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The Armageddon Index, which counts the cost of relegation from the Premier League, shifted significantly as Charlie Austin, the embodiment of Burnley’s unequal struggle to survive, dominated a match of suitably poignant contrasts.
His impact was compressed into a four minute sequence in the second half, when his fifth goal in four home games was sandwiched between two yellow cards, for challenges which led to Harry Redknapp’s ritual insistence he is “not a nasty type of player”
Austin was reluctantly sold by Burnley for £4m at start of last season, and financial expedience means he will be discarded, for a suitable profit, if Rangers go down to face potentially ruinous sanctions for defying financial fair play restrictions.
That remains a realistic possibility, despite a win which lifts them out of the bottom three for the first time since September. It is a little early for their supporters to indulge in the sort of turf war which prompted chants of “West London is ours” in response to Chelsea’s defeat in the day’s early kick off.
Burnley were by far the better side in the first half, when Robert Green’s fingertip saves from George Boyd and Scott Arfield left Redknapp eulogising “ a great keeper, a great pro and a fantastic person.” Purists will inevitably yearn for the Clarets survival.
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in picturesShow all 117 1 /117Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 QPR 1 Steven Gerrard celebrates his match-winning goal against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 QPR 1 Steven Gerrard saw his penalty effort saved by Robert Green
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 QPR 1 Leroy Fer scores QPR's equaliser
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring, tapping home at the back post.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 James McArthur bundles in a Yannick Bolasie cross to double the lead.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Joel Ward curled a shot past Robert Green to make it 3-0 at half-time, two minutes after McArthur.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Matt Phillips celebrates after scoring a brilliant goal, but it was too little, too late.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Arsenal 2 Alexis Sanchez celebrates his goal for Arsenal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Arsenal 2 Olivier Giroud puts the Gunners ahead
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Arsenal 2 Gabriel goes off injured in the 36th minute
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Hull 2 QPR 1 Charlie Austin eased the pressure on QPR with a well-time equaliser before the break.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Hull 2 QPR 1 Joey Barton added to Rangers' woes with a foolish red card after lashing out at Tom Huddlestone.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Hull 2 QPR 1 Nikica Jelavic blasted Hull ahead in a vital relegation battle with QPR.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 QPR 2 Bobby Zamora (right) celebrates scoring QPR's second
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio mane celebrates with his Southampton team-mates after his late goal against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores a late winner in Southampton's 1-0 victory over QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Southampton defender Matt Targett is carried from the field after suffering a neck injury
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Clint Hill jostles with Sadio Mane
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 James Wilson scored United's second to seal the win
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Marouane Fellaini celebrates with his Manchester United team-mates
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Marouane Fellaini scores to put United ahead
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Rob Green keeps out an effort by Radamel Falcao
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Scott Arfield curls the ball past Rob Green to put Burnley into the lead.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Charlie Austin was fouled and then got up to score the penalty - his 13th goal of the season
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Danny Ings slots home the crucial winner
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Harry Redknapp's team fell to their 10th straight away defeat
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Adel Taarabt (right) made his return to the QPR team after a row with Redknapp earlier this season.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Sean Dyche's team picked up a crucial win over their rivals at the bottom of the division.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Swansea 1 Wilfried Bony applauds the Swansea fans as he leaves the pitch
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Swansea 1 Leroy Fer celebrates after putting QPR in front
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Crystal Palace 0 Palace's caretaker manager Keith Millen reacts on the touchline
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Crystal Palace 0 Palace's Fraizer Campbell goes flying in the box under a challenge from Queen’s Park Rangers’ Joey Barton late in the game
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Charlie Austin heads in his third goal to win the game for QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Charlie Austin celebrates scoring his second for QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Charlie Austin bundles home his second goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Charlie Austin rushes back after scoring his first goal of the game against West Brom
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Joleon Lescott celebrates scoring a rare goal for West Brom
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Joleon Lescott heads West Brom in front against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 QPR 1 Ross Barkley celebrates after opening the scoring for Everton against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 QPR 1 Kevin Mirallas of Everton scores Everton's second goal with a deflected free kick
