| Coca Cola Championship | |
| Tuesday August 12th | |
|
Sheffield
United 3
|
Queens Park Rangers 0 |
| B.Sharp (3) | |
We made our way up on the train two blokes were on hand to film a documentary about QPR and were interviewing some QPR fans behind us. Apparently they are filming behind the scenes at QPR and interviewing fans during the season for a show that will hopefully be shown next summer. Sounds like it could
be interesting and they certainly got a fair amount of footage in
the pub before the game with plenty of QPR fans up and singing away.
Inside the ground the atmosphere was pretty good with QPR fans making plenty of noise and I opted for a first goal scorer bet which turned out to be a waste of money. The stewards were friendlier than usual in Sheffield and it was a case of sit where you like so we found some seats just behind the goal towards the back which was a decent view. The teams came out and it was clear Dowie had made a few changes. Radek Cerny was back in goal with Fitz Hall in for
Damion Stewart but the rest of the side remained the same as at
Swindon on Tuesday. Personally I'd have brought in Mahon and looked
to play a 4-5-1 for a tough away game but you can't blame Dowie
for wanting to go away from home and play an open attacking style. The Sheffield United fans were in good voice and
they got right behind their team from the start as they looked for
a first league win of the season. Any hopes Rangers had of getting
a result probably went within the first two minutes as we got off
to an awful start.
United lined up a long throw and Tonge launched it into the box for Henderson to flick on and Matt Connolly stood and watched as Sharp peeled off him and headed past Cerny for the opening goal. It was abysmal defending from Connolly and another goal conceded from just a simple ball into the box. Rangers didn't really react and were being overrun in midfield with Speed and Tonge flying into tackles and Quinn on the right giving Connolly a torrid time. Rangers were really struggling and the back four were all over the place being pulled out of position by the United attack and a second goal was inevitable. When it came it was another simple one and more poor defending from Rangers. Leigterwood lost the ball in midfield and a simple ball over the top caught us out with Sharp getting away from Gorkss and he finished well past Cerny into the bottom corner. This was the cue for some real venom to be aimed at the players from the QPR fans with Gorkss and Cerny the main scapegoats but in truth you could have picked out any of those wearing black and yellow for a bollocking.
United threatened to run riot and Sharp missed a chance for a hat trick when the offside flag denied him after getting behind the Rangers defence again. Tonge and Quinn both went close and it was verging on being a horrific afternoon for Rangers. We began to get back in the game though with Parejo
pulling the strings in midfield with some delightful skills and
passing. Lee Cook was hard to get off the ball as he dribbled towards
goal but the options were limited and Rangers seemed ok until they
got to the penalty area then looked pretty clueless at how to open
up a tight defensive unit and would lose possession. Leigterwood began to improve and was winning the
ball back in midfield but his one effort on goal almost hit the
roof of the large home stand behind the goal. Delaney was booked after a two footed tackle on him
by Halford and when Delaney reacted he was shown yellow. It was
a very poor tackle by Halford and Delaney was lucky to avoid a bad
injury.
Parejo upset the home fans when Morgan got injured and walked off the pitch but the referee stopped play anyway and when Parejo asked what was going on he was told to go away and booed for the rest of the game. Not sure what he did wrong or why we didn't just play on. Rangers looked to get a goal back before half time as Ledesma shot wide but at the break United deservedly lead 2-0 and it should have been more. The mood among the QPR fans seemed to be one of anger and it wasn't made any better with our start to the second half. Dowie made a change taking off Balanta and bringing on Di Carmine for his league debut but within a few minutes it was 3-0 and game over. United won a corner on the left and the ball was delivered into the box, out came Cerny to punch it but he missed the ball completely and Sharpe was on hand to scramble the ball in for his hat trick. That was the last straw for many in the QPR left with several fans heading for the exit.
Parejo and Leigterwood were now getting a grip in midfield and created a few opening with Blackstock unlucky not to score when his flick was well saved by Paddy Kenny. It wasn't all rangers by any means and every corner or free kick for the home side was causing mass panic in the Rangers defence and will certainly be something that Iain Dowie will be furious with. Daniel Parejo came close to his first goal when his
curling free kick was well saved by Paddy Kenny. Ledesma then went
close cutting inside and shooting against the post and the rebound
fell to Blackstock who took a touch before trying to roll it into
the net and a defender was quick to get back and slide in to deny
Blackstock a consolation goal. Ledesma was making himself a laughing stock with
some pathetic diving and rolling about which has no place in a QPR
side. There is no doubt that Ledesma is a quality player but this
side of his game won't help him in England and the diving and rolling
around has to be cut out of his game sooner rather than later. Fair
play to Delaney who did come over and bollock him after one rolling
around on the floor performance.
