There was a lot to like about Harry Redknapp’s first game in charge of QPR at Sunderland on Tuesday evening, but the first win of the Premier League season continues to elude the Super Hoops.
As another game goes by without victory, so the success stories through history trotted out to reassure QPR fans that all is not lost drain away. First there was Blackburn in 1996/97, who took only four points from their first ten games but survived, then there was Everton in 1994/95, who recovered from a similar start to climb to safety and win the FA Cup under the new management of Joe Royle.
Now, 14 matches in and still winless, QPR are left with only Swindon Town by way of comparison. The Robins went through the first 15 matches of their Premier League campaign in 1993/94 without a win – famously breaking their duck against the R’s at the sixteenth time of asking. They won only five times all season, twice against QPR, and were relegated. Even Derby, who ended their last Premier League season with just one win and 11 points, had six by this stage.
Harry Redknapp does not have time on his side, and he had his trusty coaching staff of Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond alongside him here before their appointments have even been officially confirmed by the club. QPR need to find 12 victories from somewhere and that looked a tall enough order when Redknapp took on the job on Saturday morning and there were 26 games left to play. Now, four days and a single point later, they still need 12 wins, but have two less games to find them in.
A desperate situation requires quick, certain decisions that Mark Hughes was no longer able to provide. Where Hughes and his coaches said they weren’t sure of their best starting 11 almost a year into the job and having signed 16 new players, Redknapp told the press on the morning of his first training session that he already had a team in mind. Hughes admitted he wasn’t sure why QPR were performing so poorly and said he would look into it with his staff; Redknapp arrived at Loftus Road and immediately made it clear the players have not been working hard enough on the field and would need to shape up or ship out.
His first job, in just a day on the training ground, was to make a QPR side that hadn’t won an away game in 20 attempts, hadn’t kept a clean sheet on the road in 23 games, had lost the last six away from Loftus Road and had conceded 26 goals in the league already this season difficult to play against. He did so by pairing Samba Diakite and Stephane Mbia in midfield with Esteban Granero thrown in to pull the strings. Given that Hughes signed all three players - and produced an awkward, obstinate Blackburn team that got results while not always being easy on the eye – it’s a wonder the Welshman didn’t try something similar himself at some point.
There was an uncompromising nature to the heart of the defence as well with grizzled veterans Clint Hill and Ryan Nelsen partnered together. Around that solid spine Redknapp went for an interesting mix of players who were fulfilling his demand to chase after lost causes long before he got here, and those picked out by supporters for justified criticism over their attitude and work rate in recent weeks. Jamie Mackie was moved to the right side of a five man midfield and Adel Taarabt the left, although both came more central to support Djibril Cisse when the R’s held possession of the ball. Armand Traore started at left back with the much maligned Jose Bosingwa on the right in front of goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
QPR’s away form may be a standing joke, but Sunderland aren’t doing a great deal better. Since beating Rangers here with something to spare in March they’ve only won twice in 21 outings with both victories, like the one against the R’s when they last met, coming against teams reduced to ten men. The matchday programme for this one revealed that the corporate sponsors of the weekend defeat here against West Brom had awarded their man of the match award to the visitor’s Shane Long, which rather summed things up. The increasing desperation of manager Martin O’Neill – forced to deny rumours he’d offered his resignation after that 4-2 defeat to the high flying Baggies – shone through with his decision to select midfield destroyer Lee Cattermole despite the former Middlesbrough trainee picking up a knee injury at the weekend that was originally supposed to keep him out for several weeks.
Cattermole on one side in direct opposition to Diakite and Mbia on the other threatened to create a footballing equivalent of the Somme in the Wearside mud, and a death toll to accompany the final score. Sure enough after three minutes Cattermole launched into a meaty tackle on Mbia but knew something wasn’t right as soon as he stood up and with the time still in single figures he was replaced by Jack Colback. O’Neill’s gamble hadn’t worked, and Rangers could now physically dominate the centre of the park if they so wished.
Physically dominate they certainly did. When Jamie Mackie was turned down in his search for an attacking free kick in the sixth minute by referee Andre Marriner it created a counter attacking opportunity for Sunderland that Ryan Nelsen calmly brought to an end with a shuddering, deliberate foul on Stephen Fletcher that really should have brought the evening’s first yellow card. Craig Gardner smacked the subsequent free kick wide from fully 40 yards – another sign of desperation and lack of ideas from the home team.
Probably a good job Marriner was in a forgiving mood because Diakite committed his standard six fouls for only one yellow card in return before he was substituted in the second half.
