- Further Photos from QPR vs Spurs
____________________________________________________________________________
- NEXT: Chelsea! Past Results, Shared Player, Photos & Video
- Four Year Flashback: The New QPR Crest Becomes know to QPR Fans - The QPR Crest
- Warnock Says Wanted Malky Mackay as His Successor at QPR (after his retirement)
- On This Day in Football, April 22
- Warnock Says Wanted Malky Mackay as His Successor at QPR (after his retirement)
- On This Day in Football, April 22
| Stoke | 34 | -16 | 42 | ||||||
| Aston Villa | 34 | -13 | 36 | ||||||
| QPR | 35 | -18 | 34 | ||||||
| Wigan | 35 | -26 | 34 | ||||||
| Blackburn | 35 | -26 | 31 | ||||||
| Bolton | 33 | -29 | 30 | ||||||
| Wolves | 34 | -39 | 23 |
QPR vs SPURS - REPORTS & COMMENTS
Dave McIntyre/West London Sport
Delighted Hughes eyes Chelsea clash after Rangers see off Spurs
21/04/2012
by David McIntyre
Mark Hughes has told his players they can move towards Premier League safety in next weekend’s west London derby at Chelsea.
Adel Taarabt’s winner against Tottenham gave QPR a fourth consecutive home victory and means one more win could be enough to keep them up.
But manager Hughes insists they should not wait until their final home game of the season, against Stoke, for the remaining points they need – and should instead target the game at Stamford Bridge.
He said: “We’ve got three very difficult games left. One of them is here [at home] and we can’t allow ourselves to think that’ll be a given, because Stoke are a very good side.
“We’ve got to try and address our away form and have a big game against Chelsea.
“It’s a great derby for us and we must try to get a positive result there because, if we did, that would be massive for us and go a long way to deciding whether we’re safe.”
Hughes said he was unsure about referee Mark Clattenburg’s decision to send Taraabt off for a second bookable offence after the Moroccan kicked the ball away.
“I’ve not seen it and I’m not going to let it cloud what’s been a great evening,” he insisted.
“Losing Adel for the last 15 minutes made it difficult and occasionally you have to ride your luck, but it would have been a travesty had we not got something from that game, because we deserved it.
“It was a really good performance from us and once again our fans were magnificent. To know everyone’s pulling in the same direction makes a big difference.” West London Sport
West London Sport/Dave McIntyre
Taarabt haunts Tottenham and takes QPR closer to safety
Adel Taarabt netted the winner against his former club – and was later sent off – as QPR took a massive step towards Premier League survival.
Taarabt’s 23rd-minute free-kick could turn out to be his most important goal since moving to Loftus Road from Spurs, although Rangers had to cling on for the final 13 minutes with 10 men after the Moroccan was dismissed by referee Mark Clattenburg.
Booked in the first half, Taarabt was given a second yellow card for kicking the ball away after a foul had been awarded against team-mate Clint Hill.
It was Rangers’ eighth red card of the season but they managed to withstand late Spurs pressure, taking them three points clear of the relegation zone and ensuring that Taarabt’s main contribution turned out to be his priceless goal.
Veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel was slow to react as Taarabt lifted the ball over the Spurs wall and into the bottom corner of the net.
It came after Paddy Kenny had produced two good saves to prevent Spurs from going ahead.
The Rangers keeper tipped over Gareth Bale’s header from a cross by Rafael van der Vaart, who then saw a long-range effort well held.
Following Taarabt’s strike, Jermain Defoe missed a chance to level when he headed over from the rebound after Kenny had pushed out another Van der Vaart effort.
Defoe fired wide and Van der Vaart over with the visitors pushing for an equaliser in the second half.
And after Taarabt’s exit, Kenny produced two more saves, denying first Luka Modric and then Van der Vaart as Rangers clinched a fourth consecutive home victory. West London Sport
SPURS OFFICIAL SITE
WE JUST NEED A BREAK - HARRY
Posted 22 April 2012 00:09am
Harry Redknapp insisted the team couldn't have done much more in Saturday's 1-0 loss at QPR - and just needed a slice of luck in front of goal.
Statistics showed possession at 57 per cent in our favour and 17 shots at goal to QPR’s 12.
However, the only stat that mattered was Adel Taarabt’s free-kick from 25 yards for the only goal of the game in the 24th minute.
We dominated after that but couldn’t find a way through.
Paddy Kenny was in fine form to deny Rafa van der Vaart twice, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, while Jermain Defoe volleyed a decent chance wide at the start of the second half.
Newcastle leapfrogged us into fourth place with their 3-0 win against Stoke and they stay three points ahead after our defeat, with Chelsea a point behind us in sixth after a goalless draw at Arsenal.
“It’s disappointing, but I couldn’t fault the way we played,” said Harry.
“We had all the possession, got in some great positions and had enough opportunities but just couldn’t score.
“I knew it would be tough. I saw them beat Arsenal at Loftus Road and they worked their socks off. They got in front that day as well and when they scored, it gave them something to hold on to.
“I don’t think it was a free-kick (that QPR scored from) and it was disappointing to concede from it.
“I don’t remember Brad having another save to make, we camped in their half after that.
