Free-Scoring Rangers Raid the Rams - Derby County 2 QPR 4
Posted On 28/10/2009 at at 23:43 by Alistair KleebauerQPR took their goalscoring run on the road on Saturday, scoring four goals for the third consecutive match, not to mention recovering from a two-goal deficit. If the wins over Barnsley, Preston and Reading were relatively comfortable, this victory showed a new spirit and resilience which could be vital over the next few months. All the action can be seen below courtesy of the BBC iPlayer, click to 24.12 for the highlights (though only until this Saturday; after then, try the BBC website if you want to see a flurry of QPR goals: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8316395.stm):
Manager Jim Magilton was rightly thrilled, though he did confess to a few nerves as Derby took a 2-0 lead against the run of play. Rangers dominated the early exchanges, only to then concede a sloppy goal. A quick free-kick from Robbie Savage played in Paul Dickov to slot past Radek Cerny. The Welshman then made his mark from a deadball again, lifting a free-kick over the QPR wall and into the net. Up to that point, Adel Taarabt had been guilty of a few wasteful moments but the case for leniency with him has now been firmly made and he handed the away side their lifeline, audaciously beating the Derby keeper at his near post with a free-kick just before the break.
The second half was then a textbook lesson in how to seize a game by the scruff of the neck. Gavin Mahon grabbed a highly deserved goal, finishing off a sweeping counter-attack and by the 60 minute mark, QPR were ahead, Jay Simpson with a cooly-taken goal which was the mark of a player high on confidence. If he can inch towards the twenty goal mark this season, promotion could be his reward.
Buzsaky's penalty added a gloss to the fight-back, though it arose from a blatant dive by Wayne Routledge which was unnecessary in the circumstances and is the only black mark on his form-book at the moment.
Magilton felt his side 'have skipped under the radar' and though more and more people are now taking note of QPR's form, that's pretty spot-on. They are now in an unusual position; for the first time since Flavio Briatore's arrival (and for some time before that as well) it is not ridiculous to speak about promotion, though it may be premature. That will bring added pressure from the fans, the chairman and everyone around the club though and so the player's response to that could define their season.
I'd say I've underestimated the challenge Leicester City could pose on Friday night as they've also ghosted up the league, but I'll be looking at them in a bit more detail before the game. The Championship is definitely not a league suited to great reflection as the games come so thick and fast, but the way QPR are playing at the moment, that could be a godsend.
HIGHS: Team-spirit in clear supply; Jay Simpson continuing his scoring form; Gavin Mahon's goal and performances since Martin Rowland's crushing injury.
LOWS: Not too many for once - sloppy defending early on and Routledge's blatant dive were the only low points (and QPR fans probably aren't too upset about the latter.
Derby County - Bywater; Connolly, Barker, Moxey, Stoor (Livermore 62), Croft, Savage, Teale, Hughes (Pearson 68), Hulse, Dickov (Davies 68).
Subs not used - Deeney, Buxton, Hendrie, Mills.
Goals - Dickov (10), Savage (36)
Bookings - Connolly
QPR - Cerny, Ramage (Leigertwood 60), Stewart, Gorkss, Borrowdale, Mahon, Routledge, Buzsaky, Faurlin, Taarabt (Agyemang 75), Simpson (Vine 75).
Subs not used - Heaton, Hall, Alberti, Ainsworth.
Goals - Taarabt (40), Mahon (47), Simpson (59), Buzsaky (90+1)
Referee - Mr M Haywood
Attendance - 30,135 (QPR - 733)
QPR Blast Their Way To The Play-off Spots
Posted On 26/10/2009 at at 21:46 by Alistair KleebauerI clearly chose a poor time to stop writing about QPR to try and sort out the look of this blog. After spending the start of the season struggling to liven up Rangers' succession of dull 1-1 draws at home, I go and miss their transformation into England's form team. The 5-2 win over Barnsley, which I reported on, hinted at what was to come. Since then, they've scored a further 15 goals in just 4 games and now sit inside the play-off spots with a game in hand which could potentially place them in the top two. For any team, this would be pretty remarkable but for a team which scored the lowest number of goals in the Championship last season, it's an astonishing turnaround.
