The start of a new season usually makes most football fans feel like a child on Christmas Eve. The excitement was building and the problem's your team has is usually forgotten as blind optimism takes over for the only time of a long season. I was the same as
everyone else yesterday waking up with child like excitement and
looking forward to getting to Shepherds Bush and seeing the return
of the football season. This is my first season in years where my
wife won't be joining me as she stays at home with our three month
old son. We did think about taking him to this one but decided against
it at the last minute so I made the short train journey from Langley
on my own before heading to the club shop to waste money on a new
shirt and some DVD's. The pre match drink
was in the Springbok which was packed before the game so we headed
into the ground early to the blue and white bar and some ridiculously
over prices lager and several pints later talk was of how many we
were going to win by rather than worrying about if we had enough
firepower or not. One the television
in the blue and white bar they showed some legends from the past
coming out in QPR kits, we couldn't hear what they were saying as
the TV was muted but they had Stan Bowles, Wayne Fereday, Mark Lazarus,
Steve Wicks and Marc Bircham coming out to a nice ovation from the
fans. After that it was
time for the football to start and we had all new stickers on our
seats with our names on rather than the sellotape we had last season.
The teams came out with fireworks going off and women waving strange
flags as they did at the start of last season. There was then a
minutes applause in celebration of the life of Sir Bobby Robson
which was well observed by both sets of players and supporters although
it was disappointing to hear that the chairmen and guests needed
to be told halfway through that they need to stand up and join in
whilst our Sporting Director stayed in his seat and continued his
conversation throughout the minute which kind of shows the arrogance
and self importance of some of the people running our football club. Anyway with that
over the game was ready to start and Rangers had a pretty strong
looking side. Radek Cerny started in goal with a back four of Ramage,
Hall, Gorkss and making his debut at left back Gary Borrowdale.
In midfield Routledge started on the right with Balanta on the left
and a central midfield two of Rowlands and Mahon. Adel Taarabt and
Heider Helguson started up front. Jim Magilton was able to name
seven subs and it was a strong looking bench with Ephraim, Connolly,
Buzsaky, Agyemang and Vine among those on the bench. Rangers kicked off
attacking towards the School End and the fans were behind the team
from the start as we pushed for an early goal. We won a corner in
the second minute which Routledge curled into the box but the ball
was cleared as far as Rowlands whose shot was deflected wide of
the post. It was a good start
from Rangers who looked to pass the ball from the back and were
getting plenty of joy out wide though Balanta and Routledge. Balanta
and Taarabt were linking well and that combination almost brought
a goal as the two of them played a nice interchange of passes before
Taarabt was put through only for the Blackpool keeper to charge
out and beat the on loan Spurs man to the ball. Heider Helguson
had Rangers next chance after a nice ball from Balanta but the striker's
volley was well over the bar when he possibly could have done better.
Blackpool had not really been in the game up to this point with
the Rangers back four under no real pressure and Radek Cerny's only
involvement was to take a few free kicks in our own half. The chances kept
coming for rangers with some nice football being played, Taarabt
again went close after a good run and pass from Routledge found
the Moroccan but his shot and a narrow angle was well saved by the
keeper. The pressure kept
coming and we missed a golden chance to take the lead midway through
the half. Routledge did brilliantly on the right teasing his full
back before using his pace to speed past him into the box, he picked
out a lovely low cross for Helguson and with the whole goal to aim
at his poked at the ball and hit the bar. It wasn't the easiest
chance he's missed for QPR but it's one he really should have taken. It was hard to understand
how Rangers were not in front but things soon got worse for us when
Blackpool took the lead. They fired a warning shot with their first
real attack when Ben Burgess shot wide of Cerny's post. Two minutes later
they had the lead with an almost identical chance. Taylor-Fletcher
laid the ball off to Burgess and this time he made no mistake shooting
into the bottom corner past Cerny. It was against the run of play
but was another harsh lesson for Rangers that we really need to
take our chances. Rangers pushed on
to try and draw level before the break but our only chance came
from a short corner by Routledge which Balanta fired against the
side netting. At the break Rangers were very unlucky to be behind
but quite where a goal was going to come from remained a mystery. We started the second half well and should have been level within a minute. A Rowlands free kick from the halfway line was met by Hall whose looping header appeared to be going in before the keeper made a fantastic save just getting his fingers to it. The ball fell to Balanta out wide whose shot hit the post and bounced away to safety. It was becoming
a frustrating afternoon for Rangers as we continued to dominate
possession but in the final third we lacked the ability to turn
possession into chances and goals. Gavin Mahon had a header saved
by the keeper after a cross by Ramage but it was not looking promising
for Rangers. Taarabt was full
of skill and always wanted the ball but Blackpool were looking pretty
comfortable and likely to hold on for the win. Magilton made a double
change which brought a big cheer from the crowd. Off went Helguson
and Balanta and on came Vine and back from being out for most of
last season was Akos Buzsaky who was given a great reception. Another blow came
to the Rangers team when Rowlands went down in agony after an hour.
