| RANGERS DRIVEN TO DESPAIR
Tuesday 26th
November 2002 will go down in history as one of the most
embarrassing nights in the history of Queens Park Rangers Football
Club. It may also go down as the night Ian Holloway finally began to
lose his grip on the manager's job. This was quite simply a
disgrace.
Holloway had made changes from the
Luton debacle but they were down to injury and
people being cup tied than a desire to actually try to turn round
our flagging fortunes. Digby was back in goal; Padula came into the
back four alongside Forbes, Palmer and Carlisle. Tommy Williams had
a chance to shine on the left wing with Burgess on the opposite side
and Bircham and the now available Langley in the middle. Thomson and
Furlong started in attack.
Things seemed to get off to a bright
enough start with Rangers having plenty of possession but as usual
failing to turn this into genuine chances. This is not to say that
Vauxhall were out of their depth, far from it. Left winger Peter
Cumiskey was giving Forbes problems and he had two chances in the
opening fifteen minutes to give Vauxhall the lead.
Rangers hit the front through an
excellent goal from Andy Thomson. Padula picked him out with a low
pass from left back, Thommo turned his man well in the box and
dinked the ball over the advancing Ralph. This should have been the
beginning of our dominance and ultimately, the platform to go on and
win the game by a healthy margin but no. Whilst the Rangers players
were walking around looking pleased with themselves Vauxhall
launched into the most devastating ten minutes of football seen at
Loftus Road from any team this season.
Quick passing and incisive movement
cut the Rangers back line open time and again and they were back on
terms within a few minutes. Tommy Williams was robbed whilst trying
to show off on the edge of his own box, Terry Fearns was played
through and as he attempted to shoot he was felled by Digby. The
ball ran loose to former Liverpool trainee Phil Brazier and he fired
into an empty net from four yards. The Vauxhall players launched
into scenes of wild celebration whilst being given a warm round of
applause from the Rangers fans. I think this was more to show
displeasure with our players than to praise theirs though.
Vauxhall manager Alvin McDonald had
told his players that the crowd would turn if they could get a good
start and he wasn't wrong. As wave after wave of Vauxhall attacks
came and went the crowd became ever more agitated with what they
were witnessing.
More chances came and went with
Thomson, Furlong and Burgess all squandering good chances to put
Rangers back into the lead. Digby almost gifted Vauxhall a second
when he came for a cross only to change his mind as he went to catch
it. Young headed goalward but Digby redeemed himself with a fine
save.
Half time came and the players were
inevitably booed from the field. The only player that had emerged
from the half with any credit was Padula who was playing well in a
rare start at left back. It was therefore strange to see that
Holloway started the second half with Padula at left midfield and
Williams at left back. Needless to say, Padula was not half as
effective playing further forward, yet another tactical masterstroke
from Holloway.
The pattern for the second half was
Rangers create chance, Rangers miss chance, and crowd gets even more
agitated with our failure to break down a team three divisions below
us. Dennis Oli replaced Burgess, who was having a stinker, and he
looked as though he had enough to turn the game in our favour.
Vauxhall soon realised his threat and posted two men on the
youngster in an attempt to nullify his effectiveness. It worked to
some extent although it is hard to say whether his drop in
productivity was due to his team mates lack of movement or not.
Holloway brought Karl Connolly on for
Padula in yet another change that mystified the crowd. Although not
playing as well as in the first half Padula was still one of the
best Rangers players on the park. How he was taken off ahead of the
ego Tommy Williams is a mystery and one only Holloway has the answer
to.
In the last couple of minutes of
normal time, Rangers were still creating chances to win it though.
Langley volleyed wide when he should have done better and Thomson
had a header brilliantly saved by Andy Ralph. The former Tranmere
keeper had foiled Rangers with save after save and seemed to be
justifying his man of the match award from the first game.
Into extra time and Williams was
finally hauled off to the delight of the Rangers crowd and replaced
by forgotten man Danny Murphy. Again more chances were created and
squandered as Ralph denied Rangers time and again. And so it was
down to penalties at Loftus Road for the second time this season.
Furlong missed his, as we all knew he
would. Palmer scored, just about the only thing he had managed not
to bugger up all night, as did Thomson and Langley. Karl Connolly
stepped up and had to score to give us a chance but committed the
cardinal sin of the penalty shoot out and missed the target. The
Vauxhall players went mental and were given a rousing ovation by the
Loftus Road crowd. The gutless Rangers players took their
opportunity to slope off unnoticed.
The only two Rangers players that can
hold their heads up after this game are Oli and Padula. The rest of
them were simply pitiful you have to question their desire to pull
on the blue and white hoops if that is what they consider an
acceptable level of performance.
This is surely one of the darkest
times in the history of QPR and we are being led by a man without a
torch. Holloway is starting to annoy not just some but a massive
proportion of the Rangers fans with his constant bizarre decisions.
We know that Williams will play on
Friday against Cardiff as will Palmer. Neither of them deserve a
place in the side but you know that with Holloway it is jobs for the
boys. Furlong was an utter disgrace but no doubt, he will be there
on Friday. We weren't treated to the almost obligatory change of
formation tonight when perhaps one was needed to break down a
stubborn Vauxhall team.
As a person I like and admire Ian
Holloway. He seems up front and forthright but now I am starting to
question whether he is the right man to lead Rangers forward. It
seems to me as though these players aren't playing for him anymore
as he just can't raise them as he used to. Not being able to break
down a non-league team over 210 minutes of football is shocking. Add
to that our failure to beat a nine man Luton side on Saturday and
you have to wonder about the way this club is heading.
If Holloway were to leave who would
replace him? God knows who would want the job! Olly has a chance on
Friday to redeem himself and grant a stay of execution. If we beat
Cardiff, which seems a possibility so remote as to be farcical, then
he may keep his job but he needs to use that game as a springboard.
We are sixth in the league not having won a game since the Blackpool
match on Monday 14th October. We are lucky the teams
around us are failing to capitalise, as we should be well in the
bottom half of the table by now.
Sort it out Holloway. A combination of
you lack of ability as a tactician and you insistence in playing the
same old shit week in week out is killing us and you need to turn
things round now or get out. Simple as.
simon@qprnet.com |
