Firstly, let me say how nice it was to meet some more 606ers for the first time...always good to put more faces to names. The lad and I were musing about what the atmosphere would be like. Would the home crowd be in resigned mood or still optimistic? I have to say that the signs before kick off were good. A good atmosphere was building, although the mini-bus full of Wigan fans weren't contributing to it! Anyway, the next thing was to try to guess the team. Will got it right! Hoilett and Townsend either side of Mbia and Jenas, with Remy and Zamora up front. Cesar in goal along with the usual back four (what's happened to Fabio?). The game got under way and Rangers started well, especially Jenas in the middle who looked assured in possession and rarely gave the ball away. An early Remy volley hammered against the post. Oh how an early goal would have been just the job to quell our collective nerves. Wigan looked pretty average and the lad and I decided that they were there for the taking. Townsend was flying!! Taking the game to Wigan and going on run after run. Perhaps there's an argument that the end result could have been a bit better, but he was far and away our best player. Hoilett on the other wing was anonymous! Then, after a couple of decent lay offs and another couple of touches that were pants, Zamora decided to try to decapitate Jordi Gomez!! As soon as it happened I said that I feared the worst. No one else around us seemed to see the seriousness of the situation, bit I thought it was a terrible challenge by Zamora, brainless and clumsy. After Gomez milked the situation for all it was worth, Dowd consulted with the assistant right in front of the Ellerslie. I knew there and then that the red card was coming out!! To be fair, I don't think there can be any argument with that decision. What Zamora was thinking I really don't know. So, with barely 20 minutes gone, Rangers were reduced to 10 men against a team renowned for keeping the ball............... marvellous!! That's our season over we all thought. Anyway, the rest of the half consisted of Wigan keeping the ball and playing in front of the Rangers penalty area without ever really looking to threaten. Cesar made a decent save and McManaman hit a close drive, but that was it. Rangers were reduced to the odd breakaway. Half time came and we resigned ourselves to watching more of the same in the second half and having to wait for the inevitable Wigan goal. The second half continued much the same, although Rangers were playing very well considering they were a man down. Jenas in particular was playing well, looking good in possession and getting in some telling interceptions. Mbia too was working hard and Townsend continued where he had left off in the first half. The half drifted along to be honest without too much happening, but Wigan really were incredibly poor. Then it happened! Our Liverpool moment that we all knew we needed. A Wigan free kick was well charged down and Mbia was off, sprinting into the Wigan half. Remy, who had been in the right back position for the free kick was now haring up along side Mbia. The latter released his pass at exactly the right time and then Remy unleashed a first time strike from the corner of the 18 yard box that flew into the far corner of the net without the Wigan keeper moving a muscle. Cue pandemonium!! 5 minutes plus stoppage time to go. Win this with 10 men and everything is possible!! I really thought we'd done it. Then, in the 94th minute, Mbia committed a brain-dead foul on the edge of the box. He couldn't get to the ball and Maloney was running across the edge of the box and going nowhere. Cue nervous tension around the ground. Surely we couldn't throw it away now? Not after battling so hard to get in front? YEP!! Maloney curled a very good free kick into the top right hand corner!! Having looked at it again, Taarabt, positioned in the wall, jumped, but then pulled his head away from the ball. Surely any contact would have deflected the ball away from goal?!! That was pretty much the last kick of the game!! We trudged dejectedly away! I note that a few on this board are looking to blame certain players, but I don't think there's any mileage in that. In fact, if you want to play the blame game then you could conceivably find nearly half the QPR team to be at fault. Firstly, Mackie should have run the ball into the corner just prior to the free kick. Instead his poor touch took him in field and he ultimately gave the ball back to Wigan, when it should have been by the corner flag. Then Mbia should never have committed such a stupid foul on the edge of the box. Then Taarabt should have made a better effort at heading the free kick. Lastly, Cesar looked to react very late to a shot that was always going to go where it did!! Typical of us this season, shooting ourselves in the foot. I have to say that Wigan's last minute equaliser was one of the worst moments I can ever recall at a football match. Having had the utter ecstasy of that incredible late Remy goal, to have it all snatched away in the dying seconds was just so cruel. It is going to take a lot of sifting of the sands of time for me to forget the sight of my lad standing up, looking out across the pitch and shouting at the top of his voice.......NOOOOO!! Pure, genuine heartbreak at Loftus Road!! Player ratings and comments: Cesar - 6 - Doesn't look fit to me and his kicking is awful. Possibly could have done better for the free kick. I'd prefer Green. Bosingwa - 7 - Got forward well and was good in possession. Still jogged back on one occasion until given the gee up by the crowd. Hill - 7 - A huge, battling performance from Clint. Samba - 4 - Another awful game. He looks anything but a 12 million pound defender. Terrible in possession, awful positioning and never looked the kind of threat at the other end that we saw last season. Traore - 5 - Didn't do much first half and then went off injured. He must be made of glass!! Townsend - 8 - Man of the match. Easily the best player on the pitch. Jenas - 7 - Good in possession and made some timely interceptions. Looks classy at times. Mbia - 6 - Would have got at least a 7, but that last gasp foul was so stupid....plus he is so embarrassing with all that diving. Hoilett - 4 - A shadow of the player we thought we'd signed. Did very little until taken off. Zamora - 2 - What an idiot!! (At least we won't have to watch his cart-horse impressions for the next 3 games!!) Remy - 8 - This guy is pure goal scoring class. There's no way we would be where we are if he and Harry had been with us all season. What a goal!! Subs: Taarabt - 5 - Looked to get on the ball and be creative, but that chicken out in the wall will haunt him. Onuoha - 7 - Steady, strong and looked a far better defender than Samba! Maqckie - 5 - Only on for a few minutes, but should have got that ball into the corner at the death! Thoughts?
