Yesterday’s 1-1 draw at Plymouth Argyle left QPR 22nd out of 24 clubs in the Championship. Though it’s a tad early to say Rangers are a a certainty for the drop (outside of the top 3, there’s not a lot of quality on display), it’s worth noting there’s been precious little to cheer about since former gaffer Ian Holloway was placed on “gardening leave.” It still hasn’t been properly explained just what the fuck that means, so instead, we’re left to chew on Holloway’s comments in Sunday’s Guardian, as scribbled down by Anna Kessel.
Holloway (above) was initially restrained – he didn’t even mention QPR in his programme notes – but succumbed after the match. ‘I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t emotional about it. Shall I tell you what brassed me off? When I left and he [Gary Waddock, current QPR manager] said, “I’m going to change the style of football played here overnight.” He said it over and over again. But it was me who gave the fella a job in the first place.’
Holloway went on to list his frustrations. ‘I was starved of cash, lost my chief scout, wasn’t allowed to make decisions about the team. Then they threw me out and chucked me in the garden after five years. I thought it was unfair. I’m glad today’s over because I shouldn’t be sweating up in the paddock and today I was rather too lathered up for a horse of my experience.’
Fulham lost midfielder Jimmy Bullard to a possible broken leg on Saturday following an attempted tackle of Newcastle’s Scott Parker. The Cottagers managed an unlikely win with a pair of late goals, answering Parker’s 54th minute header with a Brian McBridge strike in the 82nd minute, then a tap-in from Carlos Bocanegra after a McBridge header had hit the woodwork.
How much would Samuel Eto’o fetch on the open market? Hopefully, Scott Boras will not get involved anytime soon. Barca were the beneficiary of 2 Eto’o goals plus another he set up for Lionel Messi, as they beat Osasuna, 3-0, in La Liga’s Week 2.
Inter and Roma won their respective Serie A season openers on Saturday, matches that probably attracted slightly more attention in their countries than New England’s 1-0 defeat of Red Bull NY did in theirs.