Queens Park Rangers 3 Middlesbrough 0

Sep 13 2010 The Journal

SHELL-shocked Gordon Strachan admits he must stop Middlesbrough hitting the panic button after his jittery side suffered a second-half collapse at Loftus Road.

Following a pulsating opening period in which Boro looked calm and composed against Neil Warnock’s table-topping QPR, the Teessiders imploded after the break.

They leaked three goals in a chaotic and costly ten minutes which called into question their Championship promotion credentials.

A cheaply-conceded penalty on 48 minutes sparked the woeful wobble, then Boro’s disjointed defence wilted under the pressure as the league leaders carved through them at will to score two more.

And, but for a determined display from visiting goalkeeper Jason Steele, it could have been far, far worse.

Now with two crucial home games looming – Burnley visit tomorrow before Saturday’s Riverside clash with Reading – Strachan knows he must settle the nerves before a season which started with high hopes runs aground.

The Boro boss said: “The first half was good.

“It was a smashing game with chances at either end and both sets of fans were given their moneys worth.

“In the second half only the QPR supporters were given value for money, that is for sure.

“After the first goal the players just panicked. For ten minutes we were under real pressure and the players gave away the other two goals.

“We have not eliminated that panicking, it is something we have to address one way or another.

“The QPR players and staff will feel fantastic about themselves, but were are quite shell-shocked by what happened.”