QPR's Loss to Cardiff - Harsh Match Reports and Comments

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Sunday Telegraph
QPR manager John Gregory refused to blame Flavio Briatorie's pending takeover at the club for their poor showing at Loftus Road.
Gregory instead lambasted his players after the game. "Our performance was poor. We were second to the ball all over the pitch. We looked timid and well below par."
Cardiff eased to victory courtesy of goals from striker Steven MacLean and Wales midfielder Paul Parry. Sunday Telegraph

SUNDAY TIMES - Cardiff expose vulnerable QPR flaws
QPR 0 Cardiff 2Barry Flatman at Loftus Road

ON THE basis of his summer investments, Cardiff City manager Dave Jones would certainly seem to believe that there is no substitute for experience. While Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Jones’s new recruits, are still short of match fitness, the available senior members of the Welsh lineup made the difference between the sides.

Though Cardiff’s goals came from Steven MacLean and Paul Parry, players whose presence in the team must be dubious once the two veteran strikers are fit, there was enough know-how in the Cardiff ranks to sink Rangers, who are reportedly on the brink of going into administration unless the takeover by Renault Formula One owner Flavio Briatore takes place this week.

Briatore was not at Loftus Road to see Trevor Sinclair, no stranger to the flanks of the Shepherds Bush ground, and Gavin Rae drive Cardiff on to a deserved victory against a QPR side who looked ponderous and pedestrian.

Clearly, the midweek Carling Cup defeat at home against Leyton Orient had not sufficiently embarrassed QPR’s defence into becoming a little more cohesive. Damion Stewart’s vulnerability when dealing with high crosses was glaringly apparent even from the early exchanges and his uncertainty led to one or two anxious moments.

Cardiff’s previous three trips to Loftus Road had resulted in 1-0 defeats, and despite the continued absence of Fowler, and Hasselbaink’s lack of sufficient match fitness, the visiting attack always looked capable of causing problems to QPR’s back line.

With former Cardiff left-back Chris Barker serving the last of a three-match ban carried over from last season, QPR were forced into playing the predominantly right-footed John Curtis as a stop-gap. Former England winger Sinclair, a Rangers player for four-and-a-half years in the 1990s, was quick to capitalise.

QPR keeper Lee Camp’s heroics stopped Sinclair from close range after he swapped flanks to raid from the left and connected perfectly with Rae’s cross. But there was nothing Camp could do with the resultant corner and MacLean was sufficiently acrobatic to escape Stewart’s attentions to head in his first goal since his summer arrival from Sheffield Wednesday.

He wasted an even better chance five minutes later, failing to connect with a free header when he seemed certain to score from five yards.

The basis of QPR boss John Gregory’s half-time address to his team was obvious. Teams that are ponderous never succeed, and directly from the restart there seemed far more purpose in the hosts’ approach play. Indeed, Stefan Moore, largely anonymous for the first 45 minutes on the right side of the West Londoners’ midfield, almost scored an immediate equaliser when the perception of the tenacious Martin Rowlands sent him clear to graze the far post with an almost perfectly judged effort.

Cardiff, who rapidly lost the services of both their first-choice full backs, McNaughton and Tony Capaldi, suddenly seemed beset by concern, and both Joe Ledley and Sinclair found their way into the referee’s notebook; the latter was cautioned for the most ungainly of tackles on the unfortunate Daniel Nardiello.

Such a clumsy challenge might dent the progress of many but Nardiello, clearly QPR’s most industrious forward, seemed to shrug off any ill-effects and prompted action from Cardiff’s on-loan goalkeeper Ross Turnbull, who was forced to act quickly when Roger Johnson hesitated in clearing a speculative forward probe from Hogan Ephraim.

However, QPR’s intense attacking laid them susceptible to the counter attack and so it proved as Cardiff pushed forward once again to go further in front in the 56th minute and again it resulted in a cross from the right. This time Stephen McPhail surged down the flank to aim in a low centre and Parry gratefully clipped the ball past a helpless Camp.

Star man: Gavin Rae(Cardiff City) QPR:Camp 6, Rehman 5, Mancienne 6, Stewart 4, Curtis 5, Moore 5 (Ward 64min), Rowlands 7, Bolder 6, Ephraim 5, Nardiello 6 (Nygaard 64min), Blackstock 5.

Cardiff City:Turnbull 6, McNaughton 6 (Gunther 40min, 6) , Loovens 6, Johnson 6, Capaldi 6 (Whittingham 49min, 5), Sinclair 7, Rae 8, McPhail 7, Ledley 6, Parry 7, MacLean 7 (Feeney 90min) Sunday Times

The People - 19 August 2007 - RANGERS PIT SLOP! - Dave Lewis
Formula One boss Flavio Briatore's mooted rescue package can't come quickly enough for debt-riddled QPR - because they were the pits yesterday.

John Gregory's men were left stalled on the starting grid at Loftus Road by a Cardiff City side so dominant they looked like a fleet of Ferraris against a clapped-out collection of Ford Fiestas.

Billionaire Briatore, the 57-year-old Italian Renault F1 guru, is due to liberate Rangers from their £17million black hole - and inject a further £100m - when he takes control of the club as early as this week.

And how they need their sugar daddy after a disjointed and dispiriting display left the faithful praying for money to be made available to add some class to a lineup high on work ethic but devoid of quality.

An afternoon of frustration left rickety Rangers with just one point this season and staring down the barrel of another year of struggle unless their mega-rich saviour steps forward.

Cardiff, who have heavy-hitters Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd- Hasselbaink waiting in the wings, still possessed enough weaponry to blow holes in Rangers and claim their first league win of the new season.

Cardiff boss Dave Jones said: "I thought we were outstanding today. They never really threatened us at any time.

"I think their plan was to bully us into submission but it never looked like working."

