Horror show in W12
Tuesday, 31st Jan 2006 00:56

Rangers turned in their worst home performance in a number of years on Tuesday night, beaten soundly by struggling Leicester.

Unfortunately, you could just see the result coming. Leicester, with all respect, are somewhat the 'crisis' team of the Championship at the moment. No manager, Dion Dublin and Mark de Vries recently departed, dumped out of the cup by a last minute goal and with only one win in 15 games - the writing was just on the wall.

If they had come to W12 and produced a heroic performance of free-flowing, one touch wizardry and played us off the park we might not feel so bitter. But in truth, the game was played between two extremely poor Championship teams. Well done to the Foxes on their victory and I expect they scampered as fast as possible up the M1 with the three points safely in the bag.

From a QPR perspective - the evening was a disaster from start to finish. I could be here all week discussing formations, yet more loan signings, so called 'untouchable' players in the eyes of the management, tactics, not playing new signings, effort, commitment, hoof ball, dwindling crowds, defending, our training regime, why the hell I've already booked to go to Leeds………..the list really is endless.

And so to the game. Fewer than 12,000 turned up for this on a bitterly cold evening in West London. The transfer deadline day had produced two loan signings from Wolves, but neither in time for the game against the Foxes.

Following on from Luton away, Holloway stuck with the same back four and started Furlong and Nygaard up-front. Matthew Rose passed a late fitness test to again be played out of position at left back and Richard Langley supposedly started the game not fully fit. The bench was made up of a mixture of loan signings and youngsters.

The game bizarrely started fairly well from a QPR viewpoint. Football was played in small patches and during the early minutes we took the game to Leicester. Things started well when Gareth Ainsworth opened the scoring after six minutes. He started the move on the right and met the ball with a superb header after a pinpoint cross from Lee Cook on the left hand side. The ball sailed past the Leicester keeper and everything seemed to be going well.

From then onwards it went wrong in a big way. We gifted the Foxes an equaliser when we should have been grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and sending them back to the East Midlands on the back of a heavy defeat. We didn't do this; they fought hard and grew in stature as the game went on.

The defending, or lack of it, all game was simply atrocious. Danny Shittu failed to deal with a long ball down their left hand side. Fryatt was pressuring Big Dan and after some 'Carry-On' style mistakes between Shittu and Santos, Fryatt found himself with the ball at his feet 6 yards out and he had the easy task of slipping the ball past Royce. It was unbelievable - really it was that bad.

The game then descended into a farcical spectacle - two poor teams nervously kicking the ball up into the air literally hoping for the best. During the course of the game we must have lost at least four or five balls over the stands as the players were competing amongst themselves as to who could kick the ball the highest.

Individually there were some really poor performers. Rose had a nightmare at left back and didn't do anything right. Santos was also having one of 'those' games - anyone who has seen him play will know what I mean. It was embarrassing really watching him play that bad and I actually felt sorry for the fella as he should have been dragged off. In the air he won most things and done his job but on the ground he was poor.

Furlong was out of sorts in attack and alongside him Nygaard was giving away far too many free kicks. Furlong was frustrated with himself I think and when this happens he gives away too many fouls. Ainsworth is probably one of the only outfield players who can come away without heavy criticism. He took his goal well and worked hard but he at crucial times he just lacks that bit of quality. Towards the end of the half a couple of half-chances occurred, Royce saved well from a volley and at the other end Furs was making a meal of his chances.

The second half wasn't much better either and all around there were calls for changes to be made to the team. The first of these was made on 65 minutes when Baidoo came on for Nygaard.

We had a goal disallowed shortly after but we can't have any complaints as at least three of our players were offside. That doesn't escape the fact that both linesmen and the referee were rather poor all round. Both linesmen weren't keen to use their flags much to the frustration of the crowd.

Leicester took the lead on 79 minutes after another disaster in the Rangers defence. Richard Stearman was the man who had the easy task of placing the ball in the back of the net after defence fell asleep down the Leicester left hand side. This was the cue for many to up and leave Loftus Road - it was just too much.

