QPR's Victory at Charlton - Variety of Match Reports

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SUNDAY TIMES - QPR discover winning formula for Flavio Briato - Ivo Tennant

ANY MORE victories such as this, QPR’s first of the season away from Loftus Road, and the motor racing analogies, from stalling in the pits to a Schumacher-style surge, will be out of control. Change was anticipated when Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, of Formula One fame, took over the club, and there are indications that this is now occurring on the pitch as well as off it. For this was no fluke. Rangers triumphed through a goal in the second half from their captain, Adam Bolder, after missing a penalty.
A club at the foot of a table, in this case the Championship, does not normally pick itself up after that kind of setback. There were other chances besides, after Martin Rowlands had hit the right-hand post, not least for Rowan Vine and Mikele Leigertwood, who missed an open goal. When they did score, it was as a result of Nicky Weaver failing to clear a cross from Chris Barker. The ball fell to Bolder, who lobbed it in.
Mick Harford, Rangers’ caretaker manager, professed to paying no heed to what was happening at boardroom level. “It’s not about what happens to me but to the players, who have responded magnificently,” he said.
“That is the first time we have been off the bottom of the table this season, and we could have won 3-0 or 4-0. Our football in the last third of the pitch was very good.”
He was due to meet his chairman last night, but professed to having no idea what the meeting was about or whether he was about to be replaced. After a first half that was relatively lacking in incident, a parried drive from Zhi Zheng apart, Rangers gained their penalty. Jonathan Fortune knocked Vine off the ball and Rowlands, with a low, right-footed shot, hit the base of Weaver’s right post. A seminal moment, it might have been thought, but as to a riposte by Charlton, there was none. One shot from Luke Varney was averted by Lee Camp, who also saved a free-kick by Sam Sodje, but that was about it.
This was Charlton’s third defeat in eight days.
“Our movement was overindulgent and we were inept,” said Charlton manager Alan Pardew. “It was our worst performance of the season. Rangers deserved to win. The fans booed us off, and quite right, too, for we weren’t good enough.”
As if to illustrate that the world of football still has much to learn-from England’s rugby team over respect for referees and officials, Pardew severely criticised the experienced Rob Styles in the match programme.
True, he had cause for concern over a bad knee injury to Svetoslav Todorov in the match against Plymouth last Tuesday, but to write that “I have never used referees as an excuse” and then say “I don’t believe Styles should be refereeing this weekend” is emotive comment.
Pardew wrote: “My first concern was when Rob Styles cupped his hand to his ear before kick-off to hear his name being read out.
“Would he have done that at Old Trafford? I don’t believe he should be refereeing this weekend. A dangerous, unpunished tackle has unfortunately cost us the services of Todorov, probably for the season.”
Star man: Rowan Vine (QPR)
Player ratings. Charlton: Weaver 6, Mills 6, Sodje 6, Fortune 6, Basey 6, Sam 6 (Racon 84 min, 5), Semedo 6 (Thomas 46 min, 6), Zheng 7, Reid 6, Varney 6, Iwelumo 6 (McLeod 61 min, 5).
QPR: Camp 7, Mancienne 6, Stewart 6, Cranie 6, Barker 6, Rowlands 6, Vine 8, Leigertwood 6, Bolder 6, Ephraim 6, Nygaard 7. Sunday Times

The OBSERVER - Bolder approach lifts QPR off rock bottom
Anna Kessel at the Valley -
QPR began yesterday's match at the bottom of the table, the apparent culmination of almost two years of turbulent times for the former Premier League club. But a win at Charlton - their first away victory of the season and only their second in total - lifted caretaker manager Mick Harford's side out of the basement.
A single goal from captain Adam Bolder was the difference and as the referee blew for full time several QPR players lifted their hands to the heavens in an emotive expression of how much this meant.
It was eight points in four games - and just one defeat in five - for Harford, but still uncertainty hangs over his head. When Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone - firm friends of Roman Abramovich - bought the club for £14million last month, they surely envisaged someone other than a stand-in manager to lead their side. Gianluca Vialli, former Palermo manager Francesco Guidolin and Hibernian boss John Collins have all been linked to the job, and it seems unthinkable that Harford will get a shot at it. Harford admitted the uncertainty and revealed that chairman Gianni Paladini had requested to meet with him after the game. He said: 'I've got a meeting with him tonight, so we'll discuss things further.
'I came here to work with John Gregory, and I enjoy the role as caretaker manager, but it's something [losing the job] I'll have to deal with if and when it comes. The players have had a hard year and over the last four or five games they've responded magnificently.'
The spectre of past events that have shaken the club remains evident: the boardroom drama when Paladini alleged that a gun was held to his head, the ensuing court case, the stabbing of 15-year-old academy hope Kiyan Prince, a mass brawl in a friendly against China in February and the ever-present threat of administration that had former manager Gregory reaching for his credit card to pay the team's hotel bills. The tragic death of 18-year-old star striker Ray Jones in August must have had players wondering how much more they could take.
The Formula One pair's entrance would likely have been perceived as a miracle then, as they brought an estimated £40m to spend in the January transfer window. It will prove essential shopping; with a teamsheet that lists five on-loan players, QPR are desperate for some more permanent recruits.
Team Renault boss Briatore was at The Valley to watch the proceedings, but if he was expecting anything Formula One-esque he was in for some disappointment. The first half was especially dire as QPR struggled to make an impression.
Briatore has injected a spot of glamour to past fixtures, inviting supermodel ex-girlfriend Naomi Campbell and 'It girl' Tamara Beckworth to Loftus Road, but it will take some doing before that seems anything but incongruous at this club.
Charlton, on a veritable slide with just one point from four games, had the better of the first half. Sam Sodje's header bobbled off the crossbar and QPR looked beaten. But a penalty for the visitors in the second half buoyed the spirits and, despite Martin Rowlands' miss, QPR were resurgent. When Nicky Weaver flapped at Marc Nygaard's challenge, Bolder exploited the chance to put his side ahead.
Alan Pardew was troubled by his side's defending: 'We put in an inept display. There were too many holes available to QPR,' he said.
But the QPR faithful were ecstatic, 'It's like watching Brazil' they sang. It really wasn't, but having spent the season at the foot of the table, it must have felt like it. Observer