The writing was on the wall for Rangers when Cardiff City midfielder Trevor Sinclair, lining up against the club he left a decade ago, swung over a near-post corner in the 29th minute.

It was touched on by Paul Parry and as the Rangers defence dithered, summer signing Steven MacLean turned unchallenged to lash the ball low past keeper Lee Camp.

Seconds earlier, Camp had pulled off a stunning reaction save to deny the former Sheffield Wednesday striker but this time he was left without an earthly.

It could have been far worse as Jones's men set about exposing Gregory's toilers.

It should have been two for the classy visitors after 36 minutes but hard-working MacLean - he missed a penalty in the defeat against Stoke on the opening day of the season - fluffed his lines after Parry had set him up.

Then Sinclair, whose 34-year-old legs are still chugging, headed wide after Tony Capaldi had dinked over a cross that invited a better finish. It was all over as a contest when Parry added a second, meeting Stephen McPhail's 58th-minute cross to double Cardiff's lead with a neat header.

Clueless and out-manoeuvred after a buccaneering beginning, Rangers looked like flyweights against heavyweights until a brief rally after the break when with better luck they might have equalised.

A flowing 46th-minute move set Stefan Moore free on the right side of the box but his crisply struck drive cannoned back off the foot of a post.

Cardiff, with pretensions to be among the pacemakers, had their own financial scare during the week with the club hit by a £31million lawsuit from their main backers.

But chairman Peter Ridsdale moved quickly to allay fears, insisting the money isn't due until 2016. Nothing could stop Cardiff cashing in yesterday.

There were fears they would struggle when they sold star striker Michael Chopra to Sunderland during the summer but yesterday they gave every indication that a push for promotion is firmly in their sights.

Qpr: Camp 6 - Rehman 5, Stewart 5, Mancienne 6, Curtis 4 - Moore 5 (Ward, 64mins), *ROWLANDS 7, Bolder 5, Ephraim 6 - Nardiello 6 (Nygaard, 64mins) - Blackstock 5.

Cardiff: Turnbull 6 - McNaughton 5 (Gunter, 40mins, 5), Loovens 6, Johnson 4, Capaldi 6 (Whittingham, 49mins) - *SINCLAIR 8, Rae 7, McPhail 6, Ledley 5 - Parry 7, MacLean 7. Ref: P Joslin 5. People


SUNDAY MIRROR
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CARDIFF 2

McLean 29, Parry 59

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Qpr manager John Gregory admitted that Cardiff had given his team a lesson.

"We were second to the ball over the pitch," he said. "Cardiff have a wealth of experience and I have to say they were on the front foot throughout.

"We looked timid and well below par. I can't find a smile after that."

Paul Parry must be fearing for his future in the Cardiff side after Dave Jones's recent foray into the big-name striker market.

However, with City fans looking forward to seeing Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Fowler teamed up in attack, the Welsh winger is determined not to be overlooked.

With Hasselbaink watching from the sidelines, Parry turned in a five-star display to earn Cardiff their first victory of the season.

And boss Jones was impressed enough to suggest his two new men will have to fight their way into the side.

"I told the strikers that if they keep scoring I won't mind having Robbie and Jimmy sitting in the dug-out," said Jones.

"We have picked up two prolific scorers, but now that Jimmy has seen what we can do, he knows he's got to fit in with that.

"Jimmy and Robbie have sat on benches before and they know if they get the chance to play they have got to grasp it."

And Parry may take some dislodging - along with his co-striker yesterday, Steve McLean, signed from Sheffield Wednesday.

McLean, who missed a late penalty against Stoke on the opening day, scored his first goal for Cardiff in the 29th minute, converting a flick-on from Parry at close range. But he was also guilty of a bad miss minutes later when he headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Parry showed him the way in the 59th minute when he raced in to head home a Steve McPhail cross.

Rangers might have had an early penalty when Daniel Nardiello's shot clearly struck Glenn Loovens' hands but referee Phil Joslin rightly ruled there was no intent. And just after the interval Stefan Moore beat Ross Turnbull with a low shot, only to see it bounce to safety off a post.

But while Cardiff should now look forward to a strong run once their new recruits are blooded, the future for Rangers looks bleak.

They desperately need a cash injection from F1 boss Flavio Briatore if their season is not to be spent in the Championship basement.

HOW THEY RATED

QPR Camp 7, Rehman 5, Mancienne 6, Stewart 5, Curtis 5, Moore 5 (Ward 5), Bolder 5, Rowlands 4, Ephraim 4, Nardiello 4 (Nygaard 5), Blackstock 5.

Manager Joslin 6

CARDIFF
Turnbull 6, McNaughton 5 (Gunter 5), Johnson 5, Loovens 5, Capaldi 5 (Whittingham 5), Sinclair 5, Rae 7, McPhail 6, Ledley 5, McLean 6, Feeney 5) PARRY 8.
Manager Gregory 5

Referee D Jones 7

MAN OF THE MATCH Paul Parry Always creative and a clinical finish Sunday Mirror

MAIL - Warning for Cardiff superstars

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Fowler have been warned not to expect an automatic ride into the first team at Cardiff.
Steve MacLean and Paul Parry scored the goals that overcame a pathetic QPR side and Dave Jones assured the pair their efforts would not go unrewarded.
The Cardiff manager said: "I told the strikers that if they keep scoring I won't mind having Robbie and Jimmy sitting in the dugout.
"We have picked up two prolific scorers, but now Jimmy has seen what we can do, he knows he got to fit in with that."
Rangers manager John Gregory said: "Our overall team performance was well below par." Mail


http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/football/2007/08/19/football-gregory-we-got-a-lesson-98487-19658814/

See Also Earlier Reports re QPR lossto Cardiff - Match Reports and Comments