Despite this sucker punch we managed to grab an equaliser. Ainsworth was yet again fouled on the edge of the box and Cook sent in a delightful ball that was met by Shittu at the far post and he somehow managed to angle the ball into the corner of the net.

Minutes later Holloway threw on two subs with Donnelly and Moore replacing Furlong and Ainsworth. It was strange that he was happy to make the substitutions now but not when the score was 1-1.

With just a couple of minutes remaining the Foxes grabbed their precious winner. Another run down the Leicester right and the ball again ended up at the feet of an unmarked Leicester player. Hughes was the lucky man and he slotted the ball home pushed the stranded Royce.

At the final whistle there must have literally been a couple of thousand people left inside the ground and half of those were the travelling Leicester fans. It was woeful all round and none of the players can have any arguments about their performance. Royce, was given hardly any protection from his part-time back four and he must be praying that Holloway makes changes for Saturday. Ainsworth was the pick of the outfield players - but he didn't have a lot of competition really. Cook created both goals from excellent deliveries but I still feel frustrated by his performances. For too long in this game he went missing and didn't provide any support to the hapless left back behind him.

It was another depressing home performance and I'm getting fed up of writing about how we're going to respond in the next game because we shouldn't put in performances like that. You may get one of two freak games in a season but it's becoming a regular occurrence these days.

Over the last three weeks or so we've brought in Taylor, Kus, Clarke, Lowe and Youssouf and have released Bean, Miller, Sturridge, Ukah and Brown - now that is some transfer activity. Also if you include early season signings such as Langley and Lomas and well as loanee's like Lloyd Dyer - if we aren't careful we will soon be making as many transfers as Barry Fry did during his managerial days. What must Evatt and Milanese be thinking from the touchline, another two players no doubt frustrated by our patchy form.

No-one expects all the new boys to play at once but if we get them in then we may as well make use of them. This is a real big test now for Holloway - he managed to turn things round after the Vauxhall Motors defeat and at the start of last season but this is a huge test. He's got to prove that he can take this football club onto the next level - we don't expect success at Rangers - everyone knows you've got to earn it and if you look at some of the teams on limited funds in this league you know it can be done.

If last night is anything to go by, we lack real quality at the club. Yes we've had injuries, but our squad is still a lot bigger than other teams. Changes have to be made on Saturday and a game plan drilled into the players heads, otherwise we will start sliding down the table. How we are still this high up is ridiculous really and probably just shows what a poor league it is this year.

Yet again I'm asking for our players to stand up and be counted at Leeds on Saturday - I don't know why I'm bothering really.

QPR: Royce 6, Bignot 4, Shittu 5, Santos 3, Rose 2, Ainsworth 6 (Donnelly 84, 6), Lomas 5, Langley 6, Cook 6, Furlong 5 (Moore 85, 6), Nygaard 5 (Baidoo 65, 7).
Subs Not Used: Kus, Taylor.
Booked: Rose, Santos.
Goals: Ainsworth 6, Shittu 83.

Leicester: Douglas, Stearman, McCarthy, Kisnorbo, Johansson, Maybury, Williams (Wesolowski 15), Gudjonsson, Hughes, Hume (O'Grady 68), Fryatt.
Subs Not Used: Hammond, Smith, Gerrbrand.
Booked: Johansson, McCarthy, Maybury.
Goals: Fryatt 10, Stearman 79, Hughes 88.

Att: 11,785. Man of the Match: Simon Royce 6 - it's bad enough watching us defend from the stands, imagine what its like if the poor sods are standing around in front of you! Received no protection from his defence and although it was nothing near his displays from earlier in the season he didn't have a lot of competition for this one.

Ref: M Thorpe (Suffolk) 4 - It was bad enough watching a poor QPR side, but we get a poor set of officials too! Mr Thorpe was haplessly assisted by two very flag weary officials who hardly helped matters. He broke up the game, especially during the second half with his constant stoppages - a night to forget all round really.

Photo: Action Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.

Page:
1

atileobsessed added 08:56 - May 23 From the sidelines, Evatt and Milanese must be wondering, two more players who are probably annoyed by our inconsistent performance. https://geometrydash3d.co
0