QPR's Coventry Draw - Further Reports and Coventry's Coleman on QPR's Problems Caused By Their Money

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- See also: Earlier compilation of reports and comments of QPR 1 Coventry 1

- Next for QPR during January: Two Tough Away Games: Burnley in the FA Cup on Tuesday; Derby County on Saturday, for Nigel Clough's Home League Debut. That's then followed by yet another away game at Blackpool - and then a home game against Reading: Could be a cold, barren month for QPR - Or it could be a spark to a playoff spot!!


The Mirror/Ann Gripper - RICH PICKINGS
- Chris Coleman reckons mega-rich QPR are experiencing the same problems as his old Fulham side - but without having actually splashed the cash so far.- The Coventry boss was ultimately disappointed his side left Loftus Road with only a point, despite the 37th-minute sending-off of centre-half Stephen Wright for a dangerously high tackle on Heidar Helguson.
- But Coleman, a record thirdtier buy after football's original foreign millionaire owner Mohamed Al Fayed handed Blackburn £2million for the Wales defender in 1997, knows the extra incentive money can give the opposition.
- He said: "Everybody wants to beat QPR don't they ? I remember that at Fulham when I first signed for them in the Second Division with Mohamed Al Fayed as chairman and everyone knew he owned Harrods.
- "Wherever we turned up with them away from home in the Second Division the dressing rooms were too cold or boiling hot. The showers were turned off. That's what you have to put up with.
"It's not easy for QPR just because they have money.
Everybody wants them as a scalp."
Wealthy Hoops backer Lakshmi Mittal and co-owners Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore have seen Rangers boss Paulo Sousa invest some of their cash this transfer window.
But the arrival of Wayne Routledge (£600,000), and the permanent signings of loanees Lee Cook (£850,000) and Heidar Helguson (£500,000) are in keeping with the relatively lowkey transfer policy Rangers have pursued since becoming one of the world's richest clubs 15 months ago.
There have been no marquee names for headline-grabbing figures, unlike the Cottagers' £7.5m shopping spree under Al Fayed which saw 20 players arrive in 1997-98. That influx of players did not have an immediate effect, Fulham finishing sixth in the division that is League One that season before cantering to the title the following year and joining the top flight two years later.
Rangers' cause on Saturday was not helped by Icelandic striker Helguson enduring a nightmare match, his afternoon summed up by a second-half shot flying out for a throw-in.
But Sky Blues left back Danny Fox produced a free kick of real quality after a Helguson foul, bending a 30-yard free kick around the Rangers wall to catch out poorly-placed Radek Cerny.
The visitors could not hold out though, a late defensive mix-up allowing poacher Dexter Blackstock to notch his 11th league goal of the season.
Blackstock said: "If we hadn't got something out of the game it would have been a disaster. "We need to get into the playoffs with the squad we've got."
Qpr: Cerny 5, Connolly 6, Stewart 6, Gorkss 6, Delaney 5 (Ledesma 73), Ephraim 5 (Hall 89), Leigertwood 7 (Di Carmine 81), Rowlands 7, Routledge 7d, Blackstock 6, Helguson 3d. Goal: Blackstock, 87.
Coventry: Westwood 6d, Gunnarsson 7d, Wright 4d, Turner 6, Fox 8d, Tabb 8, Beuzelin 7, Doyle 7, Mifsud 6 (Eastwood 84), Best 6 (McKenzie 66, 6), Morrison 7. Goal: Fox, 73
Referee: Keith Stroud ATTENDANCE: 13,330 ....MAN OF THE MATCH 8 Danny Fox (COVENTRY)
Great free-kick, strong defensively and ensured City got point they deserved.
VILLAIN OF THE MATCH Heidar Helguson (QPR) Missed a hatful of chances and was booked giving away free-kick which led to goal. " The Mirror


Telegraph/Clive White - QPR should spend to win promotion, says Coventry manager Chris Coleman after draw
- Chris Coleman accused Queens Park Rangers's wealthy owners of a half-hearted approach to promotion after his 10-man Coventry side came within four minutes of taking away maximum points at Loftus Road. And after watching their new signing, Heidar Helguson, spurn no fewer than five golden opportunities, the Rangers faithful would be inclined to agree.
- As one of Kevin Keegan's high-profile signings for Fulham when they spent their way out of the Second Division in the late Nineties and ultimately into the Premier League, Coleman knows a thing or two about the subject.
- "I hear about all the money they've got to spend," Coleman said, "but I mean, who have they signed for two million or a million-and-a-half quid? They've not, they've signed players for 400 grand and a lot on loan.
- "I don't know what wages they're paying but in terms of transfer fees they've not yet had any big ones.
- "Maybe the owners are thinking: 'Are we going to be close?' If they are, maybe they'll spend more money. If you've got four or five million and the money's there to spend I would advise the manager to spend it, get better players in and get out of out the league – that's what Kevin Keegan did."
- Poor Helguson was even on the receiving end of the high boot from Stephen Wright which earned the former Liverpool player a straight red in the first half and had already missed a hat-trick of chances when dead-ball specialist Danny Fox put Coventry ahead after 72 minutes. No prizes for guessing who conceded the free-kick.
-With their away record, Rangers need to win their home games and Dexter Blackstock's late headed equaliser from a long clearance, when goalkeeper Keiren Westwood hesitated, was a small consolation. Telegraph


