QPR

Hasselbaink defends selection after QPR debacle

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink defended his team selection after QPR were hammered 6-0 by Newcastle in a totally one-sided game at Loftus Road.

Rangers were condemned to club-record home league defeat by a Magpies side which dominated from start to finish.

Manager Hasselbaink switched to a 4-4-1-1 formation for the game, deploying James Perch on the right of midfield to try to deal with Newcastle’s attacking threat.

On a terrible night for Rangers, Perch was stretchered off in the 18th minute with what appeared to be a serious knee injury and was replaced by recent signing Paweł Wszołek, who came on for his debut.

Hasselbaink explained: “At the moment we have got a few new players. Pawel and a few others have come in and he has only trained with us a couple of times.

“We wanted a little bit more experience in that midfield and we know that Perch can play there.

Perch could be facing a long spell on the sidelines

“We also wanted a little bit more protection for the full-back with the quality Newcastle have with Matt Ritchie and Yoan Gouffran on the side.

“We needed that extra help and I think we were alright until Perchy went off. It was a big factor when he had to go off.”

It was QPR’s heaviest home loss since Arsenal beat them by the same scoreline in an FA Cup tie in 2001.

And could have been 7-0 – Christian Atsu hit the bar in the closing stages.

“Some honesty has been said in the dressing room. Of course you have to be honest and truthful with each other after that,” Hasselbaink said.

“But the main thing is that we are together and that we want to move on and put it right.”

The Dutchman added: “Newcastle are a good side and have a striker in Mitrovic who cost £15m, Shelvey cost £12m and Matt Ritchie £11m – and I could go on.

“But I don’t want to make excuses. There were things that happened out there that I wasn’t happy with.

“We were very stretched and it was easy for them to counter-attack us – and it’s very dangerous when they they are able to do that.

“It was easy for them to get in behind us when though we were playing deep.

“It’s hard to take, but I must say that Newcastle are a great team with big players and you could see that.”

This post was last modified on 14/09/2016

David McIntyre

View Comments

  • I'm afraid that last nights performance(I use the term loosely) proves that we are being run by people not good enough and therefore Mr. fernandes
    must get rid of both Les ferdenand and JFH.If we are to progress we must have someone who is experienced in the championship,who is tactically wise,can motivate players and change things when plan A goes wrong.We can't all be wrong,if it talks like a Duck and walks like a duck
    ITS A DUCK!.

  • Disgraceful performance, forget Newcastle and what they've spent
    and that they are Premiership class players. We were tactically inept,
    lacking any pace, cutting edge and were very predictable.
    I am sorry but someone has to take responsibilty, and as far as I can see it has to be JFH or Les, maybe both .. Simply not good enough in any part of that display and in fact every game bar Leeds at home ... Yes we won at Wigan and Cardiff, but both of those could easily have gone either way .... #abysmal

  • les and jimmy to go thats will be a good start a fit sandro the first name on team sheet dont sell oure youngsters and buy crap sorry henry you put it all in but have to go scrap central defence hall may be good prospect but a long way to go and to many bad games and hes the best and nobody to run midfield

  • Cannot understand one up front at home,Rangers have always been a team to get the ball down and play, on some occassions the ball came down with snow on it. Play Sandro not Henry9 lets pass sidewards or backwards)
    As for Connor Washington I think Barry Fry could not believe his luck, nearly £3M for that no confidence, and by the way the guy in front of me last night owes me £10 for saying Newcastles 4th was offside lol

  • Who is running rangers we play like a Sunday morning team .its not the players to blame.all fans can see no point in team set up one up front at home is not working.

  • Jimmy Floyd Hassel bank is the most negative manager we've had ever he should read Brian Clough's autobiography when he says football is I simple game what you need is a good goalkeeper a good central defender a leader in midfield and someone who can score then all you do is filling around and it hasn't changed and has a load of bollocks talks about tactics and formations keep it simple most footballers no disrespect wouldn't knowWho was the New
    Prime Minister

  • you can't keep using excuses,one for our results and 2 for our home form,we appear to be inept when it comes to team selection and totally useless at changing things when all goes wrong.As for comparing players and their values,I would point JFH to a certain team called Leicester that didn't have any stars but plenty of know how and leadership.

  • Stop worrying about the opponents attacking threat,and let's make attacking threats of our own........it's much much easier for defenders to nullify a lone striker,put 2 up front and let's worry the opposition defence for a change.

  • I said many times on twitter - play sandro to counter their quality
    Whats the use of paying him wages and not on the field
    We should cast aside everything from the past and play the best possible team

Share
Published by
David McIntyre