QPR end 84 years of hurt
AS C Christmas presents go, this has h been a long, long wait.
After Aft 84 years, Queen’s Park Rangers have finally won a game at Nottingham Forest. Fores
They Th started trying in 1934 and 35 games later, 20 of them lost, they’ve made it.
No club in English football footb history had gone so long lo without winning winn at an away ground until their German Germ captain, Toni Leistner, powered powe in a header head right on half-time. half-t
It took t a tremendous trem save in the second secon half by Joe Lumley, L flying to turn Adlene Adlen Guediuoura’s 35-yarder 35-ya on to the crossbar cross to make history, but 18 managers on, Steve Mcclaren Mccl was the man to break the hodoo.
“It’s “It good to get that monkey monk off your back,” said Mcclaren. Mccl “We know Nottingham Notti Forest is a tough place to come. But I thought thoug the players were magnificent. magn
“It was a great team effort. effor No outstanding individual, indiv everyone doing their job.”
Almost Alm 1,500 QPR fans went nuts. It wasn’t clear if anyone anyo watching was old enough enou to have been there at the start of QPR’S epic search searc for a win at Forest, but Mcclaren M added: “I am so proud of the players. I don’t know exactly how far this team can go.
“But we don’t want to waste this result, and the one we had before this in beating Middlesbrough. We must build on them against Ipswich on Boxing Day.”
Getting anything out of this game was a miracle for Rangers. But Mcclaren seemed so confident after QPR took their lead that he didn’t take his seat on the bench until three minutes into the second half.
Cool? Or was he so worried history might still repeat itself that he needed a quick trip to the loo?
There was no need to fret. Forest were dreadfully poor and Guedioura’s blinder of a shot was their only dangerous moment
That’s two successive 1-0 home defeats for Forest that seriously damages their promotion bid.
Boss Aitor Karanka (left) is not happy and is threatening players with the chop. “It is soon January and the market will be open,” he warned.
“If some of these players don’t want to be here and don’t have the mentality then maybe we have to change.
“We didn’t approach this game in the way we needed to. If you don’t play to your best in the Championship it is impossible to win.
“In the first half I think we were playing a friendly game or a training session. If I had an explanation for that I would tell you.”
With half time imminent Luke Freeman put in a superbly accurate free-kick and Leistner got a thumping header.
There wont be a better Christmas present for QPR fans.