Rumarn Burrell kick-started his 2026/27 with a brace, and QPR created a boatload of chances besides, before just about seeing out a 2-1 home win against newly promoted Cardiff City on Wednesday night – Jamie Perry has LFW’s call.

From about the 75th minute of last night’s game against Cardiff a familiar feeling spread around Loftus Road.

Two goals up and cruising, QPR had spent the prior 20 minutes missing multiple opportunities to put the game to bed when Perry Ng stepped up to curl one from the edge of the area into the top corner and halve the deficit. Hereeeeee we go again. Pierce Charles has conceded three league goals now this season and they’ve all been worldies. Definite Big Dick Ng in that finish.

We’ve been on this flight before and we don’t like the destination. Like being tied to a chair and forced to watch the Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special over and over again Clockwork Orange style, we sink further and further towards our own goal inviting pressure waiting for the inevitable equaliser.

The pessimism is ingrained in us. My first game was in 2008, my experience supporting them peaked three years later with Warnock’s title winning side and aside from one Zamora at Wembley shaped anomaly has been downhill since.

However, what I’ve quite liked from this year’s side so far is that there appears to be a newfound steeliness to it. This is a team that has picked up a league-leading six points from losing positions, Nerves turned to relief at the final whistle, when I’m not too sure we would have got this one over the line in previous seasons. Ten points from our first four games now which Jack Supple tells us this is our best start to a season since that Zamora year 2013-14. It’s happening, as Taxi Joe is prone to declaring back at the C&S.

In many ways newly promoted Cardiff were the perfect opponents. The Bluebirds had not registered less than 64% possession in any of their opening three and they registered another 64% here which, as we know, suits our apparent allergy to winning with more ball than the opposition down to the ground. Now 23 victories now since we last won a game having more of the ball than the opposition. What’s the French for “possession can do one”?

Brian Barry-Murphy’s pass masters also hadn’t won a league game coming into Wednesday. Three draws from three Championship games played, I quite like what ‘BBM’ has built here against the backdrop of Mad Vincent and not a lot of budget to work with. They’d also scored five times in their first three and had chances to add to that tally in the first half here.

Five minutes in it looked like star-signing Jack Moylan had played Yousef Salech in on goal but Ronnie Edwards did well to force him wide and snuff the chance out; six minutes late Salech found himself in far too much space just outside the box but could only shoot straight at Charles.

On 24, the familiar failing from Blackburn last week of Mbengue’s back post adventures reared its head again when Ng’s cross found Moylan completely unmarked behind the full-back but his low shot was saved by Charles at the near post. Cardiff repeated the trick four minutes later when Ollie Tanner’s cross this time found Cian Ashford completely alone, but he mercifully put his header wide when you probably would have done better yourself.

In an end-to-end basketball encounter, there were plenty of chances at the other end besides. Early on a mazy run from Tariq Lamptey, making his first start for the club at left-back, found its way all the way into the box where he cut back for Edwards whose shot was blocked. The resulting corner found Jimmy Dunne who had peeled away but his header was millimetres wide of the post.

Lamptey here very much looking like the rust from the Bolton game has come off. Just as he had at Ewood Park he put on a clinic in both defence and attack, pocketing Ollie Tanner (apart from the cross to Salech) and looking a threat coming the other way.Some of his shoulder drops and slaloms out of tight spots were proper “what is he doing here?” material. If we can keep him alive for most of this season we could have a genuine difference maker on our hands.

Another massive upgrade from this summer’s cohort of signings has been Charles. I’m still wondering when the novelty of his distribution will wear off, because it certainly hasn’t to this point. I’ve also been very impressed with the commanding of his area and claiming of high balls (clanger against Millwall apart) several times here he snuffed out a Cardiff cross by just catching the thing. Sorcery I know, burn the witch!!

After a quarter of an hour, a pinger ball from the keeper was flicked on by Alfie Lloyd to Rumarn Burrell whose square pass back to Alfie Lloyd was intercepted before the Jamaican saw a shot of his own saved. Three game weeks (and five matches in 15 days) have hobbled QPR sides in recent years, and Stéphan shuffled his troops for this midweek battle. Glen Kamara joined Lamptey in making a first start, Clarke-Salter was rested so Edwards dropped back into defence, the wide attackers ran on rotation but neither Koki Saito nor Harvey Vale did their causes much good. Perhaps the most surprising was a start for Lloyd, and while his technique is basic his industry and rudimentary effectiveness was on high display.

