And that’s your lot from this one. The Championship season is underway, the sun is shining, the Leeds fans are unhappy with their club. Everything in its right place.
Very impressive that from QPR, even if Leeds were a complete non-entity, a few brief flashes aside. Chery, Polter, Luongo and Shodipo all excellent, and they kick off the season in fine style.
Full-time: QPR 3-0 Leeds
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
90 mins + 4: Battering ram stuff from Polter. A long diagonal into the Leeds box is not dealt with properly by Coyle, Polter bullies him off the ball then absolutely leathers a shot into the top corner from a tight angle. Woofety woof. Coyle shouts at his colleagues, seemingly under the impression that was someone else’s fault.
GOAL! QPR 3-0 Leeds (Polter 90 mins +4)
Woof.
90 mins + 3: Coyle does well down the right and clips a cross to the back stick, which Antonsson controls and shoots left-footed, but hits it over. A chant of ‘Massimo, time to go’ starts up from the away end.
90mins + 2: This Sacko lad looks sparky - he speeds down the right, puts in a nice cross from the byline and there are some handball claims against Luongo, but nothing doing there.
90 mins: Polter harasses Bartley into conceding a late corner, from the QPR left. That’s wasted, but there are four minutes of added time to come.
88 mins: An appearance money change for QPR, as James Perch replaces Chery with two minutes remaining.
87 mins: Sacko smacks a nice finishing into the net from the edge of the area, which would have been much better had he not fairly blatantly controlled the ball with his arm. Not sure why he wasn’t booked for that.
85 mins: Chery tries to, erm, well, but a cherry on top by opening up his body and trying to curl a left-footed shot into the top corner, but it’s too close to Green who makes an easy save.
82 mins: Huge chance for Antonsson - he springs the offside trap and is put clean through on goal, Smithies seems to come out too far and gives Antonsson the option of either dinking it over or going round him, but he elects for a placed shot, which he places wide of the post.
81 mins: A long ball down the field is chased down at pace by Polter, who charges towards Green, but the keeper just calmly takes a step to one side, the ball coming with him, and clears back from whence it came. Almost makes up for the flapping for the goal, that.
80 mins: Sacko seems to have at least injected a little urgency into Leeds: he wins the ball and drives down the right, then slips a delicate pass into Antonsson’s path, but his attempted swept shot it deflected behind for a corner.
78 mins: No. Messing.
WATCH: That is clinical. Time for QPR to dream this season? Chery converts from the penalty spot. More on SS1 now. https://t.co/znfSmuxgEO
— Sky Sports EFL (@SkySportsEFL) August 7, 2016
77 mins: Imagine how you’d feel if you disappointed Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in any way. Strikes you as the sort who wouldn’t shout, just sadly shake his head. And that would be so much worse.
75 mins: Sub for Leeds - Hadi Sacko comes on for Roofe, who has been quiet on day-boo.
74 mins: That should be that. Leeds have been better after the break, but they haven’t turned this improvement into goals or ever really many proper chances.
GOAL! QPR 2-0 Leeds (Chery 73)
Left-footed, low, into the corner, no messing.
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PENALTY TO QPR!
72 mins: Well, perhaps Cousins won that one, but he was clumsily barged into by Vieira and the referee points to the spot.
69 mins: El-Khayati is in amongst it straight away, but tries a shot when there were passes on from the left of the box. The ball breaks for Chery with a slightly better angle, and his effort is beaten away by Green at the near post.
68 mins: Change for QPR - Shodipo (quiet in the second half after an excellent first) is replaced by Nasser El-Khayati.
67 mins: Leeds try to work a short corner but their efforts are rendered nought after Dallas commits a stupid foul.
64 mins: Onouha goes in heavily on Taylor, but nothing doing from the officials there. He’s back up in rapid order, mind.
63 mins: Chery cuts in from the right and tries a left-footed shot, which looks to be sizzling goalwards but it takes a deflection and loops over. Corner ball.
