If at the start of the season you’d have said we’d travel to Leeds in the top six whilst our hosts were in the bottom six, most fans would have probably laughed but that’s how the team teams lined up before this game started.

Speculation over the future of Ian Holloway had been rife on the Internet before this game with his name being linked to the Wolves job. Holloway’s absence from training seemed to fuel the rumors and despite chairmen Bill Power going on several message board to say Holloway was off work ill that wasn’t enough. So against Doctors advice Ian Holloway traveled with the team hoping to put an end to these rumors and he looked very pale and under the weather as he stood on the sidelines watching his team play a side that were in the Champions league when he became QPR manager 3 years ago.

Around 3,000 QPR fans made the trip to Leeds and when we arrived at the Stadium the home fans seemed to think this was a cup final for us which couldn’t be further from the truth, although the QPR team did produce a performance similar to the one we saw in the 1986 League cup final, but more of that in a moment.

Leeds ground is certainly one of the better ones in this division although you can see why they lose so much money. A glossy match programme, which must cost a fortune to produce, was on sale and instead of handing your ticket in as you enter the turnstile they have an electronic tag on your ticket, which you have to swipe as you go in. What a waste of money.

As we waited for the teams to come out onto the pitch the pa announcer screamed at each stand to make some noise and was met with silence from the frozen home fans and with the music playing full blast it was impossible to generate any sort of atmosphere.

As the teams came we discovered that Holloway had made a few changes. Marcus Bean and Lee Cook were dropped to the bench with Bircham and Kevin Mcleod starting in midfield. New signing Adam Miller was also on the bench and he must have been pinching himself after playing at Aldershot two weeks ago he was now on the bench in front of around 30,000 people at Elland Road.

Rangers, in the sky blue away kit, kicked off and started the game on fire. Up against former teammate Clarke Carlisle Rangers were hoping to put one other on the man who left on a free last summer. Clarke had received a mixed reception before the game with some fans booing him and other giving him a generous clap.

It wasn’t long before Rangers took the lead. Furlong fell under a challenge from Carlisle leaving Gallen in space. He went past one and played a neat pass to Gareth Ainsworth who took a touch past the defender and unleashed a cracking shot into the top corner giving Sullivan no chance. The Leeds fans were stunned and the Rangers fans celebrated what looked like it would be the start of a good afternoon.

Almost instantly Rangers went into self-destruct mode as Leeds pushed forward for an equaliser. David Healy tried a shot on the turn, which floated over Day, but the Rangers keeper got back in time to tip it over.

A neat build up on the right involving John Oster and Jermaine Wright almost carved us open but Matthew Rose put in a brave block tackle and hurt himself in the process. He looked in agony as he limped off and his afternoon was over.

Gino Padula took an age to come on as he tried to get his kit on and with Rangers down to ten men McLeod filled in at left back. This doesn’t excuse the defending, which followed for Leeds equaliser. A long ball by Kelly was met by Brian Deane under no pressure from either Shittu or Santos. Healy then had time to lob Chris Day who was well off his line to put the home side level. It was a cracking finish from the impressive Healy but Day and the two central defenders should have done better.

With Gino now on the pitch things got even worse. Gino stood and watched as Walton and Wright passed around him and as the team looked for offside Brian Deane tapped a low cross into the empty net at the far post. Deane may have been offside but that was no reason to just stop and the Rangers defence had gifted the home side a 2-1 lead.

Leeds were flying now and Rangers looked an absolute shambles. John Oster had a shot from 25 yards, which Day fumbled for Brian Deane to pounce and score a third, but the linesmen flag ended his celebrations. This was becoming embarrassing and a third goal didn’t look far away.

Every time Leeds came forward they looked like scoring and Rangers collapsed during a disastrous first half. A simple ball into the box found Brian Deane unmarked to head across the box. Santos tried to head clear but his header went backwards and no one bothered to track Jermaine Wright. Chris Day did well to save the volley but not one defender reacted to the save and Wright had enough time to change his boots, have a cup of team and do his hair before collecting the rebound and making it 3-1.

Rangers began to settle down and tried to make sure we didn’t concede any more before half time. Gallen fired wide after a nice build up and Mcleod had one-shot fly high over the bar. We needed half time to come quickly to re organise but the game was soon over as a contest.

Brian Deane couldn’t believe his luck when he was gifted another goal. Gino was again asleep as he let him man get down the line and put in an excellent low cross. Shittu, Santos and Day just stood and watched it roll across the goal perhaps not realising they are allowed to try and clear it so Brian Deane said thanks very much and tapped in number four. Deane himself looked embarrassed by it all as he walked off to celebrate.

Healy then found himself clean through and number five looked on the way but Day made an excellent save to turn his shot around the post. Number five wasn’t far away though as Brian Deane grabbed his first hat trick for twelve years. Shittu’s pathetic attempt to win the ball saw Healy knock him out of the way and head to Deane who chested the ball and fired past Day.

