Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway has declared Tuesday evening’s victory over high flying Aston Villa his ‘best birthday present I could ask for’.
Heading to Villa Park to face Steve Bruce’s side with them sitting in third place in the table and on a high after a four one victory over Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, QPR upset the apple cart hugely with a three one victory courtesy of goals from Ryan Manning, Jake Bidwell and Luke Freeman, and given Ollie turned 55 on Monday, he couldn’t have been more pleased.
Speaking to the Official Site as he met with the media following the game, the proud and delighted gaffer beamed.
‘It`s the best birthday present I could ask for. Everyone played really well. We were clinical in the first half and executed the game plan perfectly. We stayed in the moment in the second half. We defended well and attacked at will. We were first to everything all night long. The third goal was the icing on the cake.’
The three points saw QPR go unbeaten as we took seven from a possible nine in the last three matches and it moved us into 15th place in the Championship table, leapfrogging Nottingham Forest.
We are now 16 points clear of the drop and Holloway couldn’t be more pleased to have seen the side gain some consistency of late.
‘That`s seven points from nine and it was thoroughly deserved. We`ve beaten a really good team and we`ve beaten them in some style. I`m delighted for the fans. They travelled here on a Tuesday night and they were rewarded with a brilliant display.’
With a late consolation goal for the one time Premier League ever presents, Holloway wasn’t going to get too carried away with that.
‘The feeling in that dressing room is something special right now and we need to take the momentum into Saturday now. I`m upset that we switched off from a corner but how I can I fault these lads.’
On to Fulham, a difficult task, but a great place to register four unbeaten and lift confidence further.
Striker Matt Smith was also on the ‘best ever’ routine in front of the media after the game as he stated it was the best win he’d seen for QPR since he came to the club.
‘It`s comfortably the best performance I`ve seen from a QPR side since I`ve been at the club. I thought we were absolutely superb throughout the team, incredible. That has given us a huge lift, the lads are buzzing and the changing room is as buoyant as I`ve ever seen it. We covered every blade of grass tonight and showed our quality in important areas. It`s come from a togetherness and a belief we have had. We didn`t fall in a big arena – on a big occasion – and I thought to a man we were superb. I am really proud of everyone.’
With a draw against Derby followed by back to back wins over Sunderland and Aston Villa, Smith said our reaction to the Nottingham Forest defeat couldn’t have been more emphatic.
‘It`s been a really good reaction. The Forest game was odd because we had more of the ball, I`ve been beaten by five before in my career and that one didn`t feel like a thumping because we had loads of shots and possession. I don`t think we were too disheartened from that as strange as that sounds and we`ve managed to bounce back with aplomb.’
He ended with praise for partner Eberechi Eze given his recent showings.
‘We`ve seen a lot of Eb`s in training so we all know what he is capable of. He`s certainly one of the best young lads I have seen coming through and I`ve seen the Lewis Cook`s and the Ryan Sessegnon`s of this world and I would put him in that category. I think he has so much potential and end product. I like that because some players will flatter to deceive but not only can he show his skills on the ball he has an end product. In the first team that is key because ultimately he will be judged on goals and assists and he has both in his game.’