61 mins: Sub for Leeds - Grimes is off, and new signing Marcus Antonsson comes on, probably to play up top with Wood.
60 mins: Leeds have definitely been better since the break, although that wasn’t saying a great deal.
59 mins: Roofe finally gets some sort of decent involvement by dispossessing Onouha and driving towards the QPR area, but he has few options and his left-footed shot from just inside the area is blocked by a sliding Hall.
57 mins: Grimes goes into the book for a sort of high challenge on Shodipo, although he didn’t really make much contact and the QPR man made no protest.
56 mins: Change for QPR - Gladwin, who had been walking a fine line with some of his fouls - is replaced by Jordan Cousins, the summer signing from Charlton and a splendid young midfielder.
55 mins: Coyle cuts in from the right but his shot is deflected behind for a corner. That cross is put to the back post, it drifts towards the other flank where Bamba fouls Polter, pointlessly.
54 mins: ...but if his aim was to disrupt that wall, he fails, as Wood shoots straight into it.
53 mins: Another free-kick for Leeds as Gladwin takes out Vieira, this time more to the left - Grimes and Wood have their beady ones on this one. The referee takes a moment to tell off Bartley, who tries to get in and around the wall, Clive.
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51 mins: Hall pumps a long ball towards the Leeds goal and breath is held as Green comes out to take the catch...but take it he does, with an uncharacteristic lack of fuss.
49 mins: Grimes hits it with plenty of swerve and dip, but just not enough of either and it drops just over the bar. The Leeds fans behind the goal give some very vocal ‘encouragement’ to former Huddersfield keeper Smithies as he takes the goal kick.
48 mins: Free-kick for Leeds about 30 yards out, to the right of centre, which Grimes and Dallas are lining up....
46 mins: Leeds knock the ball around for a bit...and then give it away carelessly. Not the greatest start.
And we’re back. Leeds are on the pitch, which is a start. Let’s see if they can do anything more advanced than that.
So QPR lead thanks to that shambles of an early goal, but they fully deserve to be ahead. Leeds have been a complete non-entity, with nothing from Dallas or Roofe out wide. Alex Mowatt is on the bench, so he might provide a bit of invention.
Half-time: QPR 1-0 Leeds
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
45 mins: One minute of added time. Leeds gently, gently, gently creeping back into it. A bit.
43 mins: Taylor slings over a cross looking for Wood in the middle, he misses it but so does Bidwell and it makes its way through to Dallas, who leans back and smacks his shot over the bar. It was miles over, but that was their best moment of the half by quite some distance.
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40 mins: Shodipo chases Coyle down the left and charges down a clearance. Early days, but this kid (only just 19) looks bloody mustard.
39 mins: At this point Leeds only being 1-0 down at the break would be a result for them. Wood tries to feed Roofe - the debutant who has been anonymous so far - but nothing doing so far.
37 mins: Post! QPR counter down the right, Onouha feeds Polter who has Shodipo to his left, but instead cuts inside himself and shoots, and it hits the upright. They could/should be two or three up by now.
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36 mins: Something approaching cohesive attacking play from Leeds - Vieira spreads it left to Taylor who overhits his cross, but Grimes keeps it in at the far post. The attack peters out, but that was at least promising.
34 mins: Luongo clips a cross to the back stick looking for Polter, but that’s too far for the big striker. Still, QPR’s dominance continues.
31 mins: Weird yellow card for Bidwell - he gives away a free-kick after a shoulder barge gone awry on Coyle. Not a booking offence, but presumably the yellow was dished out because of his reaction, which was basically to shout at the ref and do that arm-throwy thing. They are cracking down on dissent this season but that seems absurd.
29 mins: Yowch! Almost a comedy, freak goal for QPR - Vieira attempts a clearance in his own box, Chery goes to block it and the ball zips off his shinpads and hits the base of the post.
28 mins: Luongo goes down under what was at worst a heavy breath from Grimes, but despite sprawling down into the area, the referee was having none of it.
