____________________________________________________
QPR, with Six Points from their last two games...QPR Took Six Points from their First 15 Games of Season...QPR are Currently Two Points Worse off than Last Season after 29 Games
- On This Day: QPR Lose to Fulham....Leon Knight Makes his QPR Debut...Year Ago: Bolton Loss
CURRENT TABLE
THIS SEASON AFTER 29 GAMES
POS LP CLUB P W D L GF GA GD PTS
1 (1) Manchester United 28 23 2 3 68 31 37 71
2 (2) Manchester City 28 17 8 3 51 24 27 59
3 (3) Tottenham Hotspur 28 16 6 6 49 33 16 54
4 (4) Chelsea 28 15 7 6 56 30 26 52
5 (5) Arsenal 28 13 8 7 53 32 21 47
6 (6) Everton 28 11 12 5 44 35 9 45
7 (9) West Bromwich Albion 29 13 4 12 40 38 2 43
8 (7) Liverpool 28 11 9 8 53 34 19 42
9 (8) Swansea City 29 10 10 9 40 36 4 40
10 (10) Fulham 28 8 9 11 39 44 -5 33
11 (11) Stoke City 28 7 12 9 26 33 -7 33
12 (12) West Ham United 28 9 6 13 32 41 -9 33
13 (13) Norwich City 29 7 12 10 27 45 -18 33
14 (14) Sunderland 29 7 9 13 32 41 -9 30
15 (15) Newcastle United 28 8 6 14 38 49 -11 30
16 (16) Southampton 29 6 10 13 39 51 -12 28
17 (18) Aston Villa 29 6 9 14 28 54 -26 27
18 (17) Wigan Athletic 28 6 6 16 33 55 -22 24
19 (19) Reading 29 5 8 16 35 56 -21 23
20 (20) Queens Park Rangers 29 4 11 14 24 45 -21 23
LAST SEASON AFTER QPR 29 GAMES
POS LP CLUB P W D L GF GA GD PTS
1 (1) Manchester United 29 22 4 3 73 27 46 70
2 (2) Manchester City 29 22 3 4 71 21 50 69
3 (4) Arsenal 29 17 4 8 58 39 19 55
4 (3) Tottenham Hotspur 29 16 6 7 53 35 18 54
5 (5) Chelsea 29 14 7 8 49 34 15 49
6 (6) Newcastle United 29 13 8 8 41 41 0 47
7 (7) Liverpool 29 11 9 9 35 29 6 42
8 (8) Swansea City 29 10 9 10 34 34 0 39
9 (9) Sunderland 29 10 7 12 36 33 3 37
10 (10) Everton 29 10 7 12 28 32 -4 37
11 (14) Stoke City 29 10 7 12 28 40 -12 37
12 (11) Fulham 29 9 9 11 37 40 -3 36
13 (12) West Bromwich Albion 29 10 6 13 35 38 -3 36
14 (13) Norwich City 29 9 9 11 39 46 -7 36
15 (15) Aston Villa 28 7 12 9 31 35 -4 33
16 (16) Blackburn Rovers 29 7 7 15 42 60 -18 28
17 (18) Queens Park Rangers 29 6 7 16 32 50 -18 25
18 (17) Bolton Wanderers 28 7 2 19 31 57 -26 23
19 (19) Wigan Athletic 29 4 10 15 25 54 -29 22
20 (20) Wolverhampton Wanderers 29 5 7 17 30 63 -33 22
HOW LONG IT TOOK QPR TO GET THEIR FIRST SIX POINTS... Flashback Beginning December
1 (1) Manchester United 15 12 0 3 37 21 16 36
2 (2) Manchester City 15 9 6 0 28 11 17 33
3 (3) Chelsea 15 7 5 3 25 16 9 26
4 (4) Tottenham Hotspur 15 8 2 5 28 23 5 26
5 (5) West Bromwich Albion 15 8 2 5 24 19 5 26
6 (6) Everton 15 5 8 2 25 19 6 23
7 (7) Swansea City 15 6 5 4 23 17 6 23
8 (8) West Ham United 15 6 4 5 19 17 2 22
9 (9) Stoke City 15 5 7 3 14 12 2 22
10 (10) Arsenal 15 5 6 4 24 16 8 21
11 (11) Liverpool 15 4 7 4 19 18 1 19
12 (12) Norwich City 15 4 7 4 13 21 -8 19
13 (13) Fulham 15 4 5 6 25 26 -1 17
14 (14) Newcastle United 15 4 5 6 17 21 -4 17
15 (16) Aston Villa 15 3 5 7 12 23 -11 14
16 (15) Wigan Athletic 15 4 2 9 15 28 -13 14
17 (17) Sunderland 14 2 7 5 13 18 -5 13
18 (18) Southampton 15 3 3 9 21 32 -11 12
19 (19) Reading 14 1 6 7 19 27 -8 9
20 (20) Queens Park Rangers 15 0 6 9 11 27 -16 6
SUNDERLAND
- Video (Poor Quality)
TELEGRAPH/Ian Winrow
Queens Park Rangers 3 Sunderland 1: match report
Rangers remain at the foot of the Premier League table but after recording back to back wins in the top-flight for the first time since 1995, they now lie within four points of safety. There is a lot more work to be done before they reach the 37-point target set by Redknapp, but after a week in which the scale of the club’s investment in the playing staff was revealed, this win brought much needed relief.