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 QPR 1 Steven Naismith of Everton celebrates scoring Everton's third goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 QPR 1 Joey Barton congratulates Queens Park Rangers' striker Bobby Zamora after he scored a late consolation
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Burnley 0 Leroy Fer celebrates scoring the opening goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Burnley 0 Bobby Zamora of QPR argues with Thomas Heaton of Burnley
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Burnley 0 Charlie Austin of QPR celebrates scoring his team's second goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Burnley 0 Charlie Austin is sent off shortly after scoring. Thankfully for the striker his team was able to hold on
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Nico Kranjcar curls a free-kick at goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Wayne Routledge evades the pressure from Yun Suk-Young
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Lukasz Fabianski makes a ffantastic close-range save from Leroy Fer
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Eduardo Vargas is pressured by Leon Britton and Ashley Williams
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Ki SUng-Yeung celebrates after putting Swansea into the lead
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Routledge (unseen) fires Swansea's second goal past Rob Green
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Esteban Cambiasso celebrates scoring the opener
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Joey Barton soars to win a header
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Esteban Cambiasso shields the ball from Eduardo Vargas
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Kasper Schmeichel celebrates a Leicester goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Leroy Fer nets QPR's second
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Charlie Austin challenges Esteban Cambiasso
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Gary Cahill attempts to head in a Chelsea corner
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Oscar opened the scoring with a brilliant shot, Cesc Fabregas providing the assist
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Oscar curled the ball with the outside of his foot into the far corner
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 QPR striker Charlie Austin scored a cheeky back-heel to draw Rangers level with their local rivals
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is not impressed after seeing his team pegged back by the side at the bottom of the table
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Chelsea players mob Eden Hazard after he first won and then converted the penalty that turned out to be the winning goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 QPR celebrate the opening goal against Aston Villa
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 Zamora and Lowton in action
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 Rob Green makes a useful intervention
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 Yoon Suk Young makes a tackle
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 Charlie Austin celebrates his second goal of the game
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Richard Dunne puts into his own net to open the scoring.
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Leroy Fer reacts to a missed opportunity
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Charlie Austin in action
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Alex McCarthy sees the ball hit the back of the net
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Raheem Sterling, who played from the start, in action
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Mario Balotelli failed to find the back of the net again despite some great chances
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Steven Caulker scores the match winning own goal at the death
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures West Ham 2 QPR 0 West Ham players celebrate the win at Upton Park
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures West Ham 2 QPR 0 Diafra Sakho heads in West Ham's second
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures West Ham 2 QPR 0 Nedum Onuoha puts the ball in his own net
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Graziano Pelle celebrates scoring for Southampton
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Graziano Pelle reacts after missing a simple chance for Saints
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Sandro limps off with an injury, just days after hurting his knee by sliding to celebrate a goal in training
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Armand Traore, Steven Davis and Leroy Fer compete for the ball
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Niko Kranjcar celebrates his late equaliser
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Niko Kranjcar equalises for QPR with a superb free-kick with just two minutes remaining
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Peter Crouch slams home to give Stoke the lead again
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Robert Green is helpless to stop Peter Crouch's goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 QPR players celebrate after their equaliser
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Steven Caulker and Leroy Fer celebrate the goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Peter Crouch and Charlie Adam can't keep Steven Caulker's header out
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Steven Caulker equalises for QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Stoke players celebrate their opening goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Mame Biram Diouf heads in the opening goal from close range
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Radamel Falcao makes his United debut
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Juan Mata completes the rout at Old Trafford
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Wayne Rooney celebrates the third
