerged at the other end when Faurlin fouled Obertan on the edge of the box but the ball rolled to Gutierrez and advantage was waved on. When the Argentinean then lost possession Dowd happily pulled the play back and awarded a free kick. "

...that's exactly how I called it (albeit Nik disagreed); it's so frustrating when they are as inconsistent as that.

But, all in all a good night and a very good start for a team that probably still needs time to gel properly :)
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Grifter added 23:06 - Sep 13
Good report Clive, but it was Traore who delivered the cross that phillips headed over!
phillips>faurlin>traore>finally to phillips again!
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Northernr added 23:09 - Sep 13
Grifter - one news comment and it's to pick me up on a mistaken identity? Ye gods.
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Grifter added 23:13 - Sep 13
I'm rushing off to watch"the escapist" on film4 and couldn't live with myself if i'd forgotten to point that out- particularly considering you didn't really mention Traore in the first half, and from Ellerslie road he looked decent!
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gingerranger added 23:39 - Sep 13
Sabrina Williams? Anyone?
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DesertBoot added 23:41 - Sep 13
It was a fantastic night at Loftus Road. At the time the whole occasion eroded the disappointment of the 0-0 scoreline.
Twenty four hours later I am full of optimism but it was definitely two points dropped given the number of chances created.
Still. "We've got our Rangers back" summed it up...and the Air Asia girls added to the night as well!.
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Spaghetti_Hoops added 00:36 - Sep 14
I remember Sabrina. 1950s. Similar top, different bottom.

"If you can do better, you have a go" Dowd replied to the bloke in R Block offering him his whistle. As to inconsistency, it's a human characteristic. You can't do anything about it. Anyway no two fouls are ever exactly the same in terms of speed, angle, ball position, intent and outcome. Ranting about inconsistency and demanding a higher standard of refereeing is futile, boring and best left to pundit farts like Shearer.

I enjoyed - "Can we have our cat back now then dad?" "Yes son you can, here he comes now with eight Oriental air stewardesses just as you remember him."

Is preferring Spark wrong?

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Kiwi76 added 00:54 - Sep 14
Game was live down here and best I've seen us play in years - stadium looked full and noisey and all we were missing was a goal or 3.
Great start for new look team but need to bank some points especially at home.
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smegma added 05:15 - Sep 14
I've never been so happy having seen a nil nil draw in years.
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MelakaRanger added 07:34 - Sep 14
Watched the game live here in Malaysia. It was a joy to watch. Bloody brilliant!

For 3 years I have been most probably the only QPR supporter out here. I suspect that soon I will not be alone with many of the locals starting to support us. QPR are the talk of the country and one of the breakfast shows has even started a Malaysian QPR Supporters Club!!

And no doubt I will be able to go and watch the team next summer when they play over here.

Magic!
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SidcupRs added 08:12 - Sep 14
Great report. "It was a night when Loftus Road felt like home again" - Could not agree more. Felt very emotional when the crowd sang "We've got our Rangers back."
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SidcupRs added 08:12 - Sep 14
Great report. "It was a night when Loftus Road felt like home again" - Could not agree more. Felt very emotional when the crowd sang "We've got our Rangers back."
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JB007007 added 08:17 - Sep 14
Great report again Clive.
You summed up the performances really well. I was impressed with the way Taarabt went about this. On this performance he looks to be maturing. He looked a lot sharper and fitter so hopefully the training camp in France worked well. There was even one occasion in the first half when he passed to Wright-Phillips when I thought he would be better going alone! Bothroyd just needs that first goal though.
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antoknee64 added 08:50 - Sep 14
Superb report again Clive,thanx also for the R-block mention we belted out a few classics assisted by drum,lol.would be nice to here The LOFT join in.
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BlackCrowe added 08:54 - Sep 14
The Air Asia/Malaysian airlines girls were lovely. That is all.
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Monahoop added 08:58 - Sep 14
One thing that annoyed me on Tuesday morning following the game, was that no sports reports gave this game any credibility it deserved. On BBC Radio 2, that motormouth Chris Evans blurted out "BORING, BORING" in the background, while his sports correspondent tried in vain to say something about the game. Mr Evans didn't watch this game and was obviously under the common assumption that all blank games are wearisome to watch and pointless. Wrong. Not this one, so go choke on your oversized Joe 90 specs, tw*t!
This game deserved a goal or six. QPR at last began to look like a Premier League outfit. All that was missing from their efforts were goals. That said I was impressed with the new look side. All the new stars seemed to gel well enough, though Traore needs to sharpen up a bit as you rightly say Clive. He can ill afford to falter too much especially against rampant sides like Utd and City. The former have already exploited his failings this term. The top performers for me though that night were old troupers Faurlin and Derry. Simply superb throughout and showed great Prem qualities.
All in all a great nights football despite the score and all capped with a great atmosphere and the appearance of 'a Jude' moggy. More performances like this should start to reap rewards. Hopefully better things to come.
Great write up Clive.
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WokingR added 09:00 - Sep 14
We can now forget all this slightly embarrasing "We are Premier league"
We now LOOK Premier League
Best I've seen us play in 20 years and maybe it's me but I thought Loftus Road on Monday was louder even than last season when winning the league.
Great report that brings back all the positives from the night all over again
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baldyhoop added 09:09 - Sep 14
another blinder. I spent a restless night with a few anxieties last night so felt less than great this morning, but you've made me smile again. Not sure if my fav is the housemate from hell, stepdad, or puncheon's backside. All crackers. I also enjoyed the write up in the Telegraph yesterday (not my normal paper, honest)..."Rangers kept raiding down the right, even a local tabby joining in the first half fun of running at Ryan Taylor, Newcastle's shakey left back"

