Leicester 1 QPR 1 - Further Match Reports

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League Table
P GD Points
1 Bristol City 5 5 11
2 Coventry 5 2 10

3 West Brom 5 6 9
4 Watford 4 1 9
5 Charlton 5 1 8
6 Blackpool 5 1 8

7 Stoke 5 1 8
8 Sheff Utd 5 1 7
9 Cardiff 5 1 7
10 Burnley 4 0 7
11 Scunthorpe 5 0 7
12 Wolverhampton 5 0 7
13 Norwich 5 0 7
14 Barnsley 5 -2 7
15 Ipswich 5 -2 7
16 Colchester 5 2 6
17 Leicester 5 2 6
18 Plymouth 5 0 6
19 Southampton 4 0 6
20 Hull 5 -1 5
21 Crystal Palace 5 0 4

22 Preston 5 -5 4
23 QPR 4 -5 2
24 Sheff Wed 5 -8 0
BBC


People - MEGSON MUGGED - Dave Lewis
Gary Megson strapped himself into the Leicester City ejector seat yesterday - and it looks like being a bumpy ride.
A stuttering and ineffectual performance against struggling Queens Park Rangers wasn't the entrance Megson wanted to make.
Because when you are on the pay roll of Milan Mandaric, football's most impatient and impulsive chairman, there can be no bad days at the office.
He thought he'd got off to a winning start, though, striker Iain Hume's 62nd-minute penalty a soothing balm to the senses of a team and a manager very much on trial.
It came after Damion Stewart had felled DJ Campbell. But the anxieties surfaced again when a bullet from Mikele Leigertwood rescued a late point for Rangers.
Leicester's fourth boss in seven traumatic months said: "In terms of work-rate and effort, we were excellent for most of the game - but we were also naive at times and that cost us.
"There are some things that will have to change, because they didn't have to do much to cause us problems. We need a lot more method and a bit more organisation."
Megson knows that life under Mandaric offers the long-term survival prospects of a jet pilot without any landing gear.
But when you've been out of the game for 19 months, the natural reluctance to take reckless risks is over-ridden by the desire to pick up a pay cheque again.
"Every manager is judged on results and you accept that. I've been away longer than I wanted. It's been frustrating - and it's good to be back," Megson insisted.
With his last job at Nottingham Forest ending in their dropping into League One, he will be hoping to outlast his Foxes predecessors, the last of whom, Martin Allen, was axed after just four games.
The man who took West Bromwich Albion to the Premiership in 2002 and 2004 has his work cut out.
For much of the match winless QPR, buoyed by the arrival of Formula 1 heavyweights and financial saviours Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, were too quick for a Foxes side struggling to come to grips with the demands of yet another managerial change.
Leicester should have taken the lead just before the end of a turgid first half when DJ Campbell rounded keeper Lee Camp only to see his shot cleared off the line. Two minutes earlier, Rangers could have cracked the stalemate - but Israeli striker Ben Sahar's header hit the post.
They were bailed out in the end by an 83rd-minute belter from £900,000 summer signing Leigertwood, who unleashed the most improbable of strikes - a 30-yard guided missile which left Martin Fulop helpless.
Arelieved QPR boss John Gregory said: "He doesn't score many, but that one was a superb strike.
"After they took the lead a few heads dropped but we dug in and fought hard to get something out of the game. In the end, Leicester were happy to hear the final whistle."
He was right. Fulop pulled off critical late stops to deny substitute Daniel Nardiello and then Dexter Blackstock before Stephen Clemence clipped the Rangers bar.
Leicester: Fulop 6 - N'Gotty 5, Kisnorbo 6, McAuley 5, Sheehan 6 - Porter 6 (Kishishev, 78mins), Clemence 6, *WESOLOWSKI 8, Campbell 6 (Chambers, 73mins) - Cort 5 (De Vries, 90mins), Hume 6.
Qpr: Camp 6 - Rehman 5, Cullip 6, Stewart 6, Barker 5 - Rowlands 5, *LEIGERTWOOD 7, Bolder 6 (Ephraim, 71mins), Moore 6 - Sahar 6 (Nardiello, 45mins, 5), Blackstock 6. Ref: L Mason 7. People

