Post-Match Comments & Reports re QPR - Watford

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QPR's home draw with Watford means that they're equal bottom with Shefield Wednesday (with QPR having a game in hand, and still looking for their first victory since April)

Hear: Audio of Gregory's Post Match Comments - Gregory's Comments - BBC

QPR Official Site WE DESERVED MORE
John Gregory hailed the performance of his side after the 1-1 draw with league leaders Watford at Loftus Road.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, the Rangers gaffer said: "We were a few players short today, so god knows what we'd have done to them with a full squad. We were fantastic and deserved the win.
"The players were all first class - each and every one of them stood up to be counted and I'm so proud of them.
"Watford are a difficult side to play against and we matched them across the 90 minutes."
Gregory responded to on-going speculation about his future, saying: "People talk about pressure but there's no pressure on me at all.
"All the pressure is on the players and today they responded in style.
"They were magnificent - Cullip, Bolder and Ainsworth were inspirational. Sampsa was exceptional on his first start of the season and I saw the real Mikele before he received the red card.
"The referee lost it a bit in the second half. He was too quick to blow his whistle and he should have awarded us a penalty in the closing stages when Dexter was dragged to ground.
"All in all I'm pleased with the performance, but I think we deserved the three points." QPR

SPORTING LIFE
John Gregory admitted some of his players may have been affected by speculation about his future following the 1-1 draw at home to Coca-Cola Championship leaders Watford.
Stefan Moore's equaliser saved Rangers from a fifth consecutive home defeat and may have kept the under-pressure Gregory in a job.
Former Chelsea boss Gianluca Vialli and ex-QPR player Martin Allen, who have both been linked with the Loftus Road hot-seat, watched the game from the directors' box.
"I don't worry about it all," said Gregory.
"I worry more for my players because they're the ones who have to go out there and perform.
"It has maybe been a little bit unsettling for some of them.
"It doesn't bother me one bit though. I just get on with the job. I don't care what the media say about me - just leave my players alone."
Gregory continued: "I'm extremely proud of my players. They gave me everything, which they always have done.
"People not connected with QPR cannot understand how the death of Ray Jones affected my players. They've had to overcome that and focus on their job.
"Today, they dealt with a very strong Watford side and you couldn't see much difference between the teams. I think we should have won the game."
Watford went ahead when Tommy Smith pounced after Chris Barker's hesitation and pulled the ball back for an unmarked Adam Johnson to score from close range.
But Rangers replied with an equaliser on 59 minutes. Moore followed up to slam home the loose ball after his cross had been headed against the bar by Dexter Blackstock.
QPR played the last 10 minutes a man short after Mikele Leigertwood was sent off for a second bookable offence following a foul on Lloyd Doyley.
Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd said: "It was a very open game - too open for my liking. I was disappointed by the way we defended while we were attacking at times.
"We didn't keep QPR locked in when we were going forward and were then having to run 60 or 70 yards to rescue situations.
"I'm also very disappointed with the chances we missed in the first half and I think QPR will feel the same about the chances they missed.
"I felt there was a chance to go for it after the sending off and we threw men forward, but Lee Camp produced a great save near the end.
"Loftus Road is always a difficult place to come and I'm sure QPR will turn the corner and that John Gregory will get them organised.
"Looking at that game, you probably wouldn't know which team was top of the table and which was near the bottom. That's the nature of the Championship." Sporting Life

Watford Official Site - BOOTHROYD HAILS HIS KING
MARLON King was picked out by Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd for special praise at Queens Park Rangers today, as the Hornets toiled to gain a valuable point in the west London sun.
Speaking of the fans' favourite King, the manager said: "I thought Marlon King was terrific today, his contribution was absolutely outstanding.
"If leaving him out against Cardiff did the trick then I'm delighted as he was stupendous today. The work that he did, the way he pulled other people around and but for Lee Camp's acrobatics he could have had two or three goals."
Moments after the scoring draw at Loftus Road Boothroyd then gave this reaction to his sides' point: "It was tough, an entertaining game for the neutral and it could have been 4-3 at half-time.
"To be honest though I'm disappointed, we thought we had enough to get something more from the game, the chances were there but we didn't capitalise upon them and we gave away silly fouls and too much of the ball to them, too often.