What a night. The ground did, indeed, rock. I was exhausted at the end. It all felt a bit post-coital on the train.
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johann28 added 10:49 - Sep 14
Loved the report apu. And really enjoyed the game - great to see the team gelling so well so soon; the only weak links on the night being Bothroyd (who I can't help thinking is a championship player when all is said and done), Traore (bit of a worry?), and the subs (could it be Serena Williams? - made me laugh all the same). Particularly pleasing was that AT looked very comfortable with SWP and Barton. The two cats added much needed humour and cheer after all we've been through - a goal would have made it a perfect night, but, hey ... this team should score plenty.
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N12Hoop added 13:37 - Sep 14
Thought AT looked real class for the first time this season: strong, great touch and passing and a real handful. There are few Prem players with his natural ability so it would be sad if he didn't make it at this level. Bit worried about Traore's need to pass it backwards irrespective of whether there is an opposing player loitering around. Other than that thought we looked solid although how we perform at the back against better strikers remains to be seen given how easily Best turned his man early on. Final word: Derry, what a man! A true legend
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BrackleyR added 13:58 - Sep 14
Great game. Never been so happy with a 0-0 draw, good things to come. Loftus Road was rocking and I had visions of an eruption like when Furlong scored against Oldham! That would've made it!
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LambournR added 14:09 - Sep 14
Clive,
One thing that you missed in this summary and that really surprised me on the night was Taarabts defensive work. I think it must have been 4 or 5 times o the night that we looked at each other to say "was that really Taarabt that made that block/tackle" - is it the addition of all these premiership quality players that has help him change his focus?
I liked the look of the team - my one criticism of SWP on the night is that I don't think he played with as much width as he could - both him, and Taarabt played like old fashioned inside forwards to me.
Traore looked good going forward but was worrying defensively - I thought he was out of position a couple of times early on, later when he did make tackles he seems so surpirised to have won the ball that he didn't know what to do with it and lost it again.
Final superlatives need to go to Faulin and Derry. Faulin seemed to have so much time on the ball - I loved to know what would have been said about him were he playing for one of the Manchester teams. As for Derry - I don't know what NW has put in his tea, but I'd love to have some of that. He was everywhere on the night, snapping into tackles and running around like a teenager - the couple of times he lost the ball he was right back in the face of the opposition like a shot. Who said he wasn't premiership quality (me probably)?
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AshteadR added 15:47 - Sep 14
Thanks for the write up Clive - well worth the wait.

A huge improvement on previous performances (including Everton) and a great atmosphere - even in the LOFT!? Promising times ahead and the new Board keep delivering on their promises - had to smile with the introduction of our new signing, Jude the Cat. Old badge to make a come-back next season too!
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QPRski added 15:48 - Sep 14
Great report on a great game. I really enjoyed it (on TV)

On the positive side the R's has a solid defence, had pace, passsed the ball around with ease, were creative, confident and theatening. SWP was brilliant and Taarabt creatively blended in well and it was not a one man show but a real team performance. Plus the atmosphere was fanatastic.

On the negatives, are we still short of a real striker? Plus, still a few very loose passes in our own half where we could have got severely punished.

It should have been at least 3-1 or more, but it was one of the most enjoyable nil-nil draws I can recall.

It was a case of 2 points dropped! However, if we can build on this solid performace I will be very happy.What a contrast to the Bolton and Wigan matches!
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benbu added 15:57 - Sep 14
away from the actual game.... why are there so many commnents about how quiet the loft is/has been? Does anyone look at the upper tier of South Africa Road and not think 'is there any life in existence'? In general though Monday, the atmospshere was back to where it should be and it felt great being in the stadium. There werent any bad vibes and a goal would have lifted the roof off.

onto the game - MOTM has to be SWP in this one, he looked very very handy and will cause lots of defences problems this season. Taarabt also I thought was fantastic to watch and looked much shaper. The slick and pacey passing impressed me and thought we looked dangerous going forward in every attack. Defence has little to do but still looked much more confident and solid.
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