Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

It's seven games without a victory stretching back to last season, but at least at that point QPR had the excuse of not having anything to play for. Their form since this season has kicked off is far more troubling for their supporters. With a new manager and a number of new players, QPR still haven't been able to rouse themselves to a victory or even to score more than twice in a game. The two goals at home have looked pretty similar but where one was a fluke (Peter Ramage's cross/shot on the opening day), Mikele Leigertwood's effort in this game to open the scoring was definitely planned. But once again, it took an infrequent scorer within the QPR squad to conjure a goal out of nothing. Bread and butter chances for the club's strikers continually go begging, leading many to the conclusion that the missing link is a new frontman.

Jim Magilton is clearly aware of this and from his post-match comments, he's now getting a bit sick of hearing about it. But just because an opinion is widely-held does not make it wrong. In fact, it might just be true. QPR's lack of goals from last season has now extended into this one and is the key reason why this club is very unlikely to get promoted. It's time to start lowering expectations I'm afraid.

For this supposedly must-win game, the manager shuffled the pack again and changed his system from the 4-5-1 experiment at Bristol City to a traditional 4-4-2. He did stick with an unchanged defence for the first time this season though with Peter Ramage at right-back, Fitz Hall and Damion Stewart in the middle and Gary Borrowdale on the left. He was repaid with a workmanlike if far from stellar performance from the two centre-backs, but conversely, poor matches from both full-backs with Peter Ramage back to some of his old-tricks of losing possession and looking very slovenly at the back. It left Magilton cursing defensive frailties after the game, but I don't think this was solely the fault of the back four as Forest were afforded possession all over the pitch.

In the midfield, Leigertwood retained his place and he seems to be guaranteed a starting role under Magilton, which on the basis of his goal is currently deserved. For patches of the game, he worked tirelessly. At other times, towards the end of the match, his concentration slipped and he got sloppy in possession, but if he can remove these lapses of concentration from his game, he should be one of QPR's most consistent performers this season. He was partnered by £3.5 million man Alejandro Faurlin in the middle, leaving two wingers, Wayne Routledge in his customary position on the right and Adel Taarabt moved on to the left rather than take up his recent role as a centre forward. That left Heidar Helguson up front with Alessandro Pellicori, who was making his home debut along with Faurlin.

On the bench were two of QPR's best performers from last season – Kaspars Gorkss and Matthew Connolly – and the change in system also meant there was no place for Akos Buzsaky. Rowan Vine and Patrick Agyemang were the back-up strikers with Gavin Mahon also sitting out another game.

For Forest, there was an opportunity to select two former Hoops players. One, Lee Camp, made the team as he is now their first-choice keeper but Dexter Blackstock was left on the bench, with Billy Davies preferring to go with Dele Adebola, a summer signing from Bristol City and 21-year-old David McGoldrick, another pre-season addition from Southampton for £1 million. In my preview, I spoke about Forest's options up front and Davies had the luxury of leaving Blackstock, Robert Earnshaw and Nathan Tyson on the bench.

Pretty much from kick-off, Forest demonstrated that the front two would be a handful for the QPR defence, with Radoslaw Majewski providing capable support from the midfield. Within 5 minutes, Radek Cerny had to pull off a smart double-save, getting down low to a crisp drive from Majewski from outside the area and then getting across quickly to palm away Joe Garner's snapshot. It wasn't the last save Cerny would have to make and for me, he is the best player in the QPR team at the moment, which says a lot about the lack of inspiration up front. But for Cerny, QPR's poor start to this season could have been a disastrous one.

McGoldrick and Adebola soon linked up well, with the younger player clipping a ball into the area which would have landed to Adebola had Hall not got the faintest of touches to direct the ball away from him. Hall had a decent start to this game and justified his selection over Gorkss. QPR were failing to handle the pace of McGoldrick though down the left wing with Ramage often caught in no man's land. After quarter of an hour, Forest had a further chance to go ahead, McGoldrick placing a shot wide of the post from inside the area when he had the time and space to find the net.

