Posts
Jamie Mackie put the visitors ahead just after the interval, but Jonny Evans, Darren Fletcher and Javier Hernandez all struck to guarantee three points for United from a losing position - having conceded the first goal for the ninth time in the league this season.
United are back on top of the table until Sunday afternoon at least, when their main title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea meet at Stamford Bridge.
Comeback kid: Darren Fletcher scored what proved to be the winner for Manchester United against QPR
MATCH FACTS
MAN UNITED: Lindegaard;
Rafael, Evra, Ferdinand, Evans; Young (Anderson 59), Scholes (Hernandez
59), Fletcher; Rooney, Welbeck (Powell 79), Van Persie Subs not used: De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Cleverley.
Booked: Scholes
Goals: Evans 64, Fletcher 68, Hernandez 72.
QPR: Julio Cesar; Traore (Ferdinand 61), Hill, Nelsen, Derry; Taarabt (Hoilett 73), Dyer, Faurlin (Granero 84), M'bia, Cisse, Mackie Subs not used: Green, Diakite, Wright-Phillips, Ephraim.
Booked: Mbia.
Goals: Mackie 52.
Attendance: 75,603
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
Booked: Scholes
Goals: Evans 64, Fletcher 68, Hernandez 72.
QPR: Julio Cesar; Traore (Ferdinand 61), Hill, Nelsen, Derry; Taarabt (Hoilett 73), Dyer, Faurlin (Granero 84), M'bia, Cisse, Mackie Subs not used: Green, Diakite, Wright-Phillips, Ephraim.
Booked: Mbia.
Goals: Mackie 52.
Attendance: 75,603
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
To put that in context, they have never had more than six comeback wins in any Premier League season over the past 20 years - and have only had six once before, in 2001-02.
Fletcher was celebrating an emotional comeback of his own.
The 28- year-old Scotland midfielder made his first league start for a year after being sidelined for a long period with debilitating ulcerative colitis.
His goal was also his first in more than a year, the last coming in the less than celebratory circumstances of a 6-1 derby defeat by Manchester City in October last year.
If United have a touch of Houdini about them this campaign, finding ways time and again to escape from losing positions, QPR and their own Harry will need to do a Lazarus to get out of their own terrible mess.
No team in the history of England's revamped top division since 1992 have started as poorly as QPR, who have a meagre four points from 13 winless games.
Watching on: Harry Redknapp, confirmed as QPR boss on Saturday morning, was in the stands
Keep your seat warm: Mark Bowen took charge of the team following the sacking of Mark Hughes
'I expected a surge of determination from them,' said Sir Alex Ferguson of QPR's reaction to the sacking of Mark Hughes, which created the vacancy Redknapp will fill.
That attitude from QPR led to a solid first-half display, allowed them to reach half-time at 0-0, and then take a shock lead when Kieron Dyer set up Mackie for a tap-in.
Bright start: Jamie Mackie gave the bottom club a huge lift when he poked home early in the second half
United's approach changed utterly after a double substitution just before the hour, when Ashley Young and Paul Scholes were replaced by Anderson and Hernandez.
'Anderson made a difference, no question about that,' Ferguson said. 'For 15 minutes we were terrific … Anderson came on, we scored and we came to life … there was no question we were going to win.'
Ferguson said he was 'delighted' for Fletcher.
Comeback: Jonny Evans powered home an equaliser to spark United's revival
'It's been a long, hard road back for the boy,' he said. 'He's never let us down and his work-rate is fantastic.'
Of the goal by Hernandez, which iced the cake, Ferguson added: 'It was a marvellous goal. Anderson laid it on a plate for him but it was a wonderful touch [to control the ball] and a wonder finish.'
After the blitz of quick goals the game largely reverted to the urgency-free encounter it had been for large periods of the first half.
Ferguson said that at 3-1 his team had 'idled it out' to the end - and he did not sound impressed by the fact.
On the one hand, coming back from losing positions shows character and that United can dig out results from awkward situations.
