Filed under: Newcastle, QPR, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
The new Queens Park Rangers chairman, Tony Fernandes, witnessed his side mark the start of his reign at the club with an entertaining, but also frustrating, draw at Loftus Road.Entertaining because the club's manager, Neil Warnock, included five new signings in his starting line-up. Warnock also made the bold decision to name former Newcastle midfielder, Joey Barton, as his new captain.
Together the new arrivals had plenty of chances to make this a comfortable win for Rangers. At times they played the expansive style of football that had been promised at this ground for a number of years.
But it was also frustrating, for by half-time they should really have been out of sight but for some excellent Newcastle defending and a little hard luck.
Newcastle looked better after the break, but in truth they will settle for a point after being on the back-foot for long spells of this match.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
6 mins: Adel Taarabt has the first shot at goal and forces Tim Krul to make a save.
9 mins: Armand Traore's cross from the left is headed over by Shaun Wright-Phillips.
13 mins: Leon Best has a shot from the edge of the box that is turned around the post by Paddy Kenny.
15 mins: Jay Bothroyd fires over from six-yards from Wright-Phillips's cross.
22 mins: Bothroyd goes close again as Wright-Phillips and Taarabt combine well.
27 mins: Alejandro Faurlin's shot from 10 yards is deflected over the bar.
28 mins: Bothroyd has a header that is cleared off the line by Danny Simpson.
39 mins: Wright-Phillips makes an excellent run and his exquisite chip is cleared off the line by Steven Taylor.
66 mins: Shaun Derry headed wide from Barton's corner.
86 mins: Faurlin fouls Gabriel Obertan on the edge of the box but the free-kick hit the wall.
WHAT IT MEANS:
QPR now have the players to put on a show but the end result is still the same and they are still without a home win this season.
There is no doubt Rangers will have a couple of stand-out performances this season thanks to their attacking threat.
However, they look far from solid at the back - even with the addition of Luke Young, Traore and Anton Ferdinand.
Newcastle were the opposite. They looked below par in attack but their defence and, to an extent, their central midfield were solid.
They are also up to fourth in the Premier League table after they maintained their undefeated start to the campaign.
The jury is still out on Gabriel Obertan. He looked out of his depth here and it is difficult to see how manager Alan Pardew will succeed where Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, failed.
REACTION:
Rangers's manager Warnock was encouraged by his team's performance:
"To seem them perform like that - that's what I expected of them. They fitted in really well because they're good players.
"I don't think we're used to quality like that and with the crosses coming in. We're learning all the time and that's a credit to us. We did what I expected us to do."
On his new signings:
"Luke Young, Anton Ferdinand defended well. Joey Barton epitomised everything that was good about us. He brought the best out of Faurlin and I don't think I've ever seen Shaun Derry in the box before - he should have scored a couple of goals.
"I told Shaun Wright-Phillips when I signed him I think he can score goals., I think he can get double figures this season.
On Barton's performance:
"We gave it our best shot and it was entertaining. I told Joey just play the game, not the occasion and he did that. It brought the best out of him. Joey epitomised everything we did right, we put in a full 90 minutes."
Newcastle manager Pardew was pleased with his team's point:
"I am not disappointed we did not get any more from this game because we did not deserve anymore.
"We went with two strikers but with all the exuberance here with all the players they have brought in, maybe I should have helped my central midfielder out.
"Offensively we never created enough to win the game, but on the plus side, defensively we showed what we have been doing all season.
"We don't give much away and there is a spirit in the group that makes it hard for teams to beat us.
"Our flair players were just a little bit off-key tonight. Sometimes when you don't play well, you get beat. We didn't get beaten tonight."
On his players' attitude:
"One of the players mentioned in the dressing room that we would have lost this game last year. We have a lot of discipline defensively and our two centre-halves are playing well."
On being fourth in the table:
"It is disappointing that we have made a great start to the season and then get in front of the nation on TV and then do not perform very well.
"We are disappointed and perhaps we should not be because I have been here many times and know how hard it can be."
On making any loan signings:
"We have a good group of strikers here. Demba Ba is getting up to speed now and made a nice little cameo.
"I have no intentions of brining another striker in. We have Hatem Ben Arfa coming back and we could have done with his flair on that pitch."
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/09/12/queens-park-rangers-0-newcastle-united-0-new-look-rangers-held/
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