Neil Warnock was delighted to see his QPR side scrap for a victory at Leicester City on Saturday, but his opposite number was less than impressed with the quality of refereeing at the Walkers Stadium.

News

Neil Warnock is, as the old Championship Manager games used to say, running out of superlatives for his rampant Queens Park Rangers side. The R’s manager was delighted with another win and clean sheet at Leicester on Saturday and praised his team’s battling qualities and strong defensive effort that saw them through at the Walkers Stadium.

Afterwards Warnock told the club’s official website: “I knew it'd be our toughest game today. Credit to the players, they stuck at it and restricted a very good team. I think they'll go close to the play-offs this season - I know they've not had a great start. They've got some quality players. I can't remember them having a real chance, other than shots outside the box. I thought that optimised the whole side, when everyone was putting a block in to try and keep the goal intact. It's just as important to keep a clean sheet.

"You saw at the end, Kyle Walker making an overlapping run in the fifth minute of injury time, fitness levels are great at the moment, and long may it continue. I told Amit Bhatia, who brought me to the club, when I came that we couldn't have eight loan players like we did last year. We've got young lads with enthusiasm and want to go to the top, and we've got old players, like me, cream crackered and want to finish on a high.

"For the first goal, Nat Lofthouse would have been pleased with that header, wouldn't he. It was very pleasing and you could see how much he cared. Him and Hogan Ephraim on the other side worked their socks off. It was nice for me today, too. Last year I had to stand and be slaughtered by the Leicester fans, with 'what's the score Warnock?' for a long time in the second half. And I remember saying to the press, 'I hope you go up this year,' because next year I'll come back with one of my teams. So I was quite delighted today to get the result."

Meanwhile Leicester manager Paulo Sousa pointed the finger of blame squarely at referee Graham Scott for his team’s defeat against his former club. Scott turned down two Leicester penalty appeals in the second half with the score at 1-0. Sousa told Leicester’s official website: “We did not start it well and I thought my players were a bit 'leggy' from the game last Tuesday and also because QPR studied us well. They pressed us very high, closed the spaces, and did not allow us to break that pressure, especially in the last third. They made good counter-attacks, they are a good team and straight away they caused us some difficulties.

“We recovered after the goal but they pushed the game into a battle and a physical battle is one we do not know how to win. They are stronger in that part of the game than us and so in the end we lost that battle. Not only that, we need to recognise the right moment for certain players, for the good of the game.

"When the referee was asked if he saw it, he said he didn't. The main thing is that it is not just the referee but the linesmen too. He said he never saw it but on the video he is only two metres away and is looking straight at it."

-"QPR do not need to be helped in this way because they are a very good side, with good quality players who fight with honesty to win games."

Leicester’s makeshift centre back Michael Morrison was left to rue his slack defending for Mackie’s crucial second goal. Morrison told the Leicester Mercury: “I was a bit slow to react and, had it been the first five minutes, I think I would have been a little bit sharper. I have not played for a few weeks and then played three times in a week and it does hit your legs, no matter how hard you have worked in pre-season. I would have liked to have done better but he still had a bit to do and he took it well. I know we keep saying it is bad luck but, when we do make a mistake, we seem to be punished for it at the moment. Take the header, for instance. If he had headed that over, no-one would have said a word about him being free inside the box. We seem to be getting punished for our mistakes."

Two QPR players, Kyle Walker and Jamie Mackie, made the division’s team of the week following the win at Leicester – although the team was understandably dominated by Watford after their surprise 6-1 win at Millwall.

Team of the Week: John Ruddy (Norwich), Kyle Walker (QPR), David Wheater (Middlesbrough), Adrian Mariappa (Watford), Adam Drury (Norwich), Barry Robson (Middlesbrough), John Eustace (Watford), Jodan Mutch (Watford), Adam Hammill (Barnsley), Ched Evans (Sheff Utd), Jamie Mackie (QPR).

After the win at Leicester Walker insisted he would like to prolong his initial one month stay at Loftus Road on loan from Tottenham. Walker told David McIntyre: “I’d like to stay and hopefully that will happen. I’m enjoying it here and hope it continues. It’s just a month for the moment and a case of waiting to see if it’s extended. Harry Redknapp said he wanted me to go and play some games. It’s vital for my experience – I turned 20 in the summer – and after that I’ll hopefully get into the team at Tottenham. It’s been a great move for me because I’ve gone straight into a winning team that plays good football.”