The Sunday Times September 16, 2007
Iain Hume makes his point Leicester 1 QPR 1 John Percy at Walkers stadium
GARY MEGSON is acutely aware that victories are the only currency required to appease suspicious supporters and Mikele Leigertwood’s excellent equaliser prevented the new Leicester manager from making an immediate impact.
Megson’s appointment has divided opinion at the Walkers stadium after his misdemeanour of managing bitter enemies Nottingham Forest but an encouraging performance, particularly early in the second half, gave him the perfect platform to silence the doubters.
But he was deprived of the victory required to build bridges by Leigertwood’s fierce drive eight minutes from time, cancelling out Iain Hume’s 63rd-minute spotkick.
It has been an excruciating 19 months for Megson. He had been working unpaid as a coach at Stoke City before impressing Mandaric enough in three interviews to convince the Leicester chairman that the Walkers stadium was the place to end his painful exile.
It is an appointment that has not been shared with as much enthusiasm as it has by the new manager. Megson’s crime is to have managed local rivals Nottingham Forest, with Leicester supporters also distrustful as the club were relegated to League One during his reign. Megson felt compelled before the kick-off to appeal for togetherness via a microphone, with a few audible catcalls.
However, it was a bright opening by the side he has inherited from Martin Allen. Carl Cort has condemned Rangers to many defeats almost single-handedly over the years and he came close to extending his hoodoo with a fierce 20-yard drive that flashed wide. DJ Campbell had the ball in the net on the quarter hour but it was rendered irrelevant after a push on Lee Camp, the Rangers goalkeeper.
But Rangers came close to taking the lead in the first half on two occasions, first when Gareth McAuley diverted Martin Rowlands’ 18-yard free kick away from the bottom corner with his toe. And five minutes before the break Ben Sahar flicked Rowlands’ set-piece against the outside of the post.
John Gregory, the Rangers manager, is just as desperate for a win. Leicester were much improved in the second half, with the visitors needing Camp to produce an excellent save from James Wesolowski. And they got the goal they deserved just after the hour when Damion Stewart needlessly scythed down Campbell in the box, with Hume dispatching the penalty. But, inexplicably, they then dropped off the pace and Leigertwood stunned the home side with a ferocious 25-yard finish out of nothing.
Star man: Kisnorbo (Leicester)
Player ratings. Leicester: Fulop 6; N’Gotty 6, Kisnorbo 8, McAuley 8, Sheehan 7; Clemence 8, Wesolowski 7, Porter 6 (Kishishev 79min), Hume 6; Campbell 7 (Chambers 73min), Cort 6 (De Vries 90)
QPR: Camp 7; Stewart 5, Barker 6, Cullip 7, Rehman 6; Bolder 5 (Ephraim 72min 6), Leigertwood 7, Rowlands 6, Moore 6; Blackstock 7, Sahar 5 (Nardiello ht) Sunday Times

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH - Mikele Leigertwood spoils Gary Megson's day
By Nick Alexander, Sunday Telegraph
A stunning late equaliser from QPR's Mikele Leigertwood ruined Gary Megson's first match in charge at the Walkers Stadium.
Football fans' forumadvertisementLeicester's fifth manger in the last 18 months was not due to take over first-team duties until Tuesday's replayed Carling Cup tie at Nottingham Forest. However, he seemed eager to take his place in the technical area.
Despite almost exclusive control of the ball, Leicester had few clear-cut chances in the opening exchanges. What they did create stemmed either from the mazy running Levi Porter, their diminutive left midfielder, or the quick feet of D J Campbell, a £2.1 million legacy from Martin Allen's brief reign.
Campbell started up front alongside Carl Cort, and the partnership showed early promise when, on 10 minutes, he slipped a reverse pass through to Cort on the edge of the area, only for the big striker to shoot over the bar.
John Gregory, the QPR manager, must be longing for the January window, when the club's prospective new owners, the Formula One duo of Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, have promised to strengthen the squad. The London side looked as if they were still suffering the effects of a traumatic fortnight following the tragic death of teenage striker Ray Jones. Ben Sahar's flicked header which hit a post, from Martin Rownan's free-kick late in the first half, was totally against the run of play.
Danny Cullip was twice forced to make crucial interventions to prevent Campbell from scoring just before the break, the second a clearance from off the line after the former Birmingham striker had rounded Lee Camp.
The goal Leicester deserved arrived after 63 minutes, from the penalty spot, after Campbell had his legs clipped in the area. Iain Hume stepped up to send Camp the wrong way. Leicester almost doubled their lead two minutes later, when Bruno N'Gotty's cross found Cort at the far post. His header into the net sparked jubilation quickly extinguished by the sight of the linesman's flag.
That decision was to prove costly as, with eight minutes left, Leigertwood collected the ball 30 yards from goal and unleashed a right-foot shot that flew into the bottom right-hand corner. The goal sparked a late resurgence from the visitors and Daniel Nardiello should really have added insult to injury but could only shoot straight at Martin Fulop.
That said, Stephen Clemence nearly scored a winner for Leicester in injury time, but his 20-yard shot clipped the top of the bar. Telegraph


DAILY MAIL - Livewire Leigertwood fails to spoil Megson’s return
LEICESTER 1 QPR 1 - By BOB TEMPLETON
A 30-yard wonder strike by QPR midfielder Mikele Leigertwood prevented Gary Megson from starting his tenure as Leicester's new boss with a win.
Leicester, leading through Iain Hume's 63rd-minute penalty,were pegged back by Leigertwood's 82nd-minute equaliser.
But it still did not keep the grin off the face of Megson, who had been out of the game since parting company with Nottingham Forest more than a year ago. He admitted: "It was frustrating to be out of the game for such a long time."
Leicester went ahead with Hume's spot-kick after DJ Campbell had been brought down by Damion Stewart.
Leigertwood scored after playing a one-two with Martin Rowlands and curling a 30-yard shot past keeper Marton Fulop. QPR boss John Gregory said: "Mikele doesn't score many goals and that one was well received." Mail

See Also: Earlier Reports & Post-Match Comments of Leicester 1 QPR 1 - Earlier Reports and comments