QPR's Suffer Worst Loss to Sheffield United

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Over the year, QPR's games against Sheffield United have usually been relatively close and QPR have a relatively good away record at Sheffield United. Yesterday's 0-3 defeat of QPR to Sheffield United was the most one-sided result(for either side) of any of their encounters. Past Results


Nick Townsend/The Times - Billy Sharp cuts up Rangers

With a name like his, Billy Sharp’s destiny as a goalscorer was as obvious as that of the fictional Roy Race. The Sheffield-born lad duly obliged with a performance befitting comic book hero status. His afternoon went like this: two goals within 13 minutes and by half-time he could have secured a hat-trick. He duly completed it, six minutes after the interval. By the finish, he would have had four but for goalkeeper Radek Cerny’s positioning. When Sharp was substituted with a few minutes remaining, the crowd rose to him. Rangers simply got to their knees and offered thanks. They were sick of the sight of a player who was only on the field because James Beattie is injured.

Sharp merits star billing, and it was a welcome change of fortune for a player, who last season found goals difficult to come by. Yet, this was anything but a one-man show, as United responded emphatically to the “horrible” experience - manager Kevin Blackwell’s word - of Kevin Phillips’s 92nd-minute winner for Birmingham in their opening fixture. This victory was one founded on all the merits of fluid teamwork.

In contrast, the visitors looked an assembly of individuals who have only recently been introduced. And that includes the manager. Even in the P45 league - such is the desperation to escape it, there have been nine managerial departures in the past 12 months - Iain Dowie is the newest appointment. He arrived in May with the knowledge that QPR’s multi-billionaire and millionaire owners are high maintenance and require a swift step up to a more ostentious upmarket lifestyle. Dowie’s Hoops need to prosper, otherwise, you suspect, Briatore & Co will soon have him jumping through them.

On a day when it might be said that United’s arch-poacher was simply too cunning for the Rangers, this first defeat for the Londoners demonstrated that it will require more than some exotic loanees to elevate them to the elite at the first time of trying. If there was a suspicion that Dowie’s side were flattered by victory last week at home to Barnsley, this confirmed it. The moneybags have not spent extravagantly, but have compensated with some impressive-sounding attacking loan personnel in the shape of Daniel Parejo from Real Madrid, Emmanuel Ledesma from Genoa, and Matteo Alberti from Chievo.

However, it is at the back that Rangers look liable to capitulate. In the first half their rearguard was dreadful, and while they flitted as prettily as exotic butterflies around the United area in their stylish black and yellow strip they simply never looked like finding the net. After the interval, they perked up a little. As Dowie put it, “they showed in the second half the quality they have on the ball. Now they just have to settle down and get used to the system.”

Yesterday, that class was never sufficient to trouble a rampant home side who, after a season when there was still a whiff of recrimination about their Carlos Tevez-in-duced relegation in 2006-07, are clearly determined that this season should be all about regeneration as a potential Premier League force.

With Sharp in this mood, already forging a fine partnership with Darius Henderson - a striker who thrives at this level - that is by no means out of the question. Fans don’t always give much credit to their former manager Bryan Robson. But it was only due to Robson that Sharp is at Bramall Lane. Robson’s predecessor Neil Warnock had actually offloaded the player for £100,000 to Scunthorpe. Sharp thumped in 55 goals in two seasons to suggest that Warnock may just have been premature.

Sharp’s first goal yesterday was a close-range header at the far post after Henderson had nodded on a long throw. That was followed with a delightful finish after a expertly-timed burst from the halfway line to convert Gary Speed’s pass. From then on, United rarely looked in trouble. United confirmed the win with a third goal after 51 minutes. Substitute Ugo Ehiogu employed his hulking frame to provoke panic in the Rangers defence and Sharp provided the finishing touch from virtually on the line.

Blackwell said of Sharp: “If he keeps scoring like this, I would have paid £10m for him. And I would have been right to do so.” The United manager could afford to laugh. Dowie is in no position to do so.

99,000
The number of bricks it took to build Colchester’s new Weston Homes Community Stadium, which staged its first competitive match yesterday as Colchester drew 0-0 with Huddersfield in League One

QPR: Cerny 5, Delaney 6, Hall 5, Gorkss 5, Connolly 6, Leigertwood 5, Parejo 6, Cook 6 (Alberti 80min), Ledesma 6, Balanta 5 (Di Carmine ht, 6), Blackstock 6

SHEFFIELD UTD:Kenny 7, Naysmith 7, Morgan 6 (Ehiogu 34min, 7), Kilgallon 7, Jihai 7, Halford 6 (Cotterill 66min), Speed 8, Tonge 7, Quinn 7, Sharp 9 (Webber 83min), Henderson 7 - The Times


