Wally Downes take on things, not so negative as normal -
There was refreshing heart and courage in QPR's latest Premier League failure -- a 2-1 home defeat vs. Everton -- but quality, ultimately, was lacking.
From back to front, players like Rob Green, Nedum Onuoha, Yun Suk-Young, Richard Dunne, Karl Henry, Joey Barton, Bobby Zamora and Charlie Austin have run and kicked and battled but collectively and individually they are coming up short.
Everton could never have been more vulnerable than on Sunday, when they limped into West London on the back of a 5-2 defeat at Dynamo Kiev. Rangers manager Chris Ramsey admitted he smelled blood before kickoff, and Everton forward Steven Naismith said after the victory that his side was nowhere near full strength.
However, at crucial moments -- when the home side had chances to score and to clear danger around Green's goal -- there was a lack of technical quality and footballing nous.
Unlike the last time Rangers dropped out of the top-flight with disinterested players like Jose Bosingwa, Stephane Mbia, Fabio da Silva and Chris Samba involved, this Rangers squad has commitment running through its core but, barring Green and Austin, nobody can claim to have had a successful personal season.
The two full-backs on show on Sunday, Onuoha and Yun, are athletic and fit and brave. Onuoha has been playing with stitches in his face, such is his determination to help the club but he, along with the South Korean on the opposite side of the defence, have struggled in the top flight this season. And they are not alone.
Barton and Henry in the midfield engine room would run over hot coals just to get close to a full-blooded tackle. Against Everton, his boyhood club, Barton was a human shield and wrecking ball at times.
Meanwhile, when no QPR player would speak to the media following a defeat shortly after Harry Redknapp walked out, Henry gave some context. He had been an unused substitute and was hurting but he was, as always, honest and fair.
Unfortunately, though, on the ball and in possession, neither Barton nor Henry have created or scored enough.
Zamora got Rangers into the Premier League with the winner in the playoff final last season and then took a pay cut to stay at the club before being ignored at the start of the season so Loic Remy could briefly play with Charlie Austin or Matt Phillips.
Now 34, he trains and plays with an ongoing hip problem that causes him almost constant nagging discomfort. He can be effective and has been a perfect foil for Austin, but this season has probably been one too many in a division where speed and power are king.
Perhaps the clearest signs that Rangers have fallen short on guile and not guts are the matches in which they had some of their best performances.
Over a three-week period between Oct. 19 and Nov. 8 they played Champions League chasers Liverpool and lost by a single goal, visited champions-elect Chelsea and lost out to a single late goal and then drew 2-2 against defending champions Manchester City in a match in which more favourable refereeing might have ended in a win.
The reason Rangers played so well during that period -- there was also a 2-0 home win vs. Aston Villa sandwiched between Liverpool and Chelsea -- is they were not asked, nor expected, to keep the ball or create chances or outplay their more expensively assembled opposition. They were asked to be organised and aggressive and dogged and strong and they were.
QPR's problems this season have come when they have been asked to play football or create or dominate or take the initiative. Austin's self-made goals are indicative of this, as was the amazing solo consolation goal Matt Phillips struck against Crystal Palace recently. "If you need something doing ..."
Rangers have
eight matches left and Ramsey says they need to win at least four of them to survive. The chances are beyond slim. Commendable draws against the likes of Liverpool, Man City and rivals Chelsea should not be ruled out, such is the makeup of this Hoops squad that has the right DNA at its core.
However, it is the matches against more mediocre sides, such as rejuvenated and likely-to-be-safe West Brom and Aston Villa, as well as West Ham and Newcastle, where Rangers will struggle.
At least if Rangers remain true to form and retire to the second tier at the end of this season they will go down with a lot more self-respect than before.
Furthermore, players like Yun, Onuoha, Phillips and some of the youngsters that are emerging will be more suited to the demands of the Championship, which will give them a platform -- of sorts -- to return to the Premier League with more lessons learned.
Wally Downes Jr. is a reporter for Hayters sports agency in London and a contributor to ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @WallyDownes_Jr.
)... still all to play for.
