Boss Roy Keane admitted that his Town side were very much second best to QPR as Neil Warnock’s men left Suffolk after a 3-0 victory. Despite his team’s comfortable win, Warnock felt Portman Road had changed for the better this season.

Keane had no argument with the scoreline: “It was probably a fair result. I don’t think we turned up tonight, we never got going. The second goal killed the game for us.

“I took a few gambles in the second half, which was the only way we were going get back into the game. It was either that or we were going to lose by four or five, it was one of those nights.

“Credit to QPR, they took full advantage of that and they did a good job on us. That’s what good teams do.”

The Blues boss says few of his team impressed: “It was one of those nights where I don’t think many players can say that they were at their best. Márton made some good saves, Connor did well when he came on, but other than that we all looked like we were at 90% and we’re not good enough to get away with that.

Despite the defeat, Keane says there’s no need for too much gloom: “It’s important that we chill out and stay relaxed. Over the last few weeks we haven’t felt that we are that good a team and all of a sudden this evening I don’t think we’re that bad a team. It’s football, it happens.”

Keane says there should be news on the targeted loanee, believed to be Sunderland's Jack Colback, on Thursday.

A buoyant Neil Warnock felt it was important to begin the game strongly: “I knew we had to start well today. Ipswich have had a great start to the season and there’s nothing better football-wise than playing an evening match at Portman Road.

“I was pleased to see the rain bucketing down, it was a great evening to be a forward tonight I thought. We started well and took the game to them and I was delighted when the first goal came and I think it calmed us down and gave us that belief.

“I think we played very well tonight and I don’t think anybody could have coped with the way we played."

Warnock says he expects the Blues to bounce back against Cardiff: “I think you’ll see a different Ipswich performance on Saturday, but on the night we played very well and Roy will be the first to say that.

“But you can see the club has changed this year, you can see the optimism, you can see the fans raring to go and I think it’s a far better place now down here than it was last year.”

Photo: Action Images

Back_The_Boss added 07:02 - Sep 15 Totally outplayed. QPR showed class and will probably finish in the same position as they are now. Another tough game on saurday, COYB!
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streety86 added 07:06 - Sep 15 Still don't know y keane likes to have one up top at home, should have learnt from last season it doesn't work
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Clive525 added 07:17 - Sep 15 The game was disappointing but not as much as the crowd. Not even 20000 for an unbeaten team in a top of the table clash.Ticket prices or style of football? I think both need looking at quickly.
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Titters added 07:41 - Sep 15 The good thing is that QPR will probably win this division by a mile. They did make us look ordinary but starting at home with one out-and-out forward was a bad management decision and showed too much respect. Strengthening the midfield is one thing (and that didn't work!) but then banging the ball up skywards to Scotland who had his back to goal the whole of the first half was a complete waste of time. By the time we did change it around and put pressure on them it was too late anyway. RK should have had a rethink mid first half while we were still in the game. The big test is how we react to a loss. We need to be tactically more aware on Saturday.