"That's what you get, you draw games when you don't do what you've got to."

Despite the low scoring nature of the fixture both sides had opportunity to bag a hat full of goals, which Boothroyd was only too aware of.
"It was a very open game. For me the most important thing when you are attacking is that you get your defending right and we didn't do that today.
"We were counter-attacked far too often today on our own attacks, but there you go. We are going to have games like that this year when don't perform at our best at the end of a very, very long week."
That week has seen wins over Southampton and Cardiff and added to today's draw Boothroyd concluded that it hadn't been a bad week after all's said and done.
"Of course it's not a bad week, we just want to win. The thing I have said all along is that if we're at it, all eleven of us every game, then there will be very few teams if any that can live with us in this league.
"We're disappointed we've not got more out of it but fair play to QPR, they could have won the game easily as well."
Having seen Rangers drop to ten men in the closing stages Boothroyd was also frustrated to see his change in tactics fail to pay dividends.
"Playing against ten men you should take advantage of it, but we know how to deal with it, we know what to do, but we still got counter-attacked.
"We went for the game and went to win it by playing 2-4-4 and shoved bid Dan [Shittu] up to try and get the winner, today it just didn't happen."
Watford added another scorer to their seasonal list in the shape of loanee Adam Johnson and Boothroyd was pleased to see another fresh face notching.
"The more people we can get scoring the better, as long as we are scoring and not relying on one person."
Finally Boothroyd confirmed that defender Jay DeMerit was taken off as a precautionary measure following injury in midweek against Cardiff.
"He took a very nasty blow to the calf, a six-studded present from Wales. He was struggling to make the game but got through bit because that's the type of guy he is.
"He just started to cramp up in the second half when he came out early so I thought it best not to risk him as we need him fit for a longer period." Watford

BBC - QPR 1-1 Watford
Lee Camp was QPR's hero against Watford at Loftus Road
Keeper Lee Camp produced a heroic display to earn 10-man QPR a point against Championship leaders Watford.
Watford took the lead after 49 minutes when Lee Williamson picked out Adam Johnson to rise high and head home.
QPR were level within 10 minutes when Stefan Moore turned in a rebound after Dexter Blackstock struck the post.
Mikele Leigertwood was sent off with nine minutes left for a second yellow card, but Camp denied Marlon King and Nathan Ellington as QPR held on.
QPR boss John Gregory:
"I'm extremely proud of my players. They gave me everything, which they always have done.
"People not connected with QPR cannot understand how the death of Ray Jones affected my players. They've had to overcome that and focus on their job.
"They dealt with a very strong Watford side and you couldn't see much difference between the teams. I think we should have won the game."

Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd:
"It was a very open game - too open for my liking. I was disappointed by the way we defended while we were attacking at times.
"I'm also very disappointed with the chances we missed in the first half and I think QPR will feel the same about the chances they missed.
"Loftus Road is always a difficult place to come and I'm sure QPR will turn the corner and that John Gregory will get them organised." BBC

Watford Vital Football
"Q.P.R - occasionally known as 'Quarter pound of rubbish`. Off the field it probably should be more than 'Quarter Pound` as the roof leaked, the food ran out and the stewards objected to fans standing in the back row. On the field though, John Gregory`s men impressive but crucially, failed to convert their chances..." Watford Vital Football

MAIL - Gregory feels the pressure - BY MICK COLLINS -
The result of this game, the rumours suggested, would decide John Gregory's immediate managerial future. If that is the case, time will tell how patient Rangers' new majority shareholders, Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, are.
Stefan Moore scored Rangers' first home goal of the season when netting from 10 yards, cancelling out Adam Johnson's close-range header for Watford and earning Rangers their first home point of the campaign. However, Mikele Leigertwood's red card for a second booking meant Rangers did not go all out for the win.
The presence of four potential managers — Gianluca Vialli, Dave Bassett, Gerry Francis and Martin Allen— in the directors' box will only pile the pressure on Gregory. Mail


Vital Football - QPR Game Statistics - Vital Football

See Also: Earlier QPR-Watford Match Reports