“Give them credit, they worked their socks off, got bodies in the way, blocked shots and the keeper made his saves. It wouldn’t go for us.” Spurs
BBC/Phil McNulty
Click for Hughes Audio
QPR took a vital step towards Premier League survival and inflicted further damage on Tottenham's hopes of a top four finish with a crucial victory at Loftus Road.
Adel Taarabt's first-half free-kick gave Mark Hughes' side the win that gives QPR a crucial three-point cushion between them and the relegation places - but Spurs' slump continues as they now face a fight to earn a place in next season's Champions League.
Taarabt marred his match-winning display when he was shown a second yellow card late on for kicking the ball away - but QPR held out to add Spurs to a list of Loftus Road victims that includes Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.
As Hughes punched the air repeatedly in delight at the final whistle, there was only despair for Spurs counterpart Harry Redknapp as he watched his side struggle in vain to find the inspiration that earned them a place in the top four for so long this season.
Sliding Spurs
Tottenham have won only one of their last nine Premier League games
Spurs enjoyed plenty of possession but failed to exert concerted pressure as a decline that coincided with Redknapp being touted as potential successor to England coach Fabio Capello extended their recent run to one league win in their last nine games.
They were without Emmanuel Adebayor, who had a hamstring injury, while Redknapp also decided to drop Aaron Lennon to the bench and hand attacking responsibilities to Jermain Defoe.
QPR had proved their threat with those recent home victories over Liverpool and Arsenal - and the game plan was clear as they ensured Spurs were denied time and space to get the creators Luka Modric and Gareth Bale on the ball.
Use accessible player and disable flyout menus
Spurs must win last four - Redknapp
It worked in the early stages, although Spurs settled enough for QPR keeper Paddy Kenny to be forced to save from Bale's header and Rafael van der Vaart's rising angled effort in quick succession.
Spurs, however, were looking hesitant in defence with both goalkeeper Brad Friedel and his defenders displaying signs of real uncertainty - and they fell behind after 24 minutes.
The visitors were unhappy when referee Mark Clattenburg penalised Sandro when he battled for possession with Taarabt, and were feeling an even greater sense of grievance when he curved a low free-kick beyond Friedel from 25 yards as he dived away to his right.
Spurs were showing little of the rhythm and pace that had been their trademark earlier in the season and wasted an opportunity to draw level when Defoe headed over after Kenny could only push out Van der Vaart's powerful effort.
And Redknapp reacted with a positive move at the restart, replacing Sandro with Lennon in an attempt to give Spurs better balance and greater penetration.
QPR 'worthy winners' but Adel Taarabt dismissal wrong - Mark Hughes
Spurs also introduced Danny Rose for Benoit Assout-Ekotto as they continued to spend time in QPR territory but his first contribution was a defensive one as he blocked superbly when Bobby Zamora turned in the area and shaped to shoot only 10 yards out.
The frustration was mounting for Spurs as the game entered the last 20 minutes, even more so when Van der Vaart collected a loose ball in the area but fired wastefully over the top, beating the turf in his annoyance at an opportunity missed.
QPR's defensive defiance was tested even further with 12 minutes left when Taarabt was shown a second yellow card by referee Mark Clattenburg, who had infuriated the home fans seconds earlier by declining to punish Scott Parker despite delivering a lengthy lecture after a theatrical fall.
Spurs continued to apply pressure but Kenny made late saves from Modric and Van der Vaart to spark scenes of elation around Loftus Road after another impressive win.
QPR boss Mark Hughes:
"It was a great goal from Adel and he showed his ability once again. I thought as a performance he was really disciplined in his approach to his defensive role.
"He knew it was a key element of what we were tying to do today in terms of tracking the runs of Kyle Walker and he did it really well, it doesn't come naturally to him but he did it."
Hughes on his side's survival hopes:
"I just think when we come here there is a determination and I think away from home we've been possibly guilty of being a little bit passive on our travels and not being able to create the intensity we have here.
"It will (go to the last game). We have got three games left - three very difficult games. We must try in the last two (away) games, we have to address our away form."
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp:
"We had enough of the ball and enough chances - I don't think Brad Friedel has had a save to make in all honesty, we just couldn't score.
"We just couldn't get the break, we just needed a bit of luck in front of goal today." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17711820
GUARDIAN/ Paul Doyle at Loftus Road
When asked at the start of the season how he thought Adel Taarabt would fare in the Premier League, Harry Redknapp ventured the opinion that the player whom he let go to Queens Park Rangers for around £1m in 2010 would start the campaign in scorching form before fizzling out. It turns out Redknapp was unwittingly forecasting Tottenham's season.
Taarabt, considered full of flair but flaky when at White Hart Lane, scored the only goal of this intense game from a fine long-range free-kick to increase Rangers' chance of avoiding relegation and jeopardise Tottenham's hopes of reaching the Champions League. A red card for a second bookable offence 13 minutes from time tarnished Taarabt's day but did not bring any joy to Redknapp as QPR clung on for three precious points.