Rumours

QPR are said by the Daily Mirror to be one of a host of Championship clubs chasing Wolves’ out of favour midfielder Michael Kightly. The former Grays man, who scored his first ever Wolves goal against QPR in his second appearance back in 2006, was left out of the 25 man Premiership squad at Molineux as he continues to recover from injury. That has opened up the possibility of a Championship loan deal and Palace, Middlesbrough, Leeds and Reading have also been linked in what appears to be a rather speculative (completely made up) story. Kightly is known to favour a stay in the midlands and QPR are blessed with numerous options in his chosen position – especially with Martin Rowlands returning to the bench at the weekend.

Former R’s

Contrasting fortunes today for two of our old goalkeepers. In Nottingham Lee Camp has declared his intentions to play for Northern Ireland after being overlooked for England in favour of Watford’s Scott Loach. Camp, who qualifies through his Belfast born grandfather, was a regular for the England Under 21s during his time with Derby and QPR.

He told the Nottingham Evening Post: “They will push Scott Loach through, which is fantastic for him. I like Scott and I have a good relationship with him. But I don't think they will be looking for another keeper from the Championship now. I think I have written off my chances now, anyway. I probably did that a long time ago, by being too outspoken. But I am going to go and play for Northern Ireland instead. The process has started, I have produced a birth certificate and things are moving along.

"If might take a couple of months, but hopefully I will be approved to play for them. I know both Nigel Worthington, from when I was at Norwich, and Fred Barber the keeper coach. They have known about the situation for a while and I thought to myself, why not? Because I don't think England is going to happen. The chance to play at international level is too good to turn down. With respect, they are not overloaded with goalkeepers. They have Maik Taylor, but he's 39 and isn't playing regularly. Perhaps there is a window of opportunity there for me. We will see."

But in Kettering Lee Harper has lost his job as manager of the Conference outfit after a poor start to the season. Harper replaced Mark Cooer at Rockingham Road less than a year ago but the Poppies are in the relegation zone after just one win so far this season. A club statement read: “Everyone connected to the club recognises and is thankful for the fantastic contribution Lee has made since joining in 2007. The board will consider any applications for the vacant position and will immediately seek a caretaker manager until an appointment is made." The future of player coach Paul Furlong has not been clarified.

Championship Shorts

- Coventry have finally completed the long talked about signing of disgraced striker Marlon King on a contract to the end of the season. King has just served nine months of an 18 month sentence for sexually assaulting a woman and then punching her in the face, breaking her nose, when she spurned his advances. It was the 15th conviction of King’s criminal career which includes chasing another woman through the streets of Soho with a belt buckle after assaulting her and a variety of motoring offences. Manager Aidy Boothroyd said: “When I managed Marlon at Watford, he was a first-class professional and I fully expect that to be the case at Coventry."

- Swansea gave a debut to new signing Frank Nouble on loan from West Ham as they beat Scunthorpe 2-0 in Wales on Saturday. Swansea currently only have Nouble and Saturday’s goal scorer Stephen Dobbie as recognised fit strikers but hope to welcome Craig Beattie back from injury soon.

- Derby look set to play the loan market yet again with manager Nigel Clough admitting he is keen on Aston Villa full back Shane Lowry. The Rams took striker Shefki Kuqi on loan from Swansea at the end of last week.

- Ipswich manager Roy Keane has called on the media to sop hyping up young striker Connor Wickham following his return from injury. Keane said: “We're pleased to have good young players coming through like Tom Easton, Reggie Lambe and one or two others, it always helps a manager when you have some good young players," Keane added. You've got to relax on these people and give them a chance to mature and learn their trade. We have to support them and not build them up to be something they're not yet."

Photo: Action Images

AshteadR added 08:51 - Sep 21 Sousa's interview sounds like sour grapes - blames everyone but himself
0

Juzzie added 10:57 - Sep 21 Sousa “We did not start it well and I thought my players were a bit 'leggy' from the game last Tuesday....." They were at home last Tuesday and, of course, again on Saturday whilst we were away for both games. They have no reason to be more 'leggy' than us. Poor excuse.
0

SonofNorfolt added 02:03 - Sep 20 Good day that at Leicester. Two coaches of us at Hinckley before, and near Northampton for mine on the return, and I remember thinking we're going up this season.
0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Southampton Polls