The best chance up to this point was a near carbon copy of this move. Burrell this time flicking on Charles’ kick to Lloyd who skilfully turned Gabriel Osho and left him trying to foul the striker. Lloyd stayed on his feet and was now presented with a one-on-one which he dutifully blazed over the bar. I love Alfie Lloyd in the same way you love an over- enthusiastic pet. Full of energy and pressing but a bit rough around the edges when it comes to composure, in the same way that sandpaper is a bit rough around the edges.

With these missed chances it was starting to feel a bit like the last time we had a promoted team in W12 where Rangers just couldn’t finish. Sometimes though you need a little bit of luck to break that and on 36 some good work down the right from Harvey Vale and Koki Saito won the Hoops a corner. Nicolas Madsen’s delivery appeared to hit Jimmy Dunne on the arse, came back off Cardiff’s Alex Robertson and dropped plum for Burrell to smash home his first of the season from a few yards. Lift off and a nice lift for the striker whose industry and hard yards in recent weeks deserved a goal. This is why he shouldn’t really be playing wide right – he’s a penalty box predator.

Buoyed, the R’s nearly doubled their lead before half-time. A sumptuous turn from Saito on the edge of the box allowed the winger to get to the byline and cut back for Vale who rushed his shot and could only bobble it just wide of Nathan Trott’s post.

A new villain emerged at half-time as our old friend Chris Willock was brought on for the Welsh side to a chorus of boos. Not an ideal time either for the lad in a QPR Willock shirt to emerge up the stairs and into the front of the R Block to some more sarcastic booing. Probably would have worn something else to this one, mate. We sat and waited for the ten-minute pleasure window immediately after the break that QPR loves to concede in.

As it turns out though the Londoners had decided today was the day to flip the script. Seven minutes after the restart a purposeful interception from Edwards turned defence into attack. Completely dominating a 50-50 with Ruben Colwill on his way, and looking damn good doing it too, Handsome Ron then slipped a lovely ball through to Burrell beyond a busted offside trap. The forward completely stripped Krystian Bielik for pace before dispatching his and Rangers’ second into the School End net to bring the house down.

Jack Supple speaks - Burrell has now been directly involved in ten goals in his 12 starts at Loftus Road. Oe of the question marks hanging over QPR’s good start to the season was when the strikers would start scoring and, well, here it was in all its glory. Beautiful goal all round, right through the heart of the Cardiff side literally and figuratively.

Burrell really should have had a hat-trick too when later on Lloyd’s pass was invertedly played into his path by Bielik but the striker inexplicably side footed wide when it was easier to score. Moments before a high press and win of the ball from Lloyd saw him feed Burrell but his long- range shot flashed just wide of the post. Our last hat trick remains Nahki Wells, against the same opponent, getting on for seven years ago.

This all came as part of a 20-minute period where QPR got all happy and excited with how good they were and missed a hat-full of chances which as I said earlier should have killed the game off. Rangers have been brilliant to watch at times in these opening games – most shots on target in the league, most touches in the opposition box, second highest ‘big chances’, second highest xG – but you can tell watching Stephan’s exasperations on the touchline that he wants games killed off ore efficiently. This was not a 2-0 affair, and yet it soon became a 2-1 game.

Immediately after the second goal, a Glen Kamara interception and carry similar to Edwards’ saw the midfielder feed Lloyd who cut in from the left and saw a shot well saved by Trott. The ball fell back to Kamara whose square pass was deflected back to Saito, but he could only slice over when he should have done better.

Like Lamptey, Kamara made his first start for the club here and was every bit as assured in the middle as he had been at Pompey and Blackburn. The business the club has done this summer has to be commended, all of them at the moment are looking like shrewd pick-ups. I did notice that they’ve started putting the lyrics to players chants on the advertising boards, I look forward to Kamara’s slowly moving across in the future once they’ve worked out how you type that out.

On 68 a nice dummy from Madsen freed Saito who in turn freed Burrell wide left and his cut back found Lamptey who could only shoot straight at Trott. This was followed by a quadruple substitution from the R’s (four substitutes, Jeremy etc) which saw the end of Lamptey and Kamara’s evenings and, unlike at Blackburn, killed the momentum. Ng, in space, curled home the latest unstoppable shot past Charles to set a different complexion on things.

Monsieur Julien went to great lengths after to explain the subs and I can see where he’s coming from. We’ve got back-to-back three game weeks to contend with here and have signed a lot of injury prone players for a team that was decimated by absentees last year. That unfortunately means that Lamptey and Kamara are going to have games where it’s agreed they can only do 65/70 minutes in advance if we want them available through the Championship winter.

