QPR showed some signs of potential at Manchester City on Saturday, but still slipped to a 3-1 defeat against the reigning champions who were inspired by striker Carlos Tevez.
Once loan players, a youth team acquisition from Portsmouth, free transfers and cash transactions have been taken into account QPR have signed another 12 players in the transfer window which mercifully slammed shut on Friday evening.
They’ve come from far and wide to sign for Rangers, put their name to a press-release with the word “ambition” in it several times, and then wonder like the rest of us where exactly Mark Hughes sees them playing once he’s decided what formation he’d like to set his team up in.
Rob Green, one of the early arrivals, has already been replaced and started in goal for potentially the final time in his Rangers career on Saturday evening at Manchester City behind a back four of Jose Bosingwa, Ryan Nelsen, Anton Ferdinand and Fabio Da Silva.
Julio Cesar will almost certainly start the next match v Chelsea and remain between the sticks barring injury until QPR draw a lower league team in the cup again. There’s no doubting the quality of Cesar, or the size of the coup that has seen him arrive at Loftus Road, but those of us who like to find things to worry about must be concerned with the affect this chew-them-up-and-spit-them-out approach to man management will have on the attitude of the playing staff. When Hughes is demanding 100% effort and commitment from his players, at the back of their minds will always be that thought that his loyalty to Rob Green stretched to two competitive matches.
While Rangers fans, who travelled to Manchester City on Saturday evening in pretty pitiful numbers, were made to wait for the Brazilian’s debut international clearance was received in time for Esteban Granero to start at the head of a midfield which also included Ji Sung Park on one wing, Shaun Wright-Phillips back at his former club on the other and Alejandro Faurlin continuing with his in-at-the-deep-end recovery strategy from ruptured knee ligaments in the middle.
Granero is from Real Madrid where he is used to winning things – matches and trophies. He is impossibly good looking, speaks better English than anybody else on the playing staff, talks thoughtfully and intelligently about himself and the sport, and still managed to find time on the ball and space on the field to guide QPR around the park here despite them being starved of possession and dominated by the current league champions for long periods. At the end of the game he was the only player to come all the way over to the away fans and hand over his shirt.
QPR had been beaten by that stage – 3-1 in the strange sort of game that could have finished 6-0 or 2-2 – but there was plenty in the team’s performance to enthuse and be positive about. At Real Madrid and Inter Milan Granero and Cesar are used to 3-1 away defeats being met with managerial sackings and cars being turned over by angry mobs rather than applause and a collective dig for positives among the ashes. It will be interesting to see where the high profile signings – which also include Stephane M’Bia from another Champions League regular Marseille – take the mentality at QPR. Will they become disillusioned by the idea that still hasn’t really gone away 14 months since we first returned to this league that we’re just happy to be here and keep games like this respectable? Or will they raise the quality of the football and therefore the expectations so one day we’ll come away from Eastlands disappointed to have lost, rather than pleased not to have been thrashed? Time will tell.
In the meantime Rangers began a tough run of September fixtures with a trip to Manchester City. QPR played on this ground just four competitive games ago – there was a Sergio Aguero goal and some Martin Tyler commentary you may have seen and heard once or twice since – and just three members of the starting 11 here played for Rangers that day. In amongst the carnage of City’s title win QPR survived in the Premier League thanks to Bolton failing to win at Stoke, although Hughes’ team came close to winning the City game and securing their own survival before two goals from the hosts in injury time. Considering the R’s were down to ten men for the final half an hour, completed a Premier League record low total of just 82 passes in 96 minutes, and barely got out of their own penalty area for vast swathes of the game, leading into injury time was a minor miracle. Sadly the pattern of play from that game quickly resumed here despite the new look visiting team.