THE INDEPENDENT - Bolder blast adds to Charlton's woes
Lamentable performance against Harford's rampant Rangers leaves manager Pardew with plenty to ponder By Ronald Atkin at The Valley Published: 28 October 2007
Alan Pardew had warned from the start that the season after relegation would be difficult for his Charlton team. But this difficult? The expectation that they would fill their boots against the Championship's bottom club turned into the nightmare of a third defeat in eight days, a deserved defeat too.
The rarity of an away win, their first since April, had Queens Park Rangers' considerable following chorusing that it was "just like watching Brazil". Not quite, but an impressive showing for their caretaker manager, Ray Harford, who has now overseen a four-game run of two victories and two draws with just one goal conceded. Certainly in the second half Harford's side could, indeed should, have scored three or four, so clearly did they dominate.
Andy Reid, Charlton's sparkplug, was misfiring, and from deeper in defence than usual. Accordingly, the home side struggled to break down a rugged and obdurate defence in which Damion Stewart was especially effective. On top of that, Pardew's half-time decision to withdraw Jose Semedo, solid in front of the back four, offered Rangers much more space, and they gratefully occupied it. Semedo's replacement, Aswas Thomas, spent most of his time lingering on theleft touchline.
"The substitution didn't work," Pardew admitted. QPR even had the luxury of missing a penalty four minutes into the second half, smacked against the base of a post by Martin Rowlands, his first spot-kick failure in 10. But so sweetly were QPR combining, so forceful was their running, that, as Harford said, a goal had to come. And come it did with just under 20 minutes to go.
Chris Barker crossed from near the left corner flag and Nicky Weaver's attempt to catch was foiled by the towering Dane Marc Nygaard, the loose ball bouncing invitingly for Rangers' captain, Adam Bolder, to volley into the net. "Weaver said hewas fouled but also felt he could have done better," was Pardew's summing-up of the points-deciding moment.
Charlton's attempts to get back into it were so feeble that earliermurmurings from their loyal followers escalated into bellows of discontent and, at the finish, boos. They had not been much better in the first half, suffering from what Pardew called "a lack of tightness". Togetherness, too, at times, though Charlton are suffering from injuries. They have three left-backs out so brought in the 18-year-old Grant Basey, who has come up through the club's Football In The Community scheme. "Our only highlight of the day," said Pardew.
Offered second-half space to frolic, QPR did precisely that, with Mikele Leigertwood especially effective, though he cast away his side's best chance after Danny Mills carelessly lost possession to let him in on goal; he side-footed embarrassingly wide.
Rather than start feeling sorry for themselves after the penaltymiss, Rangers picked up their game. Stewart, up for a corner, got in a clever flick which Weaver just managed to fall on, before beating away a fierce effort from the free-running Rowan Vine.
For Charlton, Luke Varney drew one fine stop from Lee Camp, while Reid wasted two invitingly sited free-kicks and became so frustrated that he was booked for giving a linesman a mouthful. Pardew included himself in criticism of Charlton's poor show. "We didn't look a good side. It's time to reflect." Independent