On the other, the fact they are
falling behind so often before starting to take advantage of their
qualitative advantage (in most games) must be a concern for their
manager.
It took 20 minutes for them to create a chance of note, Danny Welbeck running to the byline on the left before passing back to Robin van Persie, who smashed a left-foot shot into the side-netting.
Young shot wide a few minutes later after build-up work by Wayne Rooney but that was about as threatening as Young became.
Rooney drew two saves from
Julio Cesar in quick succession before QPR had the ball in the net
through Mackie, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside.
After Mackie's opener, QPR led for all of 12 minutes before Evans headed United back to parity via a Rooney corner and feeder headers from Welbeck and Hernandez.
United scored again two minutes later, Fletcher leaping to head home powerfully from another Rooney corner.
Anderson then set up the third goal, finished calmly under pressure by Hernandez,who continues to deliver for Ferguson.
Of the goal by Hernandez, which iced the cake, Ferguson added: 'It was a marvellous goal. Anderson laid it on a plate for him but it was a wonderful touch [to control the ball] and a wonder finish.'
After the blitz of quick goals the game largely reverted to the urgency-free encounter it had been for large periods of the first half.
Ferguson said that at 3-1 his team had 'idled it out' to the end - and he did not sound impressed by the fact.
On the one hand, coming back from losing positions shows character and that United can dig out results from awkward situations.
Head boy: Darren Fletcher, starting in the Premier League for the first time in a year, grabbed a goal
It took 20 minutes for them to create a chance of note, Danny Welbeck running to the byline on the left before passing back to Robin van Persie, who smashed a left-foot shot into the side-netting.
Young shot wide a few minutes later after build-up work by Wayne Rooney but that was about as threatening as Young became.
That settles it: Javier Hernandez emerged from the bench to grab his team's third and final goal
After Mackie's opener, QPR led for all of 12 minutes before Evans headed United back to parity via a Rooney corner and feeder headers from Welbeck and Hernandez.
United scored again two minutes later, Fletcher leaping to head home powerfully from another Rooney corner.
Anderson then set up the third goal, finished calmly under pressure by Hernandez,who continues to deliver for Ferguson.
Country
Champ Lge Qual.
Champions Lge
Europa Lge
Europa Lge Qual.
Euro 2012
Euro 2012 Qual.
WC Q. Europe
England
Scotland
Spain
Italy
Germany
France
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Japan
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Russia
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
USA
| |||
|
| League Table | Top Scorers | Defence & Attack |
| Fixtures / Results | Cards Shown | Referees |
| TOTAL | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1 | Manchester United | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 18 | 14 | 30 |
 | |||||||||
| 2 | Manchester City | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 29 |
| |||||||||
| 3 | West Bromwich Albion | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 26 |
| |||||||||
| 4 | Chelsea | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 25 |
| |||||||||
| 5 | Everton | 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 17 | 6 | 21 |
| |||||||||
| 6 | Arsenal | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 20 |
| |||||||||
| 7 | West Ham United | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 20 |
| |||||||||
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 21 | -1 | 18 |
| |||||||||
| 9 | Swansea City | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 17 |
| |||||||||
| 10 | Fulham | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 23 | 2 | 16 |
| |||||||||
| 11 | Liverpool | 13 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 16 |
| |||||||||
| 12 | Stoke City | 13 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 16 |
| |||||||||
| 13 | Norwich City | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 19 | -9 | 15 |
| |||||||||
| 14 | Newcastle United | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 14 |
| |||||||||
| 15 | Wigan Athletic | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 23 | -8 | 14 |
| |||||||||
| 16 | Sunderland | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 16 | -4 | 12 |
| |||||||||
| 17 | Southampton | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 30 | -10 | 11 |
| |||||||||
| 18 | Aston Villa | 13 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 22 | -12 | 10 |
| |||||||||
| 19 | Reading | 12 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 22 | -6 | 9 |
| |||||||||
| 20 | Queens Park Rangers | 13 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 26 | -16 | 4 |
| |||||||||
| Full Table | |||||||||
No comments:
Post a Comment