QPR's Messy Win Leaves Fragile Newcastle Hoping Others Secure Survival for Them

LOFTUS ROAD, London—An often farcical season for Queens Park Rangers ended in fittingly comical fashion on Saturday afternoon.

The club’s final home game of this Premier League season served only to underline exactly why they had been relegated with two games to spare—and the fact Newcastle United still couldn’t beat them is reason enough why John Carver’s side can have few complaints if (and, for now, it remains only an “if”) they join the Hoops in the Championship next weekend.

“It was in our hands today,” Carver noted, frustration in his voice. “We could have put it to bed today, and we haven’t.”

The mistakes that have been QPR’s downfall all season long were in evidence once again at Loftus Road. It spoke to Newcastle’s own troubles, and their own lack of spine (especially considering they briefly held lead), that they were unable to take advantage where so many others have.

The post-match pitch invasion? Well, that just topped everything off.

Both managers made all three of their substitutions long before the 80-minute mark. An injury accounted for one of them; a realization that they had got things badly wrong in the first place for the rest.

"I think I've got a good chance of getting the job,” QPR boss Chris Ramsey said, buoyed by the second-half turnaround that led to the eventual 2-1 win. "Hopefully I'll get the job and I'll spend the summer planning for next season.”

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It is a measure of the off-field issues that QPR are still not entirely sure which league they will play in next season. Demotion all the way to the Conference remains a possibility, although owner Tony Fernandes said in his programme notes the club remains “in dialogue” with the Football League about financial fair play issues. Either way, Fernandes insists he and his shareholders are fully committed to the club “in the short, medium and long term.”

If the club can bounce back next season like they did on Saturday, they might just be OK. It looked ominous when Newcastle were handed the lead in the first half, as goalkeeper Tim Krul’s deep free-kick bounced past every defender and into the path of Emmanuel Riviere, whose smart first touch allowed him to scuff a poor second one over Rob Green and into the net.

It was Riviere’s first Premier League goal in more than 18 hours of trying, with Green’s remonstrations at his defence underscoring a year’s worth of frustrations.

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Green would not last much longer, withdrawn after suffering a head injury in an accidental collision with Joey Barton. He was applauded off, one of only three players (the others being Charlie Austin and Bobby Zamora, who wasn’t even in the squad on the day) to have their name chanted during the 90 minutes—the absolved trio.

The biggest cheer of the day up until that point came at half-time, when former QPR star Trevor Sinclair told his on-pitch interviewer that the club needed to overhaul its transfer policy, scouting the lower leagues of England and bringing in young, hungry players willing to give everything for the club.

QPR’s squad has certainly been uneven this season, weighed down by veterans struggling to retain their standards and mercenaries only in it for the wage. Most of the squad have experienced relegation before, while the recently named Young Player of the Year (Darnell Furlong) played just three league games all season.

QPR’s problems do not stem entirely from their lack of younger prospects, but it is certainly an issue in a squad that does not always look united.

In the second half, at least, the home team came out and gave their fans something to shout about. Reece Grego-Cox—another academy product—and Yun Suk-young came on at the break, with a change in shape immediately giving fans cause to cheer ever louder.

It looked like Matt Phillips had scored barely 90 seconds after the restart (the first bars of celebratory music were even played over the PA), but his scuffed effort was somehow deflected wide.

Austin then missed another close-range chance, but within 10 minutes the home side got the equaliser. Austin was the provider, clipping a lovely cross in towards the far post that Phillips stooped to turn home.

“[I’m] not so sure we bottled it,” Carver said. “We had a 10-minute bad spell in the game. After the first goal went in, one or two dropped their heads.”

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With Newcastle having lost their last eight on the bounce, perhaps that is not surprising—and just after the hour mark Ramsey’s side took the lead. Phillips pounced upon Krul’s poor clearance—the goalkeeper’s distribution is truly woeful—before Leroy Fer latched onto it and crushed a beautiful 30-yard strike into the top corner.

"Leroy has got it in his locker,” Ramsey observed. Ruefully, he added: “When you look back at our season he has been a massive miss for us. We have missed some important characters in our team this season.”

That is true, as it is of all clubs. But it does not forgive the fact QPR have played much of this season with four central defenders across the back line, and often four central midfielders in positions further forward. The lack of width, pace or attacking inspiration has always been in evidence—and the defending has never been that good either.

That is why they are heading back to the Championship, but Newcastle could not exploit the obvious flaws as their own situation became all the more perilous. They pushed forward in the final 30 minutes, desperate to take something from the game, but in the end their lack of quality—and agonizing lack of cutting edge in front of goal, as Papiss Cisse missed the side’s best opening from five yards out—meant Ramsey and his team were able to take some crumbs of comfort from a troubled campaign.

"It was really important for us to finish well here and show the fans that next season we're hoping to redress the situation and make sure the club is on an even keel and trying its best to get back to this division,” Ramsey added. "We wanted to make sure that, whatever happened, that the people are going to think positive things in the summer for what's going to happen in the future."

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Newcastle, meanwhile, still have their date with destiny. The odds are in their favour, but only just. As long as Hull City do not win against Manchester United next weekend, then Carver’s side will remain in the top flight for another year. If Hull do win, however, the Magpies must win at home to West Ham United to ensure they do not slip down a division as they did six years ago.

“That’s the most important thing,” Carver said. “I’ve said it to the guys in the dressing room: ‘It is still in our hands. If you want it enough you can still do something about it.’”

It will be interesting to see if the manager gets the response he is hoping for. Newcastle are burdened with their own personnel issues, perhaps exacerbated by the peculiar selection decisions of the man currently in charge, and on Saturday they started a career winger, Jonas Gutierrez, at left-back, and a full-back (Ryan Taylor) in a holding midfield role.

However, recent games would suggest there is also a certain lack of character about many in the squad, judging by the way points slipped away from this and many other recent games.

Newcastle had 29 points at the turn of the year and 35 points at the end of February: Nearly three months and 10 games later (in which period Leicester City have acquired 20 points and secured their survival), they would have been safe had they added just six points to that tally. Somehow, they are still in grave danger.

Tactics and direction must play some part in that slump, but for things to get quite that abject you begin to point fingers at the individuals themselves.

“I think I’ve tried everything in the book!” Carver joked, when asked how he would motivate his players for next weekend. “Let’s not forget, it’s a huge football club. You have to have that personality to deal with wearing the shirt. We will find out next weekend.”

Saturday’s woeful game ended in amusing fashion, with the home fans invading the pitch at the announcement of the final whistle. Beyond a group who ran immediately to Austin—no doubt exhorting him to stay at the club—the trespassers showed no interest in the QPR players, with subsequent announced promises that the squad would return for a lap of honour only when the pitch had been cleared (understandably) ignored by the masses.

When the time for the lap finally came, it was treated with cursory attention by both parties, a fitting end to a season that petered out so disappointingly. The fans can only hope next season is better, but for that to happen, many things need to be sorted out in the summer.

Before that, Newcastle’s players will decide whether they suffer the same fate. Clearly, however, they suffer many of the main underlying issues: the manager, the playing squad and the behind-the-scenes structure.

The final result may well end up being different, but even so, the changes Newcastle need to undergo in the summer are probably markedly similar.

All quotes obtained firsthand.