Ian Holloway bemoaned QPR’s slack defending in the build up to the all-important first goal in their home defeat against Brighton.
The visitors returned to the top of the Championship with a 2-1 win at Loftus Road, where Glenn Murray opened the scoring following Nedum Onuoha’s costly mistake.
Onuoha gave the ball away but Holloway insisted his team should still have prevented veteran striker Murray from running through on goal and firing past keeper Alex Smithies.
The Rangers boss said: “Nedum should have just hooked it. He tried to flick it over someone.
“But you don’t then just let Glenn Murray run from that far from where he was towards our goal.
“You don’t even need to – just chase him. With the greatest respect, with his strength and what he does, he isn’t the quickest in the world.
“He’s very determined but I would have ran with him. Defending is about recovery, getting back on someone and getting a heel or a toe in and we didn’t do that.”
Holloway, who felt Rangers should have had a first-half penalty for an apparent handball by Lewis Dunk, took encouragement from the way they battled back after going two down.
Matt Smith’s header gave them hope and Idrissa Sylla missed a great chance to equalise late on.
“You’d have thought we were dead, but I know what my lads will do for me,” said Holloway.
“They kept going and we’ve got some very exciting talent. I’m pleased with that.”
This post was last modified on 08/04/2017
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We need onuoha needs to get fit or go he is getting a bit slow
how does IH expect our defenders to be any different, when we change our players and system every game?,we are becoming Queens park strangers!,we should be building for next season ,getting a settled team within a settled squad,not playing "Tinkerman" how does that inspire confidence within the squad when players don't know from one game to the next where they are playing ,If they are playing,If the system is the one they played last time,NO NO NO start playing the game the way it should be played Mr.holloway,we are a football club Not a circus.