QPR endured a second defeat in four days after a horror-story display against previously pointless Preston.
Jimmy Floyd’s Hasselbaink’s men were hoping to banish the memories of Wednesday night’s last-gasp defeat at Barnsley and resume the form which had seen them win three games in a row at the start of the campaign.
Sadly, this was one to forget, but here are some reflections on what went wrong in Rangers 2-0 defeat.
Undone by a west London boy
Adding insult to injury it was Ealing-born Jermaine Beckford who inflicted the major wounds at Loftus Road.
After injury woes last season, the former Leeds and Everton striker was back to his predatory best to score the first and claim the assist for the second.
Sadly for Rangers they had no-one to compare with a man who had he been spotted as a youngster could have plied his trade in a home shirt.
Lack of width again a problem
With both Jordan Cousins and Yeni Ngbakoto drifting in off the flanks into their more natural habitat Rangers looked like they were playing in a tube rather than on a football pitch.
On a day when the wind blew having no-one to deliver from the flanks was a major problem and the lack of width hurt Rangers defensively too as North End pressed on into the space the hosts had vacated, scoring the second goal courtesy of a cross from the right.
A loss of good habits
Having started slowly Rangers seemed to lose all sense of patience and cohesion once going behind. Hasselbaink has tried to instil a passing mentality on his players, but today there were too many aimless balls forward resulting in Tjaronn Chery being rendered all but anonymous and a Sebastian Polter starved of service.
Restless natives
Both the manager and captain Nedum Onuoha made much of the staunch support received from the fans over the first couple of games at Loftus Road this season in the match programme, but today boos were heard at both half and full-time.
Maybe Rangers started too well for their own good and raised false expectations among the faithful in which case this was a wake-up call for players and fans alike
A reminder of past glories
The poor on-field fare meant one of the biggest cheers of the day was reserved for former legend Tony Hazell.
A member of the 1967 League Cup winning side was the pitch-side guest at half-time. On this evidence maybe he could be tempted out of retirement.