Debut Victory For De Canio's QPR Against Hull - Additional Reports and Comments

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Telegraph - Luigi De Canio gets points across at QPR - By Huw Turbervill
Queens Park Rangers (1) 2 Hull City (0) 0
Marc Nygaard must have the safest job at Queens Park Rangers. As well as spearheading the attack, the tall Dane is new manager Luigi De Canio's interpreter. Saturday's stylish win suggests nothing is being lost in translation.
De Canio, the 50-year-old Italian, is QPR's first foreign manager. He has a reputation as a survival specialist, but his English is almost non-existent. As Nygaard was keen to stress, however, "the language of football is universal".
In fairness to Mick Harford, locum between John Gregory's departure and De Canio's arrival, QPR had been improving – they are unbeaten in five in the league and this victory over a tenacious-but-limited Hull on De Canio's debut lifted them out of the bottom three.
They kept the ball on the ground and showed bite in the tackle – owners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone could not have asked for more. The Formula One tycoons and guests brought sharp-suited style to Loftus Road, matched by QPR's sublime strikes.
Hogan Ephraim, whose loan from West Ham expires on Tuesday, drilled into the bottom right-hand corner, before Mikele Leigertwood curled into the top right.
De Canio fielded just five questions, but it was Nygaard, fluent in Danish, German, English, Dutch and Italian, who provided insight. "We're like brothers on the pitch, we fight for each other, so when anyone new comes in, we help out," he said. "Luigi is a respected manager in Italy, he has a very good football mind and has kept his teams in the league. He has fitted in well. It's going to be a good relationship.
"We've worked hard on set plays – training is more technical. I relay the changes on the pitch and I translated the half-time team-talk. It's my duty to help. Everyone is smiling and I'm looking forward to seeing the QPR of the future."
One of De Canio's priorities is to see if he can extend Ephraim's stay. He has chosen well in on loan Plymouth midfielder Akos Buzsaky, though, who will sign permanently in January. "I didn't know 'Gigi' personally, but he saw me playing for Hungary," said Buzsaky. "I played under Jose Mourinho at Porto and there are similarities." Telegraph

Guardian - Nygaard speaks up for Rangers - John Ashdown at Loftus Road
Marc Nygaard's contribution to this win was far from obvious at first glance. The Danish striker struggled to make an impact on Hull City's rough-and-ready back four, but he has played a crucial role in the first days of Luigi De Canio's leadership at Queens Park Rangers.
Rangers' new manager cannot speak English so Nygaard, who spent two seasons in Italy with Brescia and Vicenza, has taken on the role of translator. He has been relaying De Canio's thoughts to the rest of the squad in training and, impressively, took translating duties for the manager's half-time team-talk here.
At this moment it is going very well," Nygaard said. "If he needs to say anything to the group then me or one of the physios can help out. As he says, football is a universal language, but maybe the first time he has to explain something and then the second time the boys know what to do. So it is working well and I think you can see that on the pitch."
With his own performance to concentrate on, the extra responsibilities could be considered onerous, particularly when nipping to the touchline to pick up set-piece instructions mid-game, but it is to Nygaard's credit that he is more than happy to lend a hand. "I'm there to help out and everybody is happy with that. We are here to help each other," he said. "We are a team like that - we are helpful, we are like brothers on the pitch. We fight for each other. That is why if anybody new comes in we help out."
That spirit was in evidence here but more noticeable was the quality of the goals. Hogan Ephraim, whose loan from West Ham ends tomorrow, curled home the first and Mikele Leigertwood's superb second-half strike secured the points that lift Rangers out of the relegation zone.
Hull were no match and have now won only one of their past six. Both sides will want to climb clear of the foot of the table but, whereas the Tigers are beginning to look nervously over their shoulders, De Canio's arrival has brought optimism to W12. "It looks like it is going to be a good relationship," said Nygaard.
Man of the match Mikele Leigertwood (Queens Park Rangers) Guardian

MIRROR - FOR NEW BOY DE CANIO - By Dave Lewis 05/11/2007
If new boss Luigi de Canio is looking for omens, then beating Hull at home in your first match in charge is not necessarily a passport to longevity at Loftus Road.
John Gregory achieved the same feat - and by the same 2-0 scoreline - a little over a year ago in his debut. And he was axed last month.
But with Formula One heavyweights and coowners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone confident the Italian journeyman is the right man to have at the wheel, a confidence-infused Rangers appear be in the fast lane away from the wrong end of the table.
The man they call Gigi back home, where Napoli were among eight clubs he managed with varying degrees of success, has no command of English yet.
But with multi-lingual striker Marc Nygaard translating, the message percolated through as Rangers gave their fans a taste of la dolce vita by making it three wins from their past five Championship games to move out of the bottom three.
And at 40-1 to go up, there could be worse ways to invest your money. Hungary international Akos Buzsaky shimmered on his debut on loan from Plymouth, then declared his desire to make it a permanent move in January.
"Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore are winners and what they are trying to do with this club is really impressive," said the midfielder.
"This is a big club with a big future. The owners will do all they can to take us to the Premier League. "I played under Jose Mourinho at Porto and there are some similarities with him and Gigi."
After the Gregory grind, and Mick Harford's month-long holding role, comes the Azzurri era.
There are seven Italians at Rangers, from the boardroom to the changing room, and played like Sampdoria in disguise.
There were spectacular long-range goals from Hogan Ephraim in the 26th minute, and Mikele Leigertwood in the 55th.
There was also selfdenial straight from the Serie A coaching manual, as de Canio's men closed the game out and reduced Hull to virtual bystanders. Mirror

THE SUN - By MALCOLM NUGENT
MARC NYGAARD has landed a key role in the Rangers’ revival — as a translator.
The big Danish striker, who speaks more languages than he has scored goals this season, is the only one in the team who can understand new Italian boss Luigi De Canio.
Nygaard said: “I speak five languages so I am translating for him and it’s working really well. He is a good manager with a very good tactical mind.
“He is famous and well respected in Italy. And he’s a warm-hearted man who fits very well into English football. In training he is picking up a little English — we are all trying to help him.”
Nygaard, 31, who has scored just once this season, was the manager’s voice on the pitch and also helped translate the half-time team talk.
He added: “Football is a universal language. Already it looks like the manager will have a really good relationship with the boys.
“They are very technical in Italy. But this manager likes a mixture of Italian and English football. The players are very happy with it.”
Formula One magnates Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, who are backing a four-year plan to take Rangers into the top flight, were in the directors’ box as De Canio (below) made a perfect start.
Ecclestone left after 17 minutes but Briatore must have been delighted he stayed until the end as the Rs climbed out of the bottom three for the first time this season.
De Canio’s first signing, Hungarian midfielder Akos Buzsaky, also had a top debut.
Buzsaky, 25, has initially joined on loan from Plymouth but will make the deal permanent in January. He said: “If I am the first piece in the jigsaw I’m flattered. I’ve spoken to Flavio a couple of times and he is really enthusiastic about QPR.”
Rangers easily brushed aside Hull with a goal in each half.
Hogan Ephraim fired a beauty after 26 minutes but Mikele Leigertwood more than matched that, curling a 25-yard shot around Boaz Myhill in the 55th minute.
Hull’s former Premiership star Jay-Jay Okocha never had a look-in and was eventually subbed.
But boss Phil Brown said: “It wasn’t about Jay-Jay’s performance it was about the team. I have told them it was unacceptable.”
SUN STAR MAN MIKELE LEIGERTWOOD (QPR). Fine display capped by brilliant goal. The Sun

See Also:
Other Reports of QPR Victory Over Hull

QPR's Victory Over Hull II