26 mins: Leeds win a free-kick out on the left...which Dallas hoys it way, way, way long. Massimo gets a bit more animated after that one. He’s not best pleased.
24 mins: QPR have been utterly dominant so far - Toumani Diagouraga is the only Leeds player who seems keen on putting his foot on the ball and controlling things, while their most potent attacking threat has come from left-back Taylor.
23 mins: The QPR fans are having a lovely old time at Green’s expense: although he is helping them out rather by slicing some clearances horribly.
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22 mins: Hmmm, early sub for Leeds - Gaetano Beradi is removed and replaced by Lewie Coyle. There didn’t seem to be an obvious injury and Beradi slapped the side of the dugout in frustration on his way off the pitch, so that might genuinely have been a tactical change by Monk. Brassy move.
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20 mins: More fun with crosses and Rob Green: this one was more a fine cross - from Shadipo on the left - that he pawed away, but straight into the path of the lurking Onouha on the edge of the box, but he can’t control his shot and puts it into the massed Yorkshiremen and women behind the goal.
18 mins: Well...it was OK. He still flapped at the ball to the far post but did manage to punch it clear.
17 mins: Polter - a unit and no mistake - muscles Bartley out of affairs just outside the QPR penalty area, and it eventually leads to a free-kick and another chance to test Green under the high ball. Let’s see how he gets on...
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15 mins: Chery is allowed a baffling amount of time to try some tricks down the right, his cross is cleared and the ball finds its way to Shadipo on the left, who hits just about the worst cross you’ll see all season, sliced into the stands.
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13 mins: Massimo’s in. Sitting quietly and observing the football so far, but the night is still young.
12 mins: The wantaway Charlie Taylor powers down the left and wins a corner after his cross is blocked. A crowd gathers at the near post as Dallas dinks the ball over, but it’s cleared without too much drama.
9 mins: Bidwell hoys a long ball down QPR’s left flank, but it’s too far ahead of Chery, and trots through to Green. He gathers safely that time. One out of two ain’t bad, eh Rob?
8 mins: Oh, Rob, mate.
WATCH: Rob Green won't enjoy seeing this again! After a goalmouth scramble, Onuoha scores. More on SS1 now. https://t.co/m6L2fPjJfe
— Sky Sports EFL (@SkySportsEFL) August 7, 2016
6 mins: Well that was an enjoyably shambolic start to proceedings. Part of what I like to call ‘Swanee Whistle Football’.
4 mins: Welcome back to QPR, Rob Green. The corner is swung over and a splendid goalmouth scramble ensues. It pops up into the air, Green waves his hands vaguely near it with Onouha in close proximity but not in any sort of physical contact, then the ball rolls down the defender and into the net. The final touch might well have been off Sol Bamba in the end, but Onouha claimed it.
GOAL! QPR 1-0 Leeds (Onouha 4)
Well at least I think it’s Onouha.
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3 mins: First shot of the game as Chery skips into the box from the left and fires in a low cross-shot, but it’s bunted behind for a corner by the sliding Bartley.
1 min: And we’re away, with Leeds kicking off with one player, passing it backwards. That’s going to look weird for a while. For those of you watching in black and white, Leeds are kicking from left to right.
Five minutes to go. Any thoughts, predictions, abuse, anecdotes, analysis, jokes or confessions to Nick.Miller@theGuardian.com.
What have you done with your summer? Sat on the couch, watched football and ate crisps, eh? Me too. Steven Caulker went to Sierra Leone:
Most of all, what stays with you is the joy, seeing the kids’ faces creasing up in broad smiles,” he says. “The whole trip was emotionally draining, completely humbling, but unbelievably inspiring. It’s offered me perspective, but has also motivated me to work harder. I will dig deeper knowing whatever I achieve now is for the good of other people, not just me. It makes all those bleep tests in pre-season worth it. I’ve had a life-changing summer.”