City forced their first corner after two minutes and Green got a firm punched clearance in to settle any early nerves he may have felt. Another corner followed a moment later after Ferdinand tackled Tevez and Vincent Kompany, who usually attacks City set pieces at the near post but this time arrived late in the centre of the six yard box, glanced a header wide. Ryan Nelsen, impressive despite obvious speed-related limitations at the heart of the defence, survived an eighth minute handball appeal when he blocked a cross from Pablo Zabaletta. Then Yaya Toure, whose withdrawal early in that amazing match in May pre-empted the collapse which almost cost City the league, met the third corner of the afternoon and headed straight at Green.
Within 60 seconds Samir Nasri had got in behind QPR down the left – City building three on two attacks to isolate and expose Bosingwa and particularly Fabio in the channels was a clear tactic and running theme – and cut a ball back which Nelsen cleared behind. From that corner Edin Dzeko, who scored the equaliser which set up Aguero’s winner on our last visit, planted another header at goal and Fabio cleared from the line as far as Toure whose shot deflected wide. That meant another corner which Kompany headed onto the roof of the net.
Piecing together the numbers so far that’s five corners, four serious attempts on goal, and just nine minutes played. QPR started with Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson up front – I mention that at this point for housekeeping, rather than because they were having any influence on proceedings.
City may be champions but, as we know from our two meetings with them last season, they do like to give you a chance. In the twelfth minute Jack Rodwell – bought for want of something better to do with their money and time rather than because he’s any good or actually needed – sent a bizarre clearance back towards his own goal that had Hart scrambling back to make sure it was landing on the roof of the net rather than in the back of it.
QPR, typically, wasted the corner. Shaun Wright-Phillips drilled it straight at the defender on the near post in the now time honoured - every bastard corner, every damn week, every fucking game, without fail - QPR fashion. I swear to sweet Jesus Christ it’s taking all my mental strength not to walk out there, take the corner flag and beat these professional footballers to a bloody pulp with it when they do this – and my will power is diminishing. How difficult can it be to take a corner? No, seriously, how difficult can it be?
Anyway, down at the other end City forced corner 786 of the game so far which ended with Fabio blocking the ball behind for number 787 after Ale Faurlin had lost out in an aerial duel with Yaya Toure on the edge of the box. For Faurlin to start two games this week after nine months out is remarkable. His positional sense, passing ability and strength in the tackle remains as good as ever – and Yaya Toure is a veritable giant of a man so I’m not criticising him at all here – but the lack of headers won against Walsall and again here when that used to be a real strong point of his game suggests everything isn’t quite right with him just yet. These things take time and it will be interesting to see whether he gets that aerial ability back or whether it’s gone from his game for good either for physical reasons, or a mental block because of the nature of the injury. He maybe doesn’t trust that knee just yet.
From corner 787 the ball dropped at the back post, Tevez had a scissor kicked blocked by the crowd in the six yard box, and Yaya Toure ended the argument by lashing high into the roof of the net for the opening goal.
When Tevez then played Kolarov into a promising position on the byline and he opted for a needless extra pass rather than a shot or a low cross there was a hint that it was just too easy for City, but Granero quickly reminded them that QPR can score despite having none of the match at all when he hit a low shot at Hart at the midway point of the half. City responded by loading their right wing with numbers again and teeing up the recalled David Silva for a shot on the run that Green did well to block.
The difficulty for teams like QPR in this situation is the attacks they do launch merely leave space for City to exploit on the counter attack. A foul on Park after the half hour set up a promising free kick for the visitors but when Hart punched it clear the R’s needed Silva to delay his shot and Fabio to execute a tremendous recovery tackle to prevent them falling two goals behind. Ten minutes before half time Granero, used to being on the winning team in such situations, was caught in possession and had Ryan Nelsen not deliberately hauled Tevez to the ground in back play (referee Chris Foy rightly played advantage initially) then the Argentinean would have been able to get on the end of a loose ball in the penalty area after Silva saw another shot charged down. As it was Nelsen was free to clear the ball unchallenged, and he escaped a booking as well.
