TWIST & SHOUT
Mcclaren finally hits right note ...and thanks new loan stars
STEVE MCCLAREN insisted that QPR’S season started yesterday after a stunning debut winner from loan Ranger Tomer Hemed.
The former England manager sent for strike power last week after seeing his side lose the first four league matches of the season for the first time.
But Brighton forward Hemed made a huge and instant impact – scoring an acrobatic 35th-minute winner to secure a first win and haul QPR off the foot of the table.
Nahki Wells, an arrival from Burnley, is another member of the loan cavalry that Mcclaren expects to ignite Rangers’ campaign.
And it was Wigan who were left angry and disappointed – with boss Paul Cook (below) furious that Hemed’s goal stood after what looked an earlier push on Chey Dunkley. A delighted and relieved Mcclaren said: “Getting them in on loan has made a huge difference to this club, especially as we had no money to buy.
“We were praying for the transfer window to close and the loan market to open, because that was all we could take. We have worked on those two for four or five weeks.
“Once they came in on Thursday you could see the belief in the other players, they could see we were actually moving forward. Now we know we’ve got people on the field who can score goals.
“We said on Thursday that it felt like the start of our season again, and we need to build our team around these two strikers, even if it means changing our system and our style.
“It’s a nice fresh start. The fight was incredible and you have to do that to keep a clean sheet.”
Cook, meanwhile, raged: “We are getting informed from the sidelines that the other officials have told the referee it is a foul before the goal.
“We have watched it back. If he doesn’t think that’s a foul we have all got issues. It has changed the game, goals change the whole dynamic of a match.
“I can’t see how he gets it wrong. We were in the ascendancy and that put us on the back foot.
“It is about getting the key decisions at the key moments right.
“They are massive, and if they get them right this probably ends up 0-0.”
After conceding 10 goals in four days against West Brom and Bristol City QPR goalkeeper Matt Ingram was also left out of the side yesterday – and replacement Joe Lumley delivered with some fine saves.
Wigan had the better of the first half-hour with Nick Powell and Josh Windass, on his full debut after a move from Rangers, looking dangerous.
But against the run of play Rangers took the lead with a spectacular goal from Israel international Hemed.
A first corner on the left from Luke Freeman (left) was not cleared with Wigan angrily claiming a push on Dunkley in the melee – and Hemed hooked the ball in to the relief of every Rs fan inside Loftus Road.