Holloway furious after QPR are thrashed

Holloway was in confident mood ahead of QPR’s defeat

Ian Holloway was left stunned by his side’s poor defending in the build up to Nottingham Forest’s goals in QPR’s 5-2 defeat at Loftus Road.

The Rangers manager, who declared on the eve of the game that they were well prepared and targeting revenge for November’s 4-0 defeat at Forest, saw them thrashed by a team that had failed to score in eight of their previous 10 league matches.

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

“Everything that we talk about, nobody did. I’ve watched all the goals back and it’s horrendous – the same mistakes for every single one. I’m fuming.

“It’s inexplicable because we practiced it yesterday and they did it very well. It’s all about producing it in the arena.

Massimo Luongo scored for QPR

“The lads who’ve been doing really well for us didn’t have a good game. They didn’t do what they’ve been doing. They didn’t press and close.

“The basic principles we’ve talked about while I’ve been here, they’ve normally done really well. That was as bad as I’ve seen.

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

“Every goal I’ve just watched, the ball was squared or played slightly forward and then that fella could play forward again.

“He wasn’t forced to play square or backwards. He wasn’t attacked in an aggressive way.”

The result left Rangers 16th in the Championship table, nine points above the relegation zone.