The People - BOLDER RUNS OVER PARDEW - By Ann Gripper
Adam Bolder struck his first goal for QPR to lift them off the bottom of the table and send Alan Pardew's promotion hopefuls Charlton to a third straight defeat.
Martin Rowlands missed a penalty but Bolder's 72nd-minute winner was a fair reward for their efforts.
The determined victory gave caretaker boss Mick Harford the perfect ammunition to take into a meeting with chairman Gianni Palladini last night, after a win and three draws in the last four games.
But Harford is likely to be disappointed as the manager's job is expected to go to former Siena and Napoli boss Luigi de Canio.
Harford said: "I've enjoyed the role over the last few weeks, and if I don't get it permanently it's something I'll have to deal with."
With Addicks already 10 points behind runaway leaders Watford, boss Alan Pardew had hoped the loss of Svet Todorov for the season would encourage his other strikers to "get their fingers out".
He was to be disappointed as his team once again dominated large spells of the game but could not find the goals to punish rock-bottom Rangers.
Pardew felt it was his side's worst performance of the season. He admitted the fans were right to boo them off. He said: "We weren't good enough.
Charlton: Weaver 6 - Mills 6, Sodje 6, Fortune 5, *BASEY 7 - Sam 6 (Racon, 85mins), Semedo 5 (Thomas, 45mins, 4), Zheng 6, Reid 6 - Iwelumo 5 (McLeod, 69mins, 5), Varney 5.
Qpr: Camp 7 - Mancienne 6, Stewart 7, Cranie 7, Barker 6 - Rowlands 6, Bolder 7, Leigertwood 6, Ephraim 6 - *VINE 7, Nygaard 6. Ref: L Probert 6. People

Sunday Telegraph Championship round-up By Matt Lawless and Arindam Rej Charlton (0) 0 QPR (0) 1
Charlton manager Alan Pardew described his team as 'inept' after they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against QPR at the Valley.
It was Charlton's third consecutive defeat, leading to them being booed off, and Pardew said: "Our movement was over-indulgent. It was an inept display to say the le ast."
QPR were bottom of the table before the game but captain Adam Bolder's 73rd-minute strike ultimately proved the difference, after Martin Rowlands had missed a 49th-minute penalty for the visitors.
Chris Barker's high cross prompted Marc Nygaard and Charlton goalkeeper Nicky Weaver to contest the loose ball, which Bolder collected to score from 12 yards.
Caretaker manager Mick Harford said: "There's a lot of uncertainty at the football club, but the players have responded magnificently and I take my hat off to them."
Sunday Telegraph


SUNDAY MIRROR: JOBSWORTH Caretaker Mick has credential
Chester Stern At The Valley 28/10/2007
Mick Harford's hopes of securing the Rangers job permanently were boosted by his team's first victory over Charlton in 18 years.
"It's not about me, it's about the players," said the man who has presided over an astonishing change of fortune at Loftus Road side since he took over as caretaker five games ago.
"There has been much uncertainty around the club and I am just delighted for the players who've had a really hard year.
"I don't get involved in the politics, I just prepare the team to get out of this predicament and now that we are starting to keep clean sheets we can do it."
This top-against-bottom London derby might have lacked skill, but certainly made up for it in sheer grit and drama.
After two defeats on the spin Charlton looked edgy and ill at ease in front of goal whereas Rangers, unbeaten in three, were assured on the break.
Addicks manager Alan Pardew said: "We were not tight as a team today. Our movement was overindulgent and it was an inept display."
Pardew had ordered his strikers to be selfish and adopt a shoot-on-sight policy, but both Luke Varney and Chris Iwelumo - who was solidly policed by Damion Stewart - wasted a handful of clear-cut chances.
Nonetheless, QPR's Lee Camp was the busier of the two keepers making a couple of fine saves from Zheng Zhi and watching helplessly as a header from Sam Sodje grazed the bar.
Sodje, on loan from Reading and making his full debut, foiled QPR's best attack getting across to beat Marc Nygaard at the near post after a fine run and cross from the splendid Mikele Leigertwood.
Injury forced Pardew to give a debut to 18-year-old Grant Basey at left-back and the youngster looked assured, linking well with Andy Reid on the Addicks' left.
Rangers, however, came out fighting after the break and were awarded a penalty in the 49th minute when Jonathan Fortune upended Rowan Vine, only for Martin Rowlands' kick to rebound to safety off a post.
But they put that miss behind them and took the lead after 70 minutes when Chris Barker's cross was knocked down by Nygaard and skipper Adam Bolder forced in his first goal for the Loftus Road club.
That proved enough for the points and despite the promptings of Zheng and the clever footwork of substitute Jerome Thomas, Charlton could not penetrate beyond the edge of the area.
Harford added: "When you miss a penalty it can go either way.
"But today it galvanised our team and we could have even won more convincingly.
"I take my hat off to the players."
HOW THEY RATED
CHARLTON Weaver 6, Mills 6, Sodje 7, Fortune 6, Basey 7, Sam 6 (Racon 5), Semedo 5 (Thomas 6), Zheng 7, Reid 7, Iwelumo 4 (McLeod 5), Varney 5.
Manager Pardew 6
QPR Camp 6, Mancienne 6, Cranie 6, STEWART 8, Barker 6, Rowlands 7, Bolder 5, Leigertwood 7, Ephraim 6, Nygaard 5, Vine 7.
Manager Harford 7 Referee L Probert 6 MAN OF THE MATCH DAMION STEWART
Imperious at the heart of the Rangers defence. Sunday Mirror