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Match Review: QPR 2-1 Fulham

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! That is all.

Such is the relief that there isn't a zero next to our name in the Premier League table any more that I can't conjure up a witty title or subheading for this blog post. The mighty Superhoops have won a league game for the first time since May 6th. But this wasn't just any old victory: they beat West London rivals Fulham, who they hadn't even scored against since last beating them in the league in 1983. And best of all, they thoroughly deserved it!

Harry Redknapp appears to have finally realised that Bosingwa and Granero are not good enough and don't have enough stomach for the relegation battle ahead and has brought back forgotten men Nedum Onuoha and Alejandro Faurlin from the cold. He also decided to be positive enough to play Mackie and Djibril Cisse up top with Taarabt in his favourite attacking central midfield playmaker role in front of Derry and Faurlin, the classic Championship-winning combination. 

The proactiveness and positive mindset of Redknapp clearly had a galvanising effect on the side, and QPR started the game with a real purpose, freshness and tempo about their play. There was an energy in the passing and closing down that we haven't seen all season and this immediately got the home fans engaged and supportive. Fulham, on the other hand, didn't appear to be expecting any sort of tempo from the home side at all and appeared to have turned up expecting to play a side emotionally drained and bereft of confidence. Jamie Mackie nearly made them pay for their sluggishness when John Arne Riise's casual backpass to Schwarzer was intercepted by some quick thinking by the Scotland striker, but he put the ball agonisingly wide when it seemed easier to score. What was hugely frustrating about this chance was that if the mistake was made by us, you could put your mortgage on every other team in the Premier League clinically punishing us for it. 

QPR were the better side throughout the first half but suffered the same old familiar problem of not finding enough ways to test Schwarzer, who was even brought out early during half time to warm up (I think Jol was taking the piss!). At least in this match we weren't treated to the sideways football of Hughes! Adel Taarabt was looking determined and in the groove, Faurlin was spraying passes around like he always has done when in QPR colours, the play was not so skewed to the right hand side as it has been in recent weeks and Traore was bombing forward which was encouraging to see - the over-reliance on Bosingwa and SWP down the right this year has been completely unnecessary and reaped no rewards. Mbia was finding plenty of room to operate in the middle, Nedum Onuoha looked solid and able to support in attacks where required and, for a change, even the 'mature' central defensive partnership of Hill and Nelsen were not having any problems. Fulham's best chance came from Armand Traore inexplicably letting a pass from Taarabt through his legs to roll all the way back to Green when there were Fulham players in the vicinity. Luckily the goalkeeper was alert but it is this kind of lapse that has changed some of the games we have been involved in this season in the blink of an eye. Apart from this, Green only had one awkward cross to deal with, which he caught rather than flapped at as Cesar would have done in the same situation. Dimitar Berbatov did show glimpses of the class player he is but wasn't given much room to manouevre. A neat flick had the tourists in the away end "whoo"-ing with ecstasy but it didn't lead to anything, and overall his impact on the game was minimal. 

The second half began much as the first had ended, with QPR once again in the ascendancy. Adel Taarabt was being given plenty of room to stretch his legs in his attacking central midfield role even with Steve Sidwell chipping away at his ankles (and those of other QPR players). On one of these occasions, he made a straight run forward at the Fulham defence who parted like the red sea. Taarabt found himself with just Brede Hangeland and Mark Schwarzer in front of him and, in true Taarabt style, shot from way out with what appeared at first to be a fairly poor effort, but had sufficient pace behind it to ricochet off the backtracking Hangeland and completely fool Schwarzer. This was exactly the sort of luck we need and resembled the lucky break we got at Wigan the previous weekend, only this time, we were the side in control and had not looked anywhere near as frail as we did at the back that day. The moment was soured a little by referee Martin Atkinson, who has a long history of poor refereeing decisions when it comes to QPR and football in general (Clint Hill v Bolton away anyone). This time he was determined to make the headlines by booking Taarabt for over celebrating. What really grated me about this was that Taarabt didn't even remove his shirt and if you're a struggling team at the bottom there is bound to be an outpouring of emotion in moments like this. There was absolutely no need for it; yet more rubbish from one of the league's worst officials.

Moments after going into the lead it really really really should have been 2-0. Chris Baird was put under pressure by Ryan Nelsen (caught in the opposition penalty area for the 2nd match in a row!) and the ball fell to the feet of Djibril Cisse, who, instead of providing the simple finish, decided he would try to beat Schwarzer with a curling effort off the ground but it went inches wide. Cisse has got it in him to be an excellent and lethal finisher but for some reason this campaign he has tried to score with the spectacular more often than the simple finishes. Luckily for him though it soon did become 2-0. Taarabt marauded his way through that central midfield area once again and this time, with no defender in front of him and time to think about how he would finish the chance, he produced an astonishing curling effort with the outside of his boot which took the daisies on the ground with it beyond Mark Schwarzer and precisely into the bottom corner. A beautiful finish! 

The 2-0 lead relaxed QPR a bit and whilst the home fans rejoiced, the players took their foot of the gas and stuck to possession football. As he always is against QPR, Steve Sidwell was an annoyance throughout the match. I'm not often ginger-ist and I have many orange headed friends, but he plays football exactly how I'd imagine an annoying strawberry blonde to play - kicking seven shades out of people and getting away with it! In the 76th minute, Martin Atkinson, with extreme pressure from the crowd, finally booked him for what I'd guess was his seventh foul of the match. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not too keen on him...

The last ten minutes was just a little bit too relaxed and QPR became happy to let Fulham have the ball. With three minutes to go, it was the heart-in-mouth time that we have grown so accustomed to over the years as Rangers fans. Mladen Petric, fresh off the tourists' bench, got a run at the QPR defence and a sight at goal and... well, wouldn't you just know it. The shot took a wicked deflection to carry it past Rob Green who was at full stretch. It was a real shame that this had to become such a nervous end to a game we had controlled and Green had been so quiet, but it wouldn't be QPR if it wasn't this way.  The goal seemed to breathe life into both sides, with Fulham suddenly sensing an unlikely shot at an equaliser, but the R's were disturbed from their slumber. In fact, the game's final chance fell to the Hoops, where Armand Traore produced the kind of wonder cross we all know he has in his locker but hardly ever see, Djibril Cisse got excellent contact but it was well anticipated and very well stopped by the Aussie custodian. Fulham regained possession after QPR gave away free kicks in stoppage time but were unable to cause any further damage to the scoreline and the R's held on for a much needed victory that maybe, just maybe, makes things a little bit more interesting down the bottom.

In summary then, this was the best R's performance since at least Tottenham away. A clean sheet would have been nice but this will do. QPR were by and large dominant, determined, fluid and excellent and not the side Fulham were expecting to play.

So, for now at least: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwjfUFyY6M

Man of the match: When he's interested, engaged, in the groove and that first trick of the game comes off for him, he can be unplayable. Adel Taarabt was terrific in this match and Fulham just could not live with him.