Further Reports/Comments of QPR's Win over Burnley

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Sunday Mirror - February 2007 GREGORY'S SPIRITS ARE SOARING Ian Gibb
QPR manager John Gregory rubbished the ex-Rangers players who have suggested that the spirit was less than 100 per cent at Loftus Road.
His side galloped out of the bottom three with this result and Gregory said: "That's got to be the best team performance I've been in charge of since coming back to QPR."
Gregory was relieved at stopping the rot of four successive defeats that had put Rangers into the relegation zone for the first time since their former midfield general returned.
He added: "The spirit has always been fantastic, contrary to what one or two who have left have suggested.
"Burnley must have felt like their throat had been cut in the second half as we hit them with wave after wave of attacks."
But it wasn't quite as dramatic as that as Burnley virtually committed suicide with horrendous marking from corners that allowed Dexter Blackstock and Steve Lomas to settle it after a mediocre first half.
Burnley manager Steve Cotterill said: "When we let a goal in, we fade. It's a lack of confidence."
He also pointed to the almost anonymous performance of returning striker Ade Akinbiyi, saying: "He looks musclebound and was two yards off the pace.
"He's been in the gym too much and we need to get a few pounds of muscle off him and get his pace back.
"The lads are hurting, everybody is hurting and we really need a win to turn things around."
Burnley haven't won since beating Leeds on November 28 and sagged visibly when Rangers took the lead on 13 minutes.
Adam Bolder was impressive on his debut and robbed Kyle Lafferty of the ball to send Lee Cook away on the left, who shot low into the far-right corner.
Rangers, who are trying out a new three-man central defence, got it wrong on 18 minutes when Joey Gudjonsson crossed from the right and the unmarked Chris McCann headed home.
Rangers took the crucial lead on 55 minutes when Cook's corner was headed forcefully home by Blackstock.
And it was all over when Martin Rowlands sent a corner over, following keeper Mike Pollitt's brilliant save from Blackstock, and Lomas headed the third.
HOW THEY RATED
QPR Royce 6, MANCIENNE 8, Cullip 7, Stewart 6, Rowlands 6, Lomas 7, Ainsworth 6, Bolder 7, Timoska 7, Cook 8, Blackstock 7.
MANAGER Gregory 7
BURNLEY Pollitt 6, Foster 5 (Caldwell 6), Duff 5, McGreal 5, Harley 6, Mahon 7 (Jones 5), Gudjonsson 6 (Gray 5), O'Connor 6, McCann 7, Lafferty 5, Akinbiyi 5.
MANAGER Cotterill 5
REFEREE D Gallagher 6
MAN OF THE MATCH - MICHAEL MANCIENNE
Pedigree showed as he shut down Burnley's left flank
Sunday Mirror