Pablo Hernandez, who Monk worked with at Swansea and who Leeds have signed on loan from Al-Arabi in Qatar, is not in the team today because his international clearance hasn’t, well, cleared. And if you don’t believe us, here’s Monk to explain:
.@GarryMonk talks @leedsunitedtv through his #lufc team selection to face @QPRFC. https://t.co/yymdSnm3uG
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 7, 2016
While we’re waiting for kick-off, have a quick catch-up of the Championship games that have already taken place this opening weekend:
Fulham 1-0 Newcastle United
Reading 1-0 Preston North End
Blackburn Rovers 1-4 Norwich City
Nottingham Forest 4-3 Burton Albion
And a round-up of the rest...
Team news
Queens Park Rangers
Smithies; Onuoha, Caulker, Hall, Bidwell; Chery, Gladwin, Henry, Luongo, Shodipo; Polter. Subs: Ingram, Lynch, Cousins, Washington, El Khayati, Perch, Kpekawa.
Leeds United
Green; Berardi, Bamba, Bartley, Taylor; Diagouraga, Vieira, Grimes, Dallas, Roofe; Wood. Subs: Turnbull, Coyle, Cooper, Phillips, Mowatt, Sacko, Antonsson.
Referee: Mr O. Langford (West Midlands)
Preamble
What a relief it is for football to be back. That long, barren, featureless wasteland that was the gap between Euro 2016 and the start of the new season. What a harrowing 26 days that that was. But we’re here again, for another nine months beautiful slog throughout the Championship season.
We’ve already seen Newcastle HUMBLED, Blackburn THRASHED and Derby DRAW, so now it’s over to QPR and Leeds to keep us entertained for 90 minutes or so. So what do the fans think? Our Rangers man, who simply goes by the name ‘Dean’, said:
This is Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s first summer window so he’s brought in players he wants who will hopefully fit how he wants to play. I like that we’re now buying young players with potential instead of old has-beens. I just want us to have a normal season for a change and not sack a manager.
I’d be happy with a mid-table finish and allow the team to grow together. As a QPR fan seeing a team grow over a few years is not something we’re used to. Right now we just need to buy a striker who can get at least 15 goals a season and then we’ll do alright.
And the Leeds fan in our survey, Jamie Saunders, said:
For us it’s always been a case of fighting a battle against ourselves as much as any of the other teams in the league. But with Garry Monk at the helm and seemingly signing players he rates rather than a bunch of anonymous Italian cast-offs courtesy of our chairman, we might just have a chance of pulling something off this season. Maybe a good bash at reaching the play-offs? If Cellino backs off and lets Monk do his job, it’s there for the taking.
This will certainly be an interesting season for both teams. The jury is still probably out on Hasselbaink, not necessarily because of anything he’s done right or wrong, but because QPR have been in such a mess over recent years that it’s probably quite unfair to judge him on the half season he’s been in charge for. After this term we can probably draw some conclusions, with players of his own and time to work with them, but what constitutes success? Their recent history suggests getting to the Premier League is the aim, but it’s not much use if they stumble up and then fall straight back down.
As for Leeds, who knows? Getting Garry Monk was certainly a coup, and the former Swansea manager has spoken in fairly glowing terms about Massimo Cellino, the man who has a giant bin marked ‘Managers’ that gets replenished on a regular basis. Monk told James Riach last week:
I’d heard all the stories [about Cellino] like everyone else. But as soon as I’d met him and had discussions with him I was very impressed. The way he spoke, the ideas he has, the direct questions that I asked him and the answers that he gave, he was excellent. Speaking to him, he’s a very passionate man. One thing that can’t be denied is how passionate he is about this club...
“It was nice to sit down and speak with someone who understands football. He’s been a chairman and owner for over 30 years so he knows a lot about football. He understood how I worked. It just felt right.”
So let’s be off, then. Sheesh it’s going to be fun.
Kick-off: 12.00 BST
Nick will be along shortly. In the meantime why not have a read of our Football League review of yesterday’s action:
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