Nelsen chopped Dzeko to the ground five minutes before half time but Foy played on again, and then waved away handball appeals after Nasri’s shot was blocked in the area. Imagine how thrilled the home crowd were when the first yellow card of the game subsequently went to Kolorov in first half stoppage time for fouling Wright-Phillips as he counter attacked down field after another decent tackle from Fabio. Granero shot over the bar in one minute of first half stoppage time.
A 15 minute break in proceedings didn’t seem to have done a great deal to change the pattern of play as QPR started the second half by conceding possession from their own throw in and Rob Green saved well from Tevez in the ensuing attack. Five minutes later, with Anton Ferdinand struggling with injury, Rangers’ harassed defence was lucky to escape when Silva played Zabaletta in behind Fabio in the penalty area and the full back curled an unstoppable shot past Green, off the underside of the bar, and somehow away to safety.
But every team in every game, no matter how inferior and dominated they may be, has ten minutes of pressure. The trick is to score when that comes along and luckily Rangers currently have Bobby Zamora looking as fit and motivated as he’s been for years in their attack for just such moments. He signalled his intent with a header over the bar in the fifty sixth minute and then when Andy Johnson cut in from the left and fired a powerful shot on goal that deflected and drew a wonderful save from Hart he was on hand, almost on the goal line, to nod the ball home for an unlikely equaliser.
The ‘typical City’ paranoia around these parts is legendary, but the scoreboard subsequently displaying Man City 1 QPR 2 for a full minute afterwards was excessive even by their standards and only served to raise spirits further in the away end.
QPR had done everything right to this point. They hadn’t been intimidated into picking an overly defensive starting 11, they had defended well enough and rode their luck at other times to keep City within striking distance on the scoreboard despite heavy pressure, and they’d taken their chance to score when it had come along. So far, so text book, and yet within a minute they’d self destructed.
No doubt the equaliser served as a wake up call to City but for QPR to allow first Kolarov the time and space to deliver a cross, then give Tevez the freedom of the penalty area to travel to the byline and cut the ball back, and then leave Dzeko completely unmarked in the six yard box to head home was unforgiveable. That’s basic stuff regardless of circumstance or the quality of the opposition. There was a lot to be pleased and proud about in this QPR performance but the defending for that goal, and the timing of it, was park standard.
Ferdinand’s injury saw him withdrawn and replaced by Nedum Onuoha who was given a warm reception by the City fans he used to play in front of. Then after Faurlin had betrayed his tiredness with a sloppy pass that allowed Dzeko in to shoot wide Hughes sent on Kieron Dyer for the Argentinean who can be pleased with his week’s work overall. Fantastic to see him back, great to see him playing so well, reassuring that Hughes still sees him as a first choice despite the influx of new faces. Faurlin and Granero have the potential to be a dream midfield combination for QPR over the coming months and years.
Chris Foy incurred the wrath of the home faithful again 17 minutes from time when he first failed to award Yaya Toure a free kick for what looked like a foul on the edge of the QPR penalty area, then booked Jack Rodwell for chopping Granero as Rangers broke away down field.
Mancini immediately sent on Kolo Toure for Pablo Zabaletta – ostensibly a like-for-like switch but in reality a defensive move given QPR’s persistent failure to deal with Zabaletta’s forward runs over the past two meetings with him.
Roberto Mancini may have been a flamboyant forward as a player, he may have the best attacking options of any manager in the Premier League, and his City side may be vastly superior to QPR in every department but he is still Italian, and therefore still always likely to make gratuitous defensive substitutions to try and see out a game that shouldn’t really need seeing out at all in such situations.
The change encouraged QPR who quickly worked Johnson in behind the new comer and he won a corner. This time – hold the phone, stop the presses, alert the relevant authorities – the delivery was a good one. Presumably the ability to pick out Nedum Onuoha unmarked at the back post from a set piece will swiftly be coached out of Granero but for now the routine works and on this occasion set up a chance for Ryan Nelsen on the edge of the six yard box but his substantial, ageing frame was never likely to be able to execute the acrobatic scissor kick he attempted and the ball skewed horribly wide. It was a terrific chance; Nelsen had more time than he allowed himself and a more attack minded player probably would have scored.
