‘Encrazed raccoons’ – Holloway’s four-minute post-match rant in its entirety

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Ian Holloway gave a four-minute answer when asked what he thought of his side’s 5-2 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Here’s what the QPR manager said:

“We started so edgy it was unreal. I could almost feel people hesitating when the ball dropped, instead of going and snapping onto it like we have been and like we’ve done all season to be fair, particularly at home.

“People were hesitating and not getting there, delaying, and that led to a little bit of nervousness.

“I think the infuriating thing is that we got in the right areas to cross the ball – and we spoke about it against this team we were playing – and our first two crosses hit the first man, we then gave a free-kick away and then, from that free-kick, everything that we talk about, nobody did.

“They passed it down the side and we didn’t stop the free-kick. We backed off, we turned our backs on things. They then passed it across the box and they scored.

“From us putting them under pressure from a set play, they’ve gone and got a goal.

“I’ve watched all the goals back and it’s horrendous – the same mistakes for every single one. We haven’t seen that (this season). It’s inexplicable, because we practised it yesterday and they did it very well.

“It’s all about being able to produce it in the arena. For some reason, today, we’ll have to talk about it; where we were you? What was that all about?

“All the lads who’ve been playing really well for us didn’t have a good game, didn’t do what they’ve been doing, we didn’t press and close.

“The basic principles we’ve talked about since I’ve been here, they’ve normally done it really well and today that was as bad as I’ve seen.

“I’ll have plenty to show them, plenty to talk about, plenty to do, plenty to go and practise. Unfortunately, it’s very, very annoying to say the least. I think that just about sums it up.

“How many times have you seen anybody, with the ball squared to them, and my team not in their face like an encrazed raccoon around a bin?

“In midfield we’ve been doing it for ages. The back lads have been on the front foot stepping in, but for every goal I’ve watched the ball was squared or played slightly forward and that fella could then play forward again. He wasn’t forced to play square or backwards. He wasn’t attacked in an aggressive, front-foot way by my defenders.

“A defender is a centre-forward if he’s the first line when the ball’s been crossed in. For the first goal, we’ve crossed it in, had a great chance, the ball came out and (within) six seconds you should go and press that, and we didn’t. Why not?

“That (pressing within six seconds) is a fundamental rule that we do, but we didn’t. It’s just so far away from what we’ve been doing and how well they’ve been doing it.

“Can I explain it? No. I can’t right now. I’m not going to make excuses. Whose fault is it? Mine. That’s it.

“I’m going to hate every minute until I can get them back on that training ground and go and practise it again, because I’ve got some wonderful evidence.

“It’s what we do here, particularly at our ground; you get tight to people when the ball’s on its way to them and then you force them square or backwards and we all go and get tight. Unfortunately, it was almost unrecognisable.”