An early FA Cup exit may be just what the doctor ordered in terms of the bigger picture for QPR this season – but don't try telling that to Danny Simpson.
The Rangers defender admitted he felt hugely disappointed after Saturday's 4-0 exit at the hands of Premier League high-fliers Everton and said there's no way he could take it as a blessing in disguise.
“I'm an English lad whose grown up on the FA Cup and I'd love the excitement of maybe getting to the final,” he said, when asked if the result was ideal in terms of the promotion agenda.
“We know it's a tough competition and that Everton would be tough, but we went there to win. We wanted to be one of those teams who recorded an FA Cup upset.
“We wanted it to be a tight game. We wanted to make it tough – to make them work harder if they were going to get through to the next round.”
Simpson added: “I think we started off all right and even should have scored first when I crossed it for Gary O'Neill.
“It was a golden opportunity. If he'd put that in, suddenly the game changes and their mentality might change.
"Their fans might start getting a little bit more impatient. That's what happens in the FA Cup. Little incidents like that can change a game.”
“Maybe we could have worked a little bit harder and made it more difficult for them, but they are a quality team and we just have to move on from this now.
“If anything, though, we've learned that if we do come up, that's what we'll be up against and that's the standard that we've got to reach.”
