Video Queens Park Rangers 1 - 3 Southampton

Mark Hughes should feel grateful that his fate rests in the hands of Tony Fernandes, the Queens Park Rangers chairman, and not the club’s own fans. If it was, he would surely be collecting his P45 this morning and Harry Redknapp would be taking training at the club’s Harlington base on Monday morning.
With his team booed off both at half-time and full time, Hughes was also subjected to chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning”, “Hughes out” and “You don’t know what you are doing” from a significant group of QPR fans inside Loftus Road. The players were also collectively told that they are “only here for the money”. It was certainly noticeable that the loudest individual cheers of the afternoon were reserved for the introduction of Jamie Mackie and Shaun Derry, two stalwarts from the promotion-winning squad who were not signed by Hughes and remain more closely associated with a previous era.
This 3-1 defeat against Southampton, a club who had lost all five of their previous away matches this season, extends QPR’s winless streak to 12 Premier League matches and now leaves them cut four points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table. Fernandes, who was not at Loftus Road on Saturday, has regularly insisted that stability is key and that Hughes is the right man to take QPR forward but is now facing a very different level of pressure.
Unlike other disappointing results this season, no solace could be taken from the performance on Saturday. It also felt like a tipping point had been reached in the attitude of the supporters. Anger and outright dissent was evident from a sizeable portion of Loftus Road.
Southampton dominated the first half and their pressure was rewarded when, from a corner, José Fonte and then Jason Puncheon both had shots blocked before Rickie Lambert dived bravely in front of Julio Cesar to head them in front.

With Jack Cork and Morgan Schneiderlin impressively anchoring the Southampton midfield, further chances came and went before Puncheon cut inside onto his left foot and shot with pinpoint accuracy past Cesar.
QPR did briefly stir from their collective lethargy and Adel Taarabt produced an excellent cross for Junior Hoilett to head beyond Paulo Gazzaniga.
Southampton must have feared a sustained period of QPR pressure but soon regained the initiative and added the third goal they deserved in the 83rd minute, Anton Ferdinand inadvertently deflecting Schneiderlin’s cross into his own goal.
QPR supporters headed immediately for the exit, leaving Southampton fans to spend the remaining minutes revelling in their second win of the season. The old stands at Loftus Road also shook to chants of 'There’s only one Nigel Adkins’, their manager who himself had come into the match under huge scrutiny. In noting how Southampton were “together as one”, Adkins unintentionally highlighted the contrast in the reaction of his players and supporters to those of QPR.
“We showed a growing maturity,” he said. “Of course there is pressure. Every game brings its own pressures and demands. We know we can score goals and there is a growing confidence. They players had a right good go but so did the supporters. This is the toughest league in the world and we have come a long way in a short space of time.”
Match details
Queens Park Rangers (4-2-3-1): Julio Cesar; Bosingwa (Da Silva 73), Ferdinand, Nelsen, Traore; Diakite (Derry 71), Faurlin (Mackie 46); Granero, Taarabt, Hoilett; Cisse.
Subs: Green, Wright-Phillips, Dyer, Ehmer.
Booked: Bosingwa.
Southampton (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw (Fox 74); Schneiderlin, Cork; Puncheon, Ramirez (S Davis 61), Lallana; Lambert (Rodriguez 90).
Subs: K Davis, Hooiveld, Ward-Prowse, Mayuka.
Referee: M Dean (Wirral).