McClaren admits QPR initially missed Luongo

Steve McClaren admitted QPR initially struggled against Reading in the absence of Massimo Luongo.

Rangers drew 0-0 at Loftus Road, where they finished the game strongly after a shaky first half.

Already without injured midfielder Geoff Cameron, McClaren might be without Luongo for as many as seven matches because of his involvement for Australia in the Asian Cup.

Jordan Cousins replaced him alongside Josh Scowen in midfield and Rangers looked disjointed in the first half an hour.

Manager McClaren said: “It was a game of two halves. They dominated the first half and it took us a while, with Luongo going out, to adjust with Jordan and Josh in there.

“We couldn’t quite get the press on Reading and they had too much possession, but we sorted that out at half-time and I thought in the second half we were excellent.

“I thought in the second half Josh and Jordan were very good and were instrumental in us just getting a bit of front foot – a bit of pressure on Reading.

“Once we did that and got about them we created chances. We’re disappointed and frustrated that we didn’t win the game, because in the second half we certainly had the best chances.”

Rangers were unable to secure a fourth consecutive win despite a rousing finish – and a decent shout for a penalty shout after Nahki Wells went down under a challenge from Andrew Rinomhota.

But they have kept three successive clean sheets, remain eighth in the Championship table, and McClaren is more than happy with their progress.

“I don’t think many teams win games on the bounce. In the Championship it’s so hard,” he said.

“That’s our third game in seven days and I thought in the second half we were strong. I’m delighted about that.

“It was also another clean sheet. We were keeping clean sheets before, stopped doing that and needed to get back to doing it.”