Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Ipswich Town 0-2 Queens Park Rangers - Match Report
Saturday, 20th Oct 2018 17:08

First-half goals from Luke Freeman, direct from a corner, and Tomer Hemed, from the penalty spot, gave QPR a comfortable 2-0 victory over dismal Town at Portman Road, where the Blues remain without a win in more than six months. Freeman curled his flag-kick over keeper Dean Gerken on 13 and Hemed netted from the spot in first-half injury time.

Town boss Paul Hurst named the same XI which started the 3-2 win, the Blues' first of the season, at Swansea a fortnight ago.

That saw Matthew Pennington again at right-back and Janoi Donacien on the left with Jonas Knudsen on the bench, which was also unchanged from the trip to the Liberty Stadium.

Skipper Luke Chambers was over the illness which a number of players had suffered from during the last week and took his usual role at the centre of the defence, while Grant Ward, who we understand was the mystery pre-match injury doubt, was also in the XI.

QPR, wearing a lurid pink away kit, made two changes from the team which drew 1-1 at home with Derby prior to the international break with Hemed and Pawel Wszolek replacing one-time Town trialist Nahki Wells and Jordan Cousins, who dropped to the bench.

The visitors, kicking towards the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand, had the best of the opening few minutes but without creating a chance, although former Blues loanee Massimo Luongo blazed well wide following a corner on eight.

Three minutes later, Rangers went closer when Hemed headed over from another flag-kick.

The West Londoners threatened again on 13 when Wszolek got on to Chambers’s header back towards Gerken as they chased a ball down the right but the keeper saved the Polish international’s shot from a tight angle.

However, directly from the corner the visitors took the lead. Freeman curled the ball in under the bar and Gerken was unable to get enough on it to turn it over.

Town found themselves behind before they had got going via another very preventable goal.

The visitors continued to have most of the ball and make all the running with the Blues unable to string anything together until the half-hour mark when a long spell of passing, largely orchestrated by Andre Dozzell, ended with Gwion Edwards whipping over a cross which was beyond any of his team-mates.

Moments later at the other end, a loose Nsiala pass gave the ball to Wszolek, who broke into the area before his shot was blocked.


Town were showing signs of finally making some headway, however, and they might have levelled on 35. Chalobah broke forward into the right of the box and cut back to an unmarked Ward, who mistimed his shot and the ball looped well wide.

But moments before the break the Blues found themselves 2-0 behind. After they had failed to clear another of Freeman’s corners from the right, the ball fell to Eberechi Eze, who tried to work himself space in the box before Nsiala slid in and upended him.

There was little doubt that it was a penalty and Hemed found the net from the spot with a low shot to Gerken’s left.

The whistle went within seconds to loud boos from the Portman Road crowd after a disastrous half from the Blues.

QPR started the stronger before being gifted their goal by they type of error which has been all to common from Town’s keepers and defence all season.

The Blues had started to get into the game and might have equalised through Ward - their only chance of the half - before QPR were handed their penalty and increased lead via Nsiala’s rash challenge.

QPR almost increased their lead within seconds of the restart. Eke’s boot appeared to be high as he took the ball off Chambers’s head just outside the box but referee Geoff Eltringham failed to whistle. Fortunately for Town Gerken had come off his line quickly and saved from the England U20 international.

QPR skipper Toni Leistner was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 53rd minute for a foul on Sears midway inside the visitors’ half. The freekick was in a potentially dangerous position but Ward’s ball into the box was easy for the QPR defence to deal with.

Four minutes later Wszolek shot from distance straight at Gerken, then on 59 Pennington made a strong run forward from deep and played a ball for Sears but the striker had strayed offside.

QPR keeper Joe Lumley was forced into his first save of the afternoon in the 61st minute to sarcastic cheers from some sections of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Sears broke away on the left and sent a cross behind Edwards at the far post. Chalobah picked the ball up and sent it back in to Ward, whose header was too close to the QPR keeper to seriously trouble him.

Blues boss Hurst made a double change in the 66th minute with Ward and Edwards making way for Kayden Jackson and 18-year-old debutant Jack Lankester, the first player born in the 2000s to appear for the Town first team.

The subs got involved immediately, Jackson breaking away on the left of the box and sending the ball across towards Lankester on the edge of the six-yard box, however a defender cleared ahead of the youngster.

