Guardian Match Report Praises Holloway & Shittu...and notes Leicester Rumours

Guardian
Strange Ranger Holloway keeps his mind on the job John Ashdown at Elland RoadMonday February 6, 2006The Guardian
"He's got to stop letting speculation get to him - you've just got to focus on your job," said Ian Holloway of his centre-half Danny Shittu, who was the subject of several bids during the transfer window. With rumours suggesting that the QPR manager may this week take over at managerless Leicester, he was certainly heeding his own advice.
The Bristolian was his usual self after watching his side slip to a third consecutive defeat, picking the bones out of another colourful week at Loftus Road. Five players were given their debuts on Saturday, the result of a desperate scramble to produce a side capable of competing at Elland Road. Training for a new system went ahead on Friday without a goalkeeper. "I was very proud of my Queens Park Strangers side," he said. "I've never known anything like the last couple of days."
If Holloway has one eye on the Leicester vacancy he did not show it, preferring to concentrate on the need for English lessons for his new Polish left-back and his desire to see several senior first-team members out of the treatment room. If Leicester have one eye on Holloway it would be no surprise given his record - promotion in 2004 has been followed by two seasons of stability in the Championship, despite a decidedly unstable boardroom backdrop. If there is one thing needed at the Walkers Stadium it is stability.
Though Rangers offered a dogged performance on Saturday the result was rarely in doubt. With so many new faces there was, understandably, little attacking cohesion. At the back it was the debutant who had a greater vested interest than most in keeping Leeds at bay who did the most to undo his own defence.
The forms allowing the goalkeeper Phil Barnes to join on emergency loan from Sheffield United were only signed at 11.30 on Saturday morning and four hours later he was committing the clanger that allowed his parent club's promotion- chasing rivals to take a lead which had been starting to look unlikely. The keeper totally misjudged Eddie Lewis's outswinging free-kick and Richard Cresswell nodded into an empty net.
What followed was tame, lifted only by Paul Butler's late second and an eye-opening display from Shittu at the heart of the QPR defence. "If I was a Premiership manager I'd have bought him by now," said Holloway. "I don't think there is anything like him around. Where can you find a big fella like that who can run as quick as he can, is as strong as he is, and can head it like that? I would hate to see us without him." Rangers fans should feel the same way about their manager.
Man of the match Danny Shittu (QPR)
http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,,1702978,00.html


INDEPENDENT
Leeds United 2 Queen's Park Rangers 0: Lewis lives off scraps to feed Leeds' promotion hunger
By Jon Culley
".....Rangers lost their third match in a row but do not look a team on the slide. In the light of the drastic surgery, their manager, Ian Holloway, had performed after losing to Leicester last week, they were probably unlucky not to emerge with a point.
Creatively, they offered too little to win but a defence in which four of the five - the goalkeeper Phil Barnes, the full-backs Marcin Kus and Andy Taylor and the centre-back Keith Lowe - were making their debuts as loan signings showed remarkable coherence.
Danny Shittu again showed why he is among the best central defenders outside the Premiership while the hugely experienced Steve Lomas ensured that Shaun Derry could never impose the grip on midfield he would have liked.
http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/coca_cola/article343447.ece


TELEGRAPH
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