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haynes_is_a_ledgend added 07:44 - Sep 15 Name a player that played well, We got what we asked for we were the home team and put 1 up front stupid. Just look what happends when you are scard of the big boys
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blue1986 added 07:51 - Sep 15 5th after 6 games i will take that COYB!!!!
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Suffolk_n_Good added 07:54 - Sep 15 Really disappointed with last night's display, we lacked ideas all over the park. & were never at the races, we desreved to get beat, sometimes you just have to hold your hand up & admit the other team deserved to win. Wickham looked good & raring to go when he came on, he's gotta start on Sat, & maybe give Troy Brown a start, to push Peters further forward.
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martleshamitfc added 08:02 - Sep 15 A dissapointing night , but QPR seem to be the team that will run away with the championship title this year so no need to panic! More important is how the team bounce back on Saturday, we win and we maybe 2nd in the league, not a bad start? Back the team and keep the faith.
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suffolksam added 08:03 - Sep 15 hope we aren t heading for mid-table mediocrity again fist decent team we play we get hammered
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ramseyn added 08:06 - Sep 15 Anyone out there that wouldve been happy to take 2 points out of these 2 fixtures? I wouldve and we may still get 3, if the performance is the same Saturday then I might moan a bit. Boothroyd, bellamy and chopra all missing last night.
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Hermann_eats_puffin added 08:07 - Sep 15 Last night was a disappointing result but it was against a team I fully expect to be up there in the top three last season and it does not detract from the fact that we have made a good start to the season. One bad result does not completely change that and nobody wins the league in September so what we need to do is pick ourselves up and move on to give the team our full support on Saturday rather than being negative and getting on the teams back.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:23 - Sep 15 I'm not surprised by last night's result: well maybe I'm a bit surprised by the scale of it, but not by the away win. I felt it had to be coming somehow. At the moment it looks as though QPR are head and shoulders above everyone in this division. No reason why we shouldn't be in the chasing pack, but we will be about the same level as a lot of other teams and we need to recover quickly. Let's hope we can do that on the telly on Saturday. (Well, it's on here in Sweden - don't know about the UK). COYB.

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BlooooCD added 08:23 - Sep 15 The result was a fair reflection of the game no doubt! But dear oh dear we were so poor in the first half eah! Those long balls from Fulop to Scotland, every one of the first and second ball's lost! really frustrating... And as for our Corners, every time they had 2 big lumps on mcauley and seldom was the ball delivered in that good! I felt Warnock had Keanos tactics sussed and our players looked nervous from the start - just punting the ball anywhere and everywhere at times... If we are going to get service to the forwards we have to play the ball on the deck and complete the basic pass... QPR looked really good as a complete outfit, players without the ball were working to give width and options! This was a lesson, but I am happy to learn and make sure we don't have a repeat performance! Onward and Upward - We were never gonna win every game, we have had a good start and need to build on the platform, other results went our way last night... So come on the Bloooooooo's this Saturday!!!!! Great to see Connor back in action, this lad is a bloody superstar! Head and shoudlers above everyone else on the pitch (quite literally).

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dobbie73 added 08:27 - Sep 15 Very disappointing last night, but full credit to QPR - they really do look like promotion contenders, even at this early stage of the season. We started well in both halves, but QPR's engine in midfield just completely stifled us, hence I suspect the reversion to hopeful long-balls. I'm hoping that it was an off-day rather than a deeper problem, especially as we have had a good start this season - we just came up against a better side on the day when we were very out of sorts. I'm not sure Keano could have done much different, other than maybe getting Wickham on earlier as Scotland was lost up there on his own. I think the midfield was where it was all won and lost - QPR were absolutely dominant in the centre. For us, Norris was uncharacteristically quiet, Hyam was overawed a bit, Edwards and Townsend were OK but never really threatened. Disappointing yes, but its only one game against what I believe are the likely division winners. We digest, we learn, we pick ourselves up, we move on. Sadly I can't be there Saturday (friend's stag do!), but give 'em a cheer from me, and hopefully the blue wagon will start rolling again .... COYB!!!!!!!

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gazza3967 added 08:39 - Sep 15 I can't believe that we are all moaning about our first loss. yes we was outplayed and the 4-5-1 formation didnt work.But i will take this position that we are in and hopefully we can bounce back put this behind us and start again Saturday against cardiff . COYB
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GiveusaWave added 08:40 - Sep 15 Like has been said before- not too upset about the loss. QPR have a fantastic squad and have really got loads of strength in depth that has been epitomised by their recent transfers. They will be first or second this season- they have put a lot of money into trying to achieve promotion this year and it will come about. Our squad has only lost once so there is no need at the moment to worry. If we lost the next 2 THEN I would start to worry about where our season is going. Our tactics were strange (QPR are really good in the air and we kept trying to test their defenders with aerial balls) and we lacked creativity (hopefully Colback can add to this). We only have a small squad and a lot of them are not seasoned professionals so they will take time to bed in. 5th or 6th at the end of the season and doing the double over Norwich would be a very good result considering our present squad depth this season.