Three minutes later, Gerken saved from Hemed, then on 71 the visitors had another chance to wrap it up when the Blues made a dreadful mess of a freekick in a promising position and Eze was sent away on goal by QPR with Skuse just sliding in to dispossess the youngster as he prepared to shoot.

Former Wycombe Wanderers loanee Eze went closer to his side’s third goal of the game two minutes later, deftly chipping over Gerken from the edge of the box but seeing the ball bounce off the top of the bar and over.

Yet another loose Town pass, this time from Nsiala, gifted the ball to Eze inside the Blues half on 79 but the impressive youngster’s cross was cut out after he had broken into the area.

A third QPR goal was looking far more likely than a Town first but on 84 Sears sent in a low cross from the right which a visiting defender stabbed away from Jackson.

On 89 Lumley was forced to rush of his line to intercept Dozzell’s pass for Jackson to chase, then ran out of his area to complete the clearance before Josh Scowen replaced man of the match Eze.

The final whistle triggered more boos from the Portman Road faithful after probably the Blues’ worst performance of the season.

QPR were the better side from start to finish with Town on the back foot throughout aside from a couple of brief spells in the first half, all too often surrendering possession needlessly and often in dangerous areas.

They continued their season-long habit of gifting goals and in the end the two-goal margin flattered the home side with the visitors spurning a number of chances and Gerken making a couple of important saves.

At the other end, Ward’s first-half opportunity was the only real chance, set pieces in potentially threatening areas were wasted time and again and the result never looked in any doubt once Hemed had stroked home his penalty.

The defeat, the second at home this season, sees the Blues drop to bottom of the table level on points, goal difference and goals scored with Hull City, who climb above them having won the fixture between the sides last month.

Town next have back-to-back away games at Leeds, who are fourth, on Wednesday and at 22nd-placed Millwall next Saturday.

Town: Gerken, Pennington, Nsiala, Chambers (c), Donacien, Skuse, Chalobah, Edwards (Lankester 66), Dozzell, Ward (Jackson 66), Sears. Unused: Bialkowski, Knudsen, Nolan, Graham, Downes.

QPR: Lumley, Rangel, Leistner (c), Lynch, Bidwell, Cameron, Luongo, Freeman, Eze (Scowen 90), Wszolek, Hemed (Wells 72). Unused: Ingram, Hall, Cousins, Smith, Osayi-Samuel. Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham). Att 18,345 (QPR: 1,338).


Photo: TWTD



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



jas0999 added 18:07 - Oct 20
Completely unacceptable. As the article suggests the score flattered us. A 2-0 LOSS at home to an average QPR flattered us. Wow. That sums up what a complete mess we are in. Okay Swansea was a good result, but on another day we would have lost heavily. All relegated clubs pull off the odd shock.

This is as poor an Ipswich side that I have seen. We would in my opinion struggle in league one. Hurst is regrettably completely and utterly out of his depth. As are most of his signings.

Of course Hurst needs to take most of the responsibility. His players. His tactics. Yet, we haven't heard from Evans regarding this fiasco. Happy to sell our key assets in the summer, the reality is Evans only RE- INVESTED around half. Wages of new signings likely less than those who left.

Evans was apparently at the game today. He now has a very key decision which will ultimately heavily impact the clubs future. I don't really want to see PH sacked, but I'm not convinced that Evans has any other choice if he doesn't want Division one football next season. Money needs to be invested in January, but we need a manager who can get points with very very average players between now and then.

This is a very sorry state of affairs. A club once proud. A club once rich in tradition. A club that cared. No longer and hasn't been the case for a long while. For that Evans must take the blame.
36

Brockleyblue added 18:12 - Oct 20
And, just to top it off, the other fella that was interviewed for the vacant manager's job in the summer, Jack Ross, continues to do really well, with Sunderland having lost only one game all season. He must be mightily lay relieved that he ended up on Wearside rather than in Suffolk. I predicted a few weeks ago that Evans would stick with with Hurst till the late Nov international break, and then give him the boot if we still performing really poorly, and I'm sticking to that prediction. Gloomy days indeed.
3

Skip73 added 18:13 - Oct 20
Dobster, I totally agree with you. The fact that because you have the audacity to say it was better with MM than this idiot gets you more down votes than any other post speaks volumes about the mentality of some on here.
6

78ShadesOfBlue added 18:13 - Oct 20
I think we can safely say that Hurst has destroyed the club.
3

