QPR 3, West Brom 1: Chris Lepkowski's big match verdict
Mar 8 2010 by Christopher Lepkowski, Birmingham Mail
TWO years ago Albion left Loftus Road with the league title trophy proudly on display at the front of the team bus.
On Saturday the journey back was a little more sobering. No trophies, no points. A few questions perhaps.
Albion dropped out of the top two and lost their second away game in succession.
And then there was the manner of the loss. In fairness, defeat to QPR was not a major surprise.
Neil Warnock’s arrival changed the dynamics of the meeting. The fact that Rangers were struggling was somewhat irrelevant. The appointment of a new manager at any club raises morale, spirits and pushes players to their limits – they want to prove themselves to the new boss.
It wasn’t helped that Scott Carson and Albion’s backline had an afternoon to forget.
Carson was to blame for the first goal. No question. He should have held on to Adel Taarabt’s right-wing cross.
He didn’t and Jay Simpson – who else? – finished off the chance from close range.
Was he to blame for the third? Perhaps. It was a mess from all concerned. A long Akos Buzsaky free-kick went unchallenged, bounced in front of Carson, went over his head and trickled in.
In between came QPR’s second goal, a strike by Matthew Connolly, who continued his run down the right to slip past Marek Cech, who was way out of position, before slipping the ball in between Carson’s legs. Albion hit back when Jerome Thomas, perhaps for the only time in the game, got the better of Connolly and was able to send over a cross which was put away by Chris Brunt – his looping header flying over Carl Ikeme and into the net. It was a well-worked goal, with Simon Cox and Cech combining well to send Thomas away in the first place.
As a lone striker Cox did his best. His workrate couldn’t be faulted but where Albion failed him was in the service.
Too often the balls would fly in at head height. Not surprisingly he got little change from Mikele Leigertwood and powerhouse centre-half Damion Stewart. It was all a little predictable and underlined the flaws of playing with one up front when that ‘one’ isn’t Roman Bednar.
Cox did occasionally play such a role before, for preivous club Swindon, but Albion need to adapt their supply if he or Luke Moore are playing in that position.
Sadly for Albion their game plan wasn’t helped by Slovenia and Scotland opting to field Robert Koren and Graham Dorrans for the full 90 minutes. The replacements who came into midfield were more than adequate – indeed James Morrison, starting for the first time in 11 months, was Albion’s best performer – but the reality is that their pattern and cohesion had been disrupted.
