Paulo Sousa acclimatises for QPR
After little more than a week in charge of QPR, life for Paulo Sousa is still very much about acclimatising to the Championship way of doing things after living most of his competitive life amongst the game's elite. Yet his team nearly did enough to make the words of Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan sound ill judged.
Jordan has never been a man who reacts favorably when others offer observations on how his own club is run but he saw fit to question the appointment of the Portuguese whose former clubs number Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, Juventus, Inter Milan, Palma and Borussia Dortmund. "He knows next to nothing about the Championship which is a very specific league," maintained the Palace chairman.
Sousa is wise enough not involve himself in an argument but he seems a man ready to learn. After just three training sessions and having picked the side for two matches, he can look back on a return of four points and if loan signing Heidar Helguson had been a little sharper when presented with a gilt edged opportunity immediately after his half-time introduction, Jordan would really have something to complain about.
As it is QPR still possess the most horrendous goal scoring record away from home in the Football League and are now just 11 minutes of play away from having gone ten hours on their travels without scoring a goal. Sousa knows that is one of the first things that must change under his tenure but he said: "Of course this level is different to what I am used to working with. The English style is quick with high intensity and I need to adapt.
"Hopefully I will give confidence to the players and that will create more scoring chances. This team will grow and develop in the future and we will have more opportunities."
Helguson's last piece of action for Bolton Wanderers was a half hour run out as a substitute on September 13, four days before QPR scored their last away league goal at Norwich. The Icelandic international had made just one token touch in midfield when the ball was laid into his path by the willing Patrick Agyemang and unimpaired by any defensive change he advanced on the Palace goal only to blaze his shot agonisingly wide.
Such gifts have been rare for QPR of late as they have now gone six away games with a goal, let alone a win. Nevertheless they left with an air of contentment. Palace after all have been something of a form team of late and had been thwarted in their attempt to register a fourth win in succession. Still manager Neil Warnock maintained: "I cannot fault anybody and overall I am quite pleased with the way we played."
Crystal Palace: Speroni 6, Clyne 7, McCarthy 6, Fonte 6, Hill 6, Oster 5, Watson 7, Carle 5 (sub. Derry 62 mins 7), Ifill 5 (sub. Kuqi 62 mins 7), Scannell 6 (sub. Griffit 86 mins 5), Beattie 6.
QPR: Cerny 6, Ramage 6, Stewart 8, Gorkss 6, Delaney 5, Ephraim 6, Leigertwood 7, Mahon 6, Parejo 4 (sub Helguson HT 5), Blackstock 6 (sub. Rowlands 56 mins 6), Agyemang 7 (sub. Di Carmine 90 mins 5)
Star player: Damion Stewart (QPR)
Attendance: 16,411
