It was a frustrating afternoon for QPR as their clash with Union Berlin was postponed after just 13 first half minutes.
Although discussions have taken place over a potential replay on Monday evening, the disruption to the Hoops’ pre-season plans will not have pleased manager Ian Holloway, despite the fact that it was due to matters out of anybody’s control.
Here are three aspects of the postponement which will have particularly frustrated Ollie.
Missing out on 90 minutes of crucial match practice
The postponement of the match means that Holloway’s plan of giving all of his squad a significant number of minutes has been flawed.
This now means that the Hoops only have two lots of 90 minutes left before the season opener, meaning squad players are less likely to get a chance to impress before the big kick-off.
The challenge of facing a top side
From the opening 13 minutes of the match, you could see that QPR were in for a real game.
Berlin looked comfortable in possession and looked set to provide a real test for QPR’s defence; something which the team could use to prepare them for a tough season.
One key area where Holloway has targeted improvement is in the defence, and the opportunity to face of to a well-drilled Berlin side is an opportunity which could have been particularly fruitful ahead of the new campaign.
A real blow to the travelling fans
The Hoops fans travelled in numbers to Germany for today's match with several hundred fans thought to be among the supporters in Berlin. Although many of them still have the opportunity to see tomorrow's game against Lokomotiv Leipzig, any fixture rearranged for Monday means they will not be able to attend the game due to work commitments.
