Rio Ferdinand watches on as QPR beat Erfurt 1-0 in first pre-season friendly
Rio Ferdinand in attendance as QPR win first pre-season friendly
QPR beat German side Erfurt 1-0 with Charlie Austin goal
By WALLY DOWNES JR...any relationsPUBLISHED: 20:33, 22 July 2014 | UPDATED: 20:37, 22 July 2014
QPR gave Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker the perfect welcome to The Loft with a 1-0 win over Erfurt in Germany.
The Rs are away on tour as they prepare for their return to the Premier League, after beating Derby 1-0 in the Championship play-off final in May, and they are doing plenty of business at home to get ready for the top flight.
Ferdinand was announced on a one-year deal on Thursday evening and the £8m deal to bring Caulker from Cardiff to W12 was confirmed on Tuesday.
Manager Harry Redknapp is working on the signing of a British striker -
with Stoke's Peter Crouch believed to be the mystery man - but the west Londoners are looking solid enough without the gangly forward.
Ferdinand watched from the sidelines after doing the pre-match warm-up and the Rs wasted no time in showing the former Manchester United man what they can do.
Charlie Austin had a goal chalked off by the linesman's flag early on after good work from Spaniard Esteban Granero, who has returned to the club after an injury-ravaged loan spell at Real Sociedad.
However, Austin gave QPR the lead with a headed effort on 22 minutes after a quickly-taken free-kick from Joey Barton.
Rob Green did well to deny Christian Falk with his feet, while the Erfurt striker was thwarted by the woodwork just before the break when his header crashed against the bar.
Shaun Wright-Phillips looked like being one of a number of players deemed surplus to requirements by Redknapp after contributing little last season, but the right winger started the friendly in East Germany and gave the former West Ham supremo something to think about.
Free agent Gary O'Neil, who sacrificed himself in the play-off final with a last-ditch tackle that earned him his marching orders, started the match.
But Jack Collison, who is training with the club after being released by the Hammers, watched from the stands but remains hopeful of sorting out his future in the coming weeks.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp rang the changes at the break as he gave his squad valuable minutes in the build up to the new campaign.
Clint Hill's last-ditch tackle denied Andreas Wiegel a certain equaliser as the hosts piled forward in the second half.
But Rangers, who visit Leipzig on Saturday, held on to keep a clean sheet and register their first unofficial win of the season.
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