Mirror
QPR 1-5 Middlesbrough match report: The Daily Mirror verdict
Published 05:55 07/12/09 By Steve Skerry Middlesbrough striker Dave Kitson defended Leroy Lita’s first goal celebration in the rout over QPR – and insisted his team-mate only reacted because of abuse from the home fans.
Lita snubbed a £1.3million move to QPR last January because the club would not meet his wage demands so he immediately became a target of the Loftus Road boo-boys.
The former Reading forward did not help matters when he needlessly got himself booked for celebrating in front of the home supporters after putting Boro 2-0 up in a spectacular second half.
But Kitson claimed Lita was entitled to celebrate and hit out at referee Phil Gibbs for issuing a yellow card.
Kitson, on loan from Stoke City until the end of the year, said: “I understand now that there’s a new rule about inciting the crowd but he took a lot of abuse.
“It seems to be the rule that you can take a lot of abuse but apparently you can’t run down the touchline and look at the fans. That’s a booking?
“I think if you score a goal then you shouldn’t do anything else to the fans.
“Especially as a striker, if you’re taking abuse and suddenly you score – that’s your answer. And to not be able to celebrate it is quite unfortunate. He worked really hard and deserved his goals.”
Kitson bagged Boro’s opener in the 31st minute when he steered home Gary O’Neil’s free-kick before Lita converted from the penalty spot after a Ben Watson handball.
QPR hit back through substitute Patrick Agyemang but Lita dashed any hopes the home side had of a comeback when he rifled in his second on the hour mark.
Lita was denied his hat-trick when he hit the bar but Boro captain O’Neil, a target of a watching Fulham boss Roy Hodgson from the stands, was on hand to tuck in the rebound - cue the exit of QPR chairman Flavio Briatore who got up and walked out.
Middlesbrough winger Mark Yeates completed the humiliation when he broke clear and placed the ball past Radek Cerny.
The win was Gordon Strachan’s first as Middlesbrough manager and moved his side up to sixth in the Championship.
For QPR, this was their heaviest defeat at Loftus Road since a 6-0 thrashing by Arsenal in the FA Cup in 2001, and leaves Jim Magilton under pressure ahead of tonight’s trip to Watford.
A remarkably calm Magilton said afterwards: “The players know they didn’t perform but I’m not going to berate them. You sometimes learn more in defeat than you do a victory. We’ll go to Watford aiming to put the wrongs of this performance right."
QPR: Cerny 6, Hall 4, Borrowdale 5, Gorkss 4, Leigertwood 5, Routledge 6 (Pellicori 82, 5), Watson 6, Buzsaky 6 (Vine 52), Taarabt 5, Faurlin 6, Simpson 6 (Agyemang 52, 7).
Middlesbrough: Jones 6, R Williams 6, St Ledger 7, Wheater 7, Pogatetz 6, Yeates 7, Arca 7, Osbourne 8, O’Neil 8 (Digard 79, 6), Lita 8, Kitson 7.
www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/QPR-1-5-Middlesbrough-match-report-The-Daily-Mirror-verdict-article247545.htmlThe Star - QPR BOSS JIM MAGILTON TELLS TEAM TO SHOW CHARACTERABOVE: QPR boss Jim Magilton 7th December 2009 By Scott ColemanY
Jim Magilton has challenged his QPR players to show their character at Watford tonight after Saturday’s thumping at Loftus Road.
Middlesbrough’s 5-1 win left Rangers with only one win from their last six matches in the Championship.
But three points for either side at Vicarage Road will lift the winners into a play-off position – for 24 hours at least.
“Let’s see what we’ve got,” said Magilton.
“I will expect a response and so will the supporters.
“This was, I hope, part of a learning curve for this group of players. We certainly need to do better. If you give the ball away against good sides, you will be punished. It’s all about learning lessons.
“It’s wonderful to play expansive football and get the plaudits but it sometimes takes a result like this to learn about your character.”
Watford will have a careful look at on-loan Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury, who was forced off with a hip problem during the 2-0 defeat at Newcastle on Saturday.
Hornets boss Malky Mackay said: “Henri limped off but we are going to have a look at him over the next 24 hours and just see where we are with him.
“But that apart, everyone is fine.”
www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/111566/QPR-boss-Jim-Magilton-tells-team-to-show-character/