I really don't understand why fans are chanting for De Canio. Bernie, Flavio and De Canio have all said he was a short term appointment and although he was offered the chance to stay he decided to go. We need to move on and get behind the new bloke. De Canio was slated by many fans last season especially
after the 3-0 defeat at Norwich but since he left his is now seen
as some sort of messiah who can do no wrong. Fitz Hall and Di Carmine both also went close but
the final whistle brought with it a few more boos and moronic chants
aimed at the players and a comfortable win for Sheffield United. The journey home was a sombre one but this wasn't the first time we travelled north and seen rangers outplayed and lose the game and I dare say it won't be the last either so the reaction of some fans to throw the toys out of the pram and call for Dowie's head is utterly ridiculous.
We started very slowly and against a side playing a first home game of the season that was a big mistake, Rather than doing what Barnsley did last week and getting stuck in early and pushing the home side back we sat off and were hopeless. Our defending was a joke. Connolly fast asleep for the first goal and a simple ball over the top caught out Hall and Gorkss so many times and is how they got the second. That was the first time that back four and keeper had played together though so it may be worth giving them a few more chances to try and gel as a unit. Cerny made one very good save and his kicking is first class but I'm afraid he's flapping at every cross makes him a liability and Camp has to come back in. I don't agree with singing Camps name and booing Cerny but for me Cerny shouldn't be in the side on merit. Saying that I don't think playing Camp would have won us the game as Cerny had no chance with the first two goals and did keep us in the game with one great save.
Ledesma's antics at the end were a disgrace, Dowie really needs to sort him out that rolling around was ridiculous. Di Carmine looked decent when he came on and almost scored. So a few positives to take from the game but not many. I don't think the defeat is a disaster but we need to learn a few harsh lessons quickly and we're quite capable of bouncing back. I think the plan has to be to stay in touch with the top six until Christmas ready to peak in the second half of the season. Sadly too many of our fans have zero patience and will probably want Dowie sacked already. Doncaster are next up for Rangers and with Rowlands back from suspension it will be interesting to see what Dowie does with his team line up. Man of the Match: Mikele Leigterwood Player Ratings: Cerny 5, Connolly 5, Gorkss 5, Hall 5, Delaney 6, Ledesma 5, Leigterwood 7, Parejo 6, Cook 6 (Alberti 6), Balanta 6 (Di Carmine 6) Blackstock 6
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A
first real test for Rangers as we travelled north to face a Sheffield
united side tipped by many to be in the top six this season and
this was a real chance to see just how good this QPR side could
be.
On
the walk to Bramall Lane we passed a closed pub called the Rutland
arms and the pub sign was very similar to our own new QPR crest.
From the crown at the top to the blue hoops to the Flavio hairline
it was all very familiar and we weren't the only QPR fans to walk
past and have a chuckle at this site.
Sloppy
passing in midfield gave the home side the ball and Gorkks came
across to the left to put the ball out for a throw in. 
As
Billy Sharp celebrated Fitz Hall called the team together for a
talk as they looked to sort themselves out. It was good to see Hall
do this as one of the main problems seemed to be the lack of a leader
in the side with the team playing more as individuals than as a
unit.
United
continued to have chances as Tonge hit a shot on goal and Cerny
did very well to get down and save it. An excellent save from Cerny
but his good work with his shot stopping and distribution was undone
very time a cross came into the box and he looked hopeless.
The
final half an hour or so though was an improvement for Rangers as
Sheffield Untied eased off and allowed rangers more of the ball.
Lee Cook was growing into the game and put in one lovely cross for
Blackstock which e headed over the bar from a difficult angle.
Off
the pitch and in the stand it was all kicking off with some idiots
singing for De Canio and when a fan suggested we move on stewards
had to be called in to stop the scenes getting even more ugly. 
The
game was always going to be a good test for how good we are and
we failed miserably I'm afraid. I thought Dowie made a mistake in
playing such an open attacking team, I can see why he did it but
I would have played Mahon in for Blackstock and tried to win the
midfield battle first and then attack with a bit more fury as the
game goes on. Of course if he had gone 4-5-1 and we'd lost people
would moan we were too defensive.
I
thought we got better in the second half after they scored the third
but that could have been them easing off. Leigterwood had a good
game in midfield and Parejo showed some real quality but apart from
that it wasn't very good. I thought Cook did ok as well and won
the ball back with some excellent tackles and was difficult to get
off the ball which is a good sign but he is still a little short.