Lathers added 18:13 - Oct 20
I think an experienced Championship manager would struggle to win regular points with the current squad that Evans and Hurst have put together. Hurst is clearly way out of his depth and I don't have the belief in him to bounce us back from League One. Changing him for someone else may make us slightly more competitive, but without serious financial backing in January (which may be too late and Evans isn't going to do anyway) we are literally up the creek without a paddle or a canoe.
4

Zondervanromeo added 18:15 - Oct 20
Only positive today was Lankester looks Quality &Get Bart back in goal Emanuell Kenlock Dozzell Nydam downs & morris please Quite simple If we end up going down so be it but feel we have a much better chance coming back up With these boys playing please Paul Hurst swallow your pride they are better than the plastic players you have signed
18

Felstow1978 added 18:16 - Oct 20
Let's face it. The club has been heading towards relegation and irrelevance ever since Magilton was sacked. Evans' adopted model of an aloof, unengaged owner has ensured Town are on an irreversible downwards trajectory.
23

Vanisleblue2 added 18:17 - Oct 20
What the hell did they do for 2 weeks- I care a little less every day and I cared as much as anyone else for all my life.
Just a very pathetic situation-
There is no one to score goals in this team and how Bialkowski was treated was just wrong
Waghorn, Garner, McGoldrick and Celina all had goals in them.
This shower do not
13

Bluearmy_81 added 18:19 - Oct 20
"I think we can safely say that Hurst has destroyed the club."
No that's Evans...

13

bluearmy4life added 18:22 - Oct 20
So the curse of the International break strikes again! Two week break and you produce that load of crap? Simply not good enough. 1 win in 14 games is horrific. Paul Hurst your a nice guy, but nice guys don't always make good managers. I don't think your up to the task. Far too many changes in the summer and they're back firing massively. We need an experienced manager to come in fast. Our gamble hasn't worked, and the club need to rectify this ASAP! We'll never know if ME had a significant say in the key players sold. This is Paul's and Marcus mess. We are destined to league one right now.
4

warktheline added 18:28 - Oct 20
So many slaughtered me when hapless Hurst and his best buddy Captain Calamity fluked a win in the Welsh Valleys! Have you now awoken and smelling extremely strong coffee? Relegation guaranteed unless major personnel changes are made NOW! Oh by the way, the ‘not convinced Steve Clarke is a manager club'.....I believe in the last 12 months ‘the coach' has amassed more points than any other Scottish Premiership club, yeah that includes the ‘mighty Celtic'!
3

jas0999 added 18:28 - Oct 20
Bluearmy4life - of course we know whether Evans had a significant say in the sale of key players! He's the owner! He sold them! He reinvested HALF of the fees received!

Agree with the rest of your post though.
4

planetblue_2011 added 18:28 - Oct 20
That is by far the worst game I have ever seen at Portman rd, absolutely diabolical!! We were awful the players should be ashamed of their selfs.
Sorry Hurst but your tactics are 💩 why keep playing one up front at home & playing long balls up the pitch to Sears, one of the smallest players on the pitch. 4-4-2 is obviously the formation to play. Us fans can see it why can't you. Our club is ruined by that prat Evans, saying Hurst is the man to get us somewhere. YEAH mate league 1. We are going down if nothing is done by Monday morning. And another fan will be lost if not 💩💩💩
3

Henrietta_R_Hippo added 18:29 - Oct 20
Absolutely abject & abysmal Town performance for the first 60 min ...and then I turned off the iFollow stream!!!

See, "masochism" is basically not really my thing sorry :-) , and oh also had more than enough of it during the painstaking McCarthy Era, which btw was needlessly dragged on way too long by YOU Mr. Evans! ...a pivotal mistake (among many!) that's still gonna haunt you & your team further down this descending road I'm afraid!

So checked the stats at whoscored.com after 17.00 ... and didn't look like I missed something breathtaking from our POV in the last 30 min: Although we somehow ended up with a few more percentages in 'Possession' we were like so many times before this campaign heavily 'OutCornered' (2-12) and heavily 'OutShot' (3-13) with yet AGAIN under Sport Scientific Hurst & his super duper working "Lone Striker" project managing only an embarrassingly few 'On Target!... in fact it was just THE ONE today!