EXPRESS/Tony Banks - COLEMAN KNOWS VALUE FOR MONEY
CHRIS Coleman knows all about being a big fish in a small pond.
He cost £2million when part of the Mohamed Al Fayed revolution at Fulham in 1997 that ­eventually saw them reach the top flight.
Fulham, then in the old ­Second Division, spent more than £8m – overwhelming ­everyone else in that league at the time – as they began their surge with big-name players Coleman, Paul Peschisolido and Paul Bracewell arriving.
So Coleman knows just what problems are facing Rangers as Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone begin to plough millions into QPR to take them into the Premier League.
He takes particular delight in putting a spoke in their plans as a manager on a very different sort of budget at recovering Coventry.
Last week, QPR splashed out £600,000 on Wayne Routledge after signing Lee Cook for £1.25m. But it was Coventry who should have won this game, even though they ­played 53 minutes with 10 men after defender Steven Wright was sent off.
Coleman can sympathise with QPR’s teething troubles, as everyone now tries to bloody the noses of the big spenders.
“Everybody wants to beat QPR now don’t they?” he said. “I ­remember that at Fulham when I first signed for them.
“Wherever we turned up with them away from home in the second division, the dressing rooms were either too cold or boiling hot. The showers were turned off. That’s what you have to put up with when you’re the team in the league with all the money. Everybody else wants to beat you.
“It’s not easy for Rangers just because they have the money. Everybody wants them as a scalp.“We got through it by getting the best players and winning games. Kevin Keegan spent about £10m in the Second Division, and we ended up going into the Premier League.
“But for Coventry, it’s a long project. “We are still recovering from all the problems the club had. We are not ready to go up yet, but we are progressing.”
The Sky Blues, who have nowhere near the funds that QPR can call upon, were in trouble early on when Wright went through chest high on Heidar Helguson and was given a straight red.
Yet Coventry coped, even taking the lead as Danny Fox’s 25-yard free-kick caught out Radek Cerny.
Dexter Blackstock saved the hosts, however, capitalising on hesitation from the ­goalkeeper Keiren Westwood to latch on to Emmanuel Ledesma’s long pass and head home three minutes from time.
Blackstock said: “It was a relief to get something out of the game. If we hadn’t, that would have been a disaster.
“I don’t know why it’s not quite working out for Rangers. It’s very much a changing club with the new manager Paulo Sousa and the way he wants us to play.
“But with the squad that we’ve got, if we don’t challenge for the play-offs this season it will be a disappointment.” Express


The Times - Queens Park Rangers 1 Coventry City 1
Attendance 13,330
Dexter Blackstock rescued a point for Queens Park Rangers as they made hard work of breaking down ten-man Coventry City at Loftus Road. Blackstock struck three minutes from time to earn the draw after Coventry took the lead when Daniel Fox’s free kick somehow slipped under Radek Cerny. City looked like taking home the spoils from Loftus Road for the fourth season in a row when Fox netted in the 73rd minute, a goal made even more impressive because Stephen Wright had been dismissed for the visiting team eight minutes before the break for a high lunge on Heidar Helguson.
- Chris Coleman, the Coventry manager, said: “Thankfully, the transfer window is now open and I do want to bring in one or two loans.” Paulo Sousa, the Rangers manager, said: “It was disappointing, but the positive thing is that we are building.” The Times

See also:

- Clive Whittingham/LoftforWords Match Report

- Simon Skinner/QPRNet

TABLE as of January 12, 2009
1 Wolverhampton 27 22 58
2 Reading 27 33 54
3 Birmingham 26 11 51
4 Sheff Utd 27 13 44
5 Cardiff 26 11 44
6 Preston 27 6 44
7 Burnley 27 3 43
8 Crystal Palace 26 10 40
9 QPR 27 -1 39
10 Swansea 27 5 38
11 Ipswich 27 7 36
12 Sheff Wed 27 -12 35
13 Bristol City 26 -2 34
14 Coventry 27 -2 34
15 Plymouth 26 -2 33
16 Barnsley 27 -5 32
17 Blackpool 26 -7 31
18 Derby 26 -9 29
19 Watford 27 -10 27
20 Nottm Forest 27 -10 27
21 Norwich 27 -11 26
22 Southampton 27 -17 26
23 Doncaster 26 -14 24
24 Charlton 27 -19 19
BBC