Chris King on the stand out performers from the Stoke match at the weekend and the horrors that lie in store for us at Manchester City this Sunday.
With 93 minutes on the clock, and Adel Taarabt’s trickery earns Queens Park Rangers a corner. The Moroccan sends the ball in, but Vincent Kompany heads it away. Seconds remain, the referee brings his whistle to his lips, as the ball drops at the feet of former Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton. The R’s skipper lashes the ball into the roof of the net, sparking scenes of jubilation among the assembled Rangers fans behind the goal. Barton runs the length of the pitch and collapses in front of the exultant blue and white mass, as the final whistle blows. QPR are safe, and the title is snatched from City’s grasp.
And then I woke up. This marvellously optimistic vision for the final day of the season aside, Sunday’s last gasp Djibril Cissé goal means that the relegation race will go down to the wire. Bolton Wanderers had survival in their grasp, 2-0 up against West Bromwich Albion at home with 20 minutes to go, and they blew it. Rangers, on the other hand, made it five home wins in a row thanks to Adel Taarabt’s pin-point corner (he finally reverted from useless short corners to pacy out-swingers), which found the unmarked Anton Ferdinand, whose header proceeded to beat Sorensen and land at the feet of Cissé, also unmarked, to sweep home.
QPR had been frustrated by the Potters, who showed typical obstinacy and a lack of respect for the referee, Andre Marriner, for whom this didn’t appear to be an issue. Robert Huth’s man-handling of Jamie Mackie provoked a torrent of abuse for the Stoke defender, who admittedly should have been booked or at least reprimanded by Marriner at various points in the game. Some of the polemic from the supporters in the Loft was particularly venomous and pointedly aimed at the former Chelsea defender’s German nationality, but it would be unfair to say it ever crossed the line.
However, a tweet sent to Huth’s account by a self-confessed R’s supporter, Jack Collins, re-tweeted by the 27-year-old, certainly did. It read: “U dirty German c**t I bet one of your family died in the war and we keep the flag flying high # England #QPR #WeAreStayingUp.” Huth, despite his aggressive and manipulative display, clearly has a sense of humour, however, tweeting the following message after the game: “Oh and thanks to all the QPR fans for reminding me that I am actually a German.”
Mr Collins appears to have forgotten that we require a positive Stoke result this weekend.
This drama aside, Huth’s commanding display against Mackie, both with his elbows and on the pitch, exposed Mackie’s fatal flaws. Namely, the winger’s lack of a proper footballing brain. His enthusiasm is infectious, and for sheer “have a go” spirit he is always worth a place in the starting line-up. However, when in possession of the ball in promising positions, the Scottish international almost always chose the wrong option, and was easily dealt with by the visiting backline.
As for Taarabt, things could not be more different. Since Mark Hughes' arrival as manager the Moroccan has improved exponentially as a footballer. He is now, by all accounts, a professional capable of channelling the talent which we could all see he possessed from the moment Taarabt stepped out onto the Loftus Road pitch after signing from Tottenham Hotspur. He does still have a slight tendency to want to shoot when team-mates are better placed, but on Sunday he demonstrated a decent command of the formerly unthinkable (for him) skills of tackling, tracking back, and dropping deep to set up counter-attacks. It would take only the harshest of critics to suggest that Taarabt, whatever division we end up in next season, shouldn’t be allowed to leave the club if he wishes to: he owes us nothing at all anymore.
Many an eyebrow was raised by Djibril Cissé being dropped to the bench for this most vital of games, and until his introduction just after half time, a change clamoured for by the home supporters, the R’s were very flat indeed. Bobby Zamora, for all his endeavour, had a thoroughly fruitless afternoon, with Huth, Upson and Shawcross more than capable of nullifying any physical threat he may have hoped to pose. Cissé, on the other hand, put the fear of God into the visiting defence. A stat which has been bandied about since, but is still worth repeating, goes as follows: having played seven games for QPR, Cissé has scored in five and been sent off in the other two. One of these dismissals, against relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers, cost us all three points. The matches he missed, meanwhile. They probably don’t bear thinking about.
Moving on to the midfield, despite Akos Buzsaky demonstrating once again that he is patently not cut out for Premier League football, it was a vintage display from the evergreen Shaun Derry, Rangers’ very own Paul Scholes. Barton, meanwhile, and pause for a moment to take this in, was exceptional. He looked every inch a captain, chasing after every loose ball, right in the thick of the action, and keeping the spirits and concentration up of a side that for the vast majority of the 90 minutes looked incapable of breaking down Stoke’s defensive wall.
Whatever happens next weekend, we have done all we can. Loftus Road rocked on Sunday, the jubilation as Cissé crept onto Ferdinand’s header at the far post part of what feels rather like an inexorable sweep towards something good. Perhaps we will have to endure the downpour of relegation before we see our next rainbow, but for now, Queens Park Rangers Football Club and all those who suffer in unity and blue and white hooped shirts, can be proud and pray to the sound of The Smiths’ Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want between now and 5pm on Sunday 13 May.
Tweet @loftforwords, @chriskking
Pictures – Action Images