Rather annoyingly when Kompany fouled Park moments later and Granero delivered another perfect set piece into the back post (be still my beating heart) it came through to Nelsen, of all people, again after Hart missed it completely and the New Zealand international captain failed to make sufficient contact. Curses.
Mancini responded by taking off Silva for the more pragmatic Milner but Tevez showed that attack is the best form of defence in such situations by marauding forward with the ball despite persistent attention, and at least three fouls, from a back tracking Bobby Zamora. The striker was, rightly, retrospectively booked by Foy when the play came to an end.
Hughes sent on Djibril Cisse for Granero – I’d have been tempted to put him on for Park ten minutes earlier – and Mancini engaged in clock running by introducing Abdul Razak (number 63 can you believe) for Samir Nasri. The departing City players dragged their departures out to the absolute extreme which irritated Foy into adding five extra minutes at the end of the game but ultimately the time proved more use to the hosts as Tevez got the goal his all round play deserved when he diverted Dzeko’s poor shot into the net after QPR had become overwhelmed by the weight of numbers committed to the attack.
Perversely I saw more in a 1-1 draw at Norwich last week to worry me about QPR than their 5-0 defeat at Swansea the game before before. Here I found more to encourage me in a 3-1 defeat than I did in the shambles at Carrow Road.
Farcically, having basically played three matches while the transfer window was open and clubs were still assembling their teams for 2012/13, the whole division now goes on a two week hiatus. It has all the money, all the best players and all the exposure in the world but the Premier League lacks two brain cells to rub together in its senior management team when it comes to such matters. Either start the season later or end the transfer window earlier for God’s sake.
Annoying though it is, the break may come at a good time for QPR who have a lot to work on and with. Mark Hughes must use his time wisely.
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Man City: Hart 7, Zabaletta 8 (K Toure 74, 6), Kompany 7, Lescott 6, Kolarov 7, Silva 7 (Milner 81, -), Rodwell 6, Y Toure 8, Nasri 6 (Razak 89, -), Tevez 8, Dzeko 6
Subs: Pantilimon, Clichy, Sinclair, Balotelli
Goals: Y Toure 16 (unassisted), Dzeko 61 (assisted Tevez), Tevez 90+2 (assisted Dzeko)
Yellows: Kolarov 44 (foul), Rodwell 73 (foul)
QPR: Green 6, Bosingwa 6, Nelsen 7, Ferdinand 5 (Onuoha 67, 6), Fabio 6, Park 6, Faurlin 6 (Dyer 72, 6), Granero 7 (Cisse 85, -) Wright-Phillips 5, Johnson 6, Zamora 6
Subs: Murphy, Derry, Mackie, Hoilett
Goals: Zamora 59 (assisted Johnson)
Yellows: Zamora 84 (foul)
QPR Star Man – Esteban Granero 7 Players often do well on their debut so I’m not placing too much stock in this performance but he looked a cut above the other QPR players with his passing, control, positioning and technique. He takes good set pieces as well. Nice to see him come straight to the away end to hand over his shirt at full time, and that he seemed a bit put out that his team mates didn’t do the same. Let’s hope he drags them up to his standards, rather than descending to theirs.
Referee – Chris Foy 7 Not a lot to referee here. Seemed to be rather kind to QPR on a couple of occasions to the audible anger of the home fans but there were few big decisions to get wrong and he allowed the game to flow well with excellent use of the advantage rule throughout. All the bookings were justified but Nelsen can count himself fortunate not to receive on himself for two cynical fouls in the first half, and Kompany was also lucky to escape further punishment for a second half foul on Park.
Attendance – 45, 579 (900 QPR approx) Saturday evening match with only one (expensive) train home, live on the TV, 200 miles from home, against opposition almost certain to beat us, in tough economic times – it’s understandable why only the hardcore QPR support fancied this one. However this is exactly the sort of travelling support, and exactly the same excuses, we’ve been mocking Fulham about for years.
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Pictures – Action Images