Actually quite lucky to not lose by more than 2 I gather, as among other good QPR chances, at the start of the 2nd Mr. "Undroppable" himself aka Captain Calamity was involved in yet ANOTHER mind-boggling "giveaway", which Rangers really should have put away.

Aye, I too was obviously very happy with the win over Swansea and especially the spirit shown in that memorable comeback win, a 1st win of the season despite*the in that instance *extremely* skewed game-stats in favor of the opponent. HOWEVER, I was also one of the relative few fans who not only called it what it most certainly & undebatably was: "Grand Larceny!" -- and unlike still fewer fans I still remembered the win as being exactly so (and thus not solely the much talked about "positives" from said Swansea game) 14 days later after the international break -- additionally given especially the clear fortuitousness of the win I also suggested fans not to go too overboard in ones reinforced "happy-clappyness" ...neither with the in the first 11 games GENERAL SPEAKING unmistakably fairly "out-of-his-depth" looking at this here level Paul Hurst nor his latest experimenting with his ragtag assembled team's XI, as this MIGHT just be one of those ABERRATION-like wins that bestows nearly all *bad or dysfunctional* teams (and Ladies & Gents: Hurst's ITFC is one such team. Period!) outside the PL every league season.

So ehhh will the *real* Paul Hurst ITFC please stand up? lol

Ohhhh imho sadly I think they already did ...and did it again today!

Reckon lots of fans here will still say this though:
Give him until end of October or even until end of November to quote "sort it out" :-) .... Normally I would luv to agree, as I too fundamentally believe in giving people, especially in charge, a "fair chance" and a fair amount of "leash".... but how much fair is fair enough fans???

As the FACT of the matter is we have already this seasons thrown way too may points away against other poor or directly unscary league opponents!!! and while we occasionally in spells have played OK and even a few times OK+ (normally both happening *only* during the 2nd half btw!), seen as a whole & more bigger picture during Hurst first 13 matches = well then I strongly agree with for instance the venerable Mick Mill's unmistakably harsh but well-founded words & descriptions for the overall dysfunctional and SORRY performances of the team, as well as the equally SORRY overall performances of several individuals in Hurst's experimenting starting XI, talking some of the old faces as well as some of the new faces!
4

masetheace added 18:30 - Oct 20
I think Mick M is still looking for a job !!!
-2

blueboy1981 added 18:31 - Oct 20
Mr Evans - please do us all, and our famous Club, a huge favour and remove Paul Hurst from his Championship escapade at your earliest convenience.

From what I have witnessed today, the Swansea result just had to be a freak result, today there was not a single shred of evidence that Paul Hurst has any idea whatsoever as to what he is doing at this level.

Players today were played totally out of position unnecessarily, it was there for all to see that not only are some struggling to come to terms with the step up to the Championship, some of whom will probably never be able to adjust, playing such players out of position just has to have an even further negative effect, I could go on in detail, but those who know the game will have seen it, and know what I refer to.

We have a great Club set up at both Under 18 and Under 23 level, complemented by excellent Coaches too at both these levels - but that is where it stops - above this we are a SHAMBLES as in evidence for all to see today. These talented youngsters at the above would be far more use to us right now, rather than being on loan elsewhere, whilst we continue with currently inadequate signings trying to make the step up.

Mr Hurst - One up front again, further evidence today that this will NOT work - How much more proof do you need ??
I genuinely felt sorry for the lone Freddie Sears, trying impossibly, to do the business himself. We all know Freddie is more than capable, given the right partner to feed off.

We made another 'run of the mill' team in QPR today look more than effective, and we could easily have lost this game by a far greater margin - let's not overlook this fact, they had their chances to inflict more serious harm than they so comfortably did.

This is not only putting our existence in the Championship in serious doubt now, but seriously threatening the fantastic core of the set up, and people, we have at the Under 18 / Under23 level.
IT IS THAT SERIOUS.

MR EVANS - A PERSONAL PLEA FROM THE HEART :-

PAUL HURST - HAS TO BE SEEN AS COMPLETELY, AND UTTERLY OUT OF HIS DEPTH - AND FOR THE SAKE OF US ALL - REMOVE HIM, BEFORE WE SLIP FURTHER INTO OBLIVION.
This being the only chance we will have of staying in the Championship, and preserving what we have at other levels.



