QPR Humiliated
Bottom-table Stoke put the boots to QPR
Playing their fourth match in ten days, QPR were utterly run over at the Britannia Stadium by Stoke on Wednesday in a mid-week EPL clash.
The visitors actually pushed the tempo early, and Djibril Cissé nearly put the Londoners up in the 8th minute when his headed effort skimmed the top of the crossbar.
On Stoke's first foray into the QPR half, defender Ryan Shawcross headed home a freekick in the 15th minute, and Stoke had an unexpected early lead.
Jonathan Walters doubled The Potters' lead in the 40th minute when he scored his third goal of the campaign with an absolute rocket from 25 yards out.
QPR pressed in the 2nd half, and Asmir Begovic was forced to make three impressive saves in the span of about 7 minutes early in half #2.
With tons of possession and chances yet still down two goals late, QPR started to show their frustration, and Stephane M'Bia got yellow-carded for a challenge in the area on Peter Crouch. Charlie Adam stepped up to the spot, and Julio Cesar guessed the wrong way. 83rd minute, 3-nil Stoke.
M'Bia was at fault again in the 93rd minute, when he chopped Adam's legs from under him with clear malicious intent.
M'Bia was sent off, threw a water bottle at his manager, and threw a tantrum in the tunnel.
Adam made no mistake, and it was 4-nil.
"Yeah, the match was an embarrassment. I'm going to have a chat with the lads, because four points from twelve simply isn't going to get us where we want to be this campaign. This coming month we've got Reading, United, and Sunderland. I think we can take 6 points, maybe more. We're sitting mid-table, which isn't horrible, but I think this club can really make the jump to elite status this season, we just have to prove it to others," said a downcast manager Verde postgame.