Sunderland had gone ahead through Steven Fletcher but the visitors failed to recover after Loic Remy equalised and while they remain clear of danger, Martin O’Neill’s side are still seeking the victory that would prevent more end of season nerves.
Rangers’ vibrant start suggested last Saturday’s win at Southampton might be the season-changing victory Redknapp hoped it would be. Yet despite the promising opening, it was Rangers who fell behind when Fletcher converted in the 21st minute from Sunderland’s first – and only – significant attacking move of the first half.
The move started when Simon Mignolet, the visiting keeper, spilled a cross and, instead of falling kindly for a Rangers forward, the ball was hacked clear, kick-starting a break that culminated with Stephane Sessegnon crossing from the right towards Adam Johnson whose low, drilled return was turned home by Fletcher.
Home spirits inevitably sank but the lapse proved temporary with Redknapp’s side offered a route back into the game nine minutes later when Townsend’s scuffed shot deflected kindly off John O’Shea’s heel into the path of Remy, unmarked on the right hand side of the Sunderland area and the striker’s finish was placed perfectly across Mignolet and inside the far post.
Poor in the first half, Martin O’Neill’s side started the second with more energy and purpose but, having survived a period of sustained pressure, QPR responded in kind, eventually conjurng the winning goal that could yet prove priceless.
Once again Mignolet was unconvincing, punching weakly to half-clear a cross and when the ball was eventually headed beyond the Sunderland area, Townsend, positioned 25 yards out, moved onto the loose ball and sent a looping volley beyond the keeper. Jenas removed any hope of a visiting fight-back with a right foot effort from outside the area in the 89th minute.
QPR (4-4-2): Green; Bosingwa, Samba, Hill, Da Silva; Townsend, Park, Mbia, Hoilett (Wright-Phillps 78); Remy (Jenas 81), Zamora (Mackie 73).
Subs: Murphy, Granero, Onuoha, Bothroyd.
Sunderland (4-4-2): Mignolet; Gardner, Bramble, O'Shea, Colback (Bardsley 81); Sessegnon, Larsson, N'Diaye (Vaughan 78), Johnson; Fletcher, Graham (Rose 57).
Subs: Westwood, Kilgallon, Mangane, Cuellar.
Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire) Telegraph
Observer/Paul Doyle
Queens Park Rangers have been ridiculed as reckless spenders but a couple of bargains hunted from Harry Redknapp's former employers helped boost the club's prospects of saving their season. Andros Townsend and Jermaine Jenas, the former a January loanee from Tottenham Hotspur and the latter a free signing, scored second-half goals as QPR recorded back-to-back victories in the Premier League for the first time since their promotion two years ago. They remain bottom but only on goal difference and are four points from 17th-placed Aston Villa, whom they face next Saturday. Redknapp's mission improbable looks eminently manageable.
"It's on now, we've given ourselves a chance," said Redknapp, who warned that his side's revival means teams who thought they had little to fear may yet find themselves dragged back into danger. "Even teams on 30 points could get sucked in. You can easily go nine or 10 games without a win so anyone can go on a bad run." Sunderland, who were mainly woeful and have now failed to win in six league games, know that is true.
While others worry about downward spirals, Redknapp came into this game hoping to harness the power of momentum. His claims that QPR could survive were looking like the cant of a crank until last Saturday's win at Southampton. Their bid to build on that was boosted by Bobby Zamora declaring himself fit despite ongoing hip and ankle trouble and could therefore partner the club's most expensive January recruit, Loïc Rémy, for the first time. Redknapp has described that as his "dream" striking duo and with QPR having fired blanks in their last five home matches, he needed that fantasy to come true.
Zamora's inclusion was one of four changes to the line-up that started at St Mary's – and there was no place even on the bench for Adel Taarabt, whose inability to overcome an injury sustained in training in midweek was pointedly mentioned by Redknapp alongside tributes to Zamora's determination to play.
Rangers began like a team who believed survival was within their grasp. Sunderland began like a team who were not sure of anything. There was an ominous servility about the visitors, who lapsed too readily into the role of subordinates. These Black Cats have no lionhearts.
With Junior Hoillet and Townsend deployed as wingers either side of Zamora and Rémy, QPR streamed forward from the outset, eager to get to work on the visitors' makeshift full-backs, Craig Gardner and Jack Colback. Hoillet nearly scored in the third minute thanks to encouragingly intuitive interplay between Zamora and Rémy, the Frenchman reading his partner's clever dummy to collect the ball and feed Hoillet, who fired fractionally wide from 15 yards.