In fairness to the Hoops, it was an end-to-end game but that is probably not what Magilton was hoping for with his team selection. Both sides struggled to retain possession for any extended periods of time and though it was exciting to watch, it wasn't the greatest advertisement for Championship football with both teams guilty of mislaid passes and poor control.

QPR were gradually fashioning chances and their first real opportunity came from some quick thinking and skilful play from Helguson, which is not always a common sight at Loftus Road. He latched onto a high ball, got the ball quickly to feet and in the same breath, fed in Taarabt lurking on the edge of the box. Taarabt's decision-making is often shocking though and so it proved, as he latched at the ball, producing a tame scuffed shot past the post when he had to find the target.

I don't know if this facet to Taarabt's game is down to a lack of confidence or over-confidence. He either tries to win games single-handedly or panics when he gets a sight of goal and shoots from anywhere on the pitch, but the result is nearly always the same; another QPR attack petering out. In some parts of Loftus Road he is considered the golden boy, who along with Akos Buzsaky could turn a currently average team into promotion candidates but I don't see it at the moment and I can see why Spurs were not too concerned to lose the player on a year-long loan. If he thinks he is above the Championship he is sorely mistaken because at the moment, his performances barely merit selection in a struggling QPR team.

Where Taarabt should have scored, Gary Borrowdale had to score minutes later, but as a defender he can be afforded a greater degree of leniency than the Moroccan. Some fine play by Routledge down the wing (still the most likely source of a QPR goal), led to a lofted ball into the area which found Borrowdale free at the far post. There were bodies in the box, but the defender panicked and snatched a shot well over the bar.

At least Leigertwood can get the ball on target. On 25 minutes, a quick throw from Routledge found the midfielder on the right wing. He cut in, took a few steps in the direction of the goal and then curled a shot from 25 yards over Camp's head. He only found the net twice last season but if the QPR strikers continue to strike out on a regular basis he will have to pitch in with more efforts like this one. There was a tangible release of tension around the stadium though; as I've said previously, goals are less than frequent occurrences.

That made QPR's ultimate failure to capitalise on this lead all the more surprising. Up to the end of the half, Forest looked the likelier to score, Leigertwood at one point pulling off an excellent last-minute tackle to prevent Chris Gunter a clear run on goal and Cerny providing another fine save low down to keep out a Majewski free-kick.

In the second half, QPR's performance completely fell off as their retention of possession petered out and their attempts on goal dwindled to nothing. Fitz Hall left the pitch at half-time and didn't return due to a sustained rib injury which is likely to keep him out of tomorrow's clash with Accrington Stanley. Gorkss is a more than dependable replacement, but he struggled in the second half along with the whole team and was partly responsible for the Forest equaliser.

Camp lofted a long ball towards the Hoops goal and Adebola flicked on a header with little opposing challenge. The ball bounced in the QPR area, but Gorkss and Borrowdale were both far too hesitant, allowing McGoldrick to ghost in and drive the ball into the roof of the net for his first Forest goal. Cerny didn't stand a chance and he must be getting frustrated that his defence isn't always pulling its weight this season.

Magilton clearly recognised that something had to be done to kick-start a completely lacklustre second-half performance and with half an hour remaining, he took off Pellicori for Rowan Vine. It's hard to knock a player making his first start at home and only his third appearance, but Pellicori was woeful in this game. He was off the pace, lacking in a decent first touch and most surprisingly, he looked out of shape. Admittedly, he wasn't provided anything in the way of goal-scoring opportunities but the best strikers can also make chances of their own. They torment a defence with their work-rate and in the positions they take up. There was little evidence of this from Pellicori on Saturday.

Just five minutes later, Taarabt was removed for Buzsaky and as with QPR's first home game, the Hungarian quickly adapted to the pace of the play. Without a shadow of doubt, Buzsaky is the most talented QPR player on the ball and also the most intelligent in terms of his passing and decision-making, so to start him on the bench seems perverse. If it's a question of finding the right system then so be it, but he's good enough to justify building the team around him. He soon forced Camp into a diving save from a curling free-kick which is another facet of his game which is missed if he's warming the bench.

