Queens Park Rangers v Bristol City

HOOPS
Columnist
THE ‘R’ GENERATION FANSITE WRITER PENS HIS LATEST
COLUMN FOR THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME…
T
hree friendlies, five league games and
two cup ties since the return of fans, and
Championship football’s relentless
calendar quickly became the norm again. Then,
just as we started getting comfortable, the
international break arrived to turn this on
its head.
It feels like club football (in its true form) was
absent for 14 months, came back for a few
minutes, then decided to go away again.
Somehow, after being treated to a month of
triumphant displays from QPR, a break of two
weeks started to feel every bit as long as the
lockdown era.
As we waited patiently for the team’s
return against Reading, QPR’s international
players did their best to make it an entertaining
couple of weeks - none more so than our
Scotstralian striker.
Lyndon Dykes’ goal against Coventry before the
international break, which turned a scrappy affair
into a comfortable victory, was frankly beautiful.
Whilst the two winners that he subsequently
netted for Scotland were comparatively less
attractive, they’re a perfect example of how
Dykes is continually the man who pops up at
the right place and the right time for both club
and country. When that’s the case, who cares
whether the goals are pretty?
With the addition of Ilias Chair’s first goal and
assist for Morocco whilst playing alongside
Adel Taarabt, it’s difficult to contend that the
international break has nothing to offer for QPR
fans. It’s also a plain fact that Euro 2020, which
provided a charcuterie board of tasty football
and moments of genuine pride in supporting
England, could not have happened without the
chance for managers to test and tweak their
squads at intervals during the club season.
So, the international break is actually brilliant,
definitely underrated, and everyone should love
it - except a trip down the M4 was enough to
remind us why the Championship is really what
it’s all about.
Notwithstanding the lexicological irony of the
Select Car Leasing Stadium being effectively
inaccessible by anything with four wheels, the
trip to Reading was good bang for your buck.
A full away end (and some), a late comeback,
a debut goal for Andre Gray… stand up if you
love Rangers.
Criticisms can be made of the performance and
were voiced by Mark Warburton, frustration at
being beaten by a long ball over the top, and a
periodic lack of attacking threat. Even so, it’s
difficult to give too much thought to that stuff
when it felt so good to be back again, yet again.
Unbeaten in six prior to Bournemouth, top
scorers in the division, and a clear idea of what
needs to improve... keep at it, Rangers - and next
time you have to take an international sojourn,
hurry back soon!
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