Newcastle United's victory earlier in the day meant Tottenham tumbled out of the top four for the first time since November and they started as if determined to climb straight back into it, with Kyle Walker making inroads down the right in the first minute before Benoît Assou-Ekotto lashed a 20-yard shot over the bar.
The question was whether Tottenham would be able to sustain such menace: Redknapp's team had looked jaded in the weeks before this game, collecting a solitary win from their previous eight outings, and they were depleted by injuries, with Jermain Defoe the only fit striker and the creaking veterans Ledley King and William Gallas having to continue in the centre of defence. QPR, invigorated by three straight home victories, soon wrestled the initiative from the visitors, mainly through superior dynamism and cohesion.
Jamie Mackie demonstrated this in the third minute, when, through strength of will as much as any trickery, he dispossessed Luka Modric wide on the right and dashed past Gareth Bale and Assou-Ekotto before shooting wide from the edge of the area. Samba Diakité embarked on a similar run moments later, and also concluded it with a wayward shot. The side fighting relegation were giving as good as they got against the Champions League aspirants.
With both sides deploying five across midfield, space was rare in the centre, yet Gareth Bale spent most of his time there and exerted little influence in an area where Diakité was the outstanding operator until the exhausted Malian was substituted in the second half.
Bale did have a clear chance in the 19th minute, however, when a corner from Rafael Van der Vaart landed on his head six yards from goal. Paddy Kenny tipped the Welshman's shot over. Van der Vaart played the next corner short to Modric and then took a return pass before shooting from distance. Again the keeper saved.
In the 23rd minute, Taarabt showed how to beat a goalkeeper from long range. He curled a 25-yard free-kick over the wall and into the bottom corner, though it would not have got there if Brad Friedel had shifted across his goal quicker. "It wasn't a great free-kick but somehow it found its way in," sighed Redknapp, who has not completely revised his assessment of the player, "He played against us at Tottenham this year and he was useless. But he's always had bags of ability and at the moment he's playing fantastic and that's to the credit of Mark [Hughes], who has got him working hard."
Defoe missed a glaring chance to equalise on the half-hour mark, nodding over from six yards after Kenny had parried a Van Der Vaart shot. Defoe, like Emmanuel Adebayor and Louis Saha, has perpetrated similar misses too often during Spurs' hapless streak, a fact that may have been noted by the two leading candidates to take charge of England this summer, as Stuart Pearce was watching from the stands above Redknapp's dugout.
Redknapp made a substitution at half-time in a bid to repair the muddled tactics of the first period, with Aaron Lennon replacing Sandro. But it was QPR who created the first chance of the second half, Diakité battling his way into the box before stabbing a shot into the side-netting. Tottenham were having plenty of the ball but struggling to find a way through their solid, compact and diligent hosts, who remained dangerous on the counter-attack.
That changed in the 77th minute when Taarabt became the eighth QPR player to be sent off this season, receiving a second yellow card for kicking the ball away after Spurs were awarded a free-kick. Only Sunderland have ever received more red cards in the Premier League. The 10 men held on to their lead valiantly, Kenny sealing victory with late saves from Giovani dos Santos and Van der Vaart. QPR are now three points clear of the relegation zone and will be confident of getting a win in their one remaining home game – against Stoke City – but may also need points from their remaining away matches, against Chelsea and Manchester City. Guardian
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - MARK HUGHES
HUGHES: 'WE WERE WORTHY WINNERS'
Posted on: Sat 21 Apr 2012
Mark Hughes wore the widest of smiles at the full-time whistle, as Adel Taarabt's sensational free-kick clinched a vital 1-0 win for the R's against Spurs.
Taarabt - who was later sent off for two bookings - curled home a delightful first half effort that lifted the roof off Loftus Road.
A delighted Hughes told www.qpr.co.uk: "We were worthy winners.
"Even before the sending off we were the better side.
"We allowed Spurs plenty of possession and that was the game plan, but we coped really well.
"We were always a big danger on the break and we showed real courage and determination to get the job done when we went down to ten men.
"All in all, right from the keeper through to Bobby up top, everyone put a shift in.
"It would have been a huge injustice if we'd not got the three points.
"Our performance deserved the three points."
The R's 4-5-1 formation worked a treat against Harry Redknapp's men, leaving Hughes full of praise for his revitalised charges.
"Tactics and formations are all well and good, but you need the players to do their jobs," he said.
"To a man they did that. Each and every one of them was absolutely outstanding.
"Their discipline and understanding to nullify the threat Spurs posed was superb."
On the sending off, Hughes added: "I don't want to dwell on the red card.
"I've not seen it again so I'm not entirely sure what happened, but we won't let that spoil our night.
"I thought Adel was excellent today.
"Aside from his goal, which was a terrific strike, his whole performance was excellent.
"His discipline was spot on. He had a job to do and he did it very well."
Hughes reserved his final words for the R's faithful, commenting: "The fans were exceptional tonight.
"When teams come here now they are fully expecting a hostile atmosphere and that's what Spurs got, as did Swansea and Arsenal before them.
"Everyone wrote us off with ten games to go, saying our run-in was far too difficult for us.
"But I know what I've got in my dressing room and we all believe we can get the job done and move onto bigger and better things next season." QPR OFFICIAL
