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Sunday, December 17, 2006

Very Strong Gregory Comments & Match Report

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"...>We're in trouble - serious trouble.
"We enjoyed a period of brief respite when we jumped up to mid-table, but make no mistake; we're in big trouble now....'' (Official Site)

"...Today said a lot about us....strong>After they scored, we showed a lack of quality and our delivery was awful....Some of my players are out of contract at the end of the season...That means six more paydays and then they might be out of work. If that was me, I’d be frightened to death..." (Sunday Times)
OR!
"Some of the boys who played today have six more pay packets until the end of the season and could be out of work...That would frighten me to death. They should realise they are playing for their livelihood and we need to withhold judgement until the end of the season." (People)

Sunday Times -QPR 0 Wolves 1: Rangers lose shape and hope - John Aizlewood
The nature of honeymoons means that there is invariably a reality to return to. And so, after an upsurge in form when John Gregory assumed the poisoned chalice of Queens Park Rangers manager in September, a fifth defeat in five games during which just one goal has been scored means that while divorce is not imminent, the jeers the bickering stage has most certainly arrived in W12. After creating and spurning myriad first half chances, Rangers lost shape and hope once Michael Kightly’s maiden league goal edged Wolverhampton Wanderers towards the play-offs. A bravura second half showing suggests Wolves may go onto greater things.
For Rangers however, the midwinter is looking bleak. With both sides initially employing identical tactics - hit it long and hard to the big pair up front - and with Wanderers missing their twinkling but injured young star Lewis Gobern, the early stages exuded only drear. After 23 incident-free minutes, the game blundered into life when Mauro Milanese’s curling free kick was half-cleared by Gary Breen.
Marc Bircham headed back into the danger zone, only for Matt Murray (watched by England goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence) to brilliantly block Chelsea loanee Jimmy Smith’s pointblank header. The miss galvanised Rangers and as Wolves funnelled men back, Martin Rowlands chipped inches over and Murray twisted in mid-air to tip over Ray Jones’s goalbound header. ”Piss-poor,” noted Wolves manager Mick McCarthy of the first half.
“It wasn’t what they were doing to us, but what we were doing to ourselves. We just didn’t compete.” A minute into the second period, Murray was pawing over Jones’s drive and seemingly destined for another 45-minute siege. Then, of all things, Wolves scored and the game turned on its head. Michael McIndoe - the fulcrum of their better work throughout - busied himself down the left, brushed Marcus Bignot aside and crossed low for Kightly, on loan from Grays Athletic, to take one touch to control and a second to fire handsomely past Simon Royce. ”Today said a lot about us,” admitted Gregory. “After they scored, we showed a lack of quality and our delivery was awful.” Morale already fragile, Rangers stopped doing what had so nearly brought them a goal and returned to hoof’n’hope as Wolves assumed complete control. Soon, Royce was athletically flying across his goal to turn aside McIndoe’s deflected howitzer and gratefully collecting when Kightly, clean through alone as the home defence slept soundly, squared for Darren Potter rather than chancing his second. With warhorse Paul Furlong, making a third striker, Rangers had the numbers but not the guile. Bit firmly between their teeth, Wolves swept forwards as Royce further distinguished himself with expert stops from McIndoe and Leon Clarke, whilst only Mauro Milanese and Zesh Rehman’s brave blocks foiled Kightly. ”Some of my players are out of contract at the end of the season,” sighed Gregory, ominously. “That means six more paydays and then they might be out of work. If that was me, I’d be frightened to death.” Sunday Times

[Reposting] John Gregory's Post Match Comments - QPR Official Site
GOALS CHANGE GAMES
John Gregory bemoaned the R's second half display after the 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Gregory said: "I was pleased with the first half display. 0-0 is always a good score at the break and the fact we restricted them to no chances of note was a huge confident boost going in to the second half.
"The goal changed the course of the game though. It knocked the stuffing out of us and we crept back into our shells. "We went too long and that's not something I'm encouraging the players to do once we've gone a goal down.
"We had 40 minutes to find a goal, but we lacked patience.''
The defeat left Rangers just four points above the dreaded drop zone and Gregory admits it's a dogfight for survival: "We're in trouble - serious trouble.
"We enjoyed a period of brief respite when we jumped up to mid-table, but make no mistake; we're in big trouble now.''
Despite the loss - which arrived courtesy of Michael Kightly's 49th minute strike - Gregory praised three of his defenders, commenting: "Michael Mancienne and Simon Royce were outstanding, but you can't overlook Mauro Milanese either.
"Unfortunately, the fact I'm talking about two defenders and a keeper tells the story of the second half.'' QPR

