A chastening afternoon in the northeast to end and otherwise positive week for QPR – absolutely torn to ribbons by in form Middlesbrough across a brutal first half that could have been so much worse than the scoreboard reflected.

A defeat by two clear goals with the midfield blown apart, outnumbered and overawed through the middle by the division’s form side.

A not entirely unpredictable outcome of QPR’s long pre-Christmas trek up to Middlesbrough, given it is exactly what we predicted in the preview and podcasts beforehand, and I guess how peeved you are by it probably depends on which side of this fence you fall.

The first, angrier, side is Julien Stéphan’s concerning tendency to make managerial decisions you can see from the pub beforehand are going to cause him and his team problems. Esquerdinha selected from the start against the multi-million-pound wingers Ipswich Town possess, for instance. Or keeping the same outfield ten for a trip to Norwich just two days after a midweek slog up to Blackburn and back.

Here the entire pre-match discussion, on the Boro Breakdown Podcast and in our match preview, was centred on Middlesbrough’s midfield and arguably the division’s best player in that position Hayden Hackney, and how QPR could be in trouble if they tried to play their more open 4-4-2 system against it. Might this be the day, particularly away from home in game three of a three-game week, to include Isaac Hayden, or midweek scoring hero Kieran Morgan, in a midfield three just to stodge it up a bit in there and prevent them running through us at will?

Stéphan elected not to do so, and run through at will Boro certainly did. Tactics out of Zap Brannigan’s Big Book of War. Right from the second minute, when a QPR attack broke down on the corner of the box and within ten seconds and two passes Morgan Whittaker had freed Tommy Conway onto a run from the halfway line with only Paul Nardi to beat. The Frenchman ran from his area and tackled the Boro forward, the ball bounced beyond him and towards the open goal, Conway seemed certain to score, and somehow Amadou Mbengue was able to get back, round and execute a tackle right in the shadow of the unguarded net to prevent an opener. The importance of that recovery pace he brings to the backline laid bare.

Throw in the limp attempt at a 50/50 ball from Nicolas Madsen which started that sequence, or a similarly lame tackle from Jimmy Dunne on 20 minutes that had to either be won or a foul given how high the whole team had gone on the press and instead turned into another flowing counter attack where Brittain freed Strelec and Nardi had to make a brave one-on-one save, and you’re back to that mentality question again. Self-perpetuating talk about how hard three-game weeks are for Rangers, matches treated as a bonus because we’ve already got six points from the prior two, and if you’ve paid all that money and spent all that time going up to Middlesbrough the week before Christmas well, then, that’s on you.

It was difficult to see what the plan was. Boro didn’t do anything they hadn’t been doing in their previous games. There was nothing here they didn’t do to Hull a week ago, where they were 4-0 up by half time. It’s 4-2-2-2, it’s Whittaker and McGree jumping inside to overload, it’s Brittain charging down the right into the space that creates. Where was QPR’s mitigation? Where was our video review?

For me, though, that’s more of a Norwich away match report. QPR were wretched at Carrow Road and played one of the division’s worst teams back into form with an insipid display. The team, and manager, deserved a bit of a kicking for that one. I’m not convinced they did here.

The second, more conciliatory, side of the argument is that Rangers just ran into a very, very good team on Saturday.

Rather than derailed by Rob Edwards’ best Mick Beale tribute act, Boro have actually got better from a pretty high level to begin with. Kim Hellberg’s arrival from Hammarby has brought four wins from his first four games, 11 goals scored, and on this evidence Boro will highly likely be joining Coventry in next year’s Premier League. They’re certainly the best side QPR have faced since that seven-goal demolition by the Sky Blues in August and at several points in the first half I feared a repeat of that scoreline.

As well as the two one-on-one chances with Paul Nardi already discussed: Hackney had a low shot saved by the French keeper after seven minutes; Conway took some time out from diving about and pretending to be injured to a curl an effort wide of the far corner via an improvised deflection off Mbengue’s outstretched leg; Conway then found the net from Brittain’s low cross off McGree’s cute through ball but in his eagerness to end a 16-game scoreless drought had gone too soon and was flagged offside; Jonathan Varane was extremely fortunate stand in referee David Webb didn’t penalise his clumsy handball in the box trying to intercept a near post corner; McGree had two shots from around the penalty spot blocked by despairing defensive dives in quick succession; McGree was then booked for fouling Paul Smyth in transition, but QPR had only been able to escape in the first place because Jake Clarke-Salter deliberately tripped Strelec in the preceding counter attack for which he was somehow not carded.

There was a purposeful savagery to Hellberg’s team. It was all the R’s could do to hang around in their slipstream and cling on.

Through weight of numbers and pressure the hosts scored two goals. Hackney, freedom of midfield, right through the middle, tell me if you’ve heard this one before, played Strelec clear through on Paul Nardi for another one-on-one chance and this time the Slovakian finished smoothly into the corner for the opener. Then after another promising QPR counter attack broke down, home keeper Sol Brynn was able to ping a drop kick straight to Whittaker at the other end, he toasted a tired looking Rhys Norrington-Davies (think we saw here why they don’t want to play him three times a week if it can be helped) and bent the ball into the far corner. Six in six for Whittaker now after two in the prior 33 and none in his first 25 Boro appearances. Rangers could scarcely have made it any easier for him here.

