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QPR Chairman Tony Fernandes Tweeting
- I will be at everton game. Ill come early and walk round the stands and come to the pubs. And hear you out. I'm not going to quit and am not going to run away from problems. We will get there.
IanJTaylor @IJTaylor81 "Great @tonyfernandes interview ...The underlying message was clear ... Rome wasn't built in a day and he will stay regardless #QPR
QPR vs FULHAM REPORTS
PHOTOS from QPR vs FulhamBBC Analysis Jonathan Pearce BBC Match of the Day commentator
QPR are in deep trouble after another home defeat. They always had a mountain to climb after the sending off of Samba Diakite, who looked a little naive and has a lot to learn in the Premier League.
The game was never out of reach but QPR did not do enough to test Fulham, who looked like the more competent Premier League side
Full BBC Report - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17082982
QPR Official Site - HUGHES ON FULHAM
Posted on: Sat 25 Feb 2012
Mark Hughes says that his side 'couldn't recover' from Samba Diakite's first-half sending off, after the R's went down to a 1-0 against Fulham at Loftus Road.
Already a goal down after Pavel Pogrebnyak's early opening strike for the Cottagers, Diakite was shown his marching orders for a second bookable offence on 33 minutes.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Hughes said: "We made it more difficult than it needs to be.
"We've lost another player to a sending off in the first half.
"It's very difficult to win Premier League games when that happens.
"Obviously we were already one nil down at that stage and so, to stay in the game, we had to keep our shape.
"We did that in the second half, created chances and could have got back on level terms.
"The events of the first half damaged us too much and we couldn't recover."
On the subject of Diakite's dismissal, Hughes added: "I've got no complaints about the sending off.
"Samba was doing exactly what I asked him to do, be aggressive and get up to the ball.
"He's new to the Premier League and must understand how it's refereed.
"In fairness, I think the second booking was just a mistimed tackle.
"That hurt us and at that point - one down with ten men - it was difficult for us."
Hughes continued: "It was important that we had a response in the second half and we did.
"We kept going, tried to do the right things and create chances, which we did.
"But at the moment it's a little bit difficult for us."
http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/TheGaffer/0,,10373~2623875,00.html
WEST LONDON SPORT
West London Sport -
Fulham Boss hails Fulham hero Pogrebnyak
Jol could be without Duff next week
25/02/2012
by David McIntyre
Manager Martin Jol heaped praise on Fulham hero Pavel Pogrebnyak after the win at QPR.
Pogrebnyak�s goal � his second in as many games � gave the Whites a victory to savour against their west London neighbours.
It was another impressive display by the Russian striker, who is on loan from Stuttgart with a view to a permanent move.
Jol declared: �We saw from the first day he was with us that he has good quality. He�s a good boy and wants to work. I�m very pleased he came after we sold Bobby Zamora.
�Not a lot of players will come to England on loan. Hopefully he will keep on scoring and then we�ll see what happens.�
Jol was rewarded for selecting an attacking line-up at Loftus Road, where Pogrebnyak was supported by Andrew Johnson, Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele.
Jol said: �Andrew Johnson played in the game we won 6-0 against them and scored a hat-trick. I changed it because I felt he could trouble them again.�
http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/boss-hails-fulham-hero-pogrebnyak/
QPR OFFICIAL SITE
Pavel Pogrebnyak's first-half strike was the difference, as ten-man QPR went down to a narrow West London derby defeat at Loftus Road.
The Russian striker was on target after just seven minutes to give Martin Jol's side the lead, rounding Paddy Kenny to tap home after Moussa Dembele's clever back-heel.
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The R's hopes of restoring parity were dealt a major blow on 33 minutes, after Samba Diakite's late challenge on Bryan Ruiz saw the Mali international sent off for a second bookable offence on his Hoops debut.
Fulham were the better side in the first period but the pattern of play did reverse after the half-time interval - that despite Rangers being a man light.
Indeed, Jamie Mackie and Shaun-Wright Phillips both went agonisingly close in the second half.
However, despite their best attempts, a levelling goal proved just beyond Mark Hughes's side.
The Welshman made three changes to his R's side for the visit of former employers Fulham, following Rangers' 3-2 defeat at Blackburn a fortnight ago.
Mackie's two-goal cameo from the bench at Ewood Park saw the Scot drafted in up front, while Diakite came in at the expense of Akos Buzsaky.
Clint Hill, meanwhile, replaced Fitz Hall at the centre of defence.
Kenny was in goal for Rangers, behind a back four of Nedum Onuoha, Anton Ferdinand, Hill and Taye Taiwo.
Wright-Phillips began from the right-hand side of midfield, with skipper Joey Barton and Diakite in the centre, and Adel Taarabt out wide on the left.
Mackie was joined Bobby Zamora - who moved to Rangers from Fulham just under a month ago - in attack.
Loftus Road really was a cauldron of noise on derby day.
But it wasn't just the vivacious atmosphere that whet the appetite in the opening stages. Indeed, this contest began at a breathless pace.
Play was extremely open early on, but it was the R's who would first test their opposing keeper.
Taarabt combined with Zamora on two minutes before shooting straight at Mark Schwarzer. Taiwo then forced the custodian into an equally comfortable stop.
A very open start was exemplified soon after when Fulham broke and Andy Johnson nodded home off the crossbar - only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
The Cottagers weren't to be denied at the second time of asking, however, taking the lead after only seven minutes.
Dembele's outrageous back-heel put Pogrebnyak clean through on goal, who waited for Kenny to commit before rounding the keeping and sliding the ball into an empty net.
