QPR v Preston player ratings
Preston came from behind to win at Loftus Road. Here’s how we rated each QPR player in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat.
Matt Ingram: 6
Making his first Championship appearance in almost two years, Ingram looked solid overall but an ill-advised attempt to dribble away from Alan Browne earned him a needless yellow card.
Darnell Furlong: 7
The right-back’s positioning still provides grounds for concern, but there were several occasions when his safety-first approach towards balls into the penalty area kept Preston at bay.
Alex Baptiste: 8
Although Baptiste might have done more to prevent Callum Robinson’s equaliser crossing the line, he tidied up efficiently at the back and threw his body in the way when necessary.
Jack Robinson: 6
Made some crunching challenges, but he could have done better in the build-up to both Preston goals and looked more hesitant after being booked for a foul on Ben Pearson.
Jake Bidwell: 6
The Rangers left-back managed to scramble Paul Huntington’s header off the line – but he also lost Darnell Fisher a few minutes later in the move that brought about Preston’s equaliser.
Ryan Manning: 7
Manning’s quick thinking, immediately returning a cleared free-kick into the box, set up Matt Smith’s goal and the midfielder almost made it 2-0 with a glancing header that Declan Rudd tipped over.
Jordan Cousins: 7
His eagerness to chase and make tackles from the first whistle laid the foundations for a decent performance, and it was surprising to see him withdrawn during the final 20 minutes.
Massimo Luongo: 6
A couple of surging runs from Luongo came to nothing and frustration seemed to take over as he was yellow-carded for shoving Preston forward Robinson later in the game.
Bright Osayi-Samuel: 6
Apart from an eye-catching turn to wriggle away from his marker and set up a counter-attack in the first half, Osayi-Samuel had a quiet game and made way for Paul Smyth just after the hour.
Matt Smith: 7
The Rangers centre-forward took his goal well, stealing in to meet Manning’s cross with a first-time finish, and he tried to return the favour by setting up his team-mate’s chance soon afterwards.
Ebere Eze: 7
Worked hard to put opponents under pressure – as well as tracking back when required – but generally Rangers were unable to get him on the ball as much as they needed to.
Idrissa Sylla: 6
Replacing Smith for the final half-hour, Sylla frequently lost his footing and never presented much of a threat. But he did well to pull Manning away from a confrontation with fussy referee Robert Jones.
Paul Smyth: 7
Smyth’s introduction drew cheers from the home crowd and he did his best to lift their spirits further with a series of darting runs, as well as a shot that was charged down during added time.
Luke Freeman: 6
Ian Holloway must have hoped Freeman would represent his trump card when he replaced Cousins late on, but no opportunities materialised for the midfielder to pull anything out of the bag.