He was punching the floor as Paul Hunter treated him and he looked
in a bad way as he limped off. It looked like his ankle had been
injured rather than the knee problem he has just recovered from
but I doubt he'll be playing for a while. Magilton made his third
change with a bold move to bring on Agyemang for Rowlands and moved
Vine out wide with Buzsaky going into the middle. The change brought
a good spell for Rangers but we just couldn't find the goal Taarabt
went on a mazy run beating three players but with Ramage screaming
for the ball in space he tried to shoot instead and wasted the chance
much to Ramage's fury. The chances kept
coming for Rangers as Mahon again went close with a header whilst
a nice ball from Routledge was fired wide by Vine. Buzsaky lined
up a free kick from thirty yards out but he curled it just wide
of the post. The goal didn't look like coming despite our dominance
but to Ranger's credit we kept trying to play football from the
back rather than going long. The owners didn't
seem impressed though as they walked out with about ten minutes
left to watch the rest of the game in the bar. We were almost rewarded
with just five minutes left when Agyemang picked out Vine with a
lovely pass and with the goal at his mercy he sliced a volley horribly
wide when a player of his quality should really hit the target,.
It was just as poor as Helguson's earlier miss and to be honest
I thought that was it when the ball went wide. How wrong I was
though as Rangers then equalised through a very unlikely source.
Rangers attacked down the middle through Vine and he played the
ball wide to Peter Ramage on the right wing. The defender looked
up and as he usually does in this position seemed to aim his cross
into the lower Loft but this time he curled it straight into the
top corner for a great goal. I very much doubt he meant to do that
but it certainly looked good and the relief was evident all around
the ground that we had finally drawn level. We then had five minutes of injury time to press for a winner and the crowd urged them on as the interchanges between Taarabt, Agyemang and Vine became more exciting whilst Buzsaky began to control things from midfield. That winning goal wouldn't come though and despite
a late corner being scrambled away we had to settle for the draw. In the end there was much to disappoint us but all
in all the performance was pretty good and we were unlucky not to
win the game. We played some nice football, had total control of the game until we got near the penalty area and then were completely clueless. If we brought in a striker this summer who could finish we'd have won by 3 or 4 yesterday rather than struggling for a point. As I write this I'm watching Clinton Morrison routinely take chances that our strikers so often miss, with our money we really should have been able to pick up a striker this summer. In the end I was pleased with a point but we really should have won it, Taarabt looked good in the first half but then faded. I thought Mahon and Ramage both had good games with Ramage edging Mahon out for man of the match due to his goal. Routledge was excellent first half but very poor
after the break and far too often trying to play through the middle
rather than offering us width on the right. It was good to see Buzsaky
back and for 20 minutes in central midfield where he looked good
but a bit rusty. Borrowdale also did ok at left back as did the
rest of the back four who apart from the goal had little to do to
be honest. Blackpool were a typical Holloway side, well organised
tough to beat and look like they'll do ok this season. I thought
Evatt had a very good game for them at the back. It was a first game for Jim Magilton in charge and I was quite impressed with the way his side tried to play and his substitutions were very attacking and well timed. The performance wasn't anything to get too down about and we did show plenty of promise but that need for a striker is so obvious now it's embarrassing. I still think we'll do ok this season as long as we find someone to finish those chances off. At least it's all underway again now and this performance and result will have given Jim Magilton plenty to think about in the coming weeks. Man of the Match: Peter Ramage
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