Incredible.
That was the best away match I have witnessed, and it was great to get some revenge on QPR after they had beaten us at Loftus Road five times in a row. This victory was our third consecutive win, something we have not achieved since February. Our confidence and ego should be sky-high, ready to take on any team we face. This is the football we’ve been waiting for. This is what we want. This is Walterball.
After arriving in London and frantically navigating the Underground—we mistakenly went to Wood Green up north instead of Wood Lane near Westfield—we met up with Toby Young (Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Sceptic and founder of the Free Speech Union) and his two sons, Freddy and Charlie, a regular guest on the Where Rangers Walk podcast, which you can find here. The meal was more than sufficient, and it was great to catch up with them. It’s safe to say we had a better night this time around. Despite running 30 minutes late, we made it to the away end for 90 minutes of wonderful football.
Walter made three changes to the side he fielded against Cardiff on Saturday, benching Zambrano, Omur, and Mehlem for Millar, Simons, and Palmer. That meant we lined up in a 4-3-3 formation as follows: Pandur in goal; Coyle, Jones, McLoughlin, and Drameh as the back four; Simons, Palmer, and Slater in midfield; and Bedia, Millar, and Belloumi as the attacking trio.
QPR started brightly, looking confident on the ball and appearing to have a game plan that worked for about 20 minutes. Pandur was called into action several times, facing a bout of attacks and shots. Field and Anderson tested the keeper, with Field rifling a shot towards goal, which Pandur parried into Anderson's path, whose header was scrambled clear by the Croatian. Saito also had a chance from outside the box after a darting run across the box, finding space to unleash a shot that was pushed out for a corner.
The tide turned in the 25th minute when we launched our first counter-attack, resulting in a corner. It was played short to Slater at the edge of the box, who tried to put the ball into the danger zone, but it was blocked. The ball fell kindly to Drameh, who let it bounce once before firing a rocket into the bottom-right corner. We need more players taking shots from outside the box in these situations, rather than hesitating and looking for a pass.
We doubled our lead in the 36th minute, incredibly from another short corner. The ball was cleared to the edge of the box, and after a scramble, Drameh held the ball strongly before sliding it to Coyle on the left. Coyle teed up Bedia, who slotted the ball into an open net. Another great move from the Tigers, showcasing what we are capable of.
Controlling the game well, creating decent chances, and defending robustly, it was disappointing to concede just before halftime. The hosts won a corner, and as Anderson swung it in, Coyle stuck out his arm, making contact with the ball. The referee pointed to the spot, and Madsen hammered the penalty into the top-left corner, giving Pandur no chance.
The second half was brutal for QPR but a wonderful spectacle for us away supporters. Their closest chance came in the 54th minute when Saito picked up the ball on the left, cut inside, and ran half the length of the box unchallenged before curling a shot that hit the post and was cleared.
Walter made two changes in the 57th minute, bringing on Mehlem and Zambrano for Palmer and Slater—two attacking options, signalling his intent to kill off the game with more goals. And in the 71st minute, we put the icing on the cake. Millar made a darting run down the left flank, reached the byline, and pulled the ball back into the box. His initial shot was blocked, but he calmly slotted the rebound into the open left-hand side of the goal.
To QPR’s frustration, even after bringing on their star man Illias Chair, they couldn’t come up with a plan to claw their way back into the game. They struggled to defend, and it was satisfying to see our attacking players cause them problems. More of this, please.
It was a worrying start, but as the game progressed, we grew stronger, more ruthless, and began to click as a team. Millar and Belloumi are shaping up to be our biggest assets, with Zambrano and Slater showing continuous improvement. For the first time this season, there is a palpable sense of hope, excitement, and optimism among the fan base. If we can secure a win against Norwich away next week, this season may turn out to be a good one after all.
You can watch the highlights on Sky Sports here.