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Ipswich24 added 08:54 - Sep 15 I will give an honest opinion about the match and our performance and before anyone says were you there yes i was behind the goal in north stand. It was an absolute disgrace embarassing performance we have turned into the new wimbledon why on earth we buy a five foot seven inch striker just to lump it up in the air against too six foot plus centre halfs i felt really sorry for him he was brought as a fox in the box player who thrives on the ball to feet and us whipping crosses in. we didnt use the pitch get wide put any quality in box our corners were terrible not at any time did i think we would win a header. That tarabat bloke ran the game taking the p***. I am very angry not because we lost but the way we played what has happened to the Ipswich way of playing anyone would think we were the side being managed by warnock. Keane you were a footballer at man utd they never teached you to play the way your teaching our team and why take our most creative player off at half time. and all you lot slating priskin what chance did he have he aint a left winger keane play the players in their right positions. and also can see why we were after derry in the summer he completly ran the show.

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sonian_blue added 09:27 - Sep 15 Pretty predictable, we lose a game and the message board is full. As Keano said in his piece we didnt turn up tonight and that for me was the most annoying thing. We gifted them two goals and then resorted to the hoof ball which is not the way with one up front and by halftime the game had gone. I dont believe we were outclassed, more we ccontributed to our own downfall. Maybe QPR will walk the league but I prefer to believe they caught us on an off night, our passing was non existent. Letrs not dwell on it, beat the Bluebirds on saturday and we will be flying high again . . . . and this board will be empty! Bring it on COYB Boys.

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naa added 09:35 - Sep 15 The main problem last night wasn't lack of quality, as such, it was lack of tactics. Whenever our players got the ball they were forced into the long ball through lack of options, as no-one seems to know how to find space and get us moving the bal quickly forwards - something QPR did very well. I'm hoping it was just a blip tonight but it was worryingly reminiscent of most of last season last night (lack of options, ideas and a lot of hoofing). The hoofing would be bad enough at the best of times, but we have a very small team these days so we really do need to work on the quick passing, triangles etc etc. QPR looked good though. Warnock may be a bell, but he's a good manager at this level.

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bluelady added 10:06 - Sep 15 quick question does anyone know if Sunderland have injury problems at the moment? Keane said last night he has a player he was looking to bring in from the PRem but the team had some injury problems........
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bluelady added 10:13 - Sep 15 i hope this was a blip. Bristol City game we came out looking like a team, looking like we believed we cud win. last night we came out with heads down, no team spirit, no working as a team (even the back four looked woeful) it was like going back in time......... yes this is only one loss this season but what a loss it was we were made to look very poor indeed, like rabbits in headlights most of the game. I will be there saturday cheering the lads on and just hope and pray that they take this as a wake up call and pull together as a team like they have the rest of the games this season............ btw saturdays result put into perspective when Crystal Palace put 4 away against them last night!!!

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dobbie73 added 10:18 - Sep 15 Bluelady - Man Utd have lost Valencia for the rest of the season .....!?
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camblue added 10:23 - Sep 15 Feeling really sorry for myself at ht,then the para who survived that horrific bomb blast, going round the pitch with his mates, put everything into perspective.
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TractorRoyNo1 added 10:38 - Sep 15 QPR will be champions by Easter, best team I've seen at PR for a couple of years, better than N'castle or WBA. I 'hate' COLIN but you have to say he knows how to get a team motivated.
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TractorRoyNo1 added 10:40 - Sep 15 their captain is suspended again - so Colbeck can't leave yet. bluelady added 10:06 - Sep 15 quick question does anyone know if Sunderland have injury problems at the moment? Keane said last night he has a player he was looking to bring in from the PRem but the team had some injury problems........
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