Not the same thing as being there but I done something yesterday that will live with me for a long time. I was watching the game at home with my 2 year old daughter. She was sitting with me all game, when Remy scored that goal I screamed with delight, what a goal, surly that had to be the winner, she looked up at me and smiled, what an amazing feeling. Then their goal went in, same as your son I screamed no, put my head in my hands in disbelief. My daughter grabbed my arm and said something, I shouted at her to stop and leave me alone. The shout came from the pit of my stomach and was angry. She stood up, looked at me started to cry then walked into the hall and hid. What had I done? I have never as much as raised my voice to her before. I was gutted at the result and now very guilty over the incident with my daughter, But then I looked at the TV and spotted Cesar smiling while he swapped his shirt with a Wigan player. What a fool I feel today.
Thanks Col. Very depressing reading. Though we did ok with just 10 men, but we were looking like a 0-0 was our best hope until very belatedly Harry brought on Adel. He seemed to really get us going again, we looked like we could win it with him on the pitch, and I would have given him more than a 5. He shouldn't have ducked but I don't think he was going to get his head to the free kick anyway. Remy's goal should be a top candidate for goal of the season. Absolutely brilliant, both the power run and perfect pass from M'bia and the amazing finish.
In the 55 years i have been going to Loftus Road that equaliser was the most devastating moment i have endured. Worse than Cantona's 96th minute winner that relegated us back in the 90's. It was pure Greek tragedy. Anyway i got well and truly hammered after the game, had a row with my girlfriend and got given the P45. But my love life pales into insignificance compared to my dissapointment at not winning that game. That is the true measure of addiction. Having said that.. we nick a result at Everton and we are back in it with half a chance..
Thank you Col Without doubt the most emotional time for me was the stand up chant I will get to the meet up by end of season my youngest gutted my eldest even effected by it Not over Colin mate its not over
it was a bit poor of me to pick out the only mistake, agree with the chicken out, god knows what he would have done if he got hit with a mitre ball of 20 years ago, they were like concrete where as todays balls arent far off beach balls. Im sure any fan would have blocked that with their face to gain 2 points, it wasnt even a hard kick.
Excellent account Col. Think you got the ratings about right but that is only academical. Wigan could still be playing without scoring. Only way they could get something was from a set piece with the quality of Gomez and Maloney on the pitch. And what did we do? Gave away one dangerous free kick after the other with minutes to go. That was the true crime imo. No blame game here, agree 100% with your sentiments. So so gutted and it reminded me of when Cardiff beat us in the Play Off Final. QPRDROG, had a similar experience myself. Shamed myself with a lot of loud swearing when Wigan scored. To the extent that my daughter hid in the closet. Was proper ashamed and had some explaining to do. Was time to look in the mirror, won't ever fall as low as that EVER again.
Not a good feeling at all NorwayRanger, its amazing what this game does to us. I think yesterday was rare, to go from such a high to such a devastating low in a matter of minutes is tough to take. I just wonder how many of the players took it as hard as us.
Col Thanks for another great report mate. Too gutted to say much. Still not the better of it. Typical QPR. We just seem to be cursed for the last few years. Our poor discipline is just unbelievable. Teams don't have to beat us anymore, we beat ourselves. Gutted.
I did feel for Harry when asked how he would lift the players and he responded with who is going to lift him
Col, great write up. Thank you. Ecstasy and Agony within a few short moments. I think it has all been said but thanks again.
I really feel sorry for your lad mate, although even at his age his must have been through the mill a few times by now. I'm sure what he shouted was politer than what I did! I don't know what to make of Mbia. The number of times he clumsily runs into or kicks players is incredible, but then he was outstanding against Fulham. At this moment I wouldn't be upset if he left in the summer, I'm sure I'll change my mind again before then though. Naive or stupid? If he is naive he could still be a good player, stupid he will never make it.
Thanks for the write-up Col. Another good account of our 'crosses' as the Jamaicans say. As for Mr Silly-Billy M'bia. Been calling him that since he joined us. Buffoon with a big heart and and even bigger tank - but invariably a buffoon just the same. As for Taarabt. His reluctance to head the ball's been a problem for me for ages. How we could do with a big guy like him running into the box to convert a power header from time to time. That reluctance cost us dear at the other end yesterday... But my pity at the unfortunate (if unsurprising) reversal of fortunes yesterday was for our Flanman, who thanks to Stainesy I had the pleasure of sitting next to. At half time he shared with me a very personal sadness that made for a terrible past year for him. Then just when Remi's wonder strike seemed to have made a rare trip over from Holland really worthwhile for him, we go and chuck it all away. We won't forget this year Flanders but for all our sakes, I just hope better will come - and I'd like little more than for you to come over and join us again when it does mate.
Thanks for the report Col. I enjoyed the read. The only player who upset me was Cesar. I thought he should have saved the free kick. He was too far over to his right. He was very weak in organising his wall too. I don't think it was a brilliant free kick. I really want Rob Green in goal now for the rest of the season. Very few of our players ever upset me but Cesar was awful yesterday. His whole attitude is "couldn't give a damn, I'm outta here soon".