SKY - Blackwell hails Sharp
Blades boss says striker could be worth £10million
Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell was full of praise for striker Billy Sharp following his match-winning hat-trick over QPR.
The R's arrived at Bramall Lane as one of The Blades' rivals for promotion, but Sharp's three goals left Iain Dowie's side with their tails firmly between their legs.
Blackwell believes that should the goals keep coming for the Scunthorpe striker then his value could rise as high as £10million.
"If he keeps scoring like that then I would have paid £10million for him and I think I would have been right to do that," said Blackwell.
"Billy didn't get a run in the team and sometimes it takes time to step up a division and establish yourself and understand how defenders are better.
"He's got to start learning how things are different.
"Billy can, like all youngsters, get a bit carried away. He does want to learn and he wants to be successful for Sheffield United, but he's got to learn how to handle that.
"You need to put a smile on people's faces - even through gritted teeth."

Defensive issues
Blackwell's counterpart Dowie believes that until his side start to defend properly, especially set-pieces, then they will struggle to go up.
"Our inability to defend set plays cost us dearly," he said. "We're one of the biggest teams on the planet so it's bizarre.
"Although we pressed in the second half we fell to another set piece, which really sticks in the throat.
"I think we've got enough ability to cope. But we don't want to overreact because we've had a mad 20 minutes today." Sky
Also: Earlier Reports and Dowie's comments


Sheffield United Official Site - Gaffer's relief at win
Kevin Blackwell saw Billy Sharp fire a hat-trick to propel his team to a first league win and admitted satisfaction that the season is off and running:
"It's always a relief to get the first league win under the belt and we did it in style at times in a very solid team performance. From Paddy outwards we were on top of our game.
"Our players acquitted themselves well, got at Rangers early and Billy's goals were so well-taken - he could have been taking two matchballs home with the chances we created."
Sharp was chosen ahead of Danny Webber who had scored in midweek against Port Vale and his general work on Saturday drew praise from his boss:
"Billy's running off the ball was fantastic and it was his best display for us by a country mile. But it was possible because the hold-up play of Darius Henderson was first-class.
He led their centre-backs a merry dance. They couldn't beat him in the air and when they tried to close him down they couldn't stop him bringing people in either. I think today people will see just why I brought him here."
At 3-0 and the result seemingly in the bag United continued to play an open game, even introducing the exciting Dave Cotterill for Halford:
"I know some people thought that we should have sat back and closed the game down late on but I didn't want to shut up shop. I wanted us to try and create, to score goals and to excite people - and the fans didn't leave today.
"There may well be occasions when we might feel it right to shut up shop but I felt today that we could go on and do even better."
The only downside of the afternoon was Chris Morgan's 35th minute departure just before the break with a head injury which could rule him out next week:
"Chris had his ankles clipped as he cleared the ball and unfortunately took a knock on the head as he fell. He was concussed and can't remember anything so he is having a scan straight away.
"That is a concern for me because he might not be allowed to play again for ten days because of the concussion injury and we have Blackpool to play next week."
Sheffield United


IAIN DOWIE - QPR OFFICIAL SITE
QPR Official Site - Ian Dowie's Comments - A MAD 12 MINUTES

Iain Dowie bemoaned his side's slow start at Bramall Lane this afternoon, which saw Sheffield United beat the R's 3-0.
Dowie's men were two down after 12 minutes, and Dowie told www.qpr.co.uk: "It was 12 minutes of madness, and we gave ourselves a mountain to climb.
"We let ourselves down and we let the fans down."
Billy Sharp grabbed a hat-trick, with his first resulting from a long throw and his third from a corner, and Dowie said: "We were caught out defensively from two set pieces, which is bizarre.
"We knew what they were going to do - we had it up on the wall in the dressing room - but they caught us out, and that disappoints me.
"We're amongst the largest teams in the Championship in terms of our size, which makes it more frustrating to concede from set pieces. We need to work on it.
"We've got to get out of the traps quicker, win that first header, win that first tackle and build from there."
The R's boss was more encouraged by his side's performance after the break, when they managed to get beyond the Blades' rear-guard and test goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.
"In the second half I thought we played better," he added. "We forced Kenny into a couple of saves and hit the post as well.
"But the fact is that when you have to chase a game like we had to, you're going to be open at the back."
New-boys Emmanuel Ledesma and Daniel Parejo did their best to get the visitors back into the match, but to no avail, and Dowie acknowledged: "They're going to take time to get used to the system we play, but they have already shown what quality players they are."
"The expectation surrounding the Club is something we're going to have to cope with.
"Come Christmas time I want people to talk about us as promotion candidates. We want to make the dream come true, but it is going to take a lot of hard work." QPR


Also: Earlier Reports on QPR's Sheffield United Defeat