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Daley Blind and Sandro in action
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Angel Di Maria celebrates his first goal for United against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Adam Johnson (right) and Clint Hill both made their first starts of the season
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 QPR skipper Joey Barton drives forward for the home side
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 QPR midfielder Leroy Fer is challenged by Jack Rodwell in the centre of midfield
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Jordan Mutch and Sebastian Larsson challenge for the aerial ball
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Charlie Austin reacts to fire home his first ever Premier League goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Austin's goal gave QPR their first points of the season with his goal right on the stroke of half-time
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Harry Redknapp, the QPR manager, is greeted by Mauricio Pochettino prior to the game at White Hart Lane
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Nacer Chadli celebrates after opening the scoring against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Tottenham defender Eric Dier (C) celebrates scoring the second goal against QPR with Argentinian midfielder Erik Lamela
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Christian Eriksen takes a free-kick against QPR - hitting the crossbar
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Nacer Chadli of Spurs heads past Robert Green of QPR to score his team's third goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor (L) scores Tottenham's fourth goal against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 The two managers Steve Bruce (left) and Harry Redknapp watch the action unfold at Loftus Road
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 QPR left-back Armond Traore and Hull striker Nikica Jelavic get tangled up in the corner
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 QPR's new signing Jordan Mutch tries to avoid an incoming tackle from Hull midfielder Tom Huddlestone
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 Despite speculation linking him with a move away from Loftus Road, Loic Remy started in the blue and white of QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 James Chester makes it 1-0 to the visitors, heading home from a corner early in the second half
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 Referee Craig Pawson lays down vanishing spray to mark out a free-kick at Loftus Road
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 Charlie Austin, last season's top scorer for QPR, saw a late penalty that would have earned a point for the home side saved
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They are a club which mirrors old fashioned values, and represents a small but perfectly formed football town. The players are routinely patronised, as earnest and defiant in the face of assumptions of inferiority, but their qualities have real resonance.
“This is a group which was written off an hour after getting promotion,” reflected their manager, Sean Dyche. “The perception is changing. There is an honesty about us. We’re not broken. We can take a knock and come back again.”
Only a fool, or a casual observer, would judge Dyche by appearances. The gravelly voice, severe haircut and taut sergeant major shoulders disguise a man enriched by adversity, both as a player and manager.
He is lucid but realistic, friendly rather than forbidding. He looks beyond the everyday dramas of the Premier League circus, and focuses on the basics. The contrast with his opposite number Redknapp was marked.
The QPR manager has the air of a tired old Vaudevillian, shivering in the wind of change. His patter remains word perfect, but the body language speaks of world weariness. He was barely animated, even when Rangers took a 51st-minute lead.
Leroy Fer celebrates scoring the opening goal (GETTY IMAGES)
Austin was the architect of the goal, exchanging passes with Bobby Zamora before setting up Leroy Fer, whose shot flicked off Ben Mee, sliding in to cover, and over goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Redknapp barely bothered to applaud before turning back to the dugout.
The differences between the clubs extend to expectations. Dyche understands the logical consequences of budgetary restrictions in a world of conspicuous consumption, but resists the laws of probability. He will eke out the resources allocated to him, however meagre in relative terms.
Redknapp, on the other hand, still suggests it is business as usual. He spoke afterwards of using the January transfer window to “strengthen in one or two areas and give ourselves a real chance”. An improvement in their away form – they have scored only two goals and have secured no points – is essential.
Loftus Road is not Quality Street. QPR were especially guilty of wasting possession, passing with such a lack of precision it was as if they were blindfolded. They had due cause to be grateful to Green and Richard Dunne.
The old school central defender, who deflected Boyd’s driven cross away from Danny Ings, unmarked and waiting to apply the finishing touch for an equaliser at the far post, was ideally suited to the rearguard action required after Austin’s dismissal.
Booked for an initial lunge at Kieran Trippier, the striker left referee Jon Moss with little alternative when he caught Michael Keane with a flailing arm. That was just two minutes after his calm close range finish, following clever interplay on the right between the Chilean pair Mauricio Isla and Eduardo Vargas, had appeared to make the game safe.
His Premier League future is secure, whatever fate has in store for his past and present employers.
QPR: (4-4-2) Green; Isla, Dunne, Caulker, Yun; Henry, Vargas (Mutch, 75), Barton, Fer (Phillips, 89); Zamora (Kranjcar, 65), Austin.
Burnley: (4-4-2) Heaton; Trippier, Keane, Shackell, Mee; Boyd, Jones (Jutkiewicz, 85), Marney, Arfield (Wallace, 74); Barnes (Sordell, 88), Ings.
Referee: Jon Moss
Man of the match: Dunne (QPR)
Match rating: 6/10
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