Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

What can you take from a 1-1 draw (the only result QPR have achieved at home in the league so far this season) with a newly promoted side that have yet to win? I spoke in previous posts about QPR being ready to put teams to the sword; that a big win was around the corner at any minute. The likelihood of this seems to be diminishing by the day.

You could look to the fact that QPR had two potentially important loan signings on their home turf for the first time - Wigan's Ben Watson and Arsenal's Jay Simpson (though neither had a blinding game) - as some kind of silver lining, but apart from that, this was a truly uninspiring display from QPR and that was reflected in a very disappointed reaction from Jim Magilton after the game.

Despite now being six games into the season, the R's lineup somehow still had a new feel to it, partly because of the loan additions, partly because of a need to change players because of injury but also because of Magilton's continual tinkering. I've defended this previously but moving midfielder Mikele Leigertwood to right-back and dropping Peter Ramage seemed an odd choice and unsurprisingly, Peterborough had a lot of joy down that flank in the first half. Leigertwood has previously performed well at right-back but it still smacked of an unnecessary move and brought an element of uncertainty to the defence, who were already missing one of this season's better performers Fitz Hall through injury (he suffered a groin muscle tear in training prior to this game and could be out for a few weeks).

Hogan Ephraim kept his place on the left wing and Adel Taarabt was again favoured in a striker's role, this time in support of Simpson. Martin Rowlands returned to the match-day squad for the first time since the opening day after recovering from his ankle injury, with Akos Buzsaky remaining on the bench.

In an even-matched opening spell, it was interesting to get a look at how the two new boys were coping in their adopted surroundings (though with only 11,814 present, both will have played in front of more nerve-jangling atmospheres previously). Simpson struggled at times in possession but he was called on to provide a lot of the link-up play throughout the game as QPR seemed capable of only hitting Peterborough on the counter-attack. The away side actually looked far more comfortable on the ball.

Watson had a more assured start to the game, often finding space in the middle of the park and stroking passes to either wing for Routledge and Ephraim. In this sense, he looks to be similar in style to Alejandro Faurlin who sat beside him in the centre. Both are capable of getting into the area, though they rarely did that in this game, but they are not the paciest players in the world. I think Magilton could struggle to accomodate both in the side as to my mind, one would operate more effectively alongside a more defensive-minded midfielder (with Leigertwood the best option on QPR's books). Getting the midfield right will now be the biggest test of the manager with Rowlands returning and Buzsaky unlikely to be content with a place on the bench.

Watson's afternoon took a turn for the worse though when he gifted possession to the Posh deep in QPR's half. From the resulting attack, Tom Williams swung in a golden cross for Hammersmith-born (and Chelsea-supporting) Aaron Mclean to guide a smart header past a stretching Radek Cerny.

Peterborough continued to play the better football for much of the game with the Hoops never dominating in terms of possession or attacking chances, but they could at least offer some pacy breaks to threaten the opposition's goal, with Taarabt, Ephraim and Routledge all getting forward at regular intervals.

Taarabt most frequently posed the attacking threat but his poor reading of the game continues to hamper his value to this side. When Magilton talks about nervousness and poor decision-making, as he does after every home game, I can't help but think that Taarabt is often in his mind. He is undoubtedly a talented footballer with at times fantastic control and enough strength and pace to worry most defences. But whether out of a desire to win a game single-handedly or out of an innate inability to bring other players into the game, he rarely makes the difference for QPR and instead often cancels out their attacking play.

On 25 minutes with Ephraim in acres of space on the wing, he chose instead to continue his run towards the area and then blasted well over the goal. He was then the main architect of the QPR equaliser - again bombing forward and releasing the ball into the area for Jay Simpson, who laid it off to Wayne Routledge to duly pass the ball into the net. But even in this instance, he held the ball for as long as possible; on another day, I wouldn't have been surprised to see him easily dispossessed. Maybe I'm missing aspects to his game; maybe he's a smarter player than I give him credit for and he's waiting to drag defenders towards him, allowing his teammates free rein up front. But at the moment I doubt it; he's playing like the loan player he is, with too much to prove and not enough feeling for the rest of the side.

Customary Taarabt rant over, neither side could muster a clear goal-scoring opportunity before the break. Magilton quickly looked to mix things up as he often does, bringing on Rowlands and Vine for Faurlin and Taarabt respectively on 58 minutes (with the latter player looking decidedly pissed off). The habit of early substitutions in the second half doesn't speak wonders for the manager's current faith in this team though. Ten minutes later, Akos Buzsaky was also on in place of Ephraim, with Routledge moved onto the left wing where he was far less effective.

Despite the changes, I can't remember any clear-cut chances for the Hoops until Simpson drove well over the bar from inside the area with just six minutes remaining. Peterborough in fact could and should have won this one, with Craig Mackail-Smith's late tap-in ruled out as offside (it looked really tight but seeing it later on the Beeb still didn't clear up if it should have stood).

If anything, QPR's team performances have got progressively worse this season with the exception of the 1-0 win at Scunthorpe and that was still far from convincing. It's also getting harder and harder to work out why. The Accrington Stanley Carling Cup win was still the lowpoint for me. Though the team won, most of the players with the possible exception of Routledge and Ephraim looked absolutely clueless and their team spirit was almost non-existent.

Rest assured, it wasn't quite that bad on Saturday. But Flavio Briatore/Jim Magilton's QPR are currently a collection of quite talented footballers (a lot of the time loan signings) who play as though they have never met their teammates let alone trained with them. Passion and desire look to be almost completely lacking and the stated aim of Premiership football is looking laughable right now.

HIGHS: Improved performance from Watson after his early slip-up; Routledge continuing his claim to be best QPR player at the moment; erm, no injuries.

LOWS: Frequently outplayed by a team fresh out of League One; some shaky defending from players who all too often gifted the ball to the opposition; lowest home league attendance in over a year.

QPR - Cerny; Stewart, Connolly, Borrowdale, Leigertwood; Routledge, Watson, Faurlin (Rowlands 58), Ephraim (Buzsaky 69); Taarabt (Vine 58), Simpson.

Subs not used: Heaton (GK), Mahon, Ramage, Pellicori.

Goal - Routledge (34)

Bookings - Connolly, Borrowdale.

Peterborough - Lewis; Martin, Williams, Morgan, Zakuani, Frecklington, Diagouraga, Whelpdale (Batt 70), Mclean, Boyd (Rowe 65), Mackail-Smith.

Subs not used - McKeown (GK), Pearce, Coutts, Keates, Day.

Goal - Mclean (16)

Bookings - Zakuani, Batt.

Referee - O Langford

Attendance - 11,814