Boro ended the first half with 76% of the possession and 15 shots on goal in 45 minutes of football. That’s a paddlin’. If it had carried on I was worried we’d have to get Orla Guerin to write the fucking match report. Would another central midfielder have helped? Perhaps. Could QPR have been a little bit more on it, a little bit more aggressive? Of course. Would it have made a great deal of difference? I’m not convinced. Not many teams in this division would be able to live with that Boro first half. They were electric. This was a 24-inch Chicago Town deep dicking delivered right to the door.

For it all though, only 2-0 at half time. More two for nil declared, certainly, and a daunting prospect against the only side in the league yet to drop a point from a winning position this season, but not entirely irretrievable. That made it doubly frustrating when Koki Saito started the second half with one of the laziest, stupidest dangled leg challenges you could ever wish to see in his own penalty area and that was the early Christmas gift Conway had been craving to break his duck and put the game beyond doubt. Charity Park Rangers donating to needy causes once more. Thick as zoo glass. Saito’s gorgeous, Bardsley-like assist for Jimmy Dunne in the week rather masks the Japanese winger’s current form which is, put kindly, not good.

That rather summed up QPR’s decision making all afternoon. Dumb stuff at key moments in the game. Boro’s second goal, and the remarkable Mbengue goalline clearance, both came directly from attacks at the other end where Rangers had good numbers up in support and picked the wrong final ball.

Paul Smyth, in particular, had one of those days where every time he faced a choice in the final third he picked the wrong option – at one point reversing a difficult pass to Burrell after a purposeful run through the heart of the home defence when an easier pass to Saito was on (Burrell had that one deflected just wide of the post), and for the Whittaker goal running himself off into a cul-de-sac hanging onto the ball too long when Kone, Burrell and others were all free in support. That’s given the permanently online element of QPR’s support another chance to engage in their favourite pastime of slagging Smyth off to anybody who’ll listen, while of course more fashionable underperformers like Saito and Varane get a free pass.

Smyth did at least win a second half penalty– clearly fouled by Brittain for a spot kick well converted with power and precision by Madsen for his second goal of the season. And when Burrell cleverly got round his man and cut back a low cross it was only a desperate tackle from Alan Browne that prevented Smyth tapping in at the back post to make it 3-2 and set up a grandstand finish. Later Burrell, in form and high confidence, well placed for an effort on goal, elected to pass the ball instead. You’re right there. Do a shoot.

So, who knows, better decision making, a stiffer midfield, perhaps there was something here for Rangers after all. It didn’t ever feel like it to me though. Particularly once QPR had thickened up their attack with the introduction of Michi Frey. There was another disallowed goal to come for the home side, and substitute Doctor Zoidberg got clean through on goal in stoppage time for yet another duel with Paul Nardi which the goalkeeper won with a terrific save. Without Rangers’ much maligned stopper, this scoreline would have been far, far more severe. Boro very clearly, very obviously took their foot off the gas in the second half and had several other gears to go back through if required.

Sometimes it is important to just hold your hands up and say that. Doesn’t have to be anybody’s fault, doesn’t have to be preventable, doesn’t have to be a meltdown or an existential crisis. The best team won. Simple as.

Links >>> Ratings and Reports >>> Message Board Match Thread

Boro: Brynn 7; Brittain 8, Ayling 7, Jones 7, Targett 7; Browne 7, Hackney 9 (Hamilton 90+4, -); Whittaker 8 (Silvera 83, -), McGree 8 (Gilbert 64, 6); Strelec 7 (Sene 64, 6), Conway 7 (Burgzorg 65, 6)

Subs not used: Bangura, Edmundson, Nypan, McLaughlin

Goals: Strelec 30 (assisted Hackney), Whittaker 36 (assisted Brynn), Conway 50 (penalty, won Brittain)

Yellow cards: Mcgree 32 (foul)

QPR: Nardi 7; Mbengue 6 (Morgan 78, 5), Dunne 5, Clarke-Salter 5 (Cook 60, 5), Norrington-Davies 4 (Esquerdinha 61, 5); Smyth 5, Madsen 5, Varane 4, Saito 4 (Dembele 60, 5); Kone 5 (Frey 72, 4), Burrell 6

Subs not used: Poku, Hamer, Hayden, Bennie

Goals: Madsen 70 (penalty, won Smyth)

QPR Star Man – Paul Nardi 7 Horribly exposed to multiple one-on-one situations, kept the score respectable with a series of increasingly brave saves. Amadou Mbengue was the only one of the outfielders who looked both up to and for the challenge posed here.

Referee – David Webb (Durham) 7 A late replacement for Josh Smith, which is always a cause for alarm because Smith is a Championship standard referee while Webb is not. But, bar the usual series of prolonged misunderstandings with his assistants, this was about as well as I’ve seen him referee and he got both penalty decisions right.

Attendance 24,055 (659 QPR) Still, we’ll never be that support base that coordinates outfits for an afternoon of Borussia Dortmund cosplay – with megaphone included!

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Pictures - Reuters Connect