Sunday People -DEAL ON FOR HERO KIGHTLY - Chris Davies
ON-LOAN Michael Kightly hit the winning goal and secured a full-time contract in only his second game for Wolves.
The visitors moved back to the fringe of the play-off places but relegation-haunted Queen's Park Rangers are in freefall as they suffered their fifth successive defeat.
Wolves' assistant manager Ian Evans spotted Kightly at Grays Athletic.
He is on loan until the transfer window open in January but manager Mick McCarthy confirmed the forward had done enough to be signed on a full-time basis. "He could have had four but maybe I'm hard to please," said McCarthy, who was at a loss to explain how his team were so poor in the first half yet went on to dominate after Kightly's 47th-minute goal.
Rangers manager John Gregory told his team after the match many of his players are playing for their futures.
"Some of the boys who played today have six more pay packets until the end of the season and could be out of work," he said.
"That would frighten me to death. They should realise they are playing for their livelihood and we need to withhold judgement until the end of the season."
Rangers heads dropped after they fell behind but they have only themselves to blame for wasting three or four good opportunities in the first half when Matt Murray pulled off fine saves from headers by Dexter Blackstock and Ray Jones.
QPR paid for not turning their dominance into goals when Kightly gave Wolves the lead with their first effort on target.
Rangers failed to clear Michael McIndoe's left wing cross and Kightly beat Royce with a low shot from eight yards.
"We conceded a goal and suddenly the players were very nervous," said Gregory.
"It was disappointing after that."
QPR: Royce 6 - Rehman 6, Mancienne 5, *MILANESE 7 - Bircham 6 (Furlong, 66mins, 5) Gallen 6, Smith 6, Rowlands 6, Bignot 6 - Blackstock 6, Jones 6
WOLVES: Murray 6 - Little 5, Craddock 6, Breen 6, McNamara 5 - *KIGHTLY 7, Olofinjana 6, Potter 5 - Bothroyd 6, Davies 4, (Clarke, 75mins), McIndoe 6. Ref: C Foy 7 . People


Sunday Mirror - Steve Hardy At Loftus Road FANGLESS Wolves were lucky not to be on the wrong end of a mauling at the hands of goal-shy Queens Park Rangers.
Instead they walked away from Loftus Road with three points after a shock 49th-minute winner from newcomer Michael Kightly.
Only goalkeeper Matt Murray's heroics allowed Mick McCarthy's men to survive a first-half siege.
But having failed to produce a single shot on goal they scored with their first real attack straight after half-time.
It was a classic smash and grab raid that pushed Rangers closer to relegation trouble despite doing more than enough to win comfortably.
Murray produced brilliant reaction saves from headers by Jimmy Smith and Dexter Blackstock.
When the keeper made a mistake with a poor punched clearance Mark Rowlands' 20-yard lob only just cleared the bar.
The second half began with Murray punching away a hooked effort by Blackstock but Rangers were then made to pay.
Even in the build-up to the goal there was no hint of danger from Wolves as Mike McIndoe's low cross should have been cut out.
But the unmarked Kightly had time to turn and shoot wide of Simon Royce, his first goal since signing from Conference club Grays Athletic.
The goal transformed Wolves.
Within 10 minutes Kightly might have doubled his tally with a 30-yarder that took a deflection, only for Royce to make a finger-tip save.
The keeper followed up with a similar effort to deny Darren Potter.
HOW THEY RATED
Royce 6, Rehman 5, Mancienne 6, Milanese 5, Bignot 5, Smith 5, Bircham5(Furiong5), Gallen 4, Rowlands 5 Jones 5, Black-stock 5.
MANAGER Gregory 5
WOLVES - Murray 7, little 5, Breen 6, Crad-dock 5, McNamara 5, KIGHTLY 8, Potter 5, Olofinjana 6, Mclndoe 6, Davies 4 (Clarke 5) Bothroyd 4.
MANAGER McCarthy 5
REFEREE C Foy 5
MAN OF THE MATCH
MICHAEL KIGHTLY Got the strike that mattered in a dull match.
Mirror

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