Moments later, Fulham went within a whisker of doubling their lead. Ruiz freed Clint Demspey, whose low drive went just inches wide of the left-hand post.
Rangers almost replied on 12 minutes after Mackie fired an effort just wide, following Barton's slide-rule pass.
But Fulham continued to press for a second goal. Pogrebnyak nearly added another, beating the offside trap once again before firing an effort straight at Kenny, albeit from an acute angle.
Fulham were displaying a show of fine football in the first period, but QPR continued to plug away in search of an equaliser.
Wright-Phillips' blast from distance caused all sorts of confusion after his effort was spilled by Schwarzer, but the offside flag soon came to the visitors' rescue.
Diakite then found Taarabt with a lovely pass on 28 minutes, before the Moroccan magician drilled a 20-yard effort just wide of the left-hand post.
At the other end, Fulham almost extended their lead - with a helping hand from the hosts - when Ruiz's in-swinging free-kick bounced off Dempsey onto Diakite, before the ball went just of the right-hand post.
From the resultant corner, another dangerous Ruiz set-piece fell to Danny Murphy, whose thunderbolt shot from 12 yards was blocked away by Kenny.
Rangers' hopes of getting back into the match were dealt a bitter blow 13 minutes before the break, after the home side were reduced to ten men.
Diakite - already on a booking - was the man shown his marching orders, handed a second yellow card - and a subsequent red - after a late challenge on Ruiz.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, the R's went close just before half-time, after Barton struck Onuoha's cross over the bar from 18-yards out.
The tempo at the start of the second half proved to be much slower than that of the first.
Rangers were first to go close, with Taarabt driving straight at Schwarzer before shooting over with efforts in quick succession.
Hill then headed Barton's corner over the bar ten minutes after the break - albeit on the stretch - before Barton saw an effort deflected wide of the right-hand post.
The R's - now the better side - fashioned their best chance of the half to date on 69 minutes.
Taarabt combined to superb effect with Onuoha before freeing Mackie, whose low drive went just inches wide of the left-hand post.
But QPR's greatest opportunity of the closing period arrived seven minutes from time.
Taarabt's outstanding through ball found Wright-Phillips, who - at an acute angle and with Mackie unmarked in the centre - opted to shoot rather than play a square pass, before seeing his effort force a superb block from Schwarzer.
QPR: Kenny, Diakite, Hill, Taarabt, Mackie, Barton, Wright-Phillips (Buzsaky 83), Taiwo (Traore 72), Ferdinand, Onuoha, Zamora.
Subs: Cerny, Derry, Gabbidon, Bothroyd, Smith.
Bookings: Diakite (20 & 33)
Red Cards: Diakite (33)
Fulham: Schwarzer, Kelly, Riise, Hangeland, Pogrebnyak, Johnson (Etuhu 81), Ruiz (Duff 78), Murphy (Baird 74), Hughes, Dempsey, Dembele.
Subs: Stockdale, Sa, Senderos, Frei.
Goals: Pogrebnyak (7)
Bookings: Pogrebnyak (7), Dembele (65), Riise (69), Baird (84)
Referee: Mr P Dowd
Attendance: 18,015 (3155 away)
http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10373~59268,00.html
Guardian - Russel Kempson
Fulham's Pavel Pogrebnyak hits home while QPR's Samba Diakité sees red
Mark Hughes left Craven Cottage last June, in his own phrase, to move on and further his experiences. Presumably, that did not include experiencing defeat by his former club Fulham at Loftus Road and amassing a distinctly average record of one win in six Premier League matches since succeeding Neil Warnock as manager of Queens Park Rangers six weeks ago.
Further ignominy was heaped on Hughes by losing to the division's worst away side, Fulham having previously won once on their travels this season – at Wigan Athletic in October. The QPR manager will not have been pleased, either, with the 33rd-minute loss of Samba Diakité, the midfield debutant who was sent off for two poor tackles on Bryan Ruiz. And the woe kept on coming for Hughes, who appeared to brush aside Martin Jol, his successor at Craven Cottage, after a mediocre match.
Hughes left QPR's west London rivals acrimoniously, with chairman Mohamed Al Fayed labelling him "a flop", and the managers have since clashed via reported tit-for-tat comments in the media.
"I offered my hand and he [Jol] shook it," Hughes said. "I congratulated him for a good performance by his team. I maybe took exception because I thought he was going to tap me on the head, which I deemed to be slightly patronising. So I just brushed his arm away, that's all. It's no big deal."
Jol said: "We shook hands. Maybe I made it a bit too personal. I tried to grab his shoulder and he didn't like it because he's a tough guy. He's a winner, he wants to win. Maybe he just doesn't like me."
QPR were little short of a shambles in the first half, well before the dismissal of Diakité – on loan from Nancy – for a second wild challenge on Ruiz that earned him his second yellow card.
It was QPR's fifth dismissal of the season, all of which had been at home, and their second in three matches. "We do need to keep our full complement on the pitch," Hughes said.
QPR had been struggling with 11 players as it was and Pavel Pogrebnyak had already scored his second goal in as many games for Fulham since signing on a short-term loan from VfB Stuttgart. The Russia striker collected a flick from Ruiz, coolly sidestepped the onrushing Paddy Kenny and slotted home.
Bobby Zamora, the QPR and former Fulham striker, was largely anonymous and although Jamie Mackie and Shaun Wright-Phillips missed excellent chances to equalise, it was an all-round experience that Hughes clearly would rather not have had to endure.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/feb/25/queens-park-rangers-fulham-premier-league
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