5-1 and it wasn’t even halftime. Clarke Carlisle almost made it six as he was left unmarked at a set piece but headed wide and the half time whistle saw a few boos from the Rangers fans but most of us were too shocked to say anything.

“Remember Port Vale when we were 4-0 down and came back” said my ever the optimist girlfriend Carly but it was hard to see anything other than Leeds scoring a few more in the second half.

Holloway made two changes at half time switching to a 4-5-1. Marcus Bean and Lee Cook replaced Jamie Cureton and Kevin Mcleod. McLeod’s work rate had been non existent as he rarely broke out of a jog all half and Cureton wasn’t helped by Shittu hitting long balls up to Carlisle’s head rather than to Cureton’s feet.

Thankfully Leeds had their feet up in the second half and as Rangers battled to win the half and get some pride back the game was being fought in the midfield with neither side were getting possession for too long. The home side was still playing most of the football and they looked like they could score whenever they wanted to.

With 66 minutes on the clock Leeds got a controversial penalty. Walton ran into the box and threw himself on the floor with a disgraceful dive. The ref fell for it and gave a penalty and you have to wonder why the young midfielder Walton felt the need to cheat with his team already 5-1 up.

David Healy stepped up to take it and just like at Preston last month his spot kick was brilliantly saved by Chris Day. Justice was done and credit to Day for a superb save.

Rangers fans made the best of a bad situation and sung “We’re gonna win 6-5” and “You might as well go home” to the home fans who returned with “5-1 in your cup final” which might have hurt if anyone of us had seen it as a cup final. Leeds fans certainly have a high opinion of themselves.

They didn’t have to wait long for number six though as Shittu gift-wrapped another goal for Brian Deane. No challenge from any Rangers player allowed Leeds to work the ball out to the right where a good cross in was straight at Shittu. Big Dan had an easy header to clear but instead miss timed it and the ball went straight to Deane to head in his fourth of the game. No disrespect meant to Brian Deane but when he scores four goals in a game then opposition must be shit and good lord we were rubbish.

Chris Day did well to deny David Healy a seventh as he saved well at the striker’s feet. Gareth Ainsworth had a late chance for Rangers but Sullivan saved well and he was offside anyway.

The final whistle saw a shell shocked Rangers come over to clap the Rangers fans and to our credit the fans who had stayed tried to lift the players who looked devastated. Clarke Carlisle also came over the clap the QPR fans that had helped him though some really tough times in his life. Credit to Carlisle who didn't celebrate any of the goals and looked almost apologetic to the QPR fans at the final whistle.

So not the best of days to be a QPR fan. Losing is always disappointing but to lose like that with the players performing so poorly was just embarrassing. It was hard to think of many positives after the game although one bloke in the toilet after the game did make me smile saying “I don’t know why they are so happy, you get the same amount of points for a 1-0 so that was a waste of energy”

Rangers need to bounce back quickly and the team will be desperate to put this shocking performance behind them next week when Cardiff are the visitors to Loftus Road and revenge for a play off final defeat will be all the motivation the team needs for that one.

1. Chris Day: Hesitant off his line and at fault for a few of the goals but to be fair to Day he kept the score down with a few excellent saves and he did really well to save the penalty. 6/10

2. Marcus Bignot: Not his usual tough tackling self but was one of the only players to not disgrace himself. 6/10

7. Matthew Rose: A real blow when he went off injured and he could be out for a few weeks. 7/10

5. Dan Shittu: His worst performance in a QPR shirt. He's been brilliant all season and deserves his praise but this was an abysmal performance and of the worst I've ever seen from a central defender. 2/10

23. Georges Santos: Just like Shittu he was absolutely awful and seemed to forget how to defend. After the fifth went in I started to wonder if Shittu and Santos were still on the team bus and we'd just put the first two big black guys we could find outside the stadium into the team. 2/10

11. Gareth Ainsworth: Took his goal well with a cracking finish but was hardly in the game after that. 5/10

8. Marc Bircham: A dire display as he gave the ball away and hardly ever got to grips with the Leeds midfield running at him. 5/10

10. Kevin Gallen: Showed that he's not the answer to our central midfield problem. He never passed the ball as well as he can do and the defensive part of his game was just dire. 5/10

18. Kevin McLeod: Didn't look interested from he first minute and he'll be back on the bench next week. 4/10

29. Paul Furlong: Did his best but the service to him was awful and we could have had Pele up front and he'd have struggled. 6/10

15. Jamie Cureton: Marked out of the game by Clarke Carlisle and hardly got a touch of the ball. 5/10

3. Gino Padula: Possibly his worst game for the club. Looked an absolute shambles at left back. 4/10

16. Marcus Bean: Got stuck in when he came on and helped keep the score down in the second half. 7/10

17. Lee Cook: To be honest I hardly noticed him when he came on but by then the game was over. 5/10