QPR vs Cardiff - Additional Reports...Mancienne Comments

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Photos from QPR vs Cardiff - Photos

Mirror - PARRY'S HAVING A PARTY
But Fowler's not on guest list QPR 0 Cardiff City 2 20/08/2007
Birthday Boy Paul Parry showed Cardiff's new stellar recruits Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank that they won't be gif ted a starting place.
Parry, who turned 27 yesterday, swopped his normal midfield habitat for a striking role. And he kicked off his celebrations by making the first goal and scoring the second to seal a well-deserved against hapless Rangers.....
First Parry cleverly flicked on a Trevor Sinclair corner for Steve MacLean to sweep the ball home in the 29th minute, then he bulleted in a 56th minute header.
But Parry isn't convinced he'll quickly add to his six caps. "Toshack seems to have his squad settled, so I am just going to have to concentrate on Cardiff City and hope to fight my way back in," he added.
Unless QPR are quickly rescued from the financial precipice by Renault's Formula One boss Flavio Briatore, John Gregory's men could be facing a fight of their own ... to stay in the Championship.
Billionaire Briatore is in takeover talks which could wipe out the club's £17million debt along with the threat of administration.
There is also talk of a further £100m investment.
But defender Michael Mancienne - on a season's loan from Chelsea - insists there is already enough quality in the Rangers team to avoid another hairraising flirtation with relegation.
"We'll bounce back from this," said Mancienne, whose disappointment was tempered by his call-up for the England Under-21 squad to face Romania tomorrow.
"It was just one of those games. We'll do well this season.
"Coming here isn't a step back for me, it was a step forward. I certainly see myself as a Premiership player in the future."
England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce was at Loftus Road and the 19-year-old added: "It was an aim of mine to get a call-up but it's come earlier than expected.
"If I get the chance I'm sure I can do a job for England." Mirror

Western Mail, Steve Tucker - MacLean provides Jones with food for thought
CARDIFF CITY striker Steven MacLean fired his first goal for the Bluebirds in this impressive win and then warned, “I’ve got the jersey, Robbie and Jimmy are going to have to take it off me!”....
MacLean teamed up here with Paul Parry, moved from the wing in what turned out to be a tactical masterstroke by Bluebirds boss Dave Jones.
The pair ran riot all afternoon. MacLean smashing home just before the half-hour from a corner, before Parry headed home on the hour-mark following a delightful cross from the influential Stephen McPhail.
MacLean, who might have had a first-half hat-trick with a little more composure, admitted afterwards that the shadow of two striking legends looming over him was a motivating factor. .....
Indeed there was a lot to admire in a Cardiff display of smooth efficiency and unflinching commitment. Right throughout the side there was a marked improvement.
Goalkeeper Russ Turnbull seemed to have put his tentativeness and lapses in concentration behind him and centre-half pairing Glenn Loovens and Roger Johnson were impressive against a Rangers side whose physicality bordered on the kung fu.
Perhaps the most pleasing aspect was Gavin Rae in the heart of midfield showing the sort of poise and drive we’d been promised since his move from Rangers. The only concern from a Cardiff point of view was the loss of both full-backs to injury.
Tony Capaldi was driven off by a dead-leg, inflicted by an over-enthusiastic Loovens, but should be OK for the weekend if doubtful for Northern Ireland’s clash with Liechtenstein in midweek.
Of far more concern is the hamstring injury to Kevin McNaughton, which, on early examination, Jones feared might see the Scot sidelined for up to two months.
It is a blow as McNaughton is one of the Bluebirds’ most vital cogs, his absence will put a lot of pressure on the shoulders of teenager Chris Gunter, though it is apparent that the 18-year-old can handle it.
In fact, the way Gunter played when he came on and the manner in which Joe Ledley slotted back into defence in place of Capaldi, with Peter Whittingham coming on in midfield, perhaps shows City do have that extra little bit of depth they lacked last season.
Time will tell, after all.
It is, as Jones never tires of telling us, a very long, hard season.
One thing we know for sure from this match is that QPR look an awfully poor side. Boss John Gregory kept his charges in the dressing room for almost an hour afterwards and he wasn’t reading Harry Potter to them, you can be sure of that.
Centre-halves Damion Stewart and Michael Mancienne seemed at a loss to deal with Cardiff’s directness, Parry in particular was having a field day, at times looking like Carl Lewis in his prime compared to the laborious duo.
Up front, Rangers were just as clueless. Most attacks ended in some of the worst delivery into the box since the last postal strike.
Indeed, apart from a 20-minute spell at the start of the second half, during which a Stefan Moore shot clipped Turnbull’s post, they barely troubled the Bluebirds at all.
For Jones it was a satisfying afternoon’s work with his only major headache (McNaughton excepted) that most delightful of ones, who to play up front in the next match?....“. IC Wales