Everybody is hurting and at the moment

Last updated : 05 February 2007 By Tony Scholes
QPR had dropped into the bottom three following a 2-0 midweek defeat at Barnsley but this result lifted them to nineteenth with Gregory ready for a move up the table. “We looked like a proper team out there,” he said after watching his side beat a poor Burnley by three goals to one.

“We had fantastic support, which has never been in question, but today we gave them something to shout about. Some of the football we played in the second half was like a throw back to the seventies. We were excellent.”

He spoke about new signings Adam Bolder and Danny Cullip. Bolder was playing for the first time at home whilst it was a debut for Cullip. “Adam and Danny gave us everything. The balance of the side looked far better with them in it. They will both be huge assets to us.

“The players have set very high standards today and I expect them to maintain them and reach them week after week from now on. It's a great win and the manner in which we got the three points was ever so pleasing.

“The 3-4-3 formation worked superbly, it is a formation I'm very comfortable with. I don't want to get too excited about it, but we looked a lot more like a QPR side today.”

There was nothing positive for Burnley manager Steve Cotterill to talk about. He'd just seen his side turn in probably their worst performance of the season, and seen them beaten away by a team in the bottom three for the third time in little over a month.

“Everybody is hurting and at the moment it is tough, but I will support the players all the way, even when they do things that upset and disappoint me. I think that is what you have to do, and we will get better.

“We have shown we can do it, and we know we can do it, but at the moment we are down and we need a lucky break. We need something to go for u because at the moment they are not the same players they were earlier in the season.

“We will get back there, but the one thing you cannot do is give anyone a confidence pill. It is the hardest thing you have to search for and there is no point ranting and raving at them because it is the last thing they need at the moment.”

Looking at the goals we conceded in the second half that led to the defeat Steve said: “We were undone by two corners and we usually do a lot better than that from set pieces. I would say it that is unlike us, but today we had a nightmare with corners and when a goal goes in against us at the moment, we fade.

“We look as if we are lacking in confidence. When we got the goal I thought it was going to be the fillip we needed and they were in a buoyant mood at half time. I honestly felt we would go out in the second half and go on and win it, but we just never got going and that is how it has been for us of late.

“We look devoid of confidence and anything that goes wrong at the moment becomes a bigger issue than it is. It is tough because they are a good, honest set of lads who are just suffering because we haven't won in a while.”

Steve spoke about new signing Steven Caldwell and the returning Andy Gray, who both came on during the second half as substitutes. “I thought Steven was absolutely first class when he came on, and we looked stronger at the back, so there were some positives to look forward to.

“Andy is not quite there yet, but it was psychological, not only for the player but for the rest of the squad to see and feel him out there. He will get better and we know that, but just now it was not quite enough.

“We haven't won since we lost him but people say one man doesn't make a team. I'd like to change that because I think one man does. If you look back to all the great sides, would Argentina have won the World Cup without Maradona? I'm not so sure.

“Look at Chelsea without John Terry. With him they are rock solid, without him they struggle. One man does make a team and we've missed Andy for a long time.