R'S BOSS COUNTS POINTS, NOT CASH
QPR manager Luigi De Canio insists the pressure of managing the club suddenly dubbed 'the richest in the world' sits comfortably on his shoulders after a 2-1 win over Colchester lifted them off the foot of the Coca-Cola Championship.
Rangers are expected to embark on a January transfer spree the like of which the Championship has never seen following billionaire Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal's investment in the club alongside Formula One moguls Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore.
Akos Buzsaky struck twice as Rangers sunk Colchester, who now replace them at the foot of the table, despite Mark Yeates' consolation and Damion Stewart's late dismissal.
And rather than working on an expensive new year wish-list, De Canio is happy concentrating on guiding Rangers further away from trouble.
"The money is not mine," he quipped. "I am just happy this club is becoming an important, solid club, and I'm pleased for the fans who can see a bright future.
"We will work hard to get things right, and we will utilise our finances in the best possible way.
"No club has unlimited funds, everyone has a budget. But when the time is right we will discuss the budget and what to do with it.
"I have no problem with the pressure. When you affiliate yourself to a club you take on a project. I am very happy to be in this country, at this club and with this group of players.
"My job is to see the immediate issue and objective, and that is that QPR are off the bottom."
On-loan midfield star Buzsaky will become De Canio's first big-money signing when he joins for £500,000 from Plymouth in January, and he is already paying the fee back with five goals in 10 games.
Both strikes against Colchester oozed class, turning on the edge of the area and firing a left-footed curler past Dean Gerken after 27 minutes, and doubling Rangers' lead after the break with a cool finish following a one-two with Dexter Blackstock.
Yeates pulled one back when he latched onto Teddy Sheringham's flick-on and dinked the ball over Lee Camp, and Rangers survived a late onslaught after Stewart's dismissal for two bookings inside nine minutes.
"It ended up being quite a difficult encounter," added De Canio. "I'm pleased, though. We've been working hard and it's paying off.
"I do believe the team has it in them to play the entire 90 minutes the way they played in the first half."
Colchester manager Geraint Williams was left to rue a late penalty decision which went against his team after Kevin Lisbie appeared to be felled in the penalty area, only to be booked for diving.
"It looked like a penalty to me but that's referees' decisions, you have them every week," he said.
"But I've never yet seen a striker look to dive when he's got round the back and is clean through on goal, but the referee obviously thought he did.
"We made a terrible start. In the first half we didn't look anything like ourselves. We looked a better side in the second half but we'd already given ourselves too much to do."