9

Barhamblue added 18:31 - Oct 20
How we all feeling tonight everyone? Well let's put a smile on your faces. Can you remember Beara, webster, Tommy, frazer down the wing, then we had celina, we had murph up front, then waggy with a fiesty Garner, Ming's at right back who replaced cressy.......... oh and all you Mick outers you've done a fine job as a fan. Thanks
-13

Daddio added 18:32 - Oct 20
Something has to be done, that is something that we all agree on.
But remember, Waghorn, Webster & Garner wanted out. Celina was a loan.
Nash made it clear he doesn't want the job.
So lets stop keep calling for him to take over.
Gary White has turned around a national side, where you can't buy any players and have to work with what you have.
ME needs to decide on his position, does he want to carry on, probably not, then cut your losses and get out.
Personally I think Burley has been out for too long, Butcher has never really succeeded in a managers position. Mills talks a good game, but so did Hurst when he got here.
6

stevieiriswattii added 18:35 - Oct 20
So little quality, very little imagination (apart from glimpses from Dozzell, Chalobah & Lankester), one (weak) shot on target. Consistently poor all game, whereas with matches early in the season there has been some improvement after the break. The crowd sarcastically (understandably) cheering a shot or a Gerken save. The defence can't pass forward, on the ground, so teams just need to press the midfield & they win the ball back. Sears unable to win the ball in the air, so we keep hoofing it up to him. Gerken, unfortunately always has a ricket in him. We don't seem to be learning from previous mistakes.
4

blueboy1981 added 18:36 - Oct 20
....... sorry Henrietta - my mistake, gave you a minus - believe me totally agree with your post.

So disorientated, disappointed, and disillusioned at what I have seen today.
1

mulbarton67 added 18:37 - Oct 20
Ok, so there were too many poor individual performances and mistakes - Ward, Nsiala, Donacian, Gerken. But we were set up to fail weren't we? A right back at left back, a centre back at right back, a World Cup left back on the bench, and pumping high balls up to a 5'8” lone striker at home - even when when we're 2-0 down. Too much change, too quickly, league 1 signings, last years youngsters loaned out, and I think he's lost the dressing room and the old pro's. We need 7 points from Preston, Reading and Milwall. Maybe a hiding at Leeds will wake Evans up...
7

Nobbysnuts added 18:38 - Oct 20
So the wally with the Brolly out smarts the chuckle brothers. I wonder what tactics he told his team? Oh yeah I know 'GO AND PLAY FOOTBALL' that will confuse them!!!😁🤣😀
1

Elizabeth added 18:39 - Oct 20
Please do the honourable thing and resign ! This is appalling! The commentary was diabolical to say the least .. I feel so sorry for Brenna and Mick to have to encounter such garbage !
The team must feel so depleted and the “manager “ stands on the touchline absolutely clueless!! No passion or direction ! I can feel a few prosecco's coming on !!
3

budgieplucker added 18:42 - Oct 20
If the change is made now then just maybe Mark Warburton my be able to salvage it with out sacrificing to a dour backs to the wall style. Let it go another few games and then I think we will be into Simon Grayson as the type of option.
0

RobsonWark added 18:42 - Oct 20
It was definitely the right thing to do to get rid of MM. I'll never forget Ian Milne being reported in the Ipswich Star as saying "Where else can you get 2 hours of entertainment for £30?" The guy is a complete idiot who has obviously never played the beautiful game and knows absolutely nothing about football!! Why would anyone want to be a midfield player in an MM team? He should just go with a 5-0-5 formation. He would have had more success. I'm sure MM's tactics would be the same even if he was manager of Barcelona.

All Paul Hurst had to do when he became manager was to get rid of our two worst players over the years i.e. Luke Chambers and Cole Skuse (MM's favourites) and replace them with our promising youngsters. Instead he keeps them in the team despite constant blunders by Chambers who blames every other player when we concede a goal (but apparently he talks a lot to the players so that's why his is in the team???) , sends all our promising youngsters out on loan, drops our best player over the past 3 years who kept us in the Championship (Yes, there is a reason he got called up by Poland Paul Hurst) and brings in to the match teams far too many unproven players from lower league clubs!

Having said all that, I still want to give Paul Hurst a chance. Sir Bobby Robson had a bad start when he became Ipswich manager and Sir Alex Ferguson had a bad start when he became Manchester United Manager. Who knows...maybe in 20 or 30 years we could be calling PH Sir Paul Hurst.
2


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2024