Ryan Nelsen heaped praise on Queens Park Rangers after the Hoops kept their first clean sheet of the season against Chelsea. Mark Hughesâ side restricted the Champions League holders to just four efforts on Júlio Césarâs goal, while the Hoops came close to scoring a winner in the second half. Nelsen, who joined on a free transfer from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, paid credit to the clubâs supporters after they created an electric atmosphere for the west London derby on Saturday. âIt was a very pleasing result for us,â Nelsen told QPRâs website. âGetting a clean sheet is always a huge positive to take, especially against a team with the attacking options they have at their disposal.â âI thought the fans were fantastic. They got right into the game and backed us superbly. âIn the end I think both teams will have been happy with a point.â The New Zealand international also hailed fellow centre-half Anton Ferdinand for a composed performance despite the tensions between the former Sunderland defender and John Terry. âI feel so sorry for Anton,â said Nelsen. âHe is the victim here, but he handled himself superbly and was probably the best player on the park on the day. âHe rose to the occasion and was absolutely fantastic for us.â Nelsen also criticised Terry for a dramatic attempt to win a penalty in the first half after clashing with QPRâs veteran defender in Césarâs area. âWhen grown men go down like he [Terry] did itâs a bit of a shame,â added Nelsen. âThere was nothing in it at all. âIf you ask John, he just fell down. I was holding him, of course, but he just fell down. He does it to everybody in their box. âI said to him âthat was a bit embarrassing Johnâ and he laughed when he ran off. He didnât say anything to me, I think he was too embarrassed.â
i think he has been in england longer than i have been in kiwiland from now on i might just refer to him as nelse
I do love the fact that he pulled no punches and ripped into Terry for what I call "doing a Holt" which is giving up but falling to the ground like a 5 yo once someone gives it back.
Holt makes up for a lack of skill with plenty of gamesmanship. He'll elbow you off the ball and look all innocent when the whistle blows but if you make any contact on him then down he'll go often clutching an ankle or his face in mock agony. He goes down quicker than a $20 dollar whore (to para-phrase Blazing Saddles) when he thinks it will get him something. He's done the business at Norwich for a few years now and is a legend in those parts, can't say his style of play is what I'd be happy seeing every week. JT will pull shirts when defending, wrap arms around necks and anything else to prevent an attack, by the same token he'll go over at the slightest whisper nearby. Par for the course these days and as much as I don't like it I doubt things will change in a hurry. As for Nelsen I think he was being very generous towards Anton regarding MOTM as it was the Kiwi who was more outstanding IMO.