Tuesday 16 December 2014 08:47, UK
Harry Redknapp blamed two cases of misfortune and a costly error for his side’s 3-1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park.
Having done well in the opening exchanges on Merseyside, Queens Park Rangers fell behind to Ross Barkley’s stunning individual effort, and then Kevin Mirallas’ free-kick on the stroke of half time - with both taking deflections en route to the Rangers goal.
Steven Naismith rounded off the scoring for the Toffees 10 minutes after the interval before Bobby Zamora’s 80th-minute strike gave the travelling support something to cheer about.
Depsite what appeared to be a convincing home win on the scoreboard, Redknapp suggested his side were unfortuante to find themsleves two goals down at the break.
“I thought we played OK today until the first goal and I felt really comfortable,” Redknapp told the Monday Night Football.
“I thought we had good control, they didn’t really look like scoring, they had one or two longer shots that were quite dangerous.
I was pleased tonight, I thought we pressed them well, we worked them hard and I felt that we deserved more than what we got from the game, I really did.
“And then suddenly the first goal from Barkley was a great bit of play and a great strike but it took a deflection that certainly carried it into that corner of the goal - it looked like it was probably going wide. And then the free kick as well, it took a deflection.
“I felt we kept going, we just needed that goal at half-time. I said, ‘if we can get that goal at 2-1 we’re back in this game for sure’. I felt the Everton crowd were very edgy tonight and if ever there was a chance to come here and get a result I felt it was tonight. But I wasn’t disappointed with how we played; I thought we played OK tonight.”
With the score at 2-0 to Everton, Redknapp had been preparing to bring on substitute Zamora in an attempt to reduce the deficit. But within minutes of sending his striker to warm-up, Naismith had extended the hosts’ lead and given them what proved to be an unassailable advantage.
While explaining the difficulty mangers have in striking a balance between attack and defence when trailing in a game, Redknapp was left to rue his side gifting the third goal to Everton which all-but condemned them to an eighth consecutive away defeat in the league this season.
“It’s difficult to balance your team, it’s not easy,” Redknapp added.
“When you’re 2-0 down it’s alright sticking two up front when they’ve got three in midfield, but suddenly when you go three down it becomes more difficult obviously.
“I just thought if we could get a bit of control of the game and see how the first 10 or 15 minutes (of the second half) went then I could throw Bobby on and stick two up front but the third goal obviously changed everything.
“I was pleased tonight, I thought we pressed them well, we worked them hard and I felt that we deserved more than what we got from the game, I really did. We were disappointed to come in 2-0 down and I’m sure if Roberto had a look at that first half he’d admit they didn’t do a lot to get the two goals, they just got the breaks at the right time.
“The third goal was self-inflicted. The back-pass put Rob (Green) under pressure and it was a poor goal. It was at a time when I was sitting there thinking if we could score then the game would be wide open because of the edginess tonight, but to give a bad goal like that away was a killer.”
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