I also thought QPR coped pretty well after the away side’s goal. There were chances, because of course there were chances. Ten from time a deep Willock cross again found a man free at the back post but Joel Colwill was only able to side foot wide - sub Dennis Cirkin the guilty party this time. Then a few minutes later the world fell out my arse as our former charge cut in from the left but fortunately his shot high into the Loft was as bad and half-arsed as the end of his time with us. By and large though Cardiff didn’t have any clear-cut chances with Edwards and Dunne (and later Clarke-Salter) standing up to every ball delivered into the box. In fact I actually thought the hosts had the better of the opportunities.

One corner found Kamara’s replacement Jonathan Varane free but his header was cleared before it got to the line. Ten minutes later another one of the four replacements Keeley Adamson was freed wide right by Edwards and his overhit cross was collected by Saito and squared for Vale. The Irishman capped off a disappointing display by hooking the ball up and over the bar.

In injury time Vale found final sub Ilias Chair in the box but in trying to lose his marker pushed the ball too wide and dragged a shot back across goal and wide.

The whistle followed soon after and a first home win and playing of Hi-Ho Silver Lining was a welcome end. Rangers find themselves sat second in the fledgling league table, level on points with first placed Swansea.

This was a 2-1 game in name only. While it felt at times like it could’ve finished 2-2, Rangers could also have easily won this 4/5-1. Theres room for improvement yes (especially with the finishing) and I’d like us to play a bit less in spells and put in more of a complete performance but overall I liked what I saw here.

QPR have been blessed by a favourable fixture list to start the season with tougher tests to come, starting on Saturday with big-spenders Middlesbrough and Ten- Mill Will coming to town, but there does feel like there is a buzz around the results and performances so far and what this team could go onto achieve this season.

It’s obviously farrrrrr to early to be loading up the HMS Piss the League memes but this time last year we had just come off the gob-bumming at Cov and as someone who had to relive it in writing for you, I can remember very well how bleak it all felt.

For many of us QPR is a release from the stresses of the rest of our life. This is supposed to be fun and at the moment anyway I am enjoying and having fun watching this team play every week.

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

QPR: Charles 7; Mbengue 5 (Adamson 72, 5), Edwards 7, Dunne 7, Lamptey 7 (Cirkin 72, 5); Saito 6, Kamara 6 (Clarke-Salter 72, 6), Madsen 5 (Varane 72, 6), Vale 5; Lloyd 6 (Chair 81 -), Burrell 7

Subs not used: Ward, Smyth, Obikwu (so he does exist???), Kone

Goals: Burrell 36 (unassisted), 53 (assisted Edwards)

Cardiff: Trott 6, Ng 6, Osho 5, Bagan 5, Scanlon 5 (Bielik 46, 5), Robertson 5 (Robinson 89, -), Tanner 5 (Davies 89, -), R Colwill 6, Ashford 5 (Willock 46, 5), Moylan 6 (J Colwill 80, -), Salech 5

Subs not used: Tyrer, Kpakio, Turnbull, Tankiewicz

Goals: Ng 74 (assisted Tanner)

Yellow Cards: Tanner 47 (trying to escape Lamptey’s tiny pockets), Ng 77 (Handball)

QPR Star Man: Ronnie Edwards 7 I feel bad not giving this to Burrell after his brace and Tariq Lamptey was electric to watch but once again I though Edwards was excellent both back in defence and when he was later moved into midfield. Every ball into the box him and Jimmy Dunne snuffed out at source and the run and assist for the second goal was the sort of thing erotic fanfiction gets written about. Not just cheekbones you know.

Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex) 6 A couple of soft fouls given in neutral areas that certainly wouldn’t have been given if they were of any consequence but that’s most referees in this country. Can’t remember any really big call he got wrong, certainly better than our little friend Gavin last week.

Attendance 15,027 (1,207 visitors) The obvious elephant in the room is the new club anthem that was played before kick-off. It’s not for me but I do feel sorry for the lads who made it for the reception it got and some of the abuse they’ve received since on social media. What bothers me more is that this was supposedly in the works for more than a year and the first time we heard of it was last week. Absolutely no direct communication from the club or consulting of fans at all for something that was clearly going to be a big issue that people would feel strongly about. Instead, what you’ve essentially allowed to happen is the two lads are hung out alone to take the brunt of the backlash for it. Interesting to hear if it’s played at the weekend.

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Pictures - Ian Randall Photography

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