There doesn't seem to be too much point in going over games from a month ago in too much detail, especially when the fixtures come so thick and fast in the Championship (QPR have two eminently winnable home games in quick succession now - against Leicester City on Friday (30th) and against Crystal Palace next Tuesday (3rd). Suffice to say, since I was so rudely interrupted, the following has happened.
Newcastle 1 QPR 1 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8269649.stm
This was the one blip on an almost perfect run for QPR and as if destined by fate, it came against their former manager Paulo Sousa (pictured right in his QPR days) who was so unceremoniously dumped from the club six months ago (and who is still involved in legal action against the club over his dismissal http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2009/10/02/paulo-sousa-fights-on-in-legal-battle-with-qpr-91466-24832650/). By all accounts, QPR bossed this game for large chunks of the match before the midfield pair I praised so highly above left them with an impossible task. First, Rowlands was sent from the pitch for a second bookable offence for a late lunge on Nathan Dyer. Swansea soon profited from their numerical advantage, Mark Gower opening the scoring before Watson decided to join his teammate in an early bath, recieving his second yellow for a handball. Lee Trundle finished off any QPR interest in the game with a goal five minutes from the end.QPR 4 Preston North End 0 - My report in the sports section of 20 October 2009 H & F News - http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/News/Current_issue_of_hf_news_as_pdfs.asp.
This game was the biggest indication yet that Jim Magilton's version of QPR could play genuinely entertaining attacking football and get goals to match, something which as repeatedly mentioned on here has been so lacking from Loftus Road in the last season and a half. Adel Taarabt's first goal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB1YcgScfuo - this is sadly the best version on the internet at the moment, go to 0,15) was simply extraordinary and is unlikely to be bettered at QPR's ground this season (though Akos Buzsaky attempted an incredible half-volley not long after which had it nestled in the net would have been its superior). In undoubtedly his best game yet for Rangers, Taarabt then went on to win a fair penalty in the second half which Buzsaky converted. From there, it was plain sailing against a surprisingly toothless Preston side, Jay Simpson and Wayne Routledge (the new strike partnership of choice) rounding off the win.
QPR 4 Reading 1 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8304286.stm
Just three days after mercilessly tearing apart Preston, QPR welcomed a down-on-their-luck Reading side and with it the opportunity for another high-scoring game, though many QPR fans could have been forgiven for resorting to tell-tale pessimisim prior to this match. In the end, a further four goals delighted the small home crowd (QPR's run of form has coincided with a real drop-off in attendances with only 13 and 12 thousand people seeing the Preston and Reading games respectively), all done with only ten men after a laughable sending-off for Watson (just returning from suspension, he walked for two yellows again, the second this time being for the heinous crime of taking a free-kick too early). Buzsaky continued his battle with Taarabt for best goal of the season with a sublime free-kick (pictured below), Jay Simpson capped off a wonderful counter-attack with a well-taken finish and Rowan Vine and Patrick Agyemang even got in on the act with their all-important first goals of the season.
In short, I've followed QPR for only a season and a half as a reporter and I'm struggling to explain how well they are now playing as a team and how good some of their football is. Die-hard Rangers fans, who have seen them sink a division lower than this, who have struggled through season after season of mediocre football and near-administration, must be completely flummoxed by current events on the pitch. The transistion from something of a laughing stock to the form team in the league has been rapid and though Magilton looked to have added solidity and greater continuity early on, few could have anticipated the recent run of results.
A report on last weekend's win over Derby County (four goals again) and a look ahead to the next two home games to follow.
QPR 4 Preston 0
Posted On 21/10/2009 at at 17:28 by Alistair KleebauerCompletely out of sync with recent results, but this is to test if I can put BBC footage onto the blog. Looks like I can, though slightly jerky footage. God praise the Beeb, despite their growing fondness for the BNP.
Click to 15:55 to see QPR demolish Preston and surely a goal that will be hard to better this season from Adel Taarabt (who I have spent most of this season slagging off thereby showing unrivalled levels of prescience).
Hoop Dreams Is On Hiatus!
Posted On 18/10/2009 at at 17:44 by Alistair KleebauerNeed to try a few new things for the site. Back soon.
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