QPR continued to threaten but then, after 20 minutes, Sunderland hit back with a sucker punch. Simon Mignolet bundled away a QPR free-kick and the visitors launched a counterattack. Stéphane Sessègnon dribbled delightfully down the right before crossing to Adam Johnson on the far side of the box. With the defence still lumbering back from the other end, Johnson's cross-cum-shot was turned into the net by the unmarked Fletcher.
QPR had not won any of the matches in which they have fallen behind this season and the Loftus Road faithful would have been forgiven for fearing a collapse. Instead Rangers rallied and they were level within 10 minutes. It took a dollop of luck to help them, as Townsend's 25-yard shot deflected off John O'Shea into the path of Rémy, who slotted calmly into the net. It was his third goal in four starts since his arrival in January and QPR's first home goal since Boxing Day.
They immediately went in search of another, Rémy volleying over from eight yards after a smart nod-down from Zamora. Stéphane Mbia then rasped Mignolet's hands with a 25-yard drive.
Martin O'Neill adjusted his formation to give his side more solidity in midfield and they stemmed the flow towards their goals. The game became stodgy.
The impressive Townsend provided the first threat of the second half, racing in-field off the right flank to smash another left-foot shot at goal – again it was blocked by a defender but this time did not bounce obligingly to Rémy. Four minutes later Townsend ensured victory by unleashing a shot that no one could block. After a cross from the right was headed out of the box, the 21-year-old controlled the ball with his chest and sent a dipping, swirling volley into the net from 25 yards. Sunderland showed no signs of mounting a comeback and QPR helped themselves to a third goal when Jenas, on as an 80th-minute substitute, blaze the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
"That's the best I've seen us playing going forward," said Redknapp. "We played 4-2-4 and went for it and I knew we would either win or get turned over because we were so open. We just have to keep being positive."
O'Neill knows his side are in trouble if they do not get into a similar groove soon. "It's been tough going," he admitted. "But it's up to us to change it around quick."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/mar/09/qpr-sunderland-premier-league
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CURRENT TABLE
xx
LAST SEASON's TABLE AFTER 28 GAMES
And how things finished
POS
|
LP
|
CLUB
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
PTS
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
|  |
(1)
|
Manchester City
|
38
|
28
|
5
|
5
|
93
|
29
|
64
|
89
|
2
| |
(2)
|
Manchester United
|
38
|
28
|
5
|
5
|
89
|
33
|
56
|
89
|
3
| |
(3)
|
Arsenal
|
38
|
21
|
7
|
10
|
74
|
49
|
25
|
70
|
4
| |
(4)
|
Tottenham Hotspur
|
38
|
20
|
9
|
9
|
66
|
41
|
25
|
69
|
5
| |
(5)
|
Newcastle United
|
38
|
19
|
8
|
11
|
56
|
51
|
5
|
65
|
6
| |
(6)
|
Chelsea
|
38
|
18
|
10
|
10
|
65
|
46
|
19
|
64
|
7
| |
(7)
|
Everton
|
38
|
15
|
11
|
12
|
50
|
40
|
10
|
56
|
8
| |
(8)
|
Liverpool
|
38
|
14
|
10
|
14
|
47
|
40
|
7
|
52
|
9
| |
(9)
|
Fulham
|
38
|
14
|
10
|
14
|
48
|
51
|
-3
|
52
|
10
| |
(10)
|
West Bromwich Albion
|
38
|
13
|
8
|
17
|
45
|
52
|
-7
|
47
|
11
| |
(12)
|
Swansea City
|
38
|
12
|
11
|
15
|
44
|
51
|
-7
|
47
|
12
| |
(13)
|
Norwich City
|
38
|
12
|
11
|
15
|
52
|
66
|
-14
|
47
|
13
| |
(11)
|
Sunderland
|
38
|
11
|
12
|
15
|
45
|
46
|
-1
|
45
|
14
| |
(14)
|
Stoke City
|
38
|
11
|
12
|
15
|
36
|
53
|
-17
|
45
|
15
| |
(15)
|
Wigan Athletic
|
38
|
11
|
10
|
17
|
42
|
62
|
-20
|
43
|
16
| |
(16)
|
Aston Villa
|
38
|
7
|
17
|
14
|
37
|
53
|
-16
|
38
|
17
| |
(17)
|
Queens Park Rangers
|
38
|
10
|
7
|
21
|
43
|
66
|
-23
|
37
|
18
| |
(18)
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
38
|
10
|
6
|
22
|
46
|
77
|
-31
|
36
|
19
| |
(19)
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
38
|
8
|
7
|
23
|
48
|
78
|
-30
|
31
|
20
| |
(20)
|
Wolverhampton Wanderers
|
38
|
5
|
10
|
23
|
40
|
82
|
-42
|
25
|