MAIL - Bolder proving he's a smash By IAN GIBB -
QPR 3, Burnley 1 Adam Bolder has a graphic way of describing his value to new club QPR though he should not be taken too literally.
"I'll be breaking things up and smashing a few people," said the midfield enforcer who has swopped life at the top of the Championship for a battle in the basement with his former Derby boss John Gregory.
But the 26-year-old Bolder, who chose a new start in West London rather than a return to home town club Hull, has helped Derby out of a few similar scrapes so he knows how to steer Rangers to safety.
After his vital challenge led to Lee Cook's opener, he said: "I've been here before with Derby where there were good times but we had also been in trouble like QPR at the moment.
"I know what it's like to get out of it. With more games I'll be fitter and more confident on the ball. I'll be breaking things up and smashing people."
He didn't have to smash too hard to relieve Kyle Lafferty of the ball for Cook, played more as a central striker, to resume his old left wing routine for a moment and slot an angled shot inside the far right post.
Though Chris McCann was unmarked to equalise, Burnley boss Steve Cotterill will be poring over the video all week with his players, examining why they got caught out twice on set piece corners for Dexter Blackstock and Steve Lomas to head QPR to victory.
Rangers jumped three places, out of the bottom three and Bolder reassured fans by adding: "I wouldn't have joined if I didn't think we would stay up and this is the start of it."
Bolder was playing in the Premiership five years ago, saying: "It was difficult to leave Derby after seven years and getting the player of the year award last year.
"But I didn't want to hang around to be a squad player and just pick up the money. It would be more of an achievement tostay up than to have stayed at Derby, not playing but getting promoted."
While Gregory called Bolder's performance "sensational" he also rightly drooled over the immaculate, composed, classy performance of central defender Michael Manciennes, on loan from Chelsea.
Gregory said: "He's off to join the England Under 19s this week but I promise you it will be the full England senior side in a couple of years. He's that good."
Burnley haven't won since late November, coinciding with an injury to leading scorer Andy Gray who finally got back into action from the substitutes' bench.
Once he adds to his 10 goals and recent signing Steve Caldwell has his influence on the defence, Burnley will surely climb again. There were spells when the former top six side, now only five points ahead of QPR, were the better passing side but had only the McCann goal to show.
Manager Steve Cotterill said: "It's no good me ranting and raving when we work before games on set pieces and then they let you down. We need something to go for us because they are not the same players they were earlier in the season.
"But they'll get back there." Mail

BURNLEY MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVE - Burnley OFFICIAL SITE
We Will Get Better
Steve Cotterill insisted Burnley will bounce back after the 3-1 defeat away to Queens Park Rangers.
The joy of seeing Andy Gray back in action for the first time since late November was offset by poor second half defending that allowed Rangers to earn all three points at Loftus Road.
Boss Cotterill said: "Everybody is hurting and at the moment it is tough, but I will support the players all the way, even when they do things that upset and disappoint you.
"I think that's what you have to do - and we will get better!
"We have shown we can do it and we know we can do it, but at the moment we are down and we need a lucky break.
"We need something to go for us because at the moment they are not the same players they were earlier in the season.
"We will get back there, but the one thing you can't do is give anyone a confidence pill.
"It's the hardest thing you have to search for and there is no pointing ranting and raving at them because it is the last thing they need at the moment."
Two free headers after the break proved the difference after Chris McCann had expertly cancelled out Lee Cook's earlier opener for the hosts.
Cotterill said: "We were undone by two corners and we usually do a lot better than that from set pieces. I would say that is unlike us, but today we had a nightmare with corners and when a goal goes against us at the moment, we fade.
"We look as if we are lacking in confidence. When we got the goal I thought that was going to be the fillip we needed and at half time the lads were in a buoyant mood.
"I honestly felt we would go out in the second half and possibly go on and win it, but we just never got going that is how we have been of late.
"We look devoid of confidence and anything that goes wrong at the moment becomes a bigger issue than it is.
"It's tough because they are a good, honest set of lads who are just suffering because we haven't won in a while."
Gray provided one bright spot on an otherwise disappointing day. The 10-goal striker was introduced as a 65th minute substitute two months after breaking three metatarsals against Leeds United at Turf Moor.
And deadline day signing Steven Caldwell also impressed the Burnley boss when he made his debut as a substitute alongside Gray for the final 25 minutes.
Cotterill explained: "I thought Steve was absolutely first class when he came on and we looked stronger back there, so there were certainly positives to look forward to.
"Andy is not quite there yet, but it was psychological thing, not only for the player but for the rest of the squad to see and feel him out there.
"He will get better and we know that. But at the moment it was just not quite enough.
"We haven't won since we lost Andy and people say one man doesn't make a team.
"I would like to change that statement because I think one man does make a team.
"If you look back to all the great sides ? would Argentina have won the World Cup without Maradona? I'm not so sure.
Look at Chelsea without John Terry. With him they are rock solid and the king of clean sheets, and without him they struggle.
"One man does make a team and we have missed Andy for a long time."
Burnley

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