Toughness and work rate seemingly installed successfully, what Redknapp must now focus on is extracting goals from a team low on confidence and shorn of all their strikers bar Djibril Cisse by a mixture of long term injuries and lousy squad choices made by the previous manager. There was a crispness and purpose to QPR’s passing that belied their season so far, and Cisse certainly couldn’t be faulted for work rate and endeavour, but when a patient move of a dozen passes culminated with a fine cross from Taarabt to the back post the Frenchman could easily have scored had his header been executed with more conviction.
There was rather more substance to Cisse’s turn and strike in the eleventh minute that drew a finger tip save from Simon Mignolet in the home goal just as the ball looked set for the bottom corner. That will have given the keeper’s confidence a much needed boost after a weekend aberration here against the Baggies.
Sunderland managed just 58 shots on goal in their first ten games this season, and only 15 of those were on target. The Stadium of Light is more box fort than fortress these days and their lack of imagination and confidence in attack was obvious throughout. It meant that, allied with QPR’s particular weakness in that area, set pieces always looked like their best hope of a goal. Julio Cesar tipped a header from Carlos Cuellar over the bar after Diakite had committed a lazy foul in a dangerous area in the seventeenth minute.
In open play the only man in red and white stripes who seemed to have any semblance of form or belief about him was Danny Rose, on loan from Tottenham and the latest left winger to find himself plugging Sunderland’s chronic problem at left back. Even Rose though, impressive as he was, undermined his own performance by hitting the deck on a constant basis, often under little contact whatsoever. Still Sunderland’s best player, but he could do with cutting the play acting out of his game.
Adam Johnson, a shadow of his former self and a million miles away from England call-up form, had a shot blocked away as the game threatened to descend into a dire stalemate with the rain coming down in sheets.
Things burst into life again eight minutes before half time. A fantastic piece of skill carried Adel Taarabt away from two would-be tacklers in the Sunderland half and he then waited for his moment perfectly before slipping the ball through to Jamie Mackie in the penalty area through the right channel. Mackie drew Mignolet from his goal but couldn’t beat the Belgian and although the ball subsequently broke back to Taarabt in the middle of the area with the goalkeeper stranded the Moroccan couldn’t find the net through a crowd of bodies with two low shots in quick succession.
This brought about the first real murmurings of discontent from the home crowd and Sunderland briefly upped their game. Poor play by Bosingwa created a chance for Fletcher who was denied by Cesar and the subsequent corner was headed wide.
Personally I’d never play Bosingwa for QPR again. I’ve seen quite enough from him over the last three months to tell me everything I need to know about his attitude and commitment and I think he should be on the first bus out of W12 at the earliest possible opportunity. He was better here – he could scarcely have been worse – but I still found a lot to dislike about his performance. There was an incident in the second half, for instance, where a long ball was knocked in his direction with a Sunderland player in front and behind him. He decided to challenge for the initial header, lost out, and the man behind him subsequently had space to cross. Call me harsh if you like, and you’re probably right, but I think Bosingwa knew full well he had no chance of winning the header, but made a token gesture so he wouldn’t then have to run after the man that received the flick on.
Anyway, whatever the truth of that matter, when play restarted after Sunderland’s latest attack Julio Cesar left the goal kick duties to Ryan Nelsen which suggested an injury and sure enough at half time the Brazilian remained in the dressing room for treatment on a groin injury and Robert Green was given his first run out since early September.
I said in the Man Utd match report that I wouldn’t be surprised to see Redknapp recall Green sooner rather than later, simply because he may think having a goalkeeper flushed with confidence at the faith shown by a new manager might be a decent thing to have on QPR’s side. Circumstances have dictated that it has happened even quicker than I imagined and my theory started to garner evidence during a second half in which Green looked a totally different keeper from the timid, nervous wreck we last saw back in the summer.
No doubt he’d have liked a nice clear sight of a 20 yard shot at a good height to make a decent camera save and get his eye in and confidence up having been thrust back into the spotlight. What he actually got, ten minutes after half time, was a devilish low cross into the six yard box after a corner had been partially cleared and with Fletcher not afraid to stick his boots in and see what came up for him the keeper had to make a brave two fisted punch under heavy contact and he executed the move well. That will certainly have given Green a lot of much needed self belief, and nine minutes later when the set piece weakness reared its ugly head again and Fletcher powerfully headed a corner goalwards at the near post the stopper was equal to it with a fine, sharp save and hold down by his ankles. Hopefully the start of a bright new beginning for the former West Ham man.
Sunderland were still struggling though – laboured and sluggish, with the weight of their winless run sitting heavy on their shoulders. QPR got a lot of joy attacking down the Sunderland right side with Armand Traore having his best game of the season from left back. He crossed for Granero to head at Mignolet straight after half time, and then drew the first yellow card of the evening for Carlos Cuellar after breaking at speed down the centre of the field.
