Woe for Green as Swansea destroy QPR

QPR 0 Swansea 5

Rob Green’s mistake eight minutes into his debut set Swansea up for an opening-day humiliation of big-spending QPR at Loftus Road.

The goalkeeper should have gathered Miguel Michu’s tame eighth-minute shot comfortably but instead allowed the ball to squirm through his hands and into the net.

Michu struck again early in the second half, coolly slotting home after being picked out by former Rangers man Wayne Routledge.

Swansea’s dream start to Michael Laudrup’s reign as manager continued when Nathan Dyer netted the third following more good work by Routledge.

Dyer then helped himself to another goal after drifting behind a sleeping R’s defence to collect Kemy Augustien’s ball forward.

The rout was completed when Michu strolled away from Anton Ferdinand and fed substitute Scott Sinclair, who belted in the fifth.

Much has been expected of Green following his summer move from West Ham, but his error left his new team chasing the game.

And chase they did, with Jamie Mackie missing a great chance to equalise after Adel Taarabt’s shot ricocheted into his path.

Keeper Michel Vorm was able to parry Mackie’s close-range effort and the loose ball was hacked away from near the line by Chico Flores.

Junior Hoilett also missed an opportunity to score, heading wide from a cross by fellow debutant Fabio, before a 25-yarder from Taarabt was well saved by Vorm.

Rangers dominated most of the half but were twice rescued by the woodwork shortly before the break.

First, Flores headed against the crossbar after Green had been caught out by Jonathan de Guzman’s left-wing corner.

Then, after Green again struggled to deal with a high ball, Michu’s volley from the edge of the six-yard box also struck the bar.

Samba Diakite, whose permanent signing from Nancy was rubber-stamped this summer, shook off a knee problem in time to play.

Ji-sung Park – also making his debut – was handed the captain’s armband by manager Mark Hughes, who had every reason to believe his side would find a way back into the match.

Instead, they fell further behind after Routledge raced past Diakite and found Michu, who steered the ball beyond Green.

Worse followed for Rangers when Fabio gave the ball away in midfeld and Clint Hill was caught out by Routledge’s subsequent pass to Dyer, who finished well.

Dyer’s second goal ensured QPR were dead and buried by the time another summer arrival, Andrew Johnson, came off the bench for his debut.

Twelve months – and another string of signings – on from their 4-0 opening-day loss to Bolton, Sinclair’s 80th-minute goal meant Rangers started this campaign with an even heavier defeat.

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