Both managers were striving to find a solution to what had become an uninspiring stalemate and on 71 minutes, Blackstock finally made an appearance in front of his former fans. Peppered amongst the largely generous applause were a number of boos which seemed pretty moronic. Blackstock gave three seasons of decent if not spectacular service to QPR only to find himself farmed out on loan to Forest despite being the club's top scorer by some distance. To move there permanently must have appealed when QPR didn't move mountains to keep him.

Nathan Tyson soon entered the fray as well but both teams looked unlikely to break the deadlock. Forest understandably were happy with a point, but QPR seemingly lacked the professionalism to turn this into a win, with Buzsaky the only player with the energy or nous to attempt to do so.

That must have been the most troubling aspect for Jim Magilton after the game but even some of his comments suggested a less than complete focus on that first win. Many of the Sunday papers portrayed Magilton in the tea-cup throwing role following the match and though it is true to say that he described this as QPR's poorest performance of the season, I wouldn't have characterised his comments or demeanour as angry. Frustrated, yes, but he did also point out that the most important thing for QPR was not to lose after their defeat to Bristol City.

This could be taken as the manager making the best of a bad situation and no-one would expect him to pour scorn on his own players. At the same time, the suggestion that preventing a defeat was key to the team suggested a lowering of expectations alongside a certain conservatism that will not currently put QPR in good stead if it continues. Forest are a good team who made important additions in the summer with a strong manager with a long-term plan but surely QPR should expect or at least hope to win this fixture at home.

I wouldn't put this all down to the manager by a long shot though. A lot of that conservatism is inherent in the QPR team. A tendency to sit back on a one-goal lead; a tendency to hesitate in front of goal; a return to long balls and rushed decisions under pressure instead of possession play and quick-thinking. The atmosphere by the final whistle was dejected rather than angry with half-hearted boos and a few choice words in the direction of Flavio Briatore's seat (though he wasn't actually at the game, preferring to spend the weekend watching the European Grand Prix). Make no mistake about it though, this was a poor result and an even worse performance.

Accrington Stanley come to Loftus Road next in the Carling Cup and though they may not hit the heights of their five-goal trouncing of Exeter City, QPR should still have more than enough about them to win that game comfortably. But enjoyable as it will be to be in the hat for the third round and a potential tie with a Premiership team, this competition cannot feature too highly in QPR's priorities as they realistically have absolutely no chance of winning it. Getting a first league win is now all-important but when it will come is far from clear.

Scunthorpe United is the next league match and if QPR are ever to get an away win, this game would rank high on a list of potential victories. Scunthorpe are currently struggling with life in the second tier, losing three of their opening four games and shipping four goals on two occasions. Two of those defeats came to Cardiff City and Middlesbrough though, both likely promotion candidates and United look to be a tougher prospect at home than on their travels. If QPR fail to get the first win there, successive home games against Peterborough United and Crystal Palace might do the trick. The longer this run continues though, the more damaging it is to the morale of the team and the supporters and the more damning it is for Magilton's future at the club. The truest thing he said after the game was what QPR need to do in their next game. Win, just win.

HIGHS – Leigertwood's goal and first-half performance; Radek Cerny; Akos Buzsaky's cameo from the bench.

LOWS – Abject second-half display; poor performance from both full-backs, particularly Ramage; Pellicori looking off the pace and out of shape.

QPR - Cerny, Ramage, Stewart, Hall (Gorkss 46), Borrowdale, Leigertwood, Routledge, Pellicori (Vine 61), Faurlin, Helguson, Taarabt (Buzsaky 66)

Subs not used - Heaton (GK), Connolly, Mahon, Agyemang.

Goal - Leigertwood (25)

Nottingham Forest - Camp, Morgan, Cohen, Gunter, Lynch (McCleary 46), Chambers, Garner, McKenna, Majewski, Adebola (Blackstock 71), McGoldrick (Tyson 75)

Subs not used - Smith (GK), Anderson, Earnshaw, Davies

Goal - McGoldrick (58)

Referee - J Linington

Attendance - 13058