There was that previously mentioned booking for Diakite as well – he didn’t do too badly overall but looked leggy and naïve at times. Two more fouls followed shortly after and Redknapp will soon learn what comes next if a change isn’t made swiftly. On this occasion the new manager removed Diakite and sent on Park who was disappointing early in the season but returned from injury here with a much brighter display more in keeping with the standards he set for himself at Man Utd. That improved the midfield where Diakite and Granero had been rather inconsistent alongside Mbia who turned a second consecutive impressive performance following his suspension and was unlucky not to score with a low drive a foot wide of the post that would have broken Mignolet’s wrists even if he had got close to it.
Redknapp also sent on Shaun Wright-Phillips for Adel Taarabt later on in the game. Taarabt was sold to QPR by Redknapp during his time at Spurs and there has been much talk this week – exacerbated by Redknapp’s constant comments about work rate without the ball – that the fans’ favourite may be on borrowed time at Loftus Road. He was guilty, as on Saturday, of trying a little too hard to impress at times here but as usual was often the only QPR player who looked capable of unlocking the opposition. Redknapp will be well aware of that, and looked happy enough with his player’s effort as he went off the field despite an incident at the midway point of the half when he conceded possession in a bad area and Clint Hill was called upon to commit a cynical foul on Larsson as he burst into the area. Hill furiously accused the Sunderland man of diving but Larsson had done no such thing and I suspect Hill’s anger was false and designed to try and water down any punishment Marriner had in mind. All parties seemed happy enough with a yellow card.
Sunderland sent on James McClean, who simply hasn’t kicked on from the impressive form he showed when he burst onto the scene last season, for Adam Johnson and later Louis Saha for Craig Gardner but it made little difference. There was a weak penalty appeal for an alleged handball against Nelsen by Fletcher which was rightly waved away as Larsson hit the loose ball straight at Green and then in four minutes of stoppage time a poor pass from Granero to Cisse set up a final chance of the game when McClean crossed just out of reach of the previously anonymous Stephane Sessegnon at the back post.
But QPR went closest to winning the game three minutes before time when Wright-Phillips broke into the right side of the penalty area and drilled a clean shot straight at Mignolet when a slight miscue may have yielded better results – striking truly when you need a scuff and vice versa rather tells the story of Wright-Phillips’ QPR career to date.
All of which made it rather a shame that QPR are where they are and waited this long into the season before changing their manager. Were Rangers in touch with the teams above them in the table, and with more fixtures left to play, then they could rightly walk away from this much improved showing and half decent point away from home with their heads high and plenty to build on. Redknapp’s team can do that anyway - and the fantastic vocal support provided by a little group of 400 die-hards in the away end showed that the fans recognised the improvements in organisation, ball control, possession and attitude – but time is not on QPR’s side. They need wins, they need them now, and given the circumstances and the lousy quality of the opposition here this is sadly two points dropped rather than one gained.
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Sunderland: Mignolet 7, Bardsley 6, Kilgallon 6, Cuellar 6, Rose 7*, Cattermole – (Colback 5, 6), Larsson 5, Gardner 5 (Saha 78, 5), Johnson 5 (McClean 70, 6), Sessegnon 5, Fletcher 6
Subs not used: Westwood, Bramble, Vaughan, Campbell
Bookings: Cuellar 50 (foul)
QPR: Cesar 7 (Green 46, 7), Bosingwa 6, Nelsen 7, Hill 7, Traore 7, Mackie 7, Diakite 6, Granero 6, Mbia 7, Taarabt 6, Cisse 6
Subs not used: Ferdinand, Fabio, Derry, Hoilett
Bookings: Diakite 54 (repetitive fouling), Hill 67 (foul), Mackie 80 (foul)
QPR Star Man – Armand Traore 7 Hard luck for Mbia, who ran Jamie Mackie close for the Star Man prize at Old Trafford and did likewise to Traore here, but I thought the Senegalese full back was solid defensively and dangerous in attack all evening and was very impressed with him. His best performance for some time in my opinion.
Referee – Andre Marriner 9 Controlled the game superbly and in an unfussy manner. No complaints about any of the yellow cards, no major decisions wrong, and made the whole thing look very easy.
Attendance 36,513 (375 QPR fans A tiny away support, but given that the team hasn’t won all season and the game was so far away on a Tuesday night that’s to be expected. Given that Neil and I took the day off work, set off from home at 9am, and still spent most of the day battling through floods, land slips and train cancellations to get there, and it was a similar story on the road, I think it’s remarkable that many made it. Those that were there backed the team superbly, singing throughout the second half and long after the final whistle. Fantastic performance from everybody who made it there. Sunderland continue to be backed in big numbers, but there’s audible frustration creeping in now after a poor start to the season.
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Pictures – Action Images