Queen's Park Rangers 2 Hull City 0: Gregory's Rangers return begins with a bang
For more than three years John Gregory has been on our television screens but not in the way he would like, explaining results and performances to viewers but not to any footballers. The pundit's seat is a more comfortable one than the hard plastic ones in the manager's dug-out but Gregory has ached for a return to running a club once more.
Not that he didn't have some doubts after returning to the job this week with QPR. Having overseen his first training sessions back at the club he played for more than 20 years ago, he confessed to asking himself if he had done the right thing. He only took a day to deliberate over the offer of taking charge for this season. If they stay up, his deal will be extended.
Despite having left so long ago, Gregory has noticed that not much has changed. He recalled the former manager Terry Venables luring him to the club. As a comment on how the club has barely moved on, you cannot do better than his remark that the wallpaper in the manager's office is still the same. In Gregory's time as a player, QPR reached the 1982 FA Cup final. Their priority right now is to avoid relegation and the former Aston Villa and Derby County manager does not boast huge resources.
What he will do is prepare his team better than his predecessor Gary Waddock, who is now first-team coach. Gregory was shocked to find there was no research prepared for Hull's arrival.
However, headers from Ray Jones and Dexter Blackstock were enough to dispatch Phil Parkinson's feeble side. Defeat sent them to the bottom, took QPR out of the relegation zone and put Gregory back where he likes to be.
Goals: R Jones (60) 1-0; Blackstock (80) 2-0.
Queen's Park Rangers (4-4-2): P Jones; Bignot, Rehman, Stewart, Rose (Kanyuka, h-t); Rowlands, Bircham (Ward, 65), Bailey (Lomas, 65), Cook; Blackstock, R Jones. Substitutes not used: Royce (gk), Baidoo.
Hull City (4-4-2): Myhill; Mills, Turner, Collins, Dawson; Fagan, Ashbee, Livermore (Marney, 75), France (Forster, 67); Parkin, Bridges (Yeates, 67). Substitutes not used: Duke (gk), Thelwell.
Referee: D Deadman (Cambridgeshire).
Booked: QPR: R Jones, P Jones.